Table of contents for June-July 2019 in Dance Australia

ATTENTION contemporary dance students! The dates for the second Brisbane Contemporary Dance Prix (BICDP) have been announced. The competition will take place from September 29 to October 5. Applications are open, closing June 30. Last year’s event saw over 32 offers made to candidates by schools and companies. Senior winner Dean Elliott took up a 10 week placement with Sydney Dance Company and now has a full time contract. Junior winner Phoebe Anderssen travelled to partner school Palucca Hochschule für Tanz Dresden and will commence her training there in September. Founder Louise Deleur says she is excited to build the BICDP platform as an international event that inspires, educates and connects dancers into professional pathways nationally and internationally. In addition to its dancer program, this year the BICDP will hold…

AFTER high school, Baden Hitchcock completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at the Victorian College of the Arts. He joined Bangarra Dance Theatre in 2017 as part of the Russell Page Graduate Program, which offers young dancers the opportunity to join the company for 12 months of professional experience and training. He has been a full member of the company ever since. Baden is a descendent of the people of Saibai, top Western border in the Torres Strait Islands, and also from the Western Gulf and Central Provinces of Papua New Guinea, with English and Scottish heritage from his father. Baden can currently be found performing in Bangarra Dance Theatre’s anniversary season – 30 years of sixty five thousand. What were you auditioning for? I auditioned for the…

WHILE auditioning in Europe I would use websites such as Tanznetz, Dancing Opportunity and au-di-tion to find public auditions. Otherwise, I would write to companies that interested me and ask to do a private audition or visit the company for class. I found private auditions worked best: the focus is on you and it works better with scheduling dates. I would make sure to include my CV, photos and a show reel of two minutes when writing to a company. Auditions always have an intense atmosphere. Every dancer is unique in their own way and everyone is going for the one or two contracts that are available. However, in the end, you’ve just got to relax, go with the flow and try to enjoy it. Normally you will make friends…

Academy of Music and the Performing Arts (AMPA) Alexandria, NSW Bachelor of Dance and Associate Degree of Dance (Full-Time or Part-Time) 10th July, 10th October, 20th November 2019 www.ampa.edu.au Alegria Dance Studios Woolloomooloo, Sydney, NSW Full-Time Classical Course. Audition by appointment. www.alegria.com.au Amanda Bollinger Dance Academy Southport, Gold Coast, Queensland Part-Time & Full-Time programs including Certificates II, III, IV in Dance. Acceptance by private audition only. www.vaganova.com.au Annette Roselli Dance Academy Tingalpa, Qld Annette Roselli Full-time Elite Training Program. Audition: Sunday September 15th. www.annetteroselliballet.com.au Associated Studios Australia Melbourne, VIC 9 week Musical Theatre Course (commencing on 2nd of September): 1st August, 2019 1 year Foundation Musical Theatre Course: 18th - 22nd November, 2019 1 year Diploma in Musical Theatre: 18th - 22nd November, 2019 1 year Part-Time Advanced Musical Theatre…

THIS is the third Supercell Festival in as many years. Beginning modestly in 2017 at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts (JWCOCA) as a celebration of contemporary dance, it has continued to grow in its scope and delivery, and this year includes support from all four of Queensland’s dance companies. Confidently rebranded as a “festival of contemporary dance”, and the only annual festival of its kind in the country, Supercell’s theme for 2019, “The View From Here: Australia and the Asia Pacific”, enabled multiple perspectives. The week-long feast comprised international, national and local performances (of works both established and in development), master classes, workshops and, for the first time, film. The four key works had only one performance each, and unfortunately another commitment meant I had to miss “HK…

JASON Coleman knows a little about creating opportunities for performers. He choreographed the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and Glasgow. More recently, he has produced and choreographed for the TV Week Logie Awards and The AFL Footy Show Grand Final as well as his own shows, The Rhythm of Life, Razzle Dazzle and The Humanimals in his world-first mobile theatre, “Cabaret Cathedral”. His personal credits over 30 years of performing are extensive, but he became a household name as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance Australia. He is exceptionally proud, however, of his school, Jason Coleman’s Ministry of Dance, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Housed in a huge former industrial building in…

THE National Theatre Ballet School (NTBS) in St Kilda in Melbourne is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the school is holding a Diamond Gala on its home stage on June 29. It promises be a stellar event, kicking off with a red carpet cocktail function, followed by performances by dancers from The Australian Ballet, The Queensland Ballet, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Melbourne City Ballet and Victorian State Ballet, as well as alumni from school itself. The evening will wind up with a VIP after-show Mezzanine party. The NTBS has a proud legacy. It opened in 1939 under the direction of Jean Alexander with a faculty headed by Madame Lucie Saranova, a pupil of Enrico Cecchetti. At the time it was the first dance school…

2019 is Bangarra Dance Theatre’s 30th anniversary. The company is celebrating with a triple bill, entitled “Bangarra: 30 years of sixty five thousand”, referring to the 65,000 years of Indigenous culture and storytelling from which the company draws inspiration. The tour schedule is Bangarra’s most ambitious to date, and takes in every A ustralian capital city. In recognition of the talent that has come through the company, Frances Rings’s 2004 work, Unaipon (Clan), will be restaged. Unaipon celebrates the life of David Unaipon (1872-1967), whose journey took him from the shores of Lake Alexandrina in the Ngarrindjeri nation to his place on the Australian 50 dollar note. In Unaipon, Rings presents a rich dance portrait of the man who made the connection between aerodynamics and the flight pattern of the…

CONTEMPORARY ballet company Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo will visit Melbourne this winter, with LAC, a modern take on Swan Lake. Choreographed by the company’s director, Jean-Christophe Maillot, LAC is an updated version of the classic tale. Set to the original Tchaikovsky score, Maillot’s ballet is a story of love triangles. The Prince’s childhood sweetheart, the White Swan, is kidnapped by Her Majesty the Night. Haunted by that lost love, the grown-up prince is unable to choose from the prospective brides presented to him. When Her Majesty the Night attempts to match him with her own daughter, the Black Swan, chaos and tragedy ensues. Maillot’s choreography combines neo-classical lines with a modern sensibility to give this fairy tale a sharp edge. Presented as part of The Australian Ballet’s 2019 season, LAC…

The dancer in this image is Mia Claire Wallace, a soloist with the Victorian State Ballet. The photographer is Ron Fung. A former dancer, Ron also manages Sansha Australia, and has been taking dance photos since 2012. “During the photo session, we were trying a few movements from the floor, doing a coupe jete with one hand on the floor. After a few tries, she managed to get her body and legs fully extended. “We both think this is an exceptional position.” http://ronfungphotography.com/ Would you like to be featured here? JUST DROP AS LINE VIA FACEBOOK MESSENGER OR EMAIL DANCE@YAFFA.COM.AU.…

STEFANIE Jones is currently playing the role of Rhonda Epinstalk in Muriel’s Wedding: The Musical in Melbourne. As Muriel’s best friend, the role of Rhonda is a sizable one, and a much bigger part than the one she was originally cast to play – one of the bridesmaids, Nicole. Stefanie hails from Queensland, where she started her musical-theatre career playing child roles in two iconic musicals – Young Eponine in Les Miserables and Brigitta Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. In her late teens, Stefanie moved from Brisbane to Melbourne to study a Bachelor of Music Theatre at the Victorian College of the Arts. She has trained extensively in dance, having studied with the Queensland Ballet through its Junior Extension Program, and also has an Associate Diploma in Music…

AINSLEY Melham has moved a long way from his home town of Bathurst in country NSW. He is now in New York, where he is recreating his performance as Aladdin in Broadway’s production of this Disney spectacular. It is an incredible opportunity that not only sees Melham realising a childhood dream but also places him back on stage with his original co-stars, Michael James Scott (Genie) and Ariel Jacobs (Princess Jasmine). Melham originally trained at the WA Academy of the Performing Arts and spent a few years as a principal cast member of the iconic children’s pop group, Hi 5. He starred as Aladdin for three years in Australia, performing in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. “I was wrapping up my time with Aladdin at the end of the Perth…

IN its 50th Anniversary season, Sydney Dance Company’s “Bonachela/Nankivell/Lane” triple bill presents a satisfying mix of contemporary dance to audiences old and new. With two world premieres (Bonachela’s Cinco and Nankivell’s Neon Aether) the program is rounded out by the return of Melanie Lane’s WOOF, which first premiered as part of SDC’s “New Breed” season of short new works in 2017. The premise of the program is that without a company like SDC, new works like these would never have been commissioned in the first place – and the title of this program bears that out, making the choreographers the stars. But the program also serves the talent of SDC’s dancers, giving a selection of relatively newer company dancers the opportunity to shine alongside company favourites like Charmene Yap. Gabrielle…

MELBOURNE’S Dance Massive festival (held in March) has become an important showcase for challenging work since its inaugural season in 2009. Not only does it host work from both emerging and mature artists but it has persisted as an inclusive space for audiences to immerse themselves in a torrent of dance or to gingerly dip in a toe and be refreshed. This year saw an even bigger program than previously, together with very healthy ticket sales, and many shows sold out. Although it is not reasonable to make too many generalisations across such a rich program, I noticed quite a few two-handers being shown as well as works that focus on the dynamics and relationships between individuals within groupings. Public Actions, by Luke George and collaborators, saw the movement of…

INDEPENDENT choreographer Rachel Arianne Ogle is presenting consecutive seasons in Perth this June, with a remount of her 2014 work precipice, followed by its sequel i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night, which had its debut at Melbourne’s Dance Massive in March of this year. Inspired by tectonic shifts, gravitational torsion and states of emotional rupture, precipice sees a dance of abandon and precarious control unfold within an installation of light designed by Benjamin Cisterne and sound by Luke Smiles. This season of precipice will be performed by Tyrone Robinson, Niharika Senapati, Yilin Kong and Imanuel Dado and will run from May 9 to June 1 at the State Theatre Centre of WA. (www.ptt.wa.gov.au) Bringing together the same creative team as precipice, i have…

Where did you undertake your full-time training? Promenade Dance Studio, 26 Glentanna Street, Kedron QLD What level of education (academic and dance) had you attained before beginning your full-time training? I completed my Year 12 schooling through distance-education at Promenade Dane Studio as well as receiving distinction for my RAD Advanced 2 Ballet exam. At the end of my 2nd year Pre-Professional Classical course, I also successfully attained my Diploma in Dance – Elite Performance. By combining my schooling and dance education together with full-time dance training, I was able to receive one-on-one educational support, while still being able to complete these exams and achieving my Diploma. How did you find the transition from full-time studies to the profession? The transition from full-time training to Sydney Dance Company’s PPY was…

FOR dancers who can’t make the audition in person, many companies and schools will accept video auditions. The Bolshoi Ballet Academy, for instance, is based in Russia, but seeks students from around the world, including Australia, for its regular school as well as international intensives. Here, the director of the summer intensives, Dmitry Povolotsky, gives some tips on how to create a truly impressive video audition for his academy. What is your main advice to students making a video audition? Students must try to show the understanding of the technique when recording the video. We like to see that the students have a basic understanding of the ballet technique. How long should the video be? The video can be one to two minutes long. What should the dancer wear and…

CHOREOGRAPHER Liam Scarlett is currently one of the hottest properties in dance. Appointed Artist-in-Residence of the Royal Ballet in 2012 at the tender age of 26 (giving up his dancing career as First Artist with the company), Scarlett has been choreographing since his student years at the Royal Ballet School. There he won both the Kenneth MacMillan and Ursula Moreton Choreographic Awards, and was the first recipient of the De Valois Trust Fund Award for choreographers, presented by Sir Peter Wright and Lady Deborah MacMillan. The youngest choreographer ever commissioned to create a three-act ballet for the Royal Ballet – Frankenstein in 2016 – Scarlett has crafted a prodigious number of works for the company since his appointment, including a new production of Swan Lake, which opened to rave reviews…

THIS year is the 20th anniversary of Garry Stewart’s appointment as artistic director of Australian Dance Theatre, and the company marked the occasion with a celebratory gala extending over two nights. Friday April 5, the second night, doubled as a fund-raising event with the SA state premier and other dignitaries in attendance, speeches aplenty, and wine and canapes in abundance. As the title “Anthology” suggests, the audience was treated to a selection of excerpts from Stewart’s oeuvre, and it too proved to be something of a feast. The program comprised a mixture of live and filmed excerpts of Birdbrain (2000), Be Your Self (2010), The Beginning of Nature (2016), Proximity (2014), Devolution (2006), G (2008) and The Age of Unbeauty (2002), thus giving an insight into both the through-lines and…

THE Australian Institute of Classical Dance held its Houston Ballet Academy Scholarships at the Hurstville Entertainment Centre in Sydney on April 16. The scholarship is a handsome prize which includes six weeks free tuition at the Houston Ballet Academy Summer Intensive in Texas, US, return airfares, accommodation and meals. Contestants must be between 15 and 18 and are judged on their classical class work plus a solo performance. The adjucators were former dancer Daryl Brandwood and the AICD’s artistic director, former Australian Ballet principal Marilyn Jones (OBE). They awarded the scholarship to Hyo Shimizu from The Conlan College, with second place ($600 Bloch voucher) going to Josie Byrnes from National College of Dance and third ($300 Bloch voucher) to Kaya Weight from Classical Ballet 121. Prizes were also offered in…

THE 2019 Alana Haines Australasian Awards (AHA Awards) were held over the Easter weekend, Thursday 18 – Monday 22 April, at the Opera House, Wellington, New Zealand. The competition, which is held biennially, saw 600 Australasian contestants competing for cash prizes totalling $460,000 plus scholarship awards, including airfares. Scholarships are sponsored by international dance schools from UK, USA, Canada, Europe and Australasia, while the airfares are paid for by the AHA Awards. The event is judged by an international jury. The AHA Awards commemorate a promising 11-year-old Wellington dancer Alana, who was tragically killed on Christmas Eve, 1989. Her mother, Katie Haines, who is a former dancer with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, founded the event in 1991. Congratulations to: SUPREME WINNERS Supreme Gailene Stock Award: Alfie Shacklock (14 years),…