Dance Australia

calling female classical choreographers!

Alice Toppe is one example of a female classical choreographer; here the Australian Ballet performs her 'Aurum'. Dancers: Callum Linnane and Coco Mathieson. (PHOTO: JEFF BUSBY) IT IS with very great pleasure that we are announcing in this issue our inaugural Emerging Female Classical Choreographer initiative! Dance Australia has partnered with the Sydney Opera House and The Australian Ballet to provide a unique opportunity to an aspiring female classical choreographer to perform a newly created ballet in the 2019 Australian Ballet Bodytorque season. Why just for women, and why just classical ballet?Choreographers are rare creatures at the best of times, but the rarest of the rare are the women choreographers in classical ballet. In a field dominated by women in most respects, it is bizarre that there are so…

dance at carriageworks

CARRIAGEWORKS’ 2019 season includes two contemporary dance seasons, Marrugeku’s “Burrbgaja Yalirra / Dancing Forwards”, May 30-June 1, and Lemi Ponifasio’s Jerusalem, 21-23 November.“Burrbgaja Yalirra / Dancing Forwards” is triple bill of solo works curated by Marrugeku’s Artistic Directors Dalisa Pigram and Rachael Swain. Each work explores the complexities of reciprocity which challenge our understanding of our history and relationship to the land in Australia. “Burrbgaja Yalirra / Dancing Forwards” features performer and co-creator Edwin Lee Mulligan with media artist Sohan Ariel Hayes and directors Dalisa Pigram and Rachael Swain; performer and co-creator Eric Avery with choreographer Koen Augustijnen; and performer and co-creator Miranda Wheen with choreographer Serge Aime Coulibaly. Marrugeku is a resident company of Carriageworks, along with Force Majeure. Jerusalem, a new work by Samoan and New Zealand…

nzsd graduates spread their wings

FOLLOWING its graduation season in November, 2018, the New Zealand School of Dance announced that a number of their graduating students have been offered positions and contracts with companies.Classical major students Cadence Barrack, Teagan Tank (Todd Scholar), Vincent Fraola and Calum Gray are all joining the Royal New Zealand Ballet, while Alice Tsang is heading to Hong Kong Ballet, Therese Chen to DJKT Ballet (Czech Republic) and Jaidyn Cumming to Ballet Nacional Sodre of Uruguay.2018 contemporary dance major graduates Chris Clegg, Sebastian Geilings and Ngaere Jenkins have all secured contracts with the New Zealand Dance Company; Laifa Ta’ala with Black Grace and Braedyn Humphries with Touch Compass Dance Company and Movement of the Human. Second year contemporary dance student Riley Fitzgerald is taking up a position with Sydney Dance…

dance treats at adelaide festival

THE Adelaide Festival’s 2019 program includes some great treats for dance aficionados.At the centre of the dance line-up is the internationally renowned ballerina Natalia Osipova, Russian-born but now a principal with the Royal Ballet in England. She will be performing in the acclaimed solo work Two Feet, originally created and performed by Meryl Tankard as a solo for the World Expo in 1988 and recreated now especially for Osipova. This solo is a tour de force in which Tankard merges her own experience as a child growing up in Australia with the Russian dancer Olga Spessivtzeva, who was driven insane by her own perfectionism. Olga’s preoccupation with the role of Giselle led her to become, like her character, a prisoner of the dance. Natalia Osipovo (seen here as Giselle)…

web highlights

1 AMY HOLLINGSWORTH NEW DIRECTOR OF EDC Brisbane’s Expressions Dance Company (EDC) has announced the appointment of Amy Hollingsworth as its new artistic director. www.danceaustralia.com.au/news/amy-hollingsworthnew-director-of-edc 2 THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET’S PODCAST IS BACK If you’re a podcast fan, you’ll be pleased to hear that The Australian Ballet’s Meet “Me at the Barre” podcast has returned for another season. www.danceaustralia.com.au/news/the-australian-ballet-spodcast-is-back 3 SHARP SHORT DANCE WINNERS ANNOUNCED Congratulations to the winners of the 11th annual Sharp Short Dance Festival. Presented by FORM Dance Projects, the finals were held at Riverside Theatres, Saturday 17 November. A record number of 170 dancers competed in 53 dance works, of which 17 were selected as finalists. www.danceaustralia.com.au/news/sharp-short-dance-winners-announced ■…

healthcare providers who understand performing arts

Health for dancers is essential. When faced with illness or injury it is so important for dancers to work with healthcare providers who understand dance.The Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare (ASPAH) (www.aspah.org.au) recognises the unique challenges and demands faced in the performing arts industry and the need for specialised and unique approaches of healthcare delivery. ASPAH represents a professional network of healthcare providers, researchers, educators and artists who are dedicated to holistic healthcare in the performing arts.The recent ASPAH conference in Sydney saw over 50 dedicated members and visitors meet and discuss the latest research and best practices in performing arts healthcare. From sleep to hypermobility to mental health the ASPAH network crosses a large spectrum of health issues in the arts.Please recommend ASPAH to friends and colleagues…