The Australian Ballet joins four of the world’s leading ballet companies for 22 hours of live streaming this Thursday.

The Australian Ballet has announced that Australian journalist, television presenter and ballet lover Chris Bath will host its contribution to this year’s World Ballet Day, taking place on Thursday.

For the fourth year running, five of the world’s leading ballet companies will open up their studios and backstage spaces for 22 hours of live streaming, beginning at 12 noon on October 5 with the Australian Ballet. The other companies are Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada (who will be on tour in Paris) and San Francisco Ballet.

For the first four hours, viewers will be able to watch the AB dancers in their daily class as well as rehearsing for upcoming shows (including David McAllister’s opulent production of The Sleeping Beauty returning to Sydney in November) as part of a broadcast that will include other surprises. The streaming will continue through the night as the other four companies take over, with each of them taking viewers behind the scenes to offer various insights into the life of...