Australian Ballet dancers Imogen Chapman and Brodie James at the Altona construction site of their company’s new production facility. 87802 Picture: ALESHA CAPONE
By ALESHA CAPONE
POINTE SHOES and power tools took centre stage in Altona last week as construction continued at the Australian Ballet’s new production site.
Attorney-General and Member for Gellibrand Nicola Roxon was joined by Premier Ted Baillieu, Federal Arts Minister Simon Crean and the Australian Ballet’s artistic director David McAllister to celebrate the facility’s roof raising.
“It’s hard hats and tutus all in one media conference which makes this unusual,” Mr Baillieu said.
The $12 million production centre will house the Australian Ballet’s wardrobe, set design, scenic painting and construction teams.
It will also provide storage space for almost $40 million worth of past scenery and more than 29,000 costumes.
Ms Roxon welcomed the Australian Ballet to Altona and thanked them for choosing the suburb to build “the world’s biggest dress-up box”.
Ms Roxon said she was delighted the construction of the facility would create more 100 jobs during its construction phase.
However when asked by Star if she would accept the offer of a walk-on role in an Australian Ballet production as a thank you, Ms Roxon declined.
“Unless the role for me is to play a tree or be in the background I don’t think my level of skill would compare to the amazing dancers in the Australian Ballet,” she said.
“But I am very proud lots of ballet dancers live locally in Yarraville and other parts of the West and they are very welcome in this part of the world and I hope more come.”
Mr Crean said the Australian Ballet’s former storage space was a Kensington wool shed.
“In many ways that was going from bales to ballet,” he said.
