Elegantly Wasted: Queensland Ballet Sets a New Contemporary Work to the Music of INXS

Queensland Ballet has announced the world premiere of Elegantly Wasted, a new contemporary ballet set entirely to the songs of INXS, opening at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast this September. It's a genuinely unlikely pairing — one of Australia's most influential rock exports reimagined through classical dance — and the company behind it isn't shying away from that tension.

The 65-minute work is set inside the polished anonymity of a luxury hotel lobby, following a group of impeccably dressed young influencers drifting in and out of view, curating their lives through performance, projection and validation. "Beneath the glamour, seduction and excess lies a deeper meditation on identity, loneliness and the human desire to connect," says choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, who conceived the work.

For Lopez Ochoa, the connection to INXS runs deeper than the brief. "I grew up with INXS, so this music is woven into my teenage years, which I used to listen to on my Walkman," she says — an anecdote that reportedly baffled the dancers she was working with. "INXS represented something incredibly cool, confident and slightly dangerous. Their music felt sophisticated, sensual and full of freedom — it was a world I admired from a distance. That feeling has become part of the choreography." Rather than restaging the 1980s, she's chased what the band represented emotionally: "the excitement of youth, the desire to belong, and the confidence we all aspire to."

The Belgian-Colombian choreographer is one of the most in-demand names in contemporary ballet, having created more than 100 works for 81 companies worldwide, including American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, Alvin Ailey and the Dutch National Ballet. She's also one of a handful of female choreographers working extensively in narrative ballet, and no stranger to Queensland audiences — Elegantly Wasted follows her 2024 sell-out hit for the company, Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon.

The band's own involvement gives the project real weight. "INXS have always embraced exploring new ideas and the different ways our music can connect with people," says founding member and composer Andrew Farriss. "This ballet is a fresh artistic interpretation that stands in its own space. It's not about the band's story, but shows how our music can inspire new forms of expression. Annabelle has brought her own artistic vision to the music, and we're looking forward to seeing how it comes to life." The endorsement lands weeks after INXS collected the Ted Albert Award at the 2026 APRA Awards, recognising a catalogue that includes 75 million albums sold, seven US Top 10 singles and a sold-out, 74,000-strong night at Wembley Stadium.

Elegantly Wasted marks the second major contemporary music-led commission in Queensland Ballet's partnership with HOTA, following Elastic Hearts — Garry Stewart's Sia-scored work, which premiered to strong reviews and audience demand in November 2025. Sound design comes from Jake Rodriguez, with additional music production by Nigel Butler, costume design by Josh McIntosh and set and lighting design by Jon Buswell.

Elegantly Wasted premieres at HOTA, Gold Coast, on Thursday 10 September (7pm), with further performances Friday 11 September (7:30pm) and Saturday 12 September (1:30pm and 7:30pm). The 65-minute work runs with no interval.