Swayze's dance training was central to his heart-throb appeal. In Dirty Dancing, dance is clearly used as a metaphor for sex: young Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey) learns how to dance with Johnny, and as they come together as a dancing couple, they become a sexual one too. For that to work at all it's not enough that Swayze looks really buff (OK, it's a big factor): he has to establish a physical rapport on the dance floor, otherwise we won't believe it's there in the bedroom. Dance training is vital for that. Compare Swayze's slow-burn smoulder with, say, Arnold Schwarzenegger's graceless fumblings in True Lies. Arnie is going through the motions and so his partner has to do the same; Swayze and Grey are coming together.

"We believe the gala is a fitting way to begin another landmark season for the company because our continued and growing success owes much to the committed and continual support we receive from our corporate sponsors and partners," founder and CEO Susan Chalmers-Gauvin said yesterday at a news conference unveiling the company's 2009-2010 season.

The black-tie Velvet Gala features dance, music, food and the chance to meet and greet with the dancers of the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada, who have a busy schedule ahead this season.

The remarkable story of the Avrillians – West Yorkshire's very own troupe of ballet-dancing miners – has been unearthed as part of a groundbreaking season of films celebrating the history and culture of the UK coal industry.

This Working Life: King Coal is a collection of rarely-seen films, documentaries and television programmes from the British Film Institute's national archive and on show at its Southbank cinemas in London and the Showroom Cinema in Sheffield.

Roudolf Kharatian, choreographer and ballet teacher, is returning to his native Armenia, where he has been appointed artistic director of the National Ballet of Armenia. Since 1991, when he was invited to join the faculty of the Kirov Academy of Ballet, he has resided in Washington. Trained at the Armenian National Ballet School in Yerevan, Kharatian also studied at the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg under the legendary Alexander Pushkin. He began his professional career as principal dancer with the National Ballet of Armenia, performing the great male roles in Giselle, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Spartacus and other famous works. Kharatian enjoyed a very successful performing career spanning 25 years and was adored by audiences and critics alike. He also starred in films and toured the world with Stars of Soviet Ballet.

The Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity, slated to open in 2011, will be located in the Union Station Power House building. The historic 1914 power plant will house the Ballet's school and seven studios, including one that doubles as a 180-seat theater.

Presenting 164 performances of 16 ballets across six programmes, the year features a mix of milestone works that honour The Australian Ballet’s rich history with productions that explore the endless possibilities of the art form.

McAllister said the looming landmark anniversary lead him to reflect on the origins of company. “The vision of treasuring the classics while at the same time pushing ballet’s artistic boundaries goes right back to our founding artistic director Dame Peggy van Praagh,” McAllister said. “In the centenary of her birth we pay tribute to the vision and dedication of our founder as we journey towards our 50th anniversary in 2012.”