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Event Details: Strings: A Triple Bill. 22 – 30 May, 2026. Playhouse Theatre, QPAC
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Strings features three ballets that strip dance back to its purest form. There is no narrative; instead, the season is a distillation of complex choreography that pushes the dancers to their limits through speed, precision and intricate technique.
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Brisbane, 18 May, 2026: Following two wildly popular programs, the monumental Messa da Requiem and the joyous Elastic Hearts, Queensland Ballet presents Strings, a striking triple bill by three leading choreographers, Christian Spuck, Goyo Montero and Edward Clug. Performed with live accompaniment by Queensland's Chamber Orchestra, Camerata, Strings takes the stage at the Playhouse, QPAC, 22 - 30 May , 2026.
Distilling dance to its purest form, the evening opens with Chamber Minds by acclaimed Romanian choreographer, Edward Clug, whose playful yet deeply expressive work explores the contradictions of human emotion, the push and pull of love, tension and connection. Clug's inventive use of the body sees limbs act as levers, propelling dancers into surprising, often humorous shapes that appear spontaneous yet demand extraordinary control.
In The Seventh Blue, Christian Spuck, who kept audiences spellbound with his epic Messa da Requiem, responds to the relentless energy of Franz Schubert's Death and the Maiden. The choreography mirrors the score's urgency and is fast, furious and relentless. The technically demanding work demands both precision and musical clarity from the dancers.
Completing the program is Chacona by Goyo Montero set to Johann Sebastian Bach's well-known Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor. Built on repeating musical patterns, the choreography reflects this structure through intricate sequences performed in canon, a ripple-like effect where movement passes seamlessly from one dancer to the next. The result is mesmerising, echoing the hypnotic beauty of Bach's score played by Camerata musicians.
Together, these three works form an electrifying evening where movement, music and technical mastery reveal dance in its purest form.
Artistic Director Ivan Gil-Ortega said the three contrasting works demand extraordinary technical, musical and artistic range from the dancers.
"I have worked closely with Goyo, Christian and Edward throughout my career, so I have a very deep understanding of their unique choreographic voices and the precision they demand from artists."
"Each choreographer approaches movement in their own choreographic vocabulary. Christian's work is relentless and deeply musical, Edward's is playful and deceptively complex, while Goyo's choreography demands precision, musicality and incredible stamina."
"What excites me most is bringing these celebrated works to Brisbane and being part of this process with the dancers in the studio, passing on the artistic detail, musicality and intention behind every movement."
"The audiences are not only witnessing works by some of today's most influential choreographers but experiencing creations that are actively shaping the world of ballet today," Gil-Ortega added.
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