There have been rumours for several months that the Bolshoi Ballet was to return to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in 2019, with the Bolshoi itself revealing in a newsletter at the end of last year that it was returning to Australia.

The news was confirmed today with the announcement that the renowned Moscow-based company will perform two ballets in Brisbane between June 26 and July 7: Yuri Grigorovich’s Spartacus and George Balanchine’s triple bill Jewels. Audiences will be able to see both productions on the first weekend of the season.

The Bolshoi Ballet in Spartacus. Photo © Efetisova

The exclusive Australian season is part of QPAC’s International Series, which has brought a number of the world’s leading ballet companies to Brisbane, among them Paris Opera Ballet in 2009, American Ballet Theatre in 2014, The Royal Ballet in 2017, and the Bolshoi itself in 2013. Last year, saw the Australian debut of Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company, which attracted an audience of over 20,000 to 13 performances.

The Bolshoi Ballet’s Director Makhar Vaziev said: “We are happy to show in Brisbane two ballets from our repertoire – two masterpieces of outstanding choreographers of the 20th...