Queensland Ballet announces new artistic director – and a surprise comeback
Gil-Ortega, who speaks five languages and will relocate with his family from Zurich in Switzerland to take up the post, has worked with Queensland Ballet before on another hit production, Strictly Gershwin.
He also danced in Shanghai Ballet’s production of The Lady of the Camellias in Brisbane in December.
He said he was committed to fostering a “collaborative and inclusive atmosphere that respects and honours the legacy of ballet while pushing creative boundaries”.
“I have long admired Queensland Ballet and Queenslanders, and I cannot wait to get started,” he said.
The company has been under a cloud since the departure of Li Cunxin, aka “Mao’s Last Dancer”, in 2023 due to ill health.
However, in another surprise announcement, Queensland Ballet revealed that Li would be returning in the newly created role of chair of its endowment fund.
“The only way to sustain a charitable, for-purpose organisation such as this one is to build the strongest foundation of support possible: our endowment,” Li said.
Li Cunxin, Queensland Ballet’s artistic director for 11 years, was widely admired both as a ballet professional and a canny manager and fundraiser.Credit: Queensland Ballet
“There can be no higher honour than ensuring that QB continues to thrive forever, beyond me and all of us.”
Before his arrival in Brisbane, Gil-Ortega will attend the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland, where Li will coincidentally receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.
