Full circle: Australian Ballet Brings Carmen to Canberra for Theatre’s Diamond Anniversary

Posted on 18 June, 2025

In ballet, there’s an art and poetry in the timing. From the tiny movements to the daring leaps, each count has meaning.

And as the Australian Ballet prepares to unveil Johan Inger’s contemporary Carmen this week at the Canberra Theatre Centre, this particular performance carries the weight of 60 years of shared history.

June 24, 1965. The Canberra Theatre Centre opens its doors for the first time, and The Australian Ballet presents a triple bill of performances to mark the occasion. Now, 60 years later, the company is returning with Carmen – a classic and seductive tale of obsession, betrayal, and tragic love that pays tribute to the past while offering a fresh perspective. It’s something that feels particularly poignant for the diamond celebrations.

“The Australian ballet were here on the 24th of June in 1965 to open the Canberra Theatre Centre,” explains Alex Budd, the venue’s Director. “They’ve come full circle.”

“The Centre has always provided a really diverse offering to the widest number of Canberrans. You look back at the program from 1965, and you’ve got classical heritage forms, such as ballet, being performed…The key to our enduring success is, there’s always been something for everybody.”

Following the roots of Prosper Mérimée’s 1845 novella (which was later immortalised in Georges Bizet’s iconic 1875 opera), this modern adaptation isn’t like anything you’ve seen before.

While many ballet versions of Bizet’s beloved story are performed en pointe with classical precision, Jill Ogai – who plays the lead in Carmen – says that this contemporary interpretation strips away traditional constraints. Performed in flat shoes with grounded, physical choreography, it captures something rawer that will draw audiences in as the story unfolds.

“It’s unusual to see such a strong, bold female lead in any art,” says Jill.

“That’s definitely changing more but Carmen has been around for a long time, and she’s always been such a driving force – so openly passionate and wild and mysterious. I think having such an iconic character at the centre of the ballet just really appeals to people.”

“She isn’t the classic heroine. She’s got a lot more aspects to her personality…I think that’s why so many artists aspire to perform the role.”

After 14 years performing professionally (including previously performing in Canberra with the Australian Ballet for The Merry Widow), Jill says that it’s a privilege to be able to open Carmen 60 years after The Canberra Theatre Centre first raised its curtains.

But it wasn’t a mere coincidence. When discussions began about bringing the company back to Canberra for the first time in eight years, the alignment of dates felt almost destined – especially when The Australian Ballet’s schedule intersected with the theatre’s diamond anniversary. From there, Alex says they “jumped on it and locked it in.”

“It’s a privilege,” reflects Jill.

“I’m really grateful that the Canberra Theatre has this relationship with the Australian Ballet and vice versa. Theatres are just such amazing meeting places for artists and audiences alike…it’s an honour to present a work on this date in Canberra.”

For Alex, whose own theatrical journey began as a child watching Swan Lake in this very theatre in the 1980s, the venue’s anniversary represents more than institutional longevity. It’s about keeping the magic of performance alive in the local community.

“Theatre gives people those incredible experiences that they remember for the rest of their lives, and they often come to it to celebrate special occasions,” he says.

“10 million people have visited the Canberra Theatre Centre over its lifetime. Or should I say 10 million tickets have been sold. And when you look at the size of Canberra’s population over that period, there is a huge connection to our community. You can feel that we’ve got a lot of people not just singing us ‘Happy Birthday’ this year but singing for our success in years to come.”

But what can audiences expect choreographer Johan Inger’s interpretation of Carmen?

Capturing the fiery Spanish passion that defines the original, set to the music we all know and love, and placed in a contemporary setting, this version of the story doesn’t provide easy answers or conventional moral frameworks.

For Jill and Alex, that complexity is part of the appeal.

“I think once you see it, you get a more of an understanding of the modernity in it,” says Jill.

“There’s no right or wrong answer to how you interpret something, and there are a number of ways you can interpret this version of Carmen because it’s not a straightforward story. Just be really open to that and just let the imagination and whatever one feels in their heart watching it, just let that fly.”

“What am I most looking forward to? It’s always the audience reaction and seeing people that are moved and, in a small way, changed by having the experience of a great performance,” says Alex.

There’s an art and poetry in timing. And it doesn’t get more poetic than this.

Images: Simon Eeles.