Dance Australia

WHAT do we mean by ‘legend’? We ascribe the word to many things, usually descriptively – stories, events, people. What they all have in common is our belief that they will not be forgotten. In this issue we have several examples: We have an article o

NEXT year the Australian Ballet will revisit some landmark works from its 60 year history as well as introduce some brand new creations. One of the most historically significant ballets is Rudolf Nurevev's Don Quixote, first mounted for the Adelaide

WITH most international borders open at last, international dance companies are once again flying into Australia. The Royal Czech Ballet started its tour at the Theatre Royal in Hobart on September 2 and is now traversing the land, performing 37 perf

SYDNEY Dance Company’s next major season, “Resound”, is a triple bill of two new works and one existing favourite. The two premieres are The Universe is Here, by award-winning choreographer Stephanie Lake (with costume design by Harriet Oxley and mus

KARUL Projects, the First Nations professional contemporary dance company located in Yugambeh Country/the Gold Coast region, has undertaken an extensive tour of Queensland with its production of Silence. Choreographed by Thomas E.S. Kelly, who founde

NO way!” That was Helen Howard’s first thought when she was asked to step in at the last minute in An American in Paris. Howard would have had fewer than four days to learn the role of Madam Baurel, replacing a sick Ann Wood, and she was already busy

AURELIEN Scannella had been thinking for a long time about a new Swan Lake. Having come from Europe to lead the West Australian Ballet in 2013, he appreciated the uniqueness of the company. Here it was, a ballet company in the European tradition, per

FROM dramaturgy to marketing, cataloguing to personal branding, myriad factors influence the label a choreographer chooses to attach to their work. It’s a precarious task that needs to carefully shape the audience’s experience but not smother it. A t

AT the beginning of the 20th century, two dance companies galvanised a worldwide audience for ballet, enthralling first-time dance-goers and aficionados alike with performances of touching profundity, thrilling exoticism and brilliant classical techn

THE late choreographer Douglas Wright was a uniquely gifted artist. He was not only a superb dancer and gifted choreographer, he also drew like Cocteau and wrote like an angel. If he had not been born in New Zealand, so far away from the (so-called)

LARRAKIA man Gary Lang loves to tell the story of the time when the internationally famous (late) ballerina, Lucette Aldous, came into the room where he was rehearsing. After watching for a while, she said to him: “Gary, your work isn’t contemporary

OUT of Bounds, a showcase of choreography with Q&A after, is an exciting addition to Melbourne’s growing landscape of platforms for emerging choreographers, invoking the spirit of experimentation and idea sharing. The first showcase took place in Aug

ON Sunday August 28, the Sydney Eisteddfod’s Ballet Scholarship Final returned to the newly renovated Concert Hall stage of the Sydney Opera House. This was the first time that what has historically been an annual event was able to be held in three y

The festival was back this year with an effervescent selection of dance works, reminiscent of pre-Covid years. AFTER two years of rather restrained programming, Brisbane Festival was back this year with an effervescent selection of dance works, remin

This is Daniel Riley’s first full-length production as Artistic Director of the Australian Dance Theatre (ADT), which for the first time has an Aboriginal artistic director. THE momentousness of Savage’s creation and premiere at the Adelaide Festiva

Tasdance collaborated with independent artist Jo Lloyd and GUTS Dance from Alice Springs for its latest production. FEATURING a monumental sculpture by blacksmith Pete Mattila, this iteration of Collision makes a big statement by Tasdance in partners

This annual performance was a triumph against many odds. AFTER two years of Covid interruptions, it is a credit to The Australian Ballet School’s teachers, staff and students – led by Director Lisa Pavane – that Showcase 2022 is a triumph against ma

FOLLOWING the huge response to last year’s Regional Heroes feature, we repeated our call-out for nominations from readers of regional schools or teachers they would like to see featured in Dance Australia. We received hundreds of entries but unfortun

HEAD inland from Gladstone on Queensland’s central coast and drive for an hour-and-a-half along the Dawson Highway and you will reach the town of Biloela in the Shire of Banana. With a population of about 5400 people, Biloela is described by the foun

ONE of the recurring themes among grateful parents and students in their responses to our Regional Heroes nominations was the effort teachers made to support pupils through the pandemic. It seems few teachers gave up and closed their doors and sat ou

RED dust, 35 degree days, driving four to five hours and, when necessary, camping by creeks, waterholes and within school grounds to be able to teach the next morning. It doesn’t sound like the ideal creative environment for a dance school, but for B

Institute of Dance | Baby Ballet School I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. After dancing professionally, the transition happened quite organically. I have always had a desire to share my love of dance, and I am grateful for the opportunity to fo

Trained: Jason Coleman’s Ministry of Dance Now: Professional Dancer What is your best memory of your full-time dance studies? Looking back, my best memory of full-time would be towards the end of my first year during end of year showcase. I was luc

How do you stay fit? Do you still do class? I don’t do class anymore as it is just too painful the next day! Although I do a small amount of demonstrating when teaching, I have a 30-minute Pilates-based set of exercises and stretching routine which