Table of contents for April-May-June 2024 in Dance Australia

IF you are serious about dance as a career, then it is likely that at some stage on that journey you will do an audition. Auditions are the dancer's equivalent of a job interview. In this issue we show the various forms auditions can take. They have changed over the years. Yes, the "cattle call" still happens – that brutal process so well documented in A Chorus Line – but many employers now prefer other, kinder, ways to get to know you. In addition, post Covid, video auditions have become almost the norm. Inside these pages you will find heaps of advice, including how to get an agent, approaching the day psychologically, and words of wisdom from the artistic director of one of the best companies in the world, Netherlands…

THE first time I saw Naiara dance, I was blown away by her passion and talent. It's not just about her skill though; there's depth to her that shines through in every move she makes. What sets her apart is how she immerses herself in the dance, tapping into emotions that flow through her body. As a choreographer, watching her is an experience in itself –you can't help but be moved by what she brings to the stage.” – Rafael Bonachela Naiara de Matos is only in her second year with Sydney Dance Company (SDC) but is already drawing attention from her colleagues and audiences alike. In last year’s production of Somos she stood out for the dramatic conviction and vivid intensity of her performance. This year she will be…

AUDITION FOCUS WHILE auditions are still obviously an important mainstay of a dancer's professional life, there are many more ways to increase your chances of getting a job than just turning up to a cattle call. It would be wonderful to leap straight from school to a permanent paid job, but, for many, the path to employment will be much more nuanced. Today a dancer's career is often built from short term gigs – development projects, secondments and apprenticeships are a likely path. This means dancers need to be constantly ready and alert to opportunities. As says Sarah Boulter, the director of the Ev and Bow Full Time Dance Training Centre in Sydney, "from the minute we start working with the students we try to instil the importance of career…

MUSIC THEATRE MATT West may have risen from teen hoofer to internationally acclaimed director and choreographer – but he still leads with the values he learned as a dancer. West’s professional career began at age 13 touring the US with Disney. Among many triumphs, he gained a world-wide audience in his role as Bobby in the 1985 movie of A Chorus Line. When we meet he is in Brisbane in his role as choreographer and director of Beauty and the Beast, Mark 2, overseeing its transition from Australian premiere season in Sydney. While West is no stranger to Australia, both he and Beauty and the Beast are completely new to Brisbane. Although he choreographed the original 1994 Broadway production, it only played in Melbourne and Sydney. Fuelled by showbiz pep…

THE 2024 program for Melbourne's Rising festival has been announced, with a vast array of new music, art and performance. Held over 16 nights from the beginning of winter on June 1, the festival will feature 105 events, more than 480 artists, 23 special commissions and eight Australian premieres. Performances and events will take place all over the city, such as hidden alleys; the awe-inspiring St Paul's Cathedral; and the grand Melbourne Town Hall, which will host a "sprawling day party" throughout the Kings Birthday weekend. The dance component includes: The premiere of Chunky Move's You, Beauty, Held at the Immigration Museum, in which "a giant undulating inflatable is both a theatre visited by the audience and a sculptural form viewed from the outside". Lucy Guerin Inc's One Single…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING FROM the formal arrangements of a classical pas de deux, to the fluid weight of body-on-body in a contact improvisation session, to the playful partner work of swing dance, touch is an integral part of many dance forms. It’s also a teaching tool, an efficient and accessible way to convey feedback to a student. Beyond the dance studio, touch is also integral to our humanity, as Feldenkrais practitioner and consent educator Molly Tipping explains. “Touch is a really important regulating factor for calming your nervous system,” she says. “We are mammals and we have evolved to utilise touch to soothe the nervous system.” On the flipside we know that touch can be harmful too. While the work of the #MeToo movement, which campaigns against sexual abuse and…

AUDITION FOCUS "THERE are so many good dancers out there,” states Emily Molnar, the Artistic Director of Netherlands Dance Theatre (NDT). She knows what she's talking about. Every year more than a thousand hopeful dancers audition for the famous company. NDT is made up of two parts: NDT 1, the professional company of 28 dancers, and NDT2, for 16 young dancers between 17 and 22 years of age. For pre-professional dancers and graduates, NDT2 is the most likely entry point. NDT2 works closely alongside NDT1, but it has own performance program and especially created repertoire, and is specifically for emerging artists, explains Molnar. Auditions for NDT2 are annual. Applicants are required first to submit a video demonstrating some class work, improvisation and two contrasting pieces of repertoire. They are also…

Adelaide Fringe LEWIS MAJOR'S ‘RICH MIX’ AND ‘MALIPHANT X MAJOR’ MAIN THEATRE, ADELAIDE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS REVIEWED FEBRUARY 2024 There was much to appreciate in these interesting mixed bills. CHOREOGRAPHER Lewis Major presented a number of productions during the 2024 Adelaide Fringe, Rich Mix and Maliphant x Major being just two of them. Maliphant x Major runs for 50 minutes and showcases three separate works: Two x Two (Maliphant) plus Unfolding and Epilogue (short version) from Major. For his work, much awarded UK-based choreographer Russell Maliphant has collaborated with lighting designer Michael Hulls, who is credited with the spare, intimate lighting. For this performance, dancers Clementine Benson and Stefaan Morrow flawlessly executed Maliphant’s gestural, restrained but compelling choreography, which was once performed by Sylvie Guillem as a solo version.…

WHEN Li Cunxin unexpectedly announced his retirement as Artistic Director of Queensland Ballet (QB) due to ill health, speculation was rife about who would replace him, as under his direction the company had soared in popular and critical reputation. However, the appointment of Leanne Benjamin OBE, AM, not only a Queenslander, but the first woman to hold the position in the company’s history, seemed a perfect fit, also bringing the highly respected artist almost full circle. Benjamin left her hometown of Rockhampton for the Royal Ballet School over 40 years ago, going on to a remarkable career, including 20 years as principal artist with the Royal Ballet. When I caught up with her at the QB headquarters she was brimming with enthusiasm about her appointment. “I’ve been so warmly welcomed…

AUDITION FOCUS SO you’ve done the hard work and are ready to pursue your dream of being a professional performer… the first thing to realise is that no matter how good you are, you’ve only taken the first step. Auditioning is just one part of the process. You’ll also need an agent. The most basic reason is that while social media has made it much easier to find out about castings directly, some briefs are sent only to agents in a vetting process that assumes represented talent will meet a required standard. But the function and benefit of an agent representing you extend far beyond just finding you work. “They provide valuable industry knowledge and connections, and it’s important to respect their role in your career,” notes Professor Paul Sabey,…

1 What is the largest group you've worked with? My project Us And All Of This has a cast of 100 community dancers. It’s a sculptural performance that invites people of all ages to move together in an act of radical slowness. The performance’s premiere last year saw 300 people gather at three different performance sites in Victoria. It was huge, but also full of heart. There is something incredibly special in witnessing people from all walks of life moving together; in times of isolation or divide we can’t underestimate the power in coming together and moving as one. 2 Where did you develop this interest and ability to work in this way? I’ve always been passionate about using my art to meaningful contribute to social change. Choreographically I’m fascinated…

Y ou came to Australia from Ukraine in 1993. Would you like to share the reason why? My mother migrated in the hope of a better life. The USSR had fallen and it was an unstable time. I was eight and we settled in Sydney. Tell us your story with ballet? Ballet is a huge part of the Eastern European culture. It is something that I believe is innately a part of us, a respected and loved artform. In the Ukraine you take up ballet classes and if you are talented that becomes your core study area, there is no part time, it's an all-or-nothing. When I migrated to Australia I was eager to try to attend classes but without English language skills, and with the expense and us moving…