West Australian Ballet

West Australian Ballet or WAB is the State ballet company of Western Australia and is based in Perth at the Western Australian Ballet Centre in Maylands

The company was founded in 1952 by Madame Kira Bousloff (formerly of the Ballets Russes) and is one of the oldest ballet companies in Australia. Artistic directors have included Garth Welch (1979–83) and Ivan Cavallari (2007–12). The current Artistic Director is Belgian Aurelien Scannella. Choreographers who have produced dances for the Ballet include: Stephen Baynes, Adrian Burnett, Gideon Obarzanek, Stephen Page and Natalie Weir, Jacqui Carroll, Chrissie Parrott and Garth Welch.

The company has a creative partnership with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. At present the company consists of 32 full-time dancers and 8 'Young Artists' (a full-time year-long development programme), structured since 2014 with Principal Dancers, Soloists, Demi-soloists and Corps de Ballet. WAB performs three to four major seasons in Perth a year, one at The Quarry Amphitheatre in City Beach the others usually at the performance home of His Majesty's Theatre, Perth (although Burswood Theatre and Regal Theatre have also played hosts). They also offer regional touring throughout Western Australia, choreographic workshops, and extensive education programme and other community activities.

Madame Kira Bousloff, a ballerina with the Ballet Russes, had travelled with the company to the east coast of Australia in 1938. She settled in Melbourne after her commitment to the Ballet Russes was complete, later moving to Perth with her second husband, composer James Penberthy. She fell in love with the city, declaring that the beautiful coastline reminded her of the French Riveria and later stated "When I came to the airport in little Perth at the end of the world, I put my feet on the ground, I looked around and I said loudly and strongly, 'This is where I'm going to live, and this is where I'm going to die ... this is my place'".

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