Dance Australia

SEEING the combined forces of Ballett Zurich and double choir – more than 200 performers altogether – moving as one in the Messa da Requiem at the Adelaide Festival recently, reminded me once again of the wonder of seeing large ensembles of dancers. Flocking, swirling, sculptural; artful patterning and beautiful stage pictures created with human bodies: it is a spectacle that has taken away the breath of audiences since, for example, Petipa created his murmurations of swans and Coralli had his ghostly maidens rise like mist in Giselle. Alas it was a reminder, again, of how seldom we see this kind of large ensemble dancing in Australia from our own contemporary dance companies. We just don't have big enough companies. With the exception of NSW, not one of our state…

INSTEP FOLLOWING a remarkable tenure of over a decade, Jacob Nash, Bangarra Dance Theatre's Head of Design, has departed the company. Nash designed the sets for more than 20 productions. His extraordinary visual sense has been fundamental to the artistic success and the distinctive style of the company. His celebrated productions include Dark Emu, Terrain and Bennelong, which earned him a 2018 Helpmann Award for Best Scenic Design. “I have been on some amazing journeys during my time with the company and I am so proud of the stories that we have created and shared with audiences together. I have collaborated with some of the countries most talented artists and theatre makers along the journey, and will always hold those friendships and memories close," he says. Above is a scene…

FORM Dance Projects and Parramatta Riverside Theatres are presenting a work by the appropriately named GUTS Dance, a dance "platform" based in Alice Springs (Mparntwe). The co-directors of GUTS are Madeleine Krenek and Frankie Snowdon, Victorian College of the Arts alumna who have been working together for 12 years. This particular work is called Value for Money, and is choreographed by Jasmin Sheppard and Sara Black. It "interrogates how relationships, community, proximity and place change our perception of a life’s worth". The performers, who are also collaborators on the project, are Gabe Comerford, Waangenga Blanco and Ashley McLellan as well as Krenek and Snowdon. Value for Money is being presented as part of Form Dance Projects Dance Bites seasons. It will be held from May 4 to 6 at Parramatta…

iNSTEP THE West Australian Ballet is presenting a classical ballet triple-bill, “Ballet to Broadway”, from May 5 to 13 at His Majesty’s Theatre in Perth. The program comprises Raymonda Act III, staged by Javier Torres, who is already known to WAB audiences after his extravagant The Sleeping Beauty featured as Perth’s Christmas season in 2021. This will share the bill with the pas de deux from Sylvia, staged by Artistic Director Aurélien Scannella and his wife, Artistic Associate Sandy Delasalle. The third work will be Balanchine’s Who Cares? which was first performed by the WAB in 2015. The company’s winter contemporary season, “STATE” , will be held at the State Theatre Centre from June 23 to July 1.…

MELBOURNE'S new Rising festival has announced its 2023 program: and it’s huge! The program spans 185 events featuring more than 400 artists, including 35 commissions and 12 world premieres. The festival embraces the winter and the night, and will take place from June 7 to 18, with indoor and outside events – in historic buildings and traditional venues, in public gardens and squares, car parks and churches, from the ground to the sky. Many are free, with audiences invited to "reflect, reckon, rave, and revel in Melbourne’s nighttime culture". Like its predessessor, White Night, the festival boasts many family activities, such as iceskating along the Birrarung Marr, and fantastic light shows and fantasies. Many public arts institutions, such as the galleries, are open late into the night. The program is…

WITH the devastating war grinding on in Ukraine, many Ukrainian ballet dancers are still stranded outside their home country. One group is the Grand Kyiv Ballet. Formed in 2014, since 2022 the GKB has remained outside Ukraine, touring all around the world, through Europe, USA, China and South America. The company is now embarking on a tour of New Zealand and Australia. Heading the line-up of dancers are two highly decorated principals from the National Ballet of Ukraine (full name Taras Shevchenko National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ukraine), Kyiv's main company. Oleksandr Stoianov (who is also the founder and artistic director) was named People's Artist of Ukraine in 2019, and Honoured Artist of Ukraine in 2016. His frequent partner is the beautiful Kateryna Kukhar, Merited Artiste of Ukraine…