Timeless Beauty

As The Australian Ballet prepares to open its season of Sleeping Beauty in Perth tonight, Coral Drouyn talks to Lynette (Lindy) Wills, former principal artist who is playing the evil Carabosse in this stunning new production.

“You never really stop being a ballerina,” Lindy Wills says, “even when you move to guest character roles. I really love the acting challenge, but you find yourself looking at the younger dancers with a twinge of envy and nostalgia. But we all know that the day will come when our bodies say they’ve had enough, time to move aside.”

Lynette Wills has been part of the Australian Ballet for 25 years, the last six as a teacher at The Australian Ballet School, and the seven before that as Principal Artist.

Ballet lovers remember her best as the Countess and the Black Swan in Graeme Murphy’s iconic Swan Lake. “I was very fortunate, the role was a perfect fit,” she tells me.

The evil Carabosse, Nemesis of Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, is also a perfect fit, and one Lindy has visited before. She explains, “I danced Carabosse to Lucinda Dunn’s Aurora in Stanton Welch’s production of Sleeping Beauty when I was at my peak as a dancer, and I also was part of Maina Guilgud’s production. I’ve also danced the role of Aurora, but I have to admit I like the darker, more evil roles, simply because they are generally more fiery, less languid, for the dancer. It’s like actors wanting to play villains I suppose….they are more meaty roles.” This time round Carabosse spends less time on her toes but “Yes,” Lindy says, “I’ll be in my point shoes and I do still dance en pointe…. Just not as much”

So, did TAB really need another production of The Sleeping Beauty?

“Absolutely,” Lindy enthuses. “David (McAllister) has really re-interpreted the ballet with fresh eyes. He has filled out some roles, dispensed with those that were visually pleasing but didn’t seem part of the storytelling. The ballet now has a clearer story and more connection between the characters, But of course the choreography is still so divine that David has mostly just tweaked it where necessary, and Carabosse was part of that process for my creaky bones.” She laughs self-deprecatingly, before continuing, “and it’s stunningly beautiful to look at. The Melbourne qudiences just weeks ago fell in love with the piece all over again.”

Unfortunately Lindy will be too busy on stage to photograph the ballet, and that’s a pity, because Lindy Wills Dancer made the transition from dancer to photographer a few years ago and is now considered by many to be the Principal Photographer of dance in the country. It keeps her close to dancing, as does teaching at the Australian Ballet School. I ask her about the young dancers she is teaching.

“Oh, TAB has a marvellous future; there are so many very special dancers coming through and they will dance far longer than my generation. They’re fitter, their bodies are more resilient. Twenty years ago we didn’t have enough knowledge about treating individual muscles, or the body as a whole. Physiology has come a long way,” she explains.

But not all dancers are equally gifted, surely?

“No, of course not,” she agrees. “All dancers are equally well trained now, but some have, well, magic….that extra something that sets them apart. Call it talent, or a gift, or the X Factor. It’s difficult to explain but it is so exciting when you see it. It almost makes your heart stop beating.”

As Lindy says – You never really stop being a Ballerina.

Chookas.

Images: Lynette Wills with baby - photographer Kristina Kingston. Lynette Wills as Carabosse in Maina Gielgud's The Sleeping Beauty - photo Branco Gaica.