Ad For Australian Ballet In Vogue Australia

[Ed Waffle]

I thought this was an excellent ad--a jaw-droppingly attractive dancer looking as fit and confident as can be and just the right amount of copy. It is quite appropriate for its context, a leading fashion magazine, although it may have been on billboards, bus shelters and the local daily rag, of course. This link leads to a copy of that is about 250K. I have it on that site in smaller versions and will supply the url if you would like--let me know. The type becomes very hard to read in the smaller copies.

http://photos.imageevent.com/deltaforce/au...gue_0306001.jpg

[dirac]

Thanks for posting, Ed. It’s a very striking photograph, indeed, and the dancer is gorgeous. I thought it was interesting that the picture seems to present the young woman more as an athlete than a ballet dancer -- none of the usual toe shoes, tiaras, or tutus in sight. A deliberate choice, perhaps?

[carbro]

Actually, while she looks buff and athletic at first glance, she seems to encapsulate the full range of attributes noted in the copy -- a timeless beauty, at once lavish and spare. It's a very savvy balance of contradictions.

[sylphide]

Beautiful picture. I believe that this dancer might actually be long and willowy in real life, but the way the camera lense captured her, she appears to be very strong and beautiful, yet graceful. I think this perhaps is a more modern image of the ballerina. With the empowerment of women that happened over the last few decades, I think this puts female ballet dancers in a new light. Ballet does not need to be ONLY about ghostly-white rale thin fragile women ! Fragile can be good, but strong is beautifull too!

[Petra]

I agree, sylphide. The lovely dancer is clearly a woman and not a 'girl'.

I'm also impressed that the Australian Ballet used a non-Caucasian dancer in the ad, given the current racial tensions in Australia.

[BalletNut]

Maybe one of our posters familiar with the Australian Ballet might be able to tell us just who that dancer is?

[Farrell Fan]

The dancer is identified in the ad as Vivienne Wong.

I agree it's a stunning photo. As a former copywriter I was interested in the copy. No breakthrough there.

[Ed Waffle]

Maybe one of our posters familiar with the Australian Ballet might be able to tell us just who that dancer is?

I am not familiar with the company, but...

She is listed as a member of the corps on their web page:

http://www.australianballet.com.au/thecompany_ourdancers.htm

And is featured on the site of a local school:

http://www.northshoredanceacademy.com.au/

I generally don't buy Australian Vogue--it is very expensive in the U.S.--but picked up this issue because Cate Blanchett was on the cover and was featured in a an editorial. Even surrounded by other beauties Ms. Wong stood out.

Edited March 16, 2006 by Ed Waffle

[dirac]

I generally don't buy Australian Vogue--it is very expensive in the U.S.--but picked up this issue because Cate Blanchett was on the cover and was featured in a an editorial.

Money well spent.