'Big Bash of ballet': the concept ready to rock the arts world is coming to the Sunshine Coast

A young dancer on a mission to reshape his art form to the modern world has created the “Big Bash” of ballet – and revealed the special reason he wants to bring it to the Sunshine Coast.

Ballet International Gala, or BIG, will feature a host of international stars and is set to change the arts scene forever.

It is the brainchild of 22-year-old Joel Burke (pictured below), a professional dancer who says “it’s time for ballet to become accessible for everyone”.

Co-produced with Beck Phillips and Khalid Tarabay, and inspired by the success of cricket’s Big Bash League and the mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), BIG will showcase snippets of some of the world’s well-known ballets.

These include Sparticus, Le Corsaire, Grand Pas Classique, Romeo & Juliet and White Swan. The action-packed program will also feature a group This is BIG performance by the whole cast, Tap Performance and Rock Finale.

“Sometimes a full-length ballet can be quite a confronting thing for someone that has no idea about ballet,” Joel says. “In the gala format what you get is a highlight reel.

“We have chosen some of the most famous ballets that exist and then we’ve chosen the best bits of those ballets. It’s like the Big Bash League (BBL) in terms of what cricket did for Test cricket, but for ballet.

“For someone who doesn’t know about ballet they can still enjoy it and go ‘that’s really impressive’ even if they don’t know the intricate techniques.”

BIG runs from January 26 to 30 and includes seven shows at Brisbane’s QPAC Theatre, as well as a performance at The Events Centre, Caloundra on February 5. Visit balletinternationalgala.com.

“Australia has never really had ballet galas, whereas Europe and America have them quite a lot,” Joel says.

“I want to fill that void (so) Australia doesn’t miss out. I think it’s time for ballet to become accessible for everyone.”

As an energetic child, Joel enjoyed rugby and cricket, but it was his passion for dancing where he found his true calling.

“My sister was a dancer,” he says.

“I was very hyperactive, so instead of being at home, I joined in as well. I began ballet at 11 and fell in love with it very quickly. It’s been what I’ve been focused on ever since.”

He trained at Queensland Ballet from 2011 until 2018 and was a finalist at international ballet competition Prix de Lausanne in 2019. But Joel felt the profession needed to find its place in the 21st century. At 21 he founded promotions company Queensport Arts, with its first major project to produce and launch BIG.

While this is an opportunity to bring ballet to regional Queensland, performing on the Sunshine Coast has an extra special meaning for Mr Burke after his father died two months ago.

“(My dad) had a place in Maroochydore and so it was fitting that I wanted to bring BIG to the Sunny Coast as well.

“The Sunny Coast always misses out quite a lot and loses (events) to its big brother down south and it’s important to bring arts and culture to the Sunny Coast.

“We’ve had great support from Roy and Nola Thompson (prominent philanthropists) too, which has been great.”

BIG will feature principal dancers from the world’s leading ballet companies, including the American Ballet Theatre and Astana Opera.

Looking ahead, Joel plans to continue growing BIG, fusing traditional ballet with the modern world.

“This is not a one-show goal. We want to tour it in multiple cities and countries,” he says.

“I love traditional ballet. I could sit through a six-hour ballet, but I think for the art form itself, and for it to stay relevant, we need to think of how we can keep those traditional ballets running where it stays commercial and entertaining. We are experimenting while keeping traditional ballet there.”

The talented young man has also just finished filming for his role as Ben Shelby in the upcoming movie The Red Shoes: Next Step due for release in early 2022.

Tickets to BIG are on sale from November 5. The program is listed below and to find out more visit balletinternationalgala.com.

Sunshine Coast program (The Events Centre, February 5)

Act 1