Editorial
In 2005 two of the major new collaborative ventures by two major Australian dance companies were Stanton Welch’s Sleeping Beauty for the Australian Ballet and Graeme Murphy’s Grand for Sydney Dance Company.
Some critics were of the opinion that the original version of Sleeping Beauty from 1984 was a much better work, and that Stanton's creation lacked coherence and understanding of the narrative. However, Grand was inventive, inspiring, dramatic, memorable and daring. The collaboration worked.
What is it that makes one work so absolutely memorable and one so absolutely not? Where, how and why is there not more debate about such issues?
Wakako Asano, Connor Dowling & Shane Placentino in Graeme Murphy's Grand. Courtesy Sydney Dance Company. Photo: Jeff Busby(There are 2 articles by Michelle Potter originally published in this issue that Ausdance is unable to publish: Soft, Gauzy Ballet Dresses and The Stretton Legacy)