© Daniel Boud, courtesy Australian Ballet.
Onwards and Upwards we say to the great Juliet Burnett – who writes wonderful blogs for DanceTabs.
Media Release from The Australian Ballet
The Australian Ballet farewells Senior Artist Juliet Burnett
After 12 wonderful years with The Australian Ballet, Senior Artist Juliet Burnett has announced that she will leave the company on Friday 12 June, following her performance in the lead role of Giselle in Sydney last month.
Artistic Director David McAllister said he was sad to see Juliet leave, but supports her decision and plans for the future.
“Having danced Graeme Murphy’s Odette in Swan Lake and the title role in Maina Gielgud’s Giselle Juliet leaves us with some wonderful images of her artistry and grace. We wish her every success for her future endeavours.
Born in Sydney, Juliet trained in the Cecchetti method with Valerie Jenkins, and later with Christine Keith. She was also fortunate to receive special coaching from the late Valrene Tweedie, a great mentor for Juliet.
She was accepted into The Australian Ballet School in 2000, joined The Australian Ballet in 2003, became a soloist in 2009 and was promoted to Senior Artist in 2011.
Highlights since then have included being plucked from the rank of coryphée to create the title role in Matjash Mrozewski’s Semele, working with choreographers Wayne McGregor, Glen Tetley and Graeme Murphy, career development abroad at The Royal Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, and fulfilling a lifelong dream to dance her namesake role in Murphy’s Romeo and Juliet.
REPERTOIRE HIGHLIGHTS
- Giselle in Maina Gielgud’s Giselle, 2015
- Odette in Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake, 2015
- Wayne McGregor’s Chroma 2014
La Flute, Serge Lifar’s Suite en blanc 2014, 2009 - Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort 2014
- The Sylphide in La Sylphide 2013
- Theme One and Theme Three, George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments 2013, 2003
- Queen of the Dryads, Don Quixote 2013
- Wayne McGregor’s Dyad 1929 2013, 2009
- Glen Tetley’s Gemini 2012
- The Nutcracker Act II pas de deux, 2012
- Juliet in Graeme Murphy’s Romeo & Juliet 2011
- 2nd Movement pas de deux in Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Concerto 2011
- Stephen Bayne’s Beyond Bach 2011
- Sophie in Graeme Murphy’s The Silver Rose 2010
- Valse variation, Prelude and pas de deux in Mikhail Fokine’s Les Sylphides 2009, 2006
- Semele in Matjash Mrozewski’s Semele 2008
- Polyhymnia in George Balanchine’s Apollo 2007
I was one of the lucky few privileged to have seen Juliet dance her namesake, and would have liked to have seen her able to further develop the role – she danced it once if I remember correctly. Odette in Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake was another highlight. Good luck in your future endeavours, Juliet.
Thanks Anna. I danced two seasons of R&J – Sydney and Adelaide. I think it was 5 shows.