The Merry Widow
“As the widow Hanna Glawari, Rachel
Rawlins is simply ravishing. Heart-breakingly beautiful in her costumes, refined and graceful in her dancing, confident and
mature in her acting, she carried off her two beautifully staged entrances magnificently, and brought warmth and humour to
her interaction with the other characters.” Canberra Critics Circle, 28 Nov 2011
“Rachel Rawlins is elegant as young widow Hanna and dances beautifully with Robert Curran
as Count Danilo.” The Sun-Herald, 20 Nov 2011
"Principal dancer Rachel Rawlins captured the vulnerability of wealthy widow Hanna beautifully,
proving a perfect partner to the playful Robert Curran, who pulled off the challenging role of Count Danilo with aplomb. Their
final pas de deux was so electrifying it caused pulses to quicken and breaths to shorten." The Daily Telegraph,
14 November 2011
“Rachel
Rawlins brought sophisticated poise to the role of the wealthy widow” "Ever the perfect partner, (Curran's)
pas de deux with [Rachel] Rawlins were swooningly romantic.” The Sunday Telegraph, 13 November
2011
“Rachel Rawlins danced the title role with a beauty of line and graceful phrasing. She also has
the ability to convey subtle changes of feeling, carrying the audience's sympathies with her on the full gamut from deep sadness
to great joy.” Sydney Morning Herald, 12 November 2011
British Liaisons
"Rachel Rawlins is a formidable valiant queen" Sunday Herald Sun, 28
August 2011
"Rachel Rawlins is a magnetically authoritative Black Queen" The Age, 27 August
2011
Centenary
Symphony of Dance (Launceston)
“Of the very traditional works, Rachel Rawlins and Adam Bull's Nutcracker
pas de deux and coda was matched in technical strength by Leanne Stojmenov and Yosvani Ramos' Coppelia Act III pas
de deux and variations.”
“[Rachel] Rawlins, accompanied by [Yosvani] Ramos, returned as a truly ethereal
Giselle.” Hobart Mercury, 30 May 2011
Madame Butterfly
“Rachel Rawlins, as Butterfly, captures the youthful innocence
of a teenager in love, swept up in grand romance, oblivious to her fate. The wedding night pas de deux with Pinkerton (Robert
Curran) is outstanding and they make the many lifts, throws and leaps look both effortless and intimate.” Sun-Herald, 17 April 2011
“Opening night belonged to Rachel
Rawlins, her Butterfly a mesmerising mix of fragility and Eastern grace." The Daily Telegraph, 11 April 2011
“Rachel Rawlins and Robert Curran
thrilled Thursday's audience with the spine-tingling beauty of their dancing.” Sunday Telegraph,
10 April 2011
"Rachel Rawlins and Robert Curran are engrossing in their portrayals
of Butterfly and Lieutenant Pinkerton. Rawlins captures the naivety of a young woman who thinks her dreams are coming true...
Their wedding night duet, linchpin of the ballet and high point of Welch's choreography, is a persuasive celebration of fluent
movement, trusted partnering and expressive phrasing." SMH, 8 April 2011
“Rachel Rawlins dances exquisitely as the lovelorn Japanese geisha Butterfly.”
Sunday Mail, 27 March 2011
“Their [Robert Curran and Rachel Rawlins] pas de deux at the
end of Act One may well be the most exquisite dancing you will ever see.”
“[Stanton] Welch was at the height of his creative powers when he found new ways to make Butterfly [Rachel
Rawlins] fly and soar into the secure arms of Robert Curran, who is the most astonishingly sensitive partner.”
“This role may have been created on Vicki Attard, who was every inch the butterfly,
but she would graciously acknowledge that Rachel Rawlins brings her own artistry to the role. It is, without a doubt, the
finest performance of her career. Her delicacy is divine, her abandon is breathtaking and her artistry will show you what
ballet can achieve when it is this special." Sunday Herald Sun, 6 March 2011
“Rachel Rawlins was an exquisite and ethereal Butterfly - her stunning technique matched
by her ability to capture the range of moods, from elated to devastated, required.”
“Combining dramatic drops, rapid sweeps and muscular lifts, this athletic grand
pas de deux is breathtakingly intimate and buoyant: fluidly expressed sensuality, exuberance and tenderness. In the romantic
roles, opening night leads Robert Curran and Rachel Rawlins were stunningly good, demonstrating sensitive character work,
exquisite timing and graceful delivery.” The Australian, 28 February 2011
The Nutcracker
“Rachel Rawlins exhibits unflinching confidence as the Sugar-Plum fairy. And why
wouldn’t she? She’s superb; a prima ballerina if ever there was one." Curtain Call - Crikey,
8 December 2010
Peggy!
"Rachel
Rawlins is an enchanting Giselle, her fluent port de bras and the deft subtlety of her epaulement quite delightful."
The Australian, 28 June 2010
The
Sleeping Beauty
"As Aurora, Rachel Rawlins was luminous in the ballet's pivotal
role with her precise dancing and lyrical expressiveness, especially in the carriage of her arms, shoulders and head. While
coping coolly with the demands of the long balances in her opening appearance, she interspersed a sense of childish fun into
her portrayal of a young princess... [Rachel Rawlins partnered with Robert
Curran] performed with vivacity and warmth as well as virtuosity." SMH, 7 December 2009
Suite en blanc
"Rachel Rawlins brought charming poise to the spinning pyrotechnics of the Mazurka and
La Flute." The Australian, 26 June 2009
Les Sylphides
"Rachel Rawlins' dancing of the Prelude and Pas de Deux was a
joy to behold; she is, quite simply, the perfect Sylph." Dance Australia - April/May 2009
" ... a finely poetic
performance from Yosvani Ramos, and Rachel Rawlins is meltingly beautiful in the Prelude." The Australian,
2 March 2009
" ... Rawlins captures the floating, gracious
delicacy of this most romantic of ballets." The Australian, 2 March 2009
"Rachel Rawlins and Yosvani Ramos best embody
the flowing quality of the choreography - the soft fluency of hand and arm, the essential poetic spirit of the piece."
The Adelaide Review, 1 March 2009
"In the first cast, Rachel Rawlins was exquisite in the Prelude, light as gossamer,
her technique completely at the service of her art ... breathtakingly ethereal." Radio Adelaide, 28
February 2009
Peter Wright's The Nutcracker
"Rachel Rawlins (was) a lyrical Sugar Plum Fairy." SMH, October
2008
Symphonie Fantastique
“[Symphonie Fantastique] rises to success in the pastoral third scene
… with the best choreography, Remi Wörtmeyer and Rachel Rawlins bring warmth and wonder to the pastoral couple.” The Australian, October 2008
"Wörtmeyer and Rachel Rawlins are wonderful in their featured pas de deux in Krzysztof
Pastor’s Symphonie Fantastique“ Adelaide Advertiser, October 2008
“The pairing of Rachel Rawlins and Remi Wörtmeyer as the ‘pastoral couple’
was extremely successful." Sunday Mail, October 2008
"Remi Wortmeyer and Rachel Rawlins bring warmth and wonder to the pastoral couple."
The Australian, 26 May 2008
Desmond Kelly Gala
Peter Wright's The Nutcracker
"The first half of the evening finished with Rachel Rawlins and Matthew Lawrence giving
us a terrific performance of the grand pas from Sir Peter Wright's Nutcracker." Ballet Magazine, June
2008
Bodytorque.To.the.Pointe.
Robert Curran's Amusemeant
"Rawlins is such an exceptionally elegant, graceful mover that she gave [Robert] Curran's
movement [in amusemeant] all the beauty it needed to make an impact." Sydney Morning
Herald, February 27, 2008
"Rachel Rawlins changed pace with a delicate, pretty work focused
on the skill of the dancers." The Daily Telegraph, February 25, 2008
La Favorita
"Rachel Rawlins in La Favorita, Adam Bull in the Black Swan pas de deux
and Gina Brescianini in Paquita stood out, all dancing with a refined sense of investment in the dance itself."
The Age, 9 June 2007
La Sylphide
"Rachel Rawlins managed her finely danced, poignant interpretation of the title role."
SMH, 11 April 2005
Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake
"...a delicious but delicate Odette, beautifully played by Rachel
Rawlins, full of hope and desire. She has the innocent look of a child entering her own fairytale unaware that this fairytale
is soon to become a nightmare." Ballet Magazine, 21 July 2005
"Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake (was) danced brilliantly by Rachel Rawlins and Damien
Welch." The Age, 15 March 2005
La Bayadère
"The company's newest principal ballerina, Rachel Rawlins, extended this
potentially academic scene with deep feeling and glamour. Rawlins was wonderful, pulling out long, lingering phrases, elegant
and noble with wistful beauty." Lee Christofis, 1 November 2004
Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake
"Both Rawlins and Scott subjugate technical facility in the service of dramatic conviction."
The Age, 14 June 2004
"Rachel Rawlins has created the most complete interpretation
of Odette. Hers is a mature exploration of all its emotions - love, hurt, anger, despair, madness, hope, serenity - that comes
across as more low-key yet builds to a powerful impact. Her institutional madness and her ultimate serenity are outstanding."
SMH, 6 May 2004
"Rachel Rawlins was Odette giving
a superb performance both as a soloist and a pas de deux and pas de trois." PK Theatre, May 2004
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