The Australian Ballet will celebrate their 50th anniversary with a visit to the nation's capital for Telstra's Ballet in the park.
The evening will welcome back Canberra-raised principal artists Lana Jones and Rachel Rawlins, set to wow audiences with awe-inspiring dancing, that has catapulted them to the top of the ballet ladder.
2012 Telstra Ballet Dancer Award nominee, Dimity Azoury and the 2011 Telstra Ballet Dancer Award winner, Chengwu Guo will also be among the dancers at the event.
The artistic director of The Australian Ballet, David McAllister said it was important to visit as much of the country as possible in the milestone year.
'Over 50 years, we have cultivated a very loyal audience across the whole of Australia, so we wanted to ensure that we shared our anniversary celebrations far and wide,' he said.
Dances will include a range of Australian Ballet movements from La Favorita, Don Quixote, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, Molto Vivace and the renowned Graeme Murphy's 2002 masterpiece Swan Lake.
'We have a long history of touring to Canberra, from our first visit in 1965 to recent visits from The Dancers Company. This free performance is our birthday present to our passionate Canberra supporters,' said McAllister.
Telstra's Ballet in the Park will be a highlight of the Canberra Festival 2012 to celebrate the city's 99th birthday and culture through music, film, dance and theatre.
The Australian Ballet's will also be touring Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, alongside seasons in Melbourne and Sydney and an international tour to New York in June.
Telstra Ballet in the park is a free event and will be held at Stage 88 at Commonwealth Park, Canberra on Friday 16 March 2012 at 7pm.
