KYLE Page and Amber Haines, Artistic and Associate Artistic Directors respectively, of Dancenorth, make a dynamic, charismatic duo. Their professional partnership has supported the creation of many bold and highly acclaimed new works since their arrival at Dancenorth in 2015, presented by the company at over 45 national and international arts festivals and venues. They also happen to be married and have a six and a half-year-old son, Jasper. I caught up with them both by phone after they had dropped Jasper off at school.
What came first, I was curious to know, their professional or personal relationship? “We danced together and were very much friends,” confirms Haines. “And then we fell in love,” adds Page. They met when Haines joined Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) as a guest artist. Page was a dancer with the company and, he confirms, “had zero interest in choreographing or directing work at that time. So, it was this new energy that Amber bought into my world. I was guided by her incredible capacity to understand the craft of choreography.”
Page was only 27 when he took over direction of Dancenorth, while Haines came to the company as a dancer. They had previously only ever made – that premiered at the OzAsia Festival – was our first full length work,” explains Page. “We have been very blessed to find our way into the studio with incredible artists and collaborators over the past 9 years.”
