Following critically acclaimed premiere seasons in Australia, The Australian Ballet will tour the United States with Christopher Wheeldon’s Oscar©, touring to California and New York in a major international engagement, the company’s first full-length work in the United States in more than a decade.
This tour marks a significant moment for The Australian Ballet, bringing a major new work to the United States and showcasing the company’s world-class dancers on international stages. It offers Australian artists the opportunity to connect with global audiences, perform internationally, and share a work that is central to the Company’s artistic identity.
This landmark international tour, and the creation of Oscar© itself, have been generously enabled by philanthropy, demonstrating the vital role of donor support in enabling The Australian Ballet to create ambitious new work and share it on the world stage.
The establishment of the International Touring Fund in 2005 has enabled The Australian Ballet to plan for a sustained global presence, while the David Hallberg Fund for Artistic Aspiration has made the creation of Oscar© possible through philanthropic support.
Created by Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, Oscar© is a bold full length ballet inspired by the life and writings of Oscar Wilde. Drawing on works including The Nightingale and the Rose and The Picture of Dorian Gray, the production blends biography and imagination to capture Wilde’s brilliance and vulnerability through Wheeldon’s signature cinematic storytelling.
Premiering in Melbourne on 13 September 2024, Oscar© is a rare large-scale narrative ballet centred on queer identity and an ambitious, deeply human story that captivated Australian audiences, and now makes its international debut in the United States.
The production marks Wheeldon’s third full-length collaboration with The Australian Ballet, following the smash-hit Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland© and the award-winning An American in Paris. One of the most in-demand choreographers working today, Wheeldon has created for leading companies worldwide including New York City Ballet, The Royal Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet.
This tour marks the company’s first visit to the United States under Artistic Director David Hallberg, who is American-born, and continues its long-standing relationship with American audiences. The company first performed in Los Angeles in 1966 and has since toured extensively across the United States for more than five decades, with appearances in New York since 1971 and its most recent US season in 2019.
A touring party of over 100 people including dancers, wardrobe, medical, technical and administration staff will travel to the United States, ensuring audiences experience the full scale of this production.
As part of the US tour, Resident Choreographer Stephanie Lake’s work Seven Days will be presented at New York City Center’s Fall for Dance Festival on 2 and 3 October. Lake is one of Australia’s leading contemporary choreographers and director of Stephanie Lake Company.
Seven Days, which premiered to critical acclaim in The Australian Ballet’s 2025 season, will feature alongside leading international companies as part of the festival program.
“Taking Oscar© to the United States marks an important moment for our company and for this work. As Australia’s national ballet company, performing on major international stages is central to who we are, it strengthens our global standing and reflects the reach and ambition of our artists,” said The Australian Ballet Artistic Director David Hallberg.
“It is especially meaningful to share Oscar© with audiences internationally. This is a story that speaks to identity, love and vulnerability, themes that reach far beyond the stage, and I’m incredibly proud that we are able to bring it to new audiences around the world.”
“As an American-born Artistic Director, it means a great deal to me personally bringing The Australian Ballet back to the United States during my time with the company. This tour has been made possible through the generous support of our philanthropic community and partners, whose commitment allows us to share our work on the global scale,” added Hallberg.
Oscar© will make its international debut in the United States at Cal Performances, Berkeley, California from 25 – 27 September with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, before travelling to New York City Center from 8 – 11 October with the Orchestra of St Luke’s. For more information, visit: www.australianballet.com.au for details.
Images: Adam Elmes and Jarryd Madden in The Australian Ballet’s production of Oscar© (Wheeldon) – photo by Daniel Boud | Jarryd Madden and Ako Kondo in The Australian Ballet’s production of Oscar© (Wheeldon) – photo by Daniel Boud