Redland Performing Arts Centre (RPAC) today announced a free screening of the Australian premiere of Ballet Preljocaj’s Swan Lake on Friday 13 June 2025, which will be filmed during the exclusive Brisbane season at Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s (QPAC) Lyric Theatre.
Founded in 1985 by maverick French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, the Aix-en-Provence-based Ballet Preljocaj last wowed audiences in Queensland in 2016 with the sell-out season of Snow White at QPAC and is world renowned for warping the experience of ballet.
The contemporary ballet company is fueled by Preljocaj’s propensity for collaboration, with a roll call of artistic partnerships boasting the likes of costumes by Jean Paul Gaultier and Azzedine Alaïa to scores by Thomas Bangalter (Daft Punk) and Nicolas Godin (Air).
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Famed for his iconoclastic deconstruction of great story ballets, Preljocaj’s Swan Lake is a dystopian juxtaposition of corporate greed – in which Siegfried is the son of a wealthy property developer – and the pristine environment of the swans, which sees Odette and the Prince as eco-warriors battling the fossil-fueled industrialist Rothbart.
While he has leaned on some elements of Marius Pepita and Lev Ivanov’s original choreography, this is Swan Lake reimagined by Preljocaj with ‘audacity and respect’ and challenges ballet norms with a run time of less than two hours with no interval.
To extend the reach of the Australian premiere season at QPAC, between Friday 13 and Sunday 15 June, 17 venues around the state will host special screenings of Ballet Preljocaj’s Swan Lake, with music by Queensland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Johannes Fritzsch, performed and recorded in Brisbane.
The Queensland-only broadcast will be free to attend at RPAC on Friday 13 June with the venue open from 6.30pm and the screening commencing at 7.30pm.
Redland City Mayor Jos Mitchell said the screening provided an opportunity to experience an evening of exceptional ballet at no cost.
“RPAC has hosted a number of ballet productions over the years but this is the first time the centre has held a screening like this,” the Mayor said.
“This is a really exciting opportunity to experience a production by a large international ballet company and I am thrilled that RPAC was chosen as one of the 17 Queensland venues to screen this new contemporary interpretation of Swan Lake.
“I encourage everyone, especially those who have never been to the ballet, to take the opportunity to visit RPAC for a wonderfully unique cultural experience.”
QPAC Chief Executive Rachel Healy said more Queenslanders than ever before would experience Ballet Preljocaj’s unique style and cultural impact.
“When we bring companies like Ballet Preljocaj to QPAC, which are the best in the world at what they do, we want to ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to experience their work,” Ms Healy said.
“Angelin and Ballet Preljocaj completely throw out the rules of ballet, and whether you are witnessing their magic in the theatre or on the big screen, I am confident audiences will be challenged and inspired by this new interpretation of a masterpiece.
“We couldn’t reach such broad audiences without the collaboration of our partner venues across Queensland; and we’re incredibly grateful for their shared passion for the arts and applaud their commitment to ensuring their communities can experience this internationally acclaimed company”
Minister for the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said QPAC’s International Series – which included Ballet Preljocaj’s Swan Lake – will reach far and wide through a delivery plan utilising 17 regional venues and communities across the state.
“QPAC’s free program of community events will support audiences across the state to come together to engage with this spectacular interpretation of Swan Lake,” Minister Langbroek said.
“Since its inception in 2009, the International Series has engaged almost 185,000 people and injected more than $32 million into Queensland’s economy.
“The Crisafulli Government is committed to ensuring all Queenslanders have access to the very best arts and cultural experiences, particularly as we continue to build up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
For further information about the free RPAC broadcast of Ballet Preljocaj’s Swan Lake, visit rpac.com.au. Tickets can be pre-booked online or through the RPAC Box Office and will also be available on the door.
Ballet Preljocaj’s Swan Lake runs in QPAC’s Lyric Theatre from 31 May to 7 June and is an exclusive Australian season as part of the QPAC International Series and QPAC’s 40th anniversary celebrations.
Since its inaugural presentation in 2009, the QPAC International Series has welcomed some of the world’s finest performing arts companies – including Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet and Teatro alla Scala – exclusively to Queensland, with many making their Australian debuts.
The QPAC International Series is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.
