This month, the Australian Ballet is bringing its fiery rendition of Carmen to Melbourne’s lavish Regent Theatre. And Broadsheet Access members can score free tickets for two, to see the show on March 17 or 18.

Carmen is a widely loved ballet by Johan Inger, re-imagining Georges Bizet’s 19th-century opera. But the Australian Ballet is taking a gritty, fresh approach to the tale – exposing an undercurrent of machismo culture. Broadsheet chatted with Jill Ogai, the principal artist playing Carmen, to talk about life on and offstage.

Tell us about the Australian Ballet’s version of Carmen.

A lot of the previous versions look at her [Carmen] as this woman who lives quite wildly. What’s really great about this version is it’s not set in an obvious time period, and it’s very simple in the distinction of each character. You see this man [Don José] who comes across Carmen, falls for her freedom and then wants to contain it. This version doesn’t blame Carmen in the way others have.

You get used to tutus and pointe shoes with ballet, but it’s really stripped back. The set is just these big walls that are moved around by the dancers. And it’s a cast of 20, when we’re used to having 50-60 dancers on stage.

Who was the first person you called when you found out you’d be the principal artist?

My husband. He rides the waves with me. He’s the first person I call with all news, good and bad. And then my mum, of course.

What’s been the most challenging part of your role?

This version of Carmen requires a level of realness. We’re used to rehearsing steps and layering on top with character and plot. But from the get-go, we’re coming into every scene with an internal monologue.

The really challenging scenes are the more violent scenes. It’s about working through how it reads physically, but then where you have to go emotionally. Classical ballet is usually quite choreographed – you do an angry face, a scared face. But in Carmen there’s a grey area, it’s a lot more raw. There’s a constant conversation happening. It’s a lot to go through.

Because Carmen requires so much from you, how do you recharge offstage?

We always congratulate each other on the show – there are a lot of hugs in the cast. When I get back to my dressing room, while I’m taking off my make-up, I usually call my husband or a friend. Just to bring me back to reality, to Jill. It feels true for me to perform Carmen – there are parts of me which are heightened in the role – so it’s really important for me to ground myself again. My husband will put my dog on Facetime. [Laughs.]

Where are you going out in Melbourne for coffee, dinner, drinks, shopping?

I just went to Supernormal with my husband. We love it. That’s where he proposed to me! It’s great because they take last orders at 11pm. I love City Wine Shop, it’s chic and classic. For coffee, there’s Cathedral Coffee across from Regent Theatre. There’s a new bar called Elio’s that’s a diner on Flinders Lane. They do late-night snacks until 3am. Shopping-wise, I’m an Alpha60 girl. And there’s Bruce on Gertrude Street, which does second-hand designer stuff. I also love Curtin House.

Is there a ballet myth that you’d like to debunk?

I think it shocks people that we rehearse all day and then perform. It’s not like other theatre or sports where you rest on game day. We’re often rehearsing from 11am to 3pm, usually another production. Also, dancers are really fun. There’s a lot of admiration for the discipline of what we do, but we really have a great time dancing.

What are your thoughts on balletcore? Are you sporting flats with the masses?

Oh my gosh, I have the cutest pair of silver ballet flats. I’m participating. The funny thing is, ballet flats are not supportive at all so a lot of dancers steer clear of them. But sometimes you’ve just got to put on a cute outfit.

What’s the biggest piece of advice you have for an aspiring dancer?

It takes a lot of time to become the dancer you want to be. Enjoy each moment, don’t rush to whatever you think the end is. The path is always winding. When I joined the company I was injured, so I spent the first two years of my career rehabbing. It’s great to have the fire and passion, but it’s a patience game and a curiosity game.

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