★★★★½ Rising stars come out in dazzling support of old masters.

Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
April 29, 2016

The divertissement was one of dance’s early-20th century boom industries. Driven at first by the twin desires to produce shorter, cheaper work and to break away from the constraints of 19th-century narrative ballet, it harked back to the more abstract ideals of the baroque and came with the built-in proviso to entertain. Whether it was dying swans or dancing nymphs, the opportunity to impress and explore through solo, duet or full-company work soon inspired a generation from Fokine to Ashton. The fruits of these labours are evident everywhere in the Australian Ballet’s latest winning programme of six works, which culminates in the divertissement to end all divertissements, George Balanchine’s sparkling Symphony in C.

^{Amanda McGuigan and Christopher Rogers-Wilson in Scent of Love}

As a precursor to this substantial second course, Artistic Director David McAllister has programmed three classic divertissements from the last 80 years, interspersed with two new works from a pair of dancers recently nurtured though Bodytorque, the company’s platform designed to showcase new talent. Richard House opens the evening...