A contemporary ballet trilogy from celebrated choreographer, dancer, and L.A. Dance Project Artistic Director Benjamin Millepied, in collaboration with Van Cleef & Arpels.
Presented together for the first time, the triptych marks the culmination of a creative journey spanning over a decade, drawing inspiration from the symbolic and emotional resonance of precious stones. Each work offers a distinct world where movement, music, and design converge to reveal something luminous and intimate.
Reflections is a meditation on longing — sensual, sharp-edged, and fleeting. Set to David Lang’s haunting score and framed by Barbara Kruger’s bold visual language, the ballet explores the tension between presence and absence, desire and memory.
Hearts & Arrows pulses with crystalline energy, carried by the precise, layered rhythms of Philip Glass. Liam Gillick’s sculptural design of shifting light and shadow becomes a silent partner to the choreography, where emotion takes on an architectural clarity.
On the Other Side is a deeply human work — intimate, emotional, and communal. Set to a suite of piano études by Glass and enveloped by Mark Bradford’s immersive, painterly set, the ballet becomes a portrait of togetherness, tracing the bonds between individuals and the quiet strength of collective experience.
From Louise Bezzina
BRISBANE FESTIVAL ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
I am absolutely thrilled to welcome L.A. Dance Project’s Gems to Brisbane Festival for its world premiere and exclusive season. This bold and luminous new work marks a significant moment for the company and for Brisbane, as we become the first city in the world to experience it. Gems promises to be an extraordinary celebration of contemporary dance — innovative, daring, and emotionally powerful. Hosting a world premiere of this calibre reinforces Brisbane Festival’s reputation for bringing global excellence to our city while creating unforgettable moments for our audiences. I cannot wait to share this dazzling work with Brisbane.
Credits
Reflections
Choreographer
Benjamin Millepied in collaboration with Julia Eichten
Charlie Hodges
Morgan Lugo Nathan Makolandra and Amanda Wells
Visual Concept
Barbara Kruger
Lighting Designer
Masha Tsimring Music
David Lang
This was Written by Hand Memory Pieces (selections)
Hearts & Arrows
Choreographer
Benjamin Millepied
Visual Concept
Liam Gillick
Lighting Designer
Masha Tsimring Music
Philip Glass
String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima)
1957 - Award Montage
November 25 - Ichigaya
1934 - Grandmother and Kimitake
1962 - Body Building
Blood Oath
Mishima/Closing © 1985, Dunvagen Music Publishers Inc. (ASCAP).
Used by permission.
Performed by Kronos Quartet - Nonesuch Records.
Recorded in 1993. Produced by Judith Sherman, Kurt Munkacsi, and Philip Glass
On the Other Side
Choreographer
Benjamin Millepied
Visual Concept
Mark Bradford
Lighting Designer
Masha Tsimring Music
Philip Glass
Etude No. 1, 2, 6, 12, 16, 18 Orphee Suite - Movement 2 & Movement 7
Trilogy
Sonata Movement 1Knee Play No. 4 from Einstein on the Beach © 1999, 2012, 1993, 1976, Dunvagen Music Publishers Inc.
Used by permission.
From Philip Glass:
The Complete Piano EtudesMaki Namekawa, piano (2014, Orange Mountain Music) From The Orphee Suite for Piano, Music by Philip Glass - Paul Barnes, piano (2003, Orange Mountain Music)
Commissioned by Van Cleef & Arpels
Courtney Conovan
Daphne Fernberger
Tom Guilbaud