The Ana Dress glimmers and shines on Choreographer Alice Topp in promotion for her work Annealing, which is part of the Australian Ballet's contemporary triple bill, Instruments of Dance. Ballet, with it's gendered traditions, is a style of dance that is so often created by men. In Alices' 16 year career, she has not once worked with a female choreographer. But now, in her latest work as resident choreographer for the Australian Ballet, she is reformulating gendered stereotypes, with women being the ones to lift and dip their male counterparts. In doing so, Topp is altering the very definitions of strength and fragility, and the complexities that exist within each. Through her work, Top meditates on paradoxes, female empowerment, and the idea “that in order to be stronger we have to soften”. Read the full article at: @theageaustralia Instruments of Dance is at the State Theatre, Melbourne, September 23-October 1 and the Sydney Opera House, November 10-26. From left, Dimity Azoury, Alice Topp and Adam Bull at the CFA’s South East Training Ground. CREDIT: SIMON SCHLUTER