Cover image: Georgia Waite and Heath Kolka. Incandescence Ballet at the Quarry. Photo credit Hypnosis Creative Agency and Mauro Palmieri

Ballet at the Quarry: Incandescence, WA Ballet
Quarry Amphitheatre, Mooro/City Beach
6 – 28 February 2026

Assemble a cheese platter and settle in for a night of ballet set to a backdrop of Australian bushland and night sky. The 2026 season of WA Ballet’s beloved Ballet at the Quarry debuts four short works that blend nostalgia, modernity and reflections on the passage of time. 

Tim Harbour’s Once and Future opens the evening with shifting scenes driven by the question, ‘What if everything that exists has always existed?’ The dancers assemble into theatrical tableaus, such as a moving vehicle, to a lounging figure watching TV. They dissolve into abstract sequences with angular gestures that echo time folding in on itself. Two look-alike characters and a white sheet that transforms across scenes add to the work’s introspective nature. Ulrich Müller’s score samples crickets, sparse synths and infectious percussion which deepens the sensation of time stretching and folding. Harbour’s work references lineage and imagines future to create an exploratory and resonant piece. 

Polly Hiliton’s Paper Moon transports us into a whimsical fairytale shaped with child-like paper crafts. Shadow puppets flicker under bedsheets and on the stage’s back wall, illuminated by Damien Cooper’s evocative lighting design. Fairytale characters, a pair of oversized scissors and a nightlight-esque crown evoke the imaginative play of a bedtime story. The musical score, featuring Bobby Krlic’s Midsommar, deepens the dreamlike atmosphere that is both enchanting and ominous. Hilton’s costuming enhances the papercraft motif with off-white corsets, lit hooped skirts, and a futuristic take on classical dresswear. Together, these elements evoke nostalgia and childhood innocence while exploring the complexity and longings within adulthood.

Chihiro Nomura’s Night Symphony Colours shifts the tone with a spirited celebration of classical ballet technique. Five dancers present dynamic allegro with precision and lightness, sparking audible admiration from the audience on numerous occasions. Vibrant costumes echo the work’s joviality while the music, Alexander Glazunov’s IV: Allegro vivace from Symphony No. 2 drives the choreography’s agile and athletic energy. A red ribbon later appears, subtly linking the evening’s recurring motif of fabric and cord. 

The evening concludes with Ihsan Rustem’s, Incandescence, offering a series of duets set to a medley of choral, classical and pop-infused sourced music. The dancers’ partnerships feel magnetic with each duet distinguishable by its own emotive motifs and movement qualities. The corps assembles for a powerful finale of unison choreography that sees the dancers spiral, ripple and jut in sync with the vocals of the music. 

Overall, the 2026 Ballet at the Quarry program offers a collection of works that both celebrates and gently stretches the boundaries of classical ballet. 

WA Ballet’s Ballet at the Quarry: Incandescence will perform 6-28 February 2026 at the Quarry Amphitheatre, Mooro/City Beach. For more information, visit: https://waballet.com.au/ballet-at-the-quarry