Colourful and fun, this was a night of firsts and lasts
The Australian Ballet concluded its two‑and‑a‑half‑year residency at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre with a performance of Justin Peck’s Copland Dance Episodes. The ballet, which had only been staged in New York before, was presented for the first time in Australia. The production was described as a colourful, plotless work set to four well‑known Aaron Copland pieces.
- ▪Copland Dance Episodes made its Australian debut at the Regent Theatre, marking the first performance of the work outside New York City.
- ▪The show served as the final performance of the Australian Ballet’s residency at the venue, which began in early 2024.
- ▪The ballet featured vibrant costumes and a lively ensemble, drawing stylistic references to George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins.
- ▪Audience reactions highlighted the fun, upbeat nature of the piece and its contribution to raising the profile of ballet in Melbourne’s city centre.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","dateModified":"2026-06-26T02:03:06Z","datePublished":"2026-06-12T02:36:36Z","description":"The Australian Ballet is closing out its residency at Regent Theatre with a bubbly and bright work that until now hasn’t been performed outside of New York.","headline":"Colourful and fun, this was a night of firsts and lasts","keywords":"Melbourne live reviews, For subscribers, See & Do, Performing arts, What’s on, Review, Arts, Review, Just in Age","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Andrew Fuhrmann","jobTitle":"Andrew Fuhrmann","url":"https://www.theage.com.au/by/andrew-fuhrmann-p536uw"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Sonia Nair","jobTitle":"Sonia Nair","url":"https://www.theage.com.au/by/sonia-nair-p536r4"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Tony…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Sydney Morning Herald.