Showcase National Dance Championships will increase its national tour this season to include up to 18 Regionals. With a massive prize pool of over $85,000 up for grabs this year, the search is on for the next generation of the nation’s TOP dance studios. Who will be it be?

They have reached out once again and invited more dance studios this year to give them the chance to win the title of “Australia’s next TOP Dance Studio”. Apart from the fantastic cash prize of $5,000 to the TOP winning group it also gives the studio national recognition for its outstanding efforts.

The Gold Coast National Finals, held annually at Jupiter’s Casino, have always offered many opportunities to dance schools, including the ever popular Summer Dance Workshops held during the event and the Battle of the Star Show held on the last day, which has the best of the best dance schools in the nation compete for the overall titles.

Jupiter’s Showroom has just undergone a 20 million dollar upgrade and the dancers at Nationals this year will be having the opportunity to perform in the best and newest performance venue in Australia.

Showcase has always been the leader in offering massive prizes and this past year was no exception. There were not only the four Dancer of the Year trips to the USA and Canada awarded, but there were also trips presented to dance teachers which included an all expenses shopping trip to Bangkok. Three dance teachers were also awarded the pinnacle prize to attend the US Federation of Dance Competitions Gala show in Cancun Mexico.

Peter Oxford, the National Director of Showcase, has his sights on expanding the many opportunities for Dancers all over Australia by adding competitions in Darwin, the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Coast and Newcastle this season, in addition to the ever popular cities such as Sydney, Canberra, Perth, Melbourne, Hobart, Brisbane, Auckland and Christchurch.

Dance studios can enter solos, duo, trios and groups, in many forms of dance including jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap, ballet and hip hop.

Showcase attracts over 7,500 acts in any one season! There’s some amazing talent out there and you can be part of it!

Showcase looks forward to seeing some new studios at one of their 2012 regional cities as they travel around Australia and New Zealand.

Remember…Everyone’s a STAR at Showcase!

How to Enter
Dance schools and soloists wanting to be part of the Showcase Nationals must qualify with 85 points and over at one of the regional championships that are held in select cities across Australia and New Zealand.

Want more info?
The website www.showcasedance.com has complete information on the event, including entry forms and rules. The large cities do tend to fill before the closing date, but dancers are allowed to travel out of their own area to qualify in another city. National Finals dates are scheduled for January 14th -21st 2013 at Jupiter’s Casino.

Become a fan of Showcase on Facebook. www.facebook.com/showcasedance and check out our website for past competition results, videos of the Nationals and more.

Contact
Call (02) 9662-1598 or email dance@showcasedance.com with any questions

By Laura Di Orio.

George Balanchine said, “See the music, hear the dance.” The choreographer, like many dancers, found inspiration for movement within music. To be able to move one’s body to music can be magical enough. And to be able to dance to live music is, for many dancers, a dream.

Here, Dance Informa speaks with professional dancers who enjoy the privilege of performing to live music. The Australian Ballet’s Brooke Lockett, Miami City Ballet’s Rebecca King and Joffrey Ballet’s Fabrice Calmels share their expertise and the joy of making the music come alive.

Do you prefer dancing to live or pre-recorded music?

Brooke Lockett, dancer with The Australian Ballet, backstage during a performance of Sugar Plum. Photo courtesy of Brooke Lockett

Brooke Lockett, Coryphee with The Australian Ballet
The positive to recorded music is you get an inner rhythm and timing, and the work becomes very consistent, and in some cases, almost predictable. You can never assume anything when it’s to live music. The tempo can be faster or it can slow down parts you prefer faster, but all issues aside, nothing gives me goose bumps more than the sound of a sublime live orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. The curtain goes up and the music floods onto the stage from the pit. It goes through your bones and brings everything you have been rehearsing to life.

Fabrice Calmels, Principal Artist at the Joffrey Ballet
For me, it is preferable to dance to live music, but there are actually times when I find pre-recorded scores a safe alternative, like in a very difficult performance on tour.

For you, what is the biggest challenge of dancing to live music?

Rebecca King, Corps de Ballet Dancer with Miami City Ballet
The music’s tempo can be a challenge. Even though the conductor knows exactly what the dancers need, the speed can still vary from performance to performance. It is our job to be completely in tune with the orchestra because you never know what is going to happen. Because the musicians, like us, are susceptible to human error, sometimes the music can sound different, which can catch the dancers off guard. This is the beauty of live theater – you never know what you are going to get.

For you, what is the greatest reward of dancing to live music?

Brooke Lockett
When a ballet is extremely difficult or you are quite nervous about a role, music is an incredibly powerful escape that has the ability to take you away to another place on stage. Without it, I don’t know that my profession would be as powerful or as rewarding.

Fabrice Calmels
Here’s what is going on with live music: You have a full orchestra with different instruments working together as a team, following a score and led by a conductor, who, in turn, is watching and observing every move from us, the dancers. With the conductor’s expertise, he is able to match the choreography with the music and create the flow. For me, it is communication at its best.

How does dancing to live music compare to dancing to recorded music?

Fabrice Calmels, principal artist with the Joffrey Ballet, in Jessica Lang's 'Crossed'. Photo courtesy of Fabrice Calmels

Fabrice Calmels
The beauty of live music is the clarity of the sound, and performing at Chicago’s Auditorium Theater, we have one of the best engineered houses in the world. It was built for live music, and its acoustics are incredible. Live music is simply rich. There is something about the quality of instantly created sound and vibration that is priceless. Recorded music has so many factors that come into play, such as how well the track may be recorded, the quality of the player or speakers, static, or speakers that sometimes do not separate well the low-bass from the mid-bass.

Brooke Lockett
The sound is the biggest comparison. It’s like when I see a live music concert, and no matter how loud I play the CD after the show I can never recreate that same feeling or volume. You hear so many more elements and instruments when it’s live.

For a piece that you will eventually perform to live music, what is the process of incorporating the musicians or conductor into the rehearsals?

Rebecca King
Our conductor, Gary Sheldon, spends a lot of time with us in the studio during rehearsals. He not only comes in the week before we take a program to the theater, but he also tries to be around when the choreographer or repetiteur is in town working with us. He has told me that he finds it very important to familiarize himself with our works as much as possible. This makes it easier for him to know when certain cues are coming up, or what tempos different dancers are comfortable with.

Do you usually try to build some kind of rapport with the conductor and musicians?

Brooke Lockett
Absolutely. Sometimes you are feeling a little flat or have an injury, and it’s important for them to know those things. And for those shows when you are on fire and loving it, you can really bounce off one another.

Rebecca King, dancer with Miami City Ballet. Photo by Susan Stocker, Sun Sentinel

Rebecca King
I think all the dancers at Miami City Ballet have a great rapport with our conductor. He always makes an effort to say hello in the hallways, wish you “merde”, or good luck, before a show, and commend you on your performance after the curtain comes in. You can tell he really makes an effort to know the dancers, which we really appreciate. We don’t have a lot of interaction with the musicians, but we do always make an effort to thank them when we see them leaving the pit. Without them, their talent and extraordinary effort, we would not be able to do what we do.

What’s been a memorable moment of performing to live music?

Fabrice Calmels
The beginning of Lar Lubovitch’s production of Othello starts with a very powerful overture by the orchestra. This leads to the first dance, “The Prayer”, when Othello rises from a kneeling position for a stunning solo done only by creating circular movement with his arm. In every rehearsal and performance, I become Othello in that moment, located near the first panel of the stage, waiting for the main curtain to go up. I am already kneeling with both hands gathered as a prayer resting against my forehead. The orchestra is playing the score, the drums become explosive and so powerful that I feel my hand bouncing up and down from the vibration they create from underneath me. It completely gets in me, my heart begins to beat like a drum. It’s an experience unlike any other.

Brooke Lockett
We had a guest conductor for a season of Swan Lake once and we had all been talking about how slow it was, and in our final Act II entrance as a Cygnet it was like we were doing Willies from Giselle, it was so slow. We had the giggles for the entire entrance and had to quickly pull ourselves together.

Rebecca King
My first year in the company, we were performing Balanchine’s Symphony in 3 Movements, with a score by Stravinsky. Ask any dancer and he/she will tell you that the complexity of Stravinsky’s music has no doubt kept them up at night. Trying to memorize every note and count is no small feat. During a section of the first movement, the three principal couples were on stage, and there was a brief pause followed by a change in the music. Something was missing. The dancers suddenly realized that the instrument that was, at that moment, in charge of keeping the beat was nowhere to be found. They started counting aloud to each other to keep themselves in sync. Thankfully, this confusion only lasted a few bars before another change in the music arrived. We found out later that the musician playing the instrument in question had fallen asleep in the pit!

Top photo: Fabrice Calmels, principal artist with the Joffrey Ballet, in Edwaard Liang’s Age of Innocence. Photo courtesy of Fabrice Calmels.

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

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.

One of the most popular musicals in history, The Lion King, will play at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre from December 2013.

The Lion King is a worldwide phenomenon. Since its Broadway premiere on November 13, 1997, 19 productions around the globe have been seen by more than 63 million people and grossed more than $4.7 billion. (See Dance Informa’s review of the Las Vegas production here).

In its 15^th year, The Lion King continues to reign as a cultural phenomenon and one of the most popular stage musicals in the world.  The Lion King is the seventh longest-running musical in Broadway history and one of only six productions in theatre history to play for ten years or more both on Broadway and in the West End.  The Lion King won six 1998 Tony Awards®:  Best Musical, Best Scenic Design (Richard Hudson), Best Costume Design (Julie Taymor), Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder), Best Choreography (Garth Fagan) and Best Direction of a Musical, making Director Julie Taymor the first woman in theatrical history bestowed with the honour.  The Lion King has also earned more than 70 major arts awards including a Grammy® for Best Musical Show Album and Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design.

'Lionesses Dance' in The Lion King, Las Vegas. ©2009, Disney. Photos by Joan Marcus

On stage, Taymor’s creative vision blends elements of African art and Broadway artisanship to depict anthropomorphic animal characters.  The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s music from The Lion King animated film along with many new numbers. The resulting sound of The Lion King is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa.

Thomas Schumacher, Producer and President of Disney Theatrical Productions said, “Australia has embraced our Disney stage musicals as warmly as audiences anywhere in the world and we are thrilled that The Lion King is being invited back. We look forward to re-introducing Sydney to Julie Taymor’s singular, captivating vision.”

The Lion King is an established tourism magnet for Sydney.  The last season ran for almost two years and played to 1.35 million people.  NSW Minister for Tourism, Major Events and the Arts, George Souris said “We wanted to ensure that Sydney would host one of the world’s most enduring musical events.” The 2013 production is expected to attract 50,000 visitors from interstate and overseas generating $36 million in new money for NSW.

Top photo: The opening number ‘The Circle of Life’ from The Lion King, Las Vegas.  ©2009, Disney.  Photo by Joan Marcus.

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

By Katherine Moore.

Summertime in the Northern Hemisphere is rarely a time of rest for aspiring dancers. Instead of lounging by the pool, young dance students often opt to spend weeks, possibly months, at intensives and workshops hosted by top dance companies, where students use the long, sweaty days of summer to learn and push themselves toward bettering their craft. These intensives attract students from across the country, and in some cases, from across the globe. Dancers from Australia even venture overseas to escape the winter blues in search of an exciting dance experience.

World Dance Movement is an international workshop event that takes place in Castellena Grotte, Italy, where students have the opportunity to invest in their dance future and lounge by the beaches of the Adriatic Sea. As an institution dedicated to uniting cultures through dance, WDM brings students from 25 countries to study with internationally-renowned dance teachers and choreographers.

Founded on the idea of creating a global forum where dancers can grow both artistically and culturally, WDM’s overall mission is “to become a leader in the international dance scene – a respected source for bridging cultures through dance,” according to Michele Assaf, founder and director of WDM.

Dana Foglia's Hip Hop Class at World Dance Movement

For three weeks, from July 8-29, students from the age of 6 though 17+ will study a myriad of dance techniques and styles while residing in the beautiful Puglia region of Italy. The curriculum includes standard offerings such as jazz, ballet, and contemporary, but also more unique topics such as acrobatics, Yamuna Ball Rolling, and the opportunity to participate in workshops/seminars about auditioning and career development.

Assaf is especially excited that Cirque du Soleil will be joining them as a workshop partner this year. “WDM dancers will have an opportunity of a lifetime,” Assaf said. “The Cirque du Soleil senior artistic talent scout will hold dance workshops and seminars, as well as visit select WDM classes in search of future Cirque du Soleil artists.”

With in-numerous summer intensives to choose from, what makes WDM a distinctive option for aspiring dancers is the versatility of so many different teachers and choreographers from around the globe at one event.  The faculty roster includes the likes of Desmond Richardson, Dana Foglia, Jason Parsons, Igal Perry, and many, many more.

WDM strives to keep class sizes small, which gives students the rare opportunity to interact intimately with international choreographers and their fellow students, many of whom will be speaking different languages.

David Marquez, a Broadway choreographer, director, and WDM faculty-member, mentioned the importance of gaining this international perspective as a young dancer. “Exposure of any kind is helpful, in anything, specifically with dance. Dance is such a universal thing. It comes from everywhere and belongs to everyone. Therefore, those who are doing it in America differ from those who do it in Istanbul, or Lisbon, or Sydney. And creativity is like perspective, everyone has one, and everyone’s is different. “

David Marquez

The opportunity to gain new perspectives on dance is furthered at the conclusion of each week of the event, when families and teachers gather to watch students perform what they have learned in an outdoor gala.

WDM gives over $65,000 USD in international dance scholarships to ease students’ and parents’ financial burden of taking part in this artistically and culturally-immersive opportunity.

Past students have felt that WDM’s unique location, international faculty, and overarching goal of bridging cultural gaps through dance, creates a summer filled with inspiration.

“On top of being in one of the most beautiful places in the world and being surrounded by amazing people from all different countries, you are taking classes from a diversity of the most talented, giving teachers. I made so many close new friends who now seem like family,” one student said.

Similarly, Marquez, who described himself as “the musical theatre, Broadway expert in the WDM family,” enjoys teaching his passion just as much as he relishes the close time spent with students, parents, and teachers from around the world.

He said, “For a week or three you are doing what you love, in a beautiful setting, in the company of other people who love doing the same thing you do, while learning about different cultures, making new friends, speaking new languages, and sharing an experience that is un-duplicated anywhere in the world.”

Top photo: Students take class with Desmond Richardson at World Dance Movement Italy. All photos courtesy of World Dance Movement.

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

Direct from New York, one of the world’s premier classical Chinese dance companies is proud to present an all new production of Shen Yun. Performed to a live orchestra, Shen Yun dance spectacular highlights a revival of 5,000 years of civilisation from April 27 to May 6 at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre.  The show just previously toured to Auckland, Wellington, Canberra and Melbourne.

For 5000 years, China amassed a diverse legacy of heroes, myths and virtues that still resonate in the present. Today, Shen Yun Performing Arts is reviving the world’s most ancient heritage in full colour through dance and music. Shen Yun captures the spirit and grandeur of a culture long lost. The show moves quickly from one story, region and dynasty to the next. Down in the valley, ladies of the Yi ethnic group dance in rainbow skirts by the river. In the heavens, celestial fairies trail silken sleeves through the clouds. Resounding drums awaken the dusty plateaus of the Middle Kingdom.

After watching last year’s performance, Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett said, “It was an extraordinary experience. The level of skill, but also the power of the archetypes and the narratives were startling. And of course it was exquisitely beautiful.”

The Shen Yun Performing Arts presentation of Shen Yun features gorgeous digital backdrops that extend across the full stage, transporting the audience to distant lands and eras. An orchestra, combining Western and Chinese instruments like no other, accompanies the dancers with stirring scores. Dancers fly across the stage in an array of flips, spins, jumps and aerials. The energy of classical Chinese dance is contagious.

The Shen Yun lineup of dance and music has been performed to acclaim in more than 100 cities worldwide. At the core of their performances is classical Chinese dance, but China’s numerous ethnic and folk dance styles round out the evening along with masterful vocalists and musicians.

Experience a blend of energy and grace with Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell Street, Haymarket, Sydney from Friday 27th April to Sunday 6th May. For tickets and information call 1300 723 038 or visit www.ShenYun2012.org.

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

By Rain Francis.

It seems now is the hour for marvellous dance documentaries. 2011′s much anticipated Pina by Wim Wenders did not disappoint and then there was the memorable and inspirational Life in Movement. Later this year Australian dancers and film fans can look forward to what has been called “an enormously satisfying”* documentary, First Position.

Produced and directed by ex-dancer Bess Kargman, First Position follows six young dancers as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix. Every year the prestigious competition attracts over 5000 applicants, of which 300 are selected for the finals in New York City. It is an opportunity to be seen by the world’s top dance schools and companies, who may offer scholarships and contracts based on the dancers’ performances. The stakes are high.

The six dancers on whom the film focuses share a fierce determination and a love of dance, but this is where the similarities end. With origins as diverse as Sierra-Leone, Israel and California, their upbringings differ greatly. Kargan sheds light on each dancer’s family life, circumstances and path thus far. Parents and teachers are also interviewed, giving further insight into the way of life these young dancers are entwined in.

In the same way that Black Swan has been embraced by an audience beyond balletomanes, First Position is sure to engage even the non-dancer. It has won the Audience Award at both DOC NYC Film Festival and the San Francisco Documentary Festival in 2011, and is part of the official selection for several other festivals the world over. Film Journal International called it “a supremely feel-good film”, Criticize This called it a “masterpiece”. First Position opens in cinemas in the US on May 4 and will open in Australia later in the year, with the date yet to be confirmed.

In other dance film news, A Life for Ballet is due for release in April. Directed by Marlene Ionesco, this dance film explores the history of ballet between 1954 and 2011. With the romance of choreographer Pierre Lacotte and his muse Ghislaine Thesmar as a centrepiece, A Life for Ballet features performances from the Bolshoi, the Kirov and the Opera de Paris, including appearances by Rudolf Nureyev, Agnès Letestu , Michael Denard, Evgenia Obraztsova and Svetlana Zakharova. As with most great films, you might not find this one in the usual cinemas, but selected theatres such as Melbourne’s Classic and Nova will have it.

*Alissa Simon, Variety

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

By Bonnie E. Erickson, Director of Educational Programming, Broadway Dance Center.

As Broadway Dance Center master theater teacher Jim Cooney and I looked around the room, we saw lovely young dancers standing in groups with other dancers in the identical leotards of their respective studios, with arms crossed, hips out, and expressions of trepidation – we looked at each other and smiled: a beautiful blank canvas for our work!

Jim and I had come to Australia for two weeks of workshops in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast, and we were excited to bring our message of kindness between dancers, of supporting one another in the classroom, at the audition, and on the stage to Australia’s dancers, and especially to fellowship with other dance educators to bring the dance world ever closer. Jim is the Faculty Advisor for our Educational Programming and I am the Director of Educational Programming at Broadway Dance Center – in these roles, Jim and I teach this message to all the dancers who come through our full-time programs at BDC, creating dancers who are “happy to be here, and ready to work!” – a quote I must properly attribute to the extraordinary Lucille DiCampli of MSA dance agency, with whom we work on our mock auditions.

Jim Cooney of Broadway Dance Center teaches Australian students

At each of the eight workshops we taught, it was exhilarating to watch these dancers go around the room, shaking hands with other dancers to get acquainted and to get past their fears, and then expanding that energy as they learned Jim’s wonderful musical theatre choreography. It was wonderful to see their hearts and minds open, and fully enthralled in the joy of dance.

We were fortunate enough to secure a segment on Australia’s popular television show The Circle, and at the behest of the show’s producers, Jim quickly put together a flash mob for the show, recruiting dancers we’d met at our Melbourne workshops through the lovely directors of the studios The Space and Dancescape to perform on the show. It was so gratifying to be able to immediately put into practice what we’d taught them – life is the audition, and you never know what might lead to a gig in this industry, and quite simply being nice can get you the job.

After each of the workshops we had a talk-back with the students, answering their questions about Broadway Dance Center and New York. We were especially excited to announce the planned opening in April of two new studios on the first and second floors of the building, bringing us to seven state-of-the-art studios. The students were, as you can imagine, ecstatic to imagine a schedule of over 300 classes a week in ballet, contemporary, jazz, theatre, hip-hop, tap, yoga, pilates, flexibility, belly-dancing, acting, Latin, partnering, and so many more. We also spoke of our new offerings like the Original Broadway Choreography Series, the Contemporary Variations Series, our Industry Insider Series, and the exciting introduction of Parsons Dance in Residence at BDC.

While BDC’s main demographic is and always has been the walk-in dancer — New Yorkers and others who come in and simply sign up for whatever classes they want to take that day — we’re also home to four full-time programs: the International Student Visa Program, the largest and oldest of the programs; the BDC Training Program, its counterpart for American dancers of varying levels; and our two professional elite training programs for US dancers, the Summer Intern Program and the Professional Semester. The students of the ISVP hail from more than 35 countries worldwide. They comprise of a vibrant community of talented, multi-cultural dancers who take 12 classes weekly, enjoy special master classes, rehearsals, performances, the benefit of a full-time staff (including a student advisor), and one-on-one faculty mentoring. They join us for three months, six months, or a year initially, and then can extend their programs for up to three years. It is quite simply a joy to watch these students progress as they study closely with our world-class faculty, many of whom are working choreographers. Often our teachers offer the students incredible performance opportunities available only through their participation in the program.

Workshop students with Jim Cooney, Bonnie Erickson and Jessica Orcsik

A recent graduate of the ISVP, Jess Orcsik, is herself a studio owner in Sydney, and an ambitious young entrepreneur, as well as a lovely dancer indeed. Jess loved her time at BDC, and upon her return to Australia felt that the training she’d received was so powerful that she wanted to find a way to share it with the dancers of her country, perhaps during shorter visits to New York. When she contacted me with her idea, we jumped at the chance to work with her to develop The Australian Intensive, a program designed by Jess through her J.O. International Productions, whereby groups of young dancers can come to BDC to study intensively in a similar structure to the rigorous ISVP course.

As a longtime Australiophile — I have a sister who lives in Yeerongpilly, Brisbane — I had a trip planned to take a respite from New York’s winter months to the lovely Aussie summer, and so in chatting to Jess about my trip, it became obvious to both of us straightaway that we ought to combine pleasure with business and offer some workshops and reach out to the burgeoning dance community of Australia. We’ve had many Aussie dancers in the ISVP through the years, and have been delighted to watch them get better and better — the training in Australia is clearly on the rise. We’ve had gorgeous dancers like Amy Campbell from So You Think You Can Dance and Dena Kaplan from Dance Academy come through the program, and we’re seeing more and more dancers of their calibre apply to the program.

I like to think that the founder of BDC, the late Richard Ellner, would feel that his dream of one all-encompassing studio, with the best dance faculty in the world, offering the finest dance instruction and a veritable “home away from home” for dancers, is indeed thriving here in the heart of the Broadway theatre district. Even more, I hope he’d feel proud to see that rather than resting on our laurels, we’re all working hard to further this dream and welcome more dancers from around the world into the BDC-red hallways of our studios.

Photo: Students enjoy dancing Jim Cooney’s choreography.

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

Here’s your chance to create a concept for the Australian Ballet to stage in 2015!

The Australian Ballet’s 50^th Anniversary Ballet Project encourages an artistic team with a unique artistic vision, be they professionals or novices, to submit ideas for a brand-new ballet work. The competition is to create a totally original work–narrative or abstract – comprising synopsis, choreography, music and design concepts.

The winning entry will receive A$30,000 and will have their work considered for staging by The Australian Ballet in 2015. The Australian Ballet Society (Victoria) has generously donated the substantial prize.

Entries will be judged by a panel of leaders in the arts community with special areas of expertise:
Hugh Colman, designer
Nicolette Fraillon, Music Director and Chief Conductor, The Australian Ballet
David McAllister, Artistic Director, The Australian Ballet
Patrick McIntyre, General Manager, Sydney Theatre Company
Richard Mills, composer
Graeme Murphy, choreographer

The Australian Ballet celebrates and honours classical ballet in all its forms, and recognises that it is through continual exploration and development that the art form will survive into the future. The 50^th Anniversary Ballet Project honours this commitment.

Since its inception in 1962, The Australian Ballet has commissioned over 140 new works. These commissions embrace not only choreographers, but include visual artists, designers, composers and allied artists. Each creative project carries some degree of artistic and financial risk. However, the company’s commitment to dynamic and innovative programming remains a key goal.

Entries close 5pm (AEST) 31 August 2012.
For complete details download the Terms and Conditions (PDF)
and email enquiries to 50thproject@australianballet.com.au
The winning entry will be announced after 9pm (AEST) on 2 November 2012.

Note: Judging panel subject to change due to any unavoidable cause.

Photo: Laura Tong in Night Path, The Australian Ballet(2008)
Choreography Stephen Baynes, Music Richard Mills, Set and costume design Michael Pearce, Lighting design Jon Buswell

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

Petra Caroline Szabo is an emerging artist from the South Australian arts community. She is a young, aspiring dancer, singer, actress, writer and photographer who enjoys challenging herself and gaining insight into the arts community abroad.

In January 2012 Petra was awarded a sponsorship from Christian Dance Fellowship of Australia to venture to Sydney as an emerging performing artist/choreographer and present her first professional work in a dance showcase called Platform Shorts. This was the first development of a dance theatre work she has called Retroforward. It was a collaboration with a fellow dance student Alicia Min Harvie, National Coordinator of CDFA.

Petra’s second development involved a larger company of dancers, actors and live musicians and was a part of the Adelaide College of the Arts, BA in Dance Performance’s curriculum and the Adelaide Fringe Festival, 2012. It was performed as part of a showcase called Rip Drag Ruminate, which was a selection of dance works, each by the third year dancers of AC Arts. Industry leaders, such as Timothy Sexton from the State Opera of South Australia noted that “the choreography was very efficient” and that he “loved the use of live musicians”.

In the second half of this year Petra is planning to make Retroforward into a dance film, working with fellow AC Arts student Jessie Martinovic, from the visual arts department. Jessie, also a pianist, will be working with musicians Peter Tuske, Andras Tuske and Harry Covill. Working together, Harry Covill and Peter Tuske will produce the score.

Petra says that the style of the film has been “inspired by dance artists Pina Bausch and Tanja Liedtke, and visual artists Salvador Dali and Andy Goldsworthy. The movie 500 Days of Summer is also an inspiration.”

Petra’s film has already been invited by the Hungarian Arts Community to tour in each state of Australia. She also plans to send this video to rural communities throughout Australia to promote dance culture and to European and American arts festivals.

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