By Brian Nolan.

If there is one person who exemplifies a true Classical Diva of Dance then Audrey Nicholls is it. She hails from Townsville in north Queensland, but after training in Sydney and then furthering her training in London, our second diva made her home in Victoria.  (If you didn’t catch my interview with our first diva, Carole Oliver, click here)

In the world of RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) and in the performing arena Audrey Nicholls stands pointe shoes and tutus over the rest. She is renowned throughout Australasia and internationally for her contribution to the RAD and in 2010 was honoured by the board of trustees at the Academy headquarters in England with a Fellowship in recognition of her contribution and remarkable, dedicated service to the Academy.

Audrey Nicholls dances with Robert Pomie in the Pas de Deux from Don Quixote

With a career spanning 61 years, Audrey, along with Colin Peasley,  is one of the longest serving and dare I say one of the more ‘’mature’’ dancers still performing in Australia. As a valued guest artist of the Australian Ballet Company (where she has been guesting since 1992), Audrey is not only constantly performing character roles with them but still has roles created on her!

Audrey has had a very illustrious career and in her day she graced some of the world’s best stages. A soubrette, with a sensitive lyrical and artistic quality, coupled with assiduous attention to detail and a resounding technique, enabled Audrey to perform and portray a huge variety of roles.

Audrey commenced her career in 1950 where at the very young age of 16 she joined the Borovansky Ballet (now the Australian Ballet) as a member of the corps de ballet. In 1951, she won the inaugural Frances Scully Memorial Scholarship and travelled to London to further her studies. In 1952, she joined the Rambert Ballet as a soloist and in 1953 was promoted to a principal dancer. In 1955, she returned to Australia and rejoined the Borovansky Ballet as a senior soloist.  In 1958, the Ballet Guild of Victoria (Ballet Victoria) was her next stepping-stone with some outstanding principal roles especially in Giselle and Coppelia.

Audrey Nicholls performs 'Waltz' in Le Sylphides with the Ballet Rambert in London, 1954

A career in television from 1958 – 68 saw her immortalized on the small screen with both Channel 7 and Channel 2 (ABC). During this time Audrey commenced teaching the RAD Syllabus.

In 1973, Audrey Nicholls was appointed as a Graded Examiner of the Royal Academy of Dance. From 1982 to today, she has taught RAD teaching courses and classes throughout Australia. Audrey instigated the Victorian Grade Awards and was honoured when the awards were named after her this year.

Audrey is a truly remarkable lady, who is forever smiling. Her warmth and passion for the people around her and the art she loves is evident. When taking workshops or courses, teachers specifically ask for Audrey as they know that the students all come out of class beaming.

Audrey Nicholls FRAD ARAD

What influenced you to become a teacher?

I had been a professional dancer since the age of sixteen and continued until I was about 36. During this time at around 23, I was passionate about teaching ballet and wanted to give back to aspiring young students my love and experience in dance. Along with professional dancer Eve King, I began what was to become a long and rewarding journey of teaching ballet.

When you first started teaching what were your aims and ambitions?

To give the students a pure classical technique and to inspire their love of music. When I hear music, I immediately have a physical reaction to move and express myself and to bring out the artistry of the dance step. I also wanted to offer knowledge of other influential teachers and use the expertise of Martin Rubinstein (Maestro), Lynn Golding, Jack Manual and Christine Howard. We were very privileged to be a part of their education.

Have you achieved these goals?

I do feel a sense of achievement and feel rewarded to have trained many students who have gone on to wonderful professional careers not only as classical dancers but also qualified examiners, teachers, actors and stage managers. I have also trained Genee gold medallist Holly Smart and bronze medallist Pamela Smith, as well as several soloists in the Australian Ballet and Royal Ballet Companies including Delia Harrington and James Newman. One former student of note is Christine Howard who is the Character teacher at the Australian Ballet School (30 years).

What is your proudest moment in all your years of teaching?

Being recognized by my peers and having the honour to be awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Dance (2011). Also the achievement of 40 years of collaboration with Eve King and our teaching together in our ballet school.

Where do you think ballet is headed in the next 10 years?

Supply & demand – we have the supply of many talented dancers, choreographers, designers, composers and of course teachers! Dancers today have the opportunity to receive excellent training with technical ability being pushed beyond their boundaries. Contemporary and classical demands the utmost from the dancer- today there is no limit to where and what will happen in the next 10 years.

What do you think is the most important thing that has happened or influenced dance in the last 10 years?

Televised live broadcasts of performances reach thousands of people who might not normally have the opportunity to see a ballet. In addition, one of the biggest of all: YouTube

What is your favourite ballet?

I am a bit of a traditionalist, so I will say Giselle. I love the first act, the communicative story telling in the demi character style, told with drama and heartfelt emotion especially with Giselle’s acting in the ‘mad scene’.  Then the pure classicalism of Act 11, the choreography raises so many sentiments and reactions that enable the dancers to put their hearts on the line. It is a wonderful vehicle for the dancer.I grew up on Giselle, starting in the corps de ballet, then Pas de Six, Peasant Pas de Deux, Queen of the Willis and eventually the title role of Giselle.

Who is your favourite dancer?

There are three exquisite women and it is impossible for me to choose between them, they are: Natalia Makarova, Darcy Bussell and Natalia Osipova – for me they are the epitome of dance.

You are an RAD examiner. Why did you choose RAD and do you still examine?

My original teachers were Gwen Hardie and Ann Roberts FRAD, ARAD who both taught the RAD syllabi.  I found the syllabi structure and exam preparation beneficial and certainly challenging. Therefore, when I commenced teaching, the transition to RAD was a natural progression. Becoming an RAD examiner seemed to follow automatically.

I will always be grateful to Martin Rubinstein for his mentoring and guidance when I was becoming an examiner in those early days and to this day. I loved examining, meeting the different teachers and exchanging ideas. I enjoyed helping to sort out problems and addressing the needs of the country teachers where little access to examiners or experienced teachers was available. I have travelled internationally and throughout Australasia for 33 years as an examiner. As an examiner, we all were continually updated with education in dance, psychology, syllabus and new methods. It has been a very rewarding career and I continue as an RAD tutor on different faculties for courses, workshops for teachers and students, and as a Juror for RAD events.

How would you like to be remembered?

Fondly – I hope!  But also for my lifelong love of dance and my devotion to my husband David and my family.

Top photo: Audrey Nicholls in the Pas de Trios from Swan Lake – Ballet Rambert 1954.

Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – everything dance in Australia – dance auditions, dance news, dance events and resources for dance teachers.

How much do you know about jazz dance icon Bob Fosse?

By Rain Francis.

1. Which of the following characters would you NOT find in Chicago?

a) Mary Sunshine
b) Roxy Hart
c) Lilli Vanessi
d) Billy Flynn

2. In the 1972 film Cabaret, Sally Bowles is a performer at what club?

a) The Kitten Klub
b) The Kit Kat Klub
c) The Top Kat Klub
d) Top Hats ‘n’ Kats

3. The 1953 film Kiss Me Kate was inspired by which Shakespeare play?

a) Romeo and Juliet
b) The Taming of the Shrew
c) Much Ado About Nothing
d) Othello

4. The video for Beyonce’s Single Ladies was inspired by what Bob Fosse number?

a) All That Jazz
b) I Gotcha
c) Mexican Breakfast
d) Bye Bye Blackbird

5. Rich Man’s Frug is a number from which Fosse film and stage show?

a) Sweet Charity
b) Pippin
c) The Pajama Game
d) Damn Yankees

6. In the semi-autobiographical All That Jazz, who plays the elder “Joe Gideon”, the character based on Bob Fosse?

a) William Shatner
b) Michael York
c) David Hasselhoff
d) Roy Scheider

7. As a Choreographer and Director, Fosse won nine Tony Awards and one Academy Award. What film was the Oscar for?

a) Cabaret
b) The Little Prince
c) Lenny
d) Kiss Me Kate

8. In the 1969 film Sweet Charity, who played Charity Hope Valentine?

a) Gwen Verdon
b) Shirley MacLaine
c) Liza Minnelli
d) Ann Reinking

9. Which of the following is NOT a number in The Pajama Game?

a) Steam Heat
b) Hernando’s Hideaway
c) Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo
d) Small Talk

10. What moniker is given to Amos Hart in Chicago?

a) Fred Casely
b) Mister Cellophane
c) Pal Joey
d) Mr. Applegate

Answers:
1 – c; 2 – b; 3 – b; 4 – c; 5 – a; 6 – d; 7 – a 8 – b; 9 – c; 10 – b

Top photo: The Female Ensemble in Australia’s Chicago. Photo by Jeff Busby, 2009.

Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – everything dance in Australia – dance auditions, dance news, dance events and resources for dance teachers.

By Rain Francis

1. Who choreographed the Australian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies?

a) Graeme Murphy
b) Tim Harbour
c) Jerry Mitchell
d) David McAllister

2. In 2011, who won the Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography?

a) Stephen Page
b) Luke George
c) Stephen Agisilaou
d) Rafael Bonachela

3. Garry Stewart is the Artistic Director and Choreographer of which Australian dance company?

a) The Australian Ballet
b) Dancenorth
c) Expressions
d) Australian Dance Theatre

4. Which choreographer does NOT have a work in The Australian Ballet’s 2012 production of Infinity?

a) Leigh Warren
b) Gideon Obarzanek
c) Graeme Murphy
d) Stephen Page

5. A fusion of which two dance styles best describes the work of Bangarra Dance Theatre?

a) ballet and hip hop
b) ballet and contemporary
c) contemporary and Indigenous Australian
d) Indigenous Australian and hip hop

6. Which of the following is NOT a work by Gideon Obarzanek for Chunky Move?

a) Glow
b) Mortal Engine
c) Human Interest Story
d) Connected

7. Australian Dance Theatre and Leigh Warren and Dancers are both based in which Australian city?

a) Melbourne
b) Adelaide
c) Sydney
d) Perth

8. Which work did Tim Harbour choreograph for the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School in 2011?

a) Carmen and Jose
b) The Story of Clara
c) Halcyon
d) Songs of Light

9. Which work by Phillip Adams for BalletLab featured in the 2011 Melbourne Festival?

a) Aviary
b) Miracle
c) Amplification
d) Origami

10. Who is the current Artistic Director of Queensland Ballet?

a) Raewyn Hill
b) Natalie Weir
c) Li Cunxin
d) Francois Klaus

ANSWERS:
1 – a, 2 – d, 3 – d, 4 – a, 5 – c, 6 – c, 7 – b, 8 – a, 9 – a, 10 – d.

Photo: Australian choreographers Graeme Murphy, Gideon Obarzanek and Stephen Page with Lana Jones of The Australian Ballet. Photo by Georges Antoni for The Australia Ballet’s Infinity programme.

Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – everything dance in Australia – dance news, dance auditions & dance events.

By Chris Bamford.

Being a dance teacher is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world, but I might be a little biased as I am one. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a student improve, grow and reach his or her full potential in your class.

But what about the teachers?  We place so much emphasis on the students’ conditioning, care and injury prevention, yet we have a tendency to forget about ourselves.

Long gone are the days where the teacher just sat in a chair with a cane and explained what the students had to do. We teach a lot more visually and practically these days. The teacher generally shows the wrong way and the right way to do steps and movements and goes to the extremes so students can see and understand the differences. This can put teachers at risk, especially when they may not be as fit and limber as they used to be.

Being a dance teacher, and especially a studio owner can be very stressful. You need to wear so many hats and manage many facets of a business from customer service, complaints, marketing and finances to general administration.  Then add an annual concert to the mix, and maybe a summer school and eisteddfod, and let’s face it – we are stressed! So we don’t need to add injury to our lives.

What can dance teachers do to reduce the risk of injury? Let’s start by looking at what some of what the most common dance injuries are

• Muscle strain

• Joint sprain

• Bruising

• Muscle soreness

• Fractures

Understanding what these injuries are and what causes them can help identify problems early, as most teachers do with their students. But what about yourself?  Let’s look at what can cause these injuries during the many hours of instructing and choreographing that each teacher does.

Excessive range: This applies to movement that forces a joint or body part beyond a safe range. For example, hyper flexion at the neck or over-arching the back.

Excessive load: Movement that places excessive weight on or through a joint or muscle. For example, knees bending below 90º when landing or straight leg sit-ups.

Ballistic: Repetitive dynamic movement that stretches muscle tissue beyond the normal range. This sort of movement is often explosive and uncontrolled. For example, bouncing (of knees, spine), overly repetitive kicks, leaps, head isolations and arm flings.

Sustained: The holding of a position that places excessive stress on a muscle group or joint. For example, a coccyx sit or balance on one leg for a long period of time.

Repetitive: Too much repetition can be dangerous. Even safe movements performed too many times can cause injury. For example, jumps, push-ups and lifts.

In my opinion, when you’re teaching for four hours in a row or more, you can’t avoid some of the above movement types, but it’s important to be aware of them and to think about how much we demonstrate a movement if we feel strain, pain or any warning sign. Injury and stress are always going to be in our lives, it’s the nature of the dance business, but here are some tips to help you reduce them:

• Remember occupational health and safety rules.
• Get a regular remedial sports massage or visit the physio.
• If you have injured yourself, but still have to teach, use an assistant teacher or senior student for demonstrating until you have fully recovered.
• Keep up regular classes for technique and strength. We can get so busy, but we too must be in class regularly. I have heard of large dance studios holding a teachers’ class once a fortnight and rotating who from the staff takes the class. This helps the teaching staff to keep up their technique and fitness.
• Keep hydrated and eat a well balanced diet.
• Make sure to get plenty of sleep. You need energy to energize your students and a rested mind to be creative.
• If you are teaching for long period of time pace yourself and take regular breaks if you can.

At the end of the day, teachers need to remember to take care of themselves. We inspire and nurture talents, yet we sometimes forget to inspire and nurture ourselves. Start to look after yourself so you can continue to give to your students for years to come. Being a great dance teacher is just as important as being a great dancer.

Source: www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/pdhpe/dance/dan004.htm

Photo: © Viorel Sima | Dreamstime.com

Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – everything dance in Australia – dance news, dance auditions & dance events.

By Rain Francis. 

Test your knowledge of cultural dances from around the world.

Let us know how many answers you get right on Facebook. Just ‘Like ’ us and then post your score on our wall at facebook.com/danceinforma

What style of dancing would you most likely be doing if you were at a Milonga?

a) Salsa

b) Tango

c) Polonaise

d) Krumping

In what country would you most likely be if you saw a Haka performed live?

a) Australia

b) Papua New Guinea

c) New Zealand

d) Peru

Which of the following is not a popular Latin ballroom dance?

a) Salsa

b) Ballet

c) Samba

d) Rumba

Which of the following are not traditionally used in Morris dancing?

a) Handkerchiefs

b) Broomsticks

c) Swords

d) Bells

Which instrument would be most likely to accompany Highland dancing?

a) Panpipes

b) Banjo

c) Bongo

d) Bagpipes

What name is best associated with Irish dancing?

a) Michael Flatley

b) Paddy Brennan

c) Peter Martins

d) Mikhail Baryshnikov

The Mazurka and the Polonaise are traditional dances of which European country?

a) Germany

b) Finland

c) Poland

d) Romania

Billy Ray Cyrus is a name best associated with what style of dancing?

a) Breakdancing

b) Highland dancing

c) Square dancing

d) Line dancing

With which country would you associate Butoh?

a) Thailand

b) Japan

c) Scotland

d) China

Originating from Vienna in the late 17^th century, The Waltz is a popular dance in which time signature?

a) 3/4

b) 4/4

c) 6/8

d) 2/4

Answers: 1 – b, 2 – c, 3 – b, 4 – b, 5 – d, 6 – a, 7 – c, 8 – d, 9 – b, 10 – a

Photo: © Anky10 | Dreamstime.com.
Dragos Ana/Diandra Iles, ballroom dancers, 4th place at the Romanian National Contest (Cupa Romaniei), standard section, 12-13 years old. 25 Oct 2009, Timisoara, Romania

By Steve Sirico of Dance Teacher Web

In this special two part series we will explore tips to running a successful studio.  If you missed the first seven tips visit (magazine/the-secrets-to-running-a-successful-studio). Think about your business and how these tips apply to what you are doing. Even if you are implementing what I recommend, try to think in terms of how you might switch up your approach for even greater success. Remember that growing your business begins with self-examination. So let’s get started!

Build additional streams of income
These can include rentals or subletting space, birthdays and other parties. Think outside the box to help you generate more revenue. During down times see about subletting a studio to a yoga class or contact your local theatre to see if they need space for rehearsal. Think about taking your classes to area groups and schools. This is a great way to generate additional income and to spread the word about your studio and programs.

Get out of your studio and build your network
Build relationships! Years ago we did a local performance and met a woman who was in charge of a program called ‘After the Bell’, a unique after school program where the parents’ club found outside companies to run classes like tennis, agility and dance, amongst others. By doing this outside show we had the opportunity to meet her and for her to see our work. We have since been doing her ‘After the Bell’ program at our local primary school for years! You will be the best kept secret in your town if you don’t get out and meet people.

Be proactive in the community
Lend a hand with fundraising events, help out with people when you can and work with a group you are passionate about. Join your local council and let it be known that you are a source in your town when it comes to providing entertainment and volunteers who can help with a worthy cause.

Know your numbers
Build a target to hit. How many students do you need to pay the bills? How many to make a profit? Do you have a formula for what each student is worth? Now set a target for what you want your studio numbers to look like. Track it each week during the first three months of your season, then once a month after that. If you have a goal, you will chip away at it and hit it eventually. When your mind is focused on growth instead of survival, it will put you in the right frame of mind.

Your front desk will make or break you
Your employees probably treat your customers about the same way you treat your employees. Let that soak in for a minute, and think about the ways your everyday behaviour might be affecting your school’s ability to generate referrals.  Keep training your staff and make it fun. Happy employees, happy students and happy parents are how you need to measure your success.

Build your referral system
Get your clients talking about you. Do the unexpected. Create an environment of ‘WOW’. The best way to do this is to let your employees know that you are open to ideas that will create a ‘wow moment’ for your customers. The more you create ‘wow’, the more they will talk about you. For your best clients you could offer a $50 off referral program where if they bring in a new student who registers, you deduct $50 from both their tuitions.

Create a marketing plan, stick to it and track your results
Decide what your objectives are, what you will spend and where you will spend it.  Not all marketing efforts work—sometimes the fish just aren’t biting. Track results to know how to proceed. My recommendation is to focus your marketing dollars first online and work out from there.  Try a targeted list that you can send a postcard to. Next consider doing a mailing to past clients with a special offer to try one week for FREE! Remember, marketing is not just about getting new clients, but also cultivating your current ones. If they are taking one class, why not try to get them to take two, three or more? For more marketing tips view past article www.danceinforma.com/grow-your-enrolments

Here’s to your success!

Steve Sirico
Steve studied dance initially with Mikki Williams and then in New York with Charles Kelley and Frank Hatchett. He appeared in a number of theatre productions such as “Damn Yankees”, “Guys and Dolls” and “Mame” in New York and around the country and in industrials and television shows. He was contracted to appear as the lead dancer in the “Valerie Peters Special” a television show filmed in Tampa, Florida. After meeting Angela D’Valda during the filming they formed the Adagio act of D’Valda & Sirico appearing in theatres, clubs and on television shows such as David Letterman, Star Search and the Jerry Lewis Telethon. In 1982 they were contracted to Europe and appeared in a variety of shows in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and Italy before going to London, England where they appeared as Guest Artists for Wayne Sleep (formerly of the Royal Ballet) in his show “Dash” at the Dominium Theatre.

Steve and Angela have owned and directed their dance studio in Fairfield, CT for the past twenty five years. Author of his Jazz Dance syllabus and co-author of a Partner syllabus both of which are used for teacher training by Dance Educators of America, Steve continues to adjudicate and teach for major dance organizations.

He recently has taught at the Interdanz Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica and at The International Dance Teachers Conference in London at the Royal Ballet School. He choreographs for theatres, television and conventions and D’Valda & Sirico recently choreographed the opening to the National Speaker’s Association convention on Broadway in New York City at the Marriott Marquis.

Steve is president and director of the website Dance Teacher Web, designed as an online resource and training tool for dance teachers and dance school owners worldwide. Dance Teacher Web produces a yearly conference in Las Vegas where hundreds of teachers learn from the top master teachers and business coaches in an intimate setting unlike any other dance teacher event. Next year’s conference will be held at the Red Rock Resort August 6-9 2012. For more information visit www.danceteacherweb.com

Top photo:  © Ira Bachinskaya | Dreamstime.com

By Rain Francis. 

Test your ballet knowledge!
Let us know how many answers you get right on Facebook.
Just ‘Like’ us and then post your score on our Wall at:
facebook.com/danceinforma

Which of the following characters is least likely to be classed as a ballet villain?

            a) Rothbart

            b) Petrouchka

            c) Carabosse

            d) Myrtha

In which ballet would you find Swanhilda?

            a) Pineapple Poll

            b) The Nutcracker

            c) Cinderella

            d) Coppelia

In Act III of Petipa’s Swan Lake, several national dances are performed.
Which country is NOT represented, traditionally?

            a) Spain

            b) Poland

            c) Germany

            d) Hungary

What name is given to the evil spirits in Giselle?

            a) Wilis

            b) Nymphs

            c) Faeries

            d) Sylphs

In which ballet would you find Oberon, Puck and Titania?

            a) Onegin

            b) A Midsummer Night’s Dream

            c) Manon

            d) The Moor’s Pavane

In Romeo and Juliet, who kills Tybalt?

            a) Romeo

            b) Juliet

            c) Mercutio

            d) Benvolio

Who is Hilarion’s rival for Giselle’s affection?

a) Franz

b) Bathilde

c) Albrecht

d) Wilfrid

Who created the role of the film producer in Nureyev’s Cinderella?

a) Mikhail Baryshnikov

b) Rudolph Nureyev

c) Anton Dolin

d) Peter Martins

The character of Petrouchka is a WHAT?

a) puppet

b) ragdoll

c) clown

d) scarecrow

In which ballet would you find the ‘Kingdom of the Shades’?

a) Scheherezade

b) Le Corsaire

c) Don Quixote

d) La Bayadere

Answers: 1 – b, 2 – d, 3 – c, 4 – a, 5 – b, 6 – a, 7 – c , 8 – b, 9 – a, 10 – d

Photo: The Australian Ballet’s Lucinda Dunn and Robert Curran in Onegin. Photo by Georges Antoni

By Steve Sirico of Dance Teacher Web.

In this special 2 part series we will explore tips to running a successful studio. Think about your business and how these tips apply to what you are doing. Even if you are doing what I recommend, try to think in terms of how you might switch up your approach for even greater success.

Keep in contact with your current customers.
This means emails, newsletters, surveys, customer events and anything else you can think of. The reality is that everyone is busy and you are low on their radar. If you lose contact, then you risk losing business. Most people stop coming to a business because they think you don’t even know they exist. And don’t worry about being a pest. Just keep giving them useful information and special offers that they will love to receive.

Keep marketing to your current customers.
Most businesses focus on attracting new clients and marketing to them. But think about this: If you are doing business with a company you like, you are more apt to buy more of the same. A lot more! When you have devoted clients, you can ask them to give you testimonials so you can then promote what they love about you.

Create WOW moments for your customers.
Make plans to have special events that are both publicised and unannounced at your school.  Think of ways to surprise your students and their families. Ideas include highlighting a special student of the month, free giveaways for students who work hard, special projects where everyone wins something, and just random acts of kindness. They will make you the talk of the town.

Get your staff and faculty to buy into your philosophy…or sever the relationship.
Donald Trump likes to say “hire slowly but fire quickly”. Most people do the opposite. They hire on a gut reaction and then try to hold on when things go south. If you are having an issue with any faculty member or staff member it is best to try to resolve the issue immediately! If no solution is at hand then use that apprentice line—“You’re fired!”

Build your preschool program.
If you build it they will come. Make a special brochure or schedule exclusively for them. The more time offered the bigger your program will get. Try doing a special show that is short and informal with just these younger students—both enjoyable and easy on the families and their time.

Build programs for each niche.
Beyond preschool, offer programs for all ages and special areas that include athletes, kids who are singers and actors, recreational, competition teams, dance teams and even adults. Now the key is to find ways to market to each group exclusively.  “Find a need, fill a need”—if you do, you will always have plenty of business.

Don’t let the parents run the ship.
Parents will love to give you their two cents about all kinds of things: Who should be teaching, what they should be teaching, during which hours they should be teaching. And it doesn’t stop there. Listen to your customers, but do not waiver from your company vision. Your parents will take over if you let them and then you will have a hard time regaining control. It’s your business, you are in charge. Make sure they know that and they won’t over step the boundary.

Test your dance knowledge…

By Rain Francis.

With which name would you MOST associate Ginger Rogers?

a) Gene Kelly

c) Mikhail Baryshnikov

c) Fred Astaire

d) Donald O’Connor

For which ballerina was the Dying Swan choreographed by Mikhail Fokine?

a) Anna Pavlova

b) Natalia Markova

c) Alicia Makarova

d) Anna Karenina

Who did Lucette Aldous dance alongside in the 1973 filmed version of Don Quixote?

a) Mikhail Baryshnikov

b) Rudolph Nureyev

c) Anthony Dowell

d) Carlos Acosta

Which of the following names would you LEAST associate with contemporary dance?

a) Martha Graham

b) Jose Limon

c) Cyd Charrise

d) Merce Cunningham

Which king is best associated with the origins of classical ballet?

a) Louis XIV (King of France from 1643-1715)

b) Henry VIII (England, 1509-1547)

c) Ferdinand III (Italy, 1637-1657)

d) Phillip III (France, 1270-1285)

Which of the following was Gene Kelly the star of?

a) Singin’ in the Rain

b) An American in Paris

c) Ziegfeld Follies

d) All of the above

Which American ballerina wrote Dancing on my Grave?

a) Maria Tallchief

b) Gelsey Kirkland

c) Darci Kistler

d) Cynthia Harvey

Who’s daughter is Liza Minnelli?

a) Elizabeth Taylor

b) Debbie Reynolds

c) Margot Fonteyn

d) Judy Garland

Who choreographed Cabaret, Chicago and Damn Yankees?

a) Bob Fosse

b) Jerome Robbins

c) George Balanchine

d) Alvin Ailey

What nationality is renowned dancer Sylvie Guillem?

a) Italian

b) English

c) French

d) Canadian

Answers:

1 – c, 2 – a, 3 – b, 4 – c, 5 – a, 6 – d, 7 – b, 8 – d, 9 – a, 10 – c

In honour of The Australian Ballet’s 50^th anniversary in 2012, test your knowledge about our country’s premier ballet company.

By Rain Francis

Who was the founding Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet?

a) Irina Baronova

b) Erik Bruhn

c) Dame Peggy van Praagh

d) Anne Woolliams

Who is the current Artistic Director?

a) David McAllister

b) Garry Stewart

c) Maina Gielgud

d) Danilo Radojevic

Which of the following is not being performed by the company this year?

a) Romeo and Juliet

b) The Merry Widow

c) Checkmate

d) Petrouchka

Who created The Silver Rose for The Australian Ballet in 2010?

a) Graeme Murphy

b) Phillip Adams

c) Tim Harbour

d) Christopher Wheeldon

Which Principal Artist is not a graduate of the Australian Ballet School?

a) Lucinda Dunn

b) Lana Jones

c) Robert Curran

d) Andrew Killian

Last year the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award was won by two dancers in a tie – an historic first. Who were these two dancers?

a) Brett Chynoweth and Amy Harris

b) Rudy Hawkes and Robyn Hendricks

c) Laura Tong and Andrew Wright

d) Ty King-Wall and Dana Stephensen

Which dancer was promoted to Principal Artist this year?

a) Rachel Rawlins

b) Amber Scott

c) Lana Jones

d) Madeleine Eastoe

The Australian Ballet was formed after the disbanding of which company?

a) Sydney Dance Company

b) The Melbourne Ballet

c) The van Praagh Ballet Company

d) The Borovansky Ballet

What was the first season performed by The Australian Ballet?

a) Swan Lake

b) The Nutcracker

c) The Sleeping Beauty

d) Giselle

Sir Robert Helpmann, with Rudolph Nureyev, directed which 1973 film?

a) Cinderella

b) The Red Shoes

c) Don Quixote

d) Mao’s Last Dancer

Answers:
1 – c, 2 – a, 3 – d, 4 – a, 5 – a, 6 – d, 7 – b, 8 – d, 9 – a, 10 – c

Top photo: Australian Ballet dancer Robyn Hendricks. Photo by Georges Antoni