When Krzysztof Pastor created Dracula for the West Australian Ballet in 2018, it garnered a string of rave reviews and awards. In 2020 it returns by popular demand, as well as opening in Brisbane at Queensland Ballet. The internationally renowned choreographer and Artistic Director of the Polish National Ballet talks to Jansson J. Antmann about his earlier work In Light and Shadow, which WA Ballet is performing at this year’s Ballet at the Quarry as part of the Perth Festival.

Krzysztof Pastor at the opening of Ballet in the Quarry. Photograph © Jansson J. Antmann

In Light and Shadow seems to follow you around the world.

I created it for the Dutch National Ballet 20 years ago and it’s been presented by several other companies including Royal Swedish Ballet, Scottish Ballet, the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Ankara, The Hong Kong Ballet and my own Polish National Ballet in Warsaw as part of Tańczmy Bacha (Bach Dances) in 2010 and again in 2013 … and now finally in Perth. 

Why do you think it has proven to be so popular?

It’s inspired by the Baroque and is one of my lightest works. There’s no narrative, no drama. It opens...