As the undisputed father of English classical ballet, Frederick Ashton is firmly etched in the annals of the art form, but despite this venerable reputation, outings for Ashton’s work are relatively few and far between down under. Australian Ballet have not mounted any of the great British choreographer’s work in eleven years, so even the most ardent of Australian balletomanes could be forgiven for not being well acquainted with Ashton’s masterpieces. Good news then, that the Australian Ballet should present a full evening devoted to celebrating this giant of 20th-century ballet. As an introduction to Ashton’s genius, the second half of this evening of dance was unquestionably the most potent example of why Ashton deserves his place among the great icons in the history of ballet.

Monotones II (Brett Simon, Natasha Kusen, Jared Wright)

Opening this triple-bill was the most recent piece of the evening’s offering, Monotones II. This relatively brief, abstract work of pure dance, created in 1965, was inspired by the early voyages of space exploration, when the public consciousness was enraptured with a vision of a future among the stars. Three dancers, two male, one...