- A stunning new major work by renowned choreographer Stephanie Lake debuts at the Sydney Opera House tomorrow.
- The piece, titled Seven Days, is part of a bold new triple bill called Prism.
- We attended the dress rehearsal for a first look at the striking new work.
Stephanie Lake is celebrated for her bold, boundary-pushing choreography. In her year and a half as The Australian Ballet’s Resident Choreographer, she’s brought a fresh, contemporary edge to a role long defined by classical tradition.
The multi-award-winning choreographer is also the director of the Stephanie Lake Company in Melbourne, with her work being performed not just in Australia and New Zealand, but also in Paris, Germany, Singapore, Denmark and more. Earning a reputation for her fearless, risk-taking and highly visual pieces, the world debut of her new work, Seven Days, is highly anticipated.
Seven Days is part of a bold new triple bill called Prism, which will begin a short run at the Sydney Opera House tomorrow. We attended the dress rehearsal before opening night and got a sneak peek at the stunning program.
The world debut of Seven Days
Seven Days marks a striking departure from Lake’s signature style. Her first mainstage work for The Australian Ballet, Circle Electric, saw around 50 dancers moving to Robin Fox’s dynamic fusion of electronic and orchestral sound. In contrast, Seven Days turns inward: an intimate work distilled to just seven performers.
The fluid, sometimes humorous, sometimes dark piece reimagines the same core material of music and movement across seven iterations, each time spotlighting a different dancer and reshaping the piece through different arrangements and orchestration. Orchestrated by Peter Brikmanis, the music is a reimagined version of Bach’s Goldberg Variations.
The first aria is played on piano, then repeated in a rich orchestration for strings, then a brassier interpretation, and so on. Lake spoke to The Australian Ballet about the Baroque score, saying,
“I’m quite aware contemporary dance has a reputation for being a bit inaccessible sometimes, so I really wanted to extend the hand by choosing this sublime, iconic music that’s really familiar. People bring their own associations to it, allowing me to then go to some more unfamiliar or mysterious places.”
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The piece invites reflection on the roads we choose, the tug between fate and freedom, and the shifting patterns of everyday life. Lake’s signature wit can be found in moments during the piece, as dancers contort in uncomfortable positions and move out of sync with the company. At one point, a vocal frenzy erupts: dancers scream and sing as they cast aside their chairs, before regrouping. It’s a moment that’s as jolting as it is captivating.
Bosco Shaw’s sharp lighting and Kate Davis’s burnt orange costumes strip the work back further, lending it a raw simplicity. Subtle costume variations differentiate the representation of each day, yet the consistent burnt orange palette keeps the ensemble visually unified.
Lake wants the audience to appreciate a different type of choreography and movement. She said,
“It’s really pushed me choreographically. There’s a different dynamic when you collide the forms – my contemporary interests with the dancers’ incredible ballet technique – you’d think they’d be worlds apart when in fact they’re not. They’re all dancers; they all have the same motivation: to express themselves, connect with audiences, to feel something.”
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Embracing the future while honouring the past
Alongside Seven Days, the Australian Ballet unveils two other landmark works by international icons William Forsythe and Jerome Robbins. Forsythe’s Blake Works V (The Barre Project) is an ode to dancers worldwide in their attempt to sustain their abilities with stay-at-home barre exercises, while Jerome Robbins’ iconic 1983 masterpiece Glass Pieces captures the restless energy of New York
City streets that inspired it.
The striking program will take to the stage at the Sydney Opera House’s Joan Sutherland Theatre from November 7 to 15.
The Australian Ballet Artistic Director, David Hallberg, said: “Prism amplifies every facet of what ballet can be today. It brings together three radically different choreographic voices, each with their own aesthetic, philosophy and energy, allowing them to shine through the unique artistry of our dancers. It’s a bold demonstration of how ballet can speak across genres, generations and audiences.”
“Audiences will witness the creative power of collaboration at its highest level. From Forsythe’s virtuosic innovation and Robbins’ timeless dynamism to Stephanie Lake’s world premiere that defies ballet’s boundaries, this program shows how The Australian Ballet embraces the future while honouring its past,” added Hallberg.
Prism by The Australian Ballet
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000.
When: November 7-15, 2025.
Price: Adult tickets start at $70, tickets for ages 30 and under start at $66.
To get your tickets, click here.
