Vogue: The Australian Ballet’s Alice Topp on the cancellation of Volt and why you have to see it when it returns

By Alexia Petsinis

23 March 2020

Only a few days after its Melbourne premiere, The Australian Ballet announced that Volt— its latest contemporary offering—will have its season cancelled as nation-wide precautionary measures are taken against Covid-19. The news has devastated Australia’s tight-knit ballet community, affecting everyone from dancers and choreographers, to loyal ticket-holders who haven’t missed a single production in years.

Alice Topp—Resident Choreographer and Coryphée dancer with The Australian Ballet—is sharing deeply in the company’s disappointment. Topp premiered her work Logos as part of the program, a gutsy, hypnotic piece trading sugar plum fairies for an exploration of how we grapple with our modern demons.

“Obviously we are all gutted by the forced cancellation of the season. We’ve been working so hard, pouring everything into the program and working for over a year on bringing the new piece to life, so it’s devastating to have the shows cancelled,” shares Topp. “But this beast is something well beyond our control and it will only make our return to stage so much sweeter. Everyone is so hungry to get back out there and share with the world what we’ve been working on.”

A triple-bill comprising the works Chroma and Dyad 1929 from acclaimed British choreographer Wayne McGregor, and Topp’s Logos, Volt is a multi-sensory spectacle exploring the trials and complexities of the human condition with explosive power. The piece is a mirror to society, challenging the audience to reflect on our place in the world—our vulnerable bodies, our emotional sensitivities—and how our humanity is ultimately registered in connection with those around us.

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