Dance Australia

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

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

I’VE never done anything else but dance …”* Jonathan Taylor, dancer, choreographer and director, has died in Melbourne, on March 27, 2019, at the age of 77. Taylor was born in Manchester, England, where he began tap and ballet lessons as a very young

YOU know why I called you in here, don’t you?” I was 23. She was the artistic director. I didn’t know, but she held the inadequacies of my body to be so self-evident that it didn’t need explaining. “We want you to be leaner. More muscular.” I looked

SEEING the Bolshoi Ballet conjures up a sense of excitement, a frisson of anticipation. It’s almost impossible to separate the Bolshoi from the magic of ballet, visions of splendour and Imperial opulence, intrigue and artistic excellence. It was like

JUSTIN’S musical theatre career started at the age of 12 when he played the role of Stitch’em in Cameron Mackintosh’s Oliver!. He later continued his training at Dance Factory in Melbourne where he went on to become a scholarship student. Justin has

SYDNEY Merrilees graduated from the Australian Ballet School in 2018 where she trained full-time for six years. When Dance Australia caught up with Sydney in early April she had recently returned from a three-month audition tour of Europe without a c

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 j

Promenade Dance Studio, 26 Glentanna Street, Kedron QLD 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-Professiona

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 sc

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

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.

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

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 chor

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 progr

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 f

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 incl

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 f

THE Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing (CSTD) has had a reboot – as COMDANCE. The new name reflects the organisation’s new forward focus on best practice and modernisation in a growing international marketplace. The name COMDANCE has actuall

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

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 wit

MUSICALITY, phrasing and poise – these qualities set Australian Grace Carroll apart in the Final Round of the Youth America Grand Prix held at New York’s Lincoln Centre in April. Grace took out first position in the women’s age 15-19 solo category wi

Where were you born? Do you come from a family that is interested in dance and the arts? I was born in London. My mother, grandmother and great aunt were all artists, and my great aunt saw Pavlova dance. You were originally a dancer – how old were