DEVOTION AND DESIRE

DANCE

16 Oct

Recently landed: Devotion and Desire

Gracia’s written response to The Australian Ballet’s Manon, especially for Fjord Review.

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Sir Kenneth MacMillan began his choreography for Manon with the pas de deux[i], and from this shining, central point spun outward. Building the story from its heart, almost as if from the inside out, the pas de deux reveals not only the emotional connection between the two dancers, but their place in the world. In a continued radiation outward, MacMillan, through his expressive, delicious choreography, makes this ballet relatable, and real. On the opening night of The Australian Ballet’s Melbourne season of Manon, I am drawn to the undeniable connection of Robyn Hendricks’s Manon and Callum Linnane’s des Grieux.

Falling off centre to risk everything for love, every part of the story can be read in the pas de deux they share. Hendricks’s Manon and Linnane’s des Grieux are everything, as they swerve and lean into each other and become entwined. From the moment they first physically connect when Linnane positions himself so that Hendricks will literally step backwards and fall into him, to me, at its core, Manon is their love story. They eke out a place where they can be together, in the renowned bedroom pas de deux, where every step conveys a sense of if only they could stay here, live forever in this moment. If only we could stay here, toys Hendricks as she lightly, playfully leads Linnane away from the desk and back towards the bed. Their story asks how far would you go for the one you love. And as their story unfurls, how far would you go for the one you love takes on a different emphasis at each of Manon’s three distinct junctures.

[i] Deborah Jones, ‘Doing the two step’, The Australian Ballet, https://australianballet.com.au/blog/doing-the-two-step, accessed 11th October, 2025.