Mandurah Performing Arts Centre's auditorium was full of eager audience members ready to be treated to a tasting plate of some of West Australian Ballet's most beloved works on Wednesday night.
With classic excerpts from Swan Lake and more contemporary pieces like Li Sze Yeung and Won Tan Ki's Galatea & Pygmalion, there was something for every ballet fan and novice to enjoy.
While the entire company was in top form, with not a foot out of place, there were some stand out performances deserving of a special mention.
Kiki Saito was a stunning Odette with Oscar Valdes an exceptional foil as Sebastian in an excerpt from Tchaikovsky classic Swan Lake.
Alexa Tuzil combined incredible athleticism, fluid movement and comedy throughout her part of Robert Bondara's Persona, a clever piece which explores a person's pursuit of fitting into every realm of society by putting on certain 'masks'.
Juan Carlos Osma appeared in a number of pieces, a magnificent partner to each dancer he was paired with and a mesmerising solo performer when left to his own devices to hold the audience.
Perhaps the highlight of the entire evening was Carina Roberts and Matthew Lehmann performing in Galatea & Pygmalion, which acts as a retelling of Greek sculptor Pygmalion and his statue Galatea.
The piece was not only perfectly executed, with even the slightest movement telling a crucial moment of the story, it also required incredible stamina, with the dance running for one of the longest periods of the show.
Roberts and Lehmann tell the story of creator and masterpiece falling in love as the artwork is made, and follow Pygmalion's eventual aging and death, leaving the statue of Galatea to live on without him.
Not only were the pair in perfect sync, they gave the performance of a lifetime through both movement and emotion.
Following the show's end, the audience chattered as they shuffled through the packed auditorium towards the doors, with comments about the "surprisingly emotional" impact the dances had, and their beautiful execution.
It was a night to remember for both MANPAC and its visitors.
Samantha Ferguson
Samantha Ferguson is a journalist at the Mandurah Mail. She is an entertainment, sport, crime, community and education journalist with a special interest in investigative pieces and human interest stories.
Samantha Ferguson is a journalist at the Mandurah Mail. She is an entertainment, sport, crime, community and education journalist with a special interest in investigative pieces and human interest stories.
