Dance Australia

thank you, maggie.

Dame Margaret in 1988 with students Justine Summers and James Newman. (PHOTO: THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET SCHOOL) THE dance world has lost an important figure in Dame Margaret Scott. As Michelle Potter writes in her obituary in this issue, she was the woman who was instrumental in the establishment of the Australian Ballet Foundation and the Australian Ballet School. She was the founding director of the School and in that post presided over the development of thousands of dancers. Plenty of Australian dancers of course never went through the school, but I doubt any Australian dancer or dance student would not have heard of her. Certainly none has not benefitted from her influence.Maggie was a woman of strong opinion and conviction – she had the strength of personality and will…

honouring garry stewart

Garry Stewart ADT performing ‘Be Yourself’. (PHOTO: MEAGHAN COLES) 2019 marks Garry Stewart’s 20th anniversary at the helm of Australian Dance Theatre (ADT). It’s been a time of prolific creative output for Stewart – during this time he has created over 18 original works for stage, screen and public spaces. In addition, the company under Stewart has earned an international reputation. To honour his outstanding contribution to the company, and to Australian contemporary dance, ADT will present “Anthology”, a  retrospective program showcasing his best-loved works. The program includes highlights from Birdbrain, G, Proximity, Devolution, Be Yourself, The Age of Unbeauty and The Beginning of Nature. Presented at ADT’s home theatre, The Odeon, the season includes a preview on April 4 and Fundraiser Gala on April 5. …

dances with verve

Callum Linnane and Coco Mathieson in Alice Topp’s ‘Aurum’. (PHOTO: JEFF BUSBY) THE Australian Ballet’s “Verve” triple bill of contemporary ballet returns to the stage this April for a season at the Sydney Opera House. Accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra, this program has a choreographic range that spans rising star Alice Topp, mid-career choreographer Tim Harbour and veteran Stephen Baynes.Resident choreographer at The Australian Ballet (TAB) since 1995, Baynes has made over 20 works for the company. His Constant Variants, one of the three works on the “Verve” program, premiered in 1997 and is known for its elegant neoclassical style and sculptural formations.Topp, who joined TAB as a dancer in 2007, has created four works for the company’s “Bodytorque” seasons and her latest work Aurum had its world…

modernised bayadère heads west

Dancer: Polly Hilton (PHOTO: LIZ LOOKER) WITH the setting transported in time to 19th century colonial India, Greg Horsman’s new take on La Bayadère made its premiere with Queensland Ballet last year. Now the work is travelling to Perth to be presented at His Majesty’s Theatre by the West Australian Ballet (WAB), from May 9 to 25.“La Bayadère is one of the iconic classical ballets. Greg has done an incredible job modernising the story line but audiences will be pleased to hear many of the best-known scenes, like The Kingdom of the Shades, will remain true to the original choreography,” says WAB artistic director Aurélien Scannella.“The Kingdom of the Shades is a gorgeous moment in the ballet. It really is one of the all-time iconic moments in classical ballet,…

web highlights

1 2019 Australian Dance Awards cancelled Dance Australia staff were shocked to learn that Ausdance National has announced the cancellation of the 2019 Australian Dance Awards (ADAs). www.danceaustralia.com.au/news/2019-australian-dance-awards-cancelled 2 VCA appoints new Head of Dance The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) has announced Carol Brown as the new Head of VCA Dance at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. www.danceaustralia.com.au/news/vca-appoints-newhead-of-dance 3 Postcard from Dancenorth Jenni Large writes from Vancouver, Canada and Stanford, America. “Greetings Friends...” www.danceaustralia.com.au/news/postcards-fromdancers-dancenorth-s-jennilarge …

vale edna busse 1918-2019

Edna Busse in her Swanilda costume. (PHOTO: NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA) WE are saddened to hear of the death of Edna Busse, OAM, in her hometown of Wagga Wagga, NSW, on January 2, 2019, not long after her 100th birthday.Busse was truly one of Australia’s first homegrown ballerinas. Born and trained in Melbourne, she joined the school of Edouard Borovansky and appeared with his company from its beginnings around 1940, becoming the first of his Australian-trained dancers to attain ballerina status. She danced the role of the Odette in the first of of the company’s productions of Act Two of Swan Lake, partnered by Serge Bousloff. She danced lead roles in the company’s repertoire, including the Black Swan in Borovansky’s unique “Australiana” ballet of that name, and became particularly…