January-February-March 2024

Dance Australia

Australia's most respected Dance magazine

Dance Australia1 min read
Dance Australia
Editor Karen van Ulzendance@yaffa.com.au Contributors Belle BeasleySusan BendallSally ClarkMichelle DursunGeraldine HigginsonAlana KildeaIrina KuzminskyMatthew LawrenceIsabelle LeclezioMargaret MercerDenise RichardsonRhys RyanEmma SandallMaggie Tonk
Dance Australia2 min read
Is That A Shrink Wrap?
AS we enter the new year with dance companies and artists raring to present their wonderful creations, it is heartening to note a new report released by Live Performance Australia (LPA) showing that audiences have bounced back since the pandemic. LPA
Dance Australia1 min read
Leanne Benjamin to lead Qld Ballet
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
Dance Australia1 min readWorld
Shen Yun Returns
SHEN Yun Performing Arts is touring Australia early this year. The company, which is based in New York, aims to present traditional Chinese art as it was before, the company says, it was “devastated by communism”. “Back in ancient China, people once
Dance Australia1 min read
Audition For Yellow Wheel
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
Dance Australia1 min read
Midsumma Dance Gems
AMONG the many events at this year’s Midsumma Festival in Melbourne is Mechorstra, produced and performed by Scimm. Dance Company. Scimm. is led by Scott Pokorny and Tim Barnes and Mechorstra was created by them in collaboration with the dancers. The
Dance Australia1 min read
Ballet For All
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 B
Dance Australia1 min read
Funding Cuts Wound Independents
AS 2023 was coming to an end, announcements were made that look set to threaten the independent dance scene in Australia, and particularly Victoria. Temperance Hall, a pinnacle of the independent dance community in Melbourne, home to Philip Adams’ Ba
Dance Australia3 min read
Musical Bonanza
THEATRES will be bursting with musicals in 2024. Among the many tried and true favourites is an exciting premiere: Groundhog Day, created by Australia’s very own musical maestro, Tim Minchin. Groundhog Day is based on the 1993 film of the same name s
Dance Australia8 min read
At Home With Kyle Page And Amber Haines
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 arri
Dance Australia17 min read
Dance, Dance, Dance!
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 (185
Dance Australia6 min read
‘Listen Well’
“WE start listening when we stop waiting to speak.” A pause, then Akram Khan repeats himself: we start listening when we stop waiting to speak. I hear him, but it takes several moments for the gravity of his words to land. The pithiness is disarming;
Dance Australia5 min read
Artistry in Seven Shades of Grey
LAST year, I had the pleasure of dancing alongside the world renown ballerina, Alina Cojocaru, in Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, with the Queensland Ballet. I was the sleazy rich guy, Monsieur GM; she played the title role’s duplicitous temptress. If I h
Dance Australia3 min read
Injury Time Out
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
Dance Australia4 min read
Exam Refusal?
EXAMS are a rite of passage for students as they progress through their dance syllabus. Though not compulsory, they are a recognised method of assessment against set standards. They can provide a range of positive outcomes, with students emerging wit
Dance Australia2 min read
New Contemporary Syllabus
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
Dance Australia1 min read
The 2024 Syllabus Guide
Syllabus organisations are the basis of dance training in Australia. They provide systematic training, exams and assessments, competitions, awards and activities for students to aspire to. They cater to all levels: from little children through to adu
Dance Australia3 min read
Kate Evans
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
Dance Australia3 min read
Shelley Wakefield
What do you enjoy about your job? Teaching dance is such a rewarding and fulfilling vocation. There is no better moment than when a student who has been working on a particular step or perhaps a balance smiles "that smile". Their eyes light up, and s
Dance Australia2 min read
Penny Lancaster
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 te
Dance Australia3 min read
Karen Malek
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 ea
Dance Australia2 min read
Mary Easton
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 ye
Dance Australia4 min read
Amanda Bollinger
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 ye
Dance Australia3 min read
Anne Butler
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 schoo
Dance Australia3 min read
Joanne Richards
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
Dance Australia3 min read
Vicki Davis
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
Dance Australia3 min read
Natalie Dodd
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
Dance Australia3 min read
Robyn Hick
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 teac
Dance Australia1 min read
At A Glance
e: president.aicd@ballet.org.au w: www.ballet.org.au e: info@bbo.dance w: https://bbo.dance/ & https://bbo.dance/australasia e: info@bdadance.com.au w: www.bdadance.com.au e: info@classicaldanceaustralia.com.au e: choreocraft@icloud.com w: www.ch
Dance Australia11 min read
Reviews
PLAYHOUSE, ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE REVIEWED DECEMBER 15 It is really a genius move to leverage the appeal and Aussie flavour of such a well-loved story and at the same time hand the young dancers some wonderful opportunities to interpret these favouri
Dance Australia4 min read
Deborah Brown
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 o

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