Morning Tea in Support of the Royal Ballet and Queensland Performing Arts Centre

Ladies and gentlemen, Kaye and I are simply thrilled that so many members of the Royal Ballet and your magnificent supporters, could join us today.

As the representative in Queensland of our Head of State, Her Majesty The Queen – who is also Patron of the Royal Ballet – it is my great honour, with Kaye, to welcome you to Queensland, and to historic Government House; and at once to congratulate you all on last night’s simply spellbinding performance of ‘The Winter’s Tale’, including acknowledgement of the QSO’s mastery of a difficult score under the leadership of Alondra.

Today we continue the fine tradition of hosting at this grand residence our visiting international arts companies – including recently the American Ballet Theatre, and France’s Ballet Preljocaj, here as part of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s astonishingly successful ‘International Series’, supported also by Tourism and Events Queensland.

We proudly add to that illustrious list today the Royal Ballet.

Alongside our own superb State companies, the QPAC ‘International Series’ is a great source of pride for Queensland audiences – Kaye and me included.

It is further confirmation, as if it was needed, that our City and State have not just ‘come of age’, but indeed they are to be envied!

One of the most pleasing aspects of the Royal Ballet’s twenty-seventeen visit is your collaboration with our own Queensland Symphony Orchestra.  

We are equally pleased of the decision to undertake a special one-night-only performance in Cairns next Wednesday night, co-presented by QPAC and the Cairns Regional Council – and we welcome today Mayor Bob Manning and Mrs Claire Manning.   

 That the company will have taken the time to engage so widely pays great tribute to our people, and the inclusive mission of the ‘International Series’ in reaching new audiences.

I congratulate everyone involved in bringing to fruition the Royal Ballet visit as part of the QPAC ‘International Series’.

Dancers, administrators, and your vitally important supporters – thank you for honouring us through your presence in our State.

We wish you a most pleasant time in Queensland, and we hope that the relationships formed and reaffirmed here will last long after the fall of the final curtain on Sunday. Thank you.