Tanja Liedtke To Lead Sydney Dance Co.

SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY APPOINTS NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Read her interview..

Australian-based freelance choreographer Tanja Liedtke has recently been announced as the new Artistic Director for Sydney Dance Company.

This position was held by Graeme Murphy since 1976. Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon paved the way for Australian dance and dancers to reach the highest level of success both at home and abroad. They are now handing over the reigns to Tanja who will formally commence her appointment on October 2nd, programming the 2008 season for the Company.

Tom Dery, Chair of Sydney Dance Company, stated that "Tanja meets all of the attributes the Board sought in the successful applicant (after a world wide search)- an original choreographic voice, a clearly defined creative spirit and the energy and commitment to take Sydney Dance Company forward into the
future.

In a recent interview Tanja expressed her excitement for her new role at the prestigious Sydney Dance Company:

How do you feel about the amazing opportunity to continue the legacy established by the legendary Graeme Murphy?

I am absolutely thrilled. It's just a dream opportunity! I wake up in the morning and I have to pinch myself, to check that it's real. Seriously!

Graeme Murphy is an icon, as is Sydney Dance Company. I really feel very honoured and privileged.

And I am so excited to take the company into a super future.

What have your experiences been with Graeme Murphy or Janet Vernon in the past? What has been your favourite Sydney Dance Company work? Why?

I remember doing a class with the Sydney Dance Company when I first moved to Sydney at the end of 1996. Janet was doing class too, and I have vivid memories of Graeme walking in to the studio to start the rehearsals afterwards. I was so shy, but I really wanted to thank them for allowing me to join in the company warm up. They were both super nice.

Of course I watched the company perform throughout that time, but by 1999 my career took me to other parts of the world and I didn't come into direct contact with Graeme and Janet again until about a year and a half ago. Graeme was aware I was choreographing, and he nominated me to create a new work for Dame Maggie Scott's AICD Dance Creation in Melbourne. He and Janet flew down to see the work at The National Theatre, which was really special. And from then on we remained in contact.

Graeme and Janet's career at Sydney Dance Company spans over more than 30 years - a truly grand accomplishment. Under their direction, the company has presented over 140 works, almost half of them created by Graeme.

Graeme has a broad array of stylistic approaches to his works. They range from the entertaining 'Tivoli', through the narrative based 'Salome', to the abstract in his recent 'Short Stories'. This diversity is very stimulating.

Have Graeme or Janet had a chance to give you any key words of advice? What have they been?

Not only are Graeme and Janet laudable artists, but they have been very generous in their advice, and supportive in my vision for the future of the company. They have a wealth of experience and they are both very open about sharing their knowledge with me. I have to say, I am very lucky.

What are your plans for the company coming into 2008 and beyond?

I have very exciting plans for Sydney Dance Company and I look forward to the company's vibrant presence in Sydney, nationally and internationally.

What can we look forward to seeing the Sydney Dance Company achieve under your direction?

I'm committed to creating a dynamic environment of artistic life, which will surprise, intrigue, challenge, entertain and generate exciting new dimensions to the world of contemporary dance and dance theatre.

We have heard that you aim to create original works for the company and initiate collaborations with artists in the fields of choreography, music and design. Can you elaborate on these plans? Any particular artists in mind?

I am in contact with an array of very interesting artists both nationally and internationally and I look forward to revealing the plans in due time. Stay tuned!

Congratulations on the success and recognition of your first full-length work Twelfth Floor. Do you think that this has attributed to your appointment to Sydney Dance Company?

Creating Twelfth Floor was definitely a pivotal moment, both creatively and in terms of the exposure it provided. The Australia Council, ArtsSA, Performing Lines, the Mobile States touring consortium, Australian Choroegraphic Centre, Siemens Sponsorship and all the other organizations and people who made it possible for the work to be performed across Australia, were also fundamental in the process.

I think my appointment, as Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company is sum of all my past work.

You have worked with amazing dance companies, dancers and choreographers in the past. How have they influenced your choreographic style? Any stand out experiences?

I trained at Rambert School in London, and I have to say that this was really sound grounding in terms of training, both classically and in the contemporary form. As students we were encouraged to choreograph and collaborate, so I had the opportunity to create in a supportive context from very early on.

The time I spent with Australian Dance Theatre under Garry Stewart gave me a real outlet and love for high energy and extreme physicality. The training I undertook with the company really pushed me in a physical sense, and it is something that is inherent in my choreographic voice now.

I then had the opportunity to work with DV8 Physical Theatre director Lloyd Newson. This was also an incredibly rigorous experience. Lloyd takes a theatrical and thematic approach to his work, which I instantly connected to. His direction is meticulous, very thorough and precise. And the research he undertakes prior to commencing a new work is absolutely thorough. I have a love for this sort of detail.

You are currently in London for the premiere of your new work Construct. What are you going to take back to Sydney from your international experiences?

It was a real privilege to be co-commissioned by the Southbank Centre in London to premiere my second full-length work Construct. The work was also presented in Bristol, Manchester and Eastleigh and I had the opportunity to meet with many artists, presenters and peers. These networks form bridges that connect back to Sydney, and unite the arts community via new links.

I am also inspired by the dance and theatre performances I experienced during my travels, which will in turn ignite and fuel new creative ideas for the future.

About Tanja Liedtke

German born Tanja Liedtke began her dance and theatre studies in Madrid, and later graduated from the Ballet Rambert School before taking up residence in Sydney in 1996. Tanja was a member of Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) for four years, touring Australia, Asia, the UK and North America. She joined Lloyd Newson's DV8 Physical Theatre in 2003, dancing throughout Europe in Mr.Newson's The Cost of Living and Just for Show. In tandem with her career as a performer, Tanja pursued her distinct choreographic voice. She has choreographed for Australian Dance Theatre's Ignition Seasons (receiving Dance Australia Critic's Choice for most promising choreography in 1999 and 2000); Tasdance, De Anima Ballet Contemporaneo (Brazil); Akademie des Tanzes (Germany); Taipei Idea (Taiwan); and David Hughes Dance Company (Scotland) among others.

In 2004 Tanja created her first full-length work Twelfth Floor. Following a sellout season at The Performance Space in Sydney and critical acclaim, the work was nominated for numerous Australian Dance Awards, receiving the 2006 award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography.

Ms. Liedtke has just returned from London where she premiered her new work Construct at the South Bank Centre.

Graeme Murphy's Thoughts:

Graeme Murphy, former Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company stated that he felt, "the Board had made an excellent choice. Someone on the cusp of a really interesting career - someone young, who will grow in the role in the way that I had the chance to grow in the role from a young age. What is going to emerge from this will be a new era in dance, which is as it should be. A new adventure is about to unfold."

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