Table of contents for January-February-March 2024 in Dance Australia

YELLOW Wheel, established in Melbourne in 2012, is an Australian dance company specialising in working with young people and emerging artists. The company offers a range of programs to connect emerging dancers with professional artists, and provides rigorous contemporary dance training and professional development. The company is seeking “young groovers, emerging artists, high schoolers, pre-tertiary, tertiary, and fresh graduates aged 14+ to work with us in 2024”. The Artistic Director of Yellow Wheel is Kyall Shanks. Auditions will be held from January 21-23 at the WXYZ Studios in North Melbourne. Go www.yellowwheel.com.au or our website: danceaustralia.com.au…

WHAT’S ON The Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet’s 2024 season will include a world premiere by internationally-renown choreographer Christopher Wheeldon as one of its major highlights. That ballet will be Oscar, about the life and works of the poet and author Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). A figure of genius, wit and huge popularity, Wilde wrote stories and plays that are still read and performed today, such as The Happy Prince, The Importance of Being Earnest and his Die Profundis, produced while he was in gaol for the crime of “gross indecency” with men. (Wilde coined the phrase “the love that dare not speak its name”.) The music will be by Wheeldon’s frequent collaborator, Jodie Talbot. (Sep 13-24 Melbourne; Nov 8-23 Sydney.) Oscar will mark the company’s first appearance at the Regent…

RAMBERT Grades, a new contemporary dance syllabus focused on fostering creativity and self-belief, was launched in Australia in 2022. The inclusive contemporary dance framework, established in 2020, is a joint venture between the iconic Rambert Dance Company and Rambert School. Rambert, established in the early 1920s in London, was pioneer in contemporary dance and is now still going strong as one of the world’s leading contemporary dance institutions. Rambert Grades offers two syllabi with four levels and eleven qualifications for ages 3+. Creative Dance for Early Years covers essential movement skills, and encourages creativity and communication through three grades: Creative Movers, Pre-Primary and Primary. For older dancers, Rambert Grades is offered over three levels of training, Level 1 (Grades 1 – 3); Level 2 (Grades 4 – 5) and Level…

2024 SYLLABUS GUIDEBALLET AUSTRALASIA What do you enjoy about your job? I think the most enjoyable part of my job is being able to share my passion for dance and to see students succeed and grow, whatever their individual ability levels. Have examinations/assessments changed over the years and what is different now? Whilst all syllabi are regularly updated and new genres are added, the structure and pass marks have remained fairly consistent. Very young students are offered assessments, rather than more formal exams, and a more relaxed examination approach is taken for the genres of Hip Hop and Tap’N’Beats. The focus is on the students enjoying the examination environment, while still maintaining the integrity of the syllabus technique required. What is the purpose of exams/assessments and why do you think they…

What drew you to this syllabus/organisation? I have been involved with Comdance as a student, a fully qualified Comdance Teacher, and now an Examiner for more than 25 years. I have studied other syllabi, however the theatrical, multi genre aspect of Comdance has remained the most rewarding. The society has always remained updated and relevant to the times introducing new and exciting syllabi, offering excellent workshops, and training for teachers along with events that individual studios can be involved in to connect to the Comdance dance community. What do you enjoy about your job? - Examiner/Teacher As a teacher I enjoy making a strong connection and giving guidance to my students while we work through the structured syllabi and technical knowledge. Understanding of movements/steps is also extremely important and then…

What do you enjoy about your job? As an examiner, one aspect of my job that brings me great joy is the perfect balance of variety and routine. On one hand, I get to experience a wide range of settings, including different countries, studios, and teachers, which keeps my work exciting and fresh. On the other hand, the examination process itself follows a consistent routine worldwide, which ensures fairness and reliability. I find immense satisfaction in the opportunity to meet dedicated teachers and visit various studios, particularly in regional areas. Each studio I visit has its unique focus, yet all the teachers share a passion for their work and the profound impact they have on inspiring their students. It's inspiring to witness their dedication firsthand. Have examinations/assessments changed over the…

How did this collaboration come about? Last year, Frances Rings [Artistic Director of Bangarra] called me up sharing her beautiful dream of a collaboration not done before at Bangarra. Next thing I’m on the phone with Moss across the Tasman sharing our experiences as dancers and the different themes that connect us as people and artists! From our ancestry to the landscape to who we are as artists living in major cities and what that means to us. Later this year I finally met Moss and his stunning family at the Bangarra studios for a week’s creative development. What was the inspiration for ‘Horizon’? Hope. Looking across the vast ocean to see the light shining from our neighbours. Light, connection to water, how we carry that within us, from our…

LEANNE Benjamin, OBE, AM, has been appointed the new Artistic Director of the Queensland Ballet, replacing Li Cunxin. A former principal ballerina with England’s Royal Ballet, she is a celebrated dancer, internationally acclaimed for her superlative technical prowess and artistry. She has performed most of the major roles in the classical repertoire and been the muse for numerous choreographers, including Sir Kenneth MacMillan. She has experience, international connections and – what’s more – she’s a Queenslander. After retiring as a dancer she became a coach, adjudicator and motivational speaker, and is presently Vice Chair of the Board of Governors for the Royal Ballet Companies. She wrote her autobiography, Built for Ballet, which reveals her determination and her intelligence. Benjamin says taking up the role is “an absolute honour”. . .…

INJURY is an inevitable part of a dancer’s journey. All elite athletes will face injury or illness at some point in their career, due to the high physical demands, and elite dancing can be especially harsh on the body. Typically, when a dancer faces an injury, their mental health also suffers. Being injured can be incredibly isolating, challenging and distressing. While dealing with the reality of being injured, dancers have to accept that they will need to modify or completely stop their dancing – their passion – while they are recovering. They will most probably have to implement a new rehabilitation program that will take time and energy and patience. They know their technique and fitness may decline, and they may feel left behind both in the studio and in…

Have examinations/assessments changed over the years and what is different now? The ADV (Australian Dance Vision) assessments/examinations in all dance styles have built on and improved from the examinations I experienced when growing up, and when teaching, to become more user friendly, with better absorbing and educational content, while maintaining a drive for high technical standards. ADV has an option system to give teachers, students and parents, a choice in the kind of syllabus assessment process they prefer: Option 1 – Students receive a report and a graded certificate. Option 2 – Students receive a report and a certificate of examination attendance (no grading) This unique system allows the students to progress with friends of the same age. Teachers and parents also love the options because they can be assessed…

What was the procedure to qualify to be an examiner/teacher? To be qualified as a teacher, I needed to take a Ballet Conservatoire Seminar and then submit students successfully for exams. To be qualified as an examiner, I was required to have many years of experience in successfully teaching and sending students in the Ballet Conservatoire training program. Thorough knowledge of the details in all levels of the syllabus was essential to becoming a Ballet Conservatoire examiner coupled with having a keen eye for recognising the technical and artistic potential of students of all ages. What drew you to this syllabus/organisation? Having trained in the Vaganova method of classical ballet in my pre-professional years at the Berlin State Ballet School, and dancing professionally in Europe, I relocated to Australia and…

What do you enjoy about your job? One of the greatest rewards of teaching is seeing the progress of your students. From when students understand a difficult concept, to helping children learn a new skill, seeing a child’s eyes light up after grasping a new piece of knowledge is priceless. Teaching is a carer to be proud of. I love to be able to nurture the talent in every child. To help them express their passion of dance and performance based on a solid foundation of dance technique. Every child deserves to experience the love of dance and performing. Teaching students from beginners to professionals is a most gratifying process. You build lifetime friendships with both students and their families. I love teaching because I can see how dance contributes…

THE Victorian State Ballet has a busy year in 2024, with an almost continual schedule of performances in city and regional venues in NSW, Canberra, Tasmania and the NT as well as Victoria. The company performs a family-friendly repertoire of "Grand Ballets from the 20th Century, neo-classical and contemporary ballets originally choreographed for the company", mostly arranged by the artistic directors, Martin and Michelle Sierra. This year's performances include Swan Lake, Giselle, The Magic Toyshop and Les Corsaire. The company is non-profit and aims to bring ballet to as wide an audience as possible.…

What drew you to this syllabus/organisation? In a dynamic and ever-changing industry, Acrobatics has emerged as an integral component of dance training. Whether it's in musicals, movies, music videos, competitions, or on social media, acrobatics has become ubiquitous. The visibility of these extraordinary skills has generated a demand for advanced training. However, many instructors, despite possessing prior knowledge, struggled to adapt their expertise to meet the specific requirements of the performing arts industry. This is where Acrobatic Arts becomes the true leader in the industry. Designed to complement dancers' technical abilities, it focuses on enhancing their strength, flexibility, alignment, control, and power which not only progresses their acrobatic ability but aids all genres of dance. Acrobatic Arts not only lays the groundwork for those impressive "wow factor" skills but also…

2024 SYLLABUS GUIDEAUSTRALIAN TEACHERS OF DANCE What was the procedure to qualify to be an examiner/teacher? When I trained to be an Examiner we had to do 30 days training sitting in with another Examiner – this usually took 3 years to complete and meant travelling all over the country – not an easy feat with young children. We had to have an excellent understanding of all genre – at that time Classical Ballet, National Character, Jazz and Tap. Now we have in addition to these 3 genre Contemporary, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Street Tap, for pre-dance - 3 levels of classical ballet, tap and jazz – play dance at its best. Over the years as each new system of training was added all Examiners had to undertake Professional Development…

What drew you to this syllabus/organisation? It was through my mother, who had done much research when I was very young, to find a qualified teacher and school to send me to. Fortunately, she chose the late Mr. Athol Willoughby OAM, who had his school in Essendon. He studied with Madam Lucie Saronova, a pupil of the great Maestro Enrico Cecchetti. Saronova held one of his rare certificates to teach his method. Willoughby also studied with many other Cecchetti exponents, including Idzikovksy, who co-wrote the 1922 Cecchetti Manual. So, the lineage of teaching has been very pure. The fact that Cecchetti’s method was about “Classical Theatrical Dancing” is so important. This certainly was passed onto me through Mr. Willoughby. While there was an anatomical and scientific-based structure, including exactitude of…

2024 SYLLABUS GUIDERAMBERT GRADES What do you enjoy about your job? As a syllabus co-devisor, it is humbling and a touch surreal to see some of my ideas take on a new life and play a part in the training of young dancers. Contributing to our syllabi and seeing this material exist out in the world is a hugely enjoyable privilege. When delivering this material to our members in my role as a Delivering Artist during our online training courses, it is rewarding to connect with dance educators across the globe and to be challenged and inspired by their questions and ideas. Within my role as an Examiner for Rambert Grades, I am a fly on the wall of sorts. Our exams are digital, and the dancers can exist in…