A Reserve Double Passes are up for grabs!

NUTCRACKER ON ICE

The international ice dance sensation The Imperial Ice Stars make a triumphant return to Australia this winter with a dazzling new production of The Nutcracker on Ice.

Over the last seven years, The Imperial Ice Stars have performed to more than three million people across five continents, at some of the world’s most prestigious venues.

For their latest production, The Nutcracker on Ice, acclaimed Artistic Director Tony Mercer – the world’s leading creator of contemporary theatre-on-ice – has once again teamed with four-time figure skating World Champion and dual Olympic gold medallist Evgeny Platov, and dual World Champion Maxim Staviski to create choreography that further raises the bar, with ever more breathtaking high-speed leaps and throws, and awe-inspiring acrobatics, coupled with the most graceful and sublime ice dancing.

Sydney: Capitol Theatre – 6-10 June
Canberra: Canberra Theatre Centre – 13-17 June
Brisbane: Lyric Theatre, QPAC – 20-24 June
Adelaide: Adelaide Festival Centre – 18-22 July
Melbourne: The Arts Centre – 25-29 July
Perth: His Majesty’s Theatre – 2-12 August

www.imperialicestars.com

OPERA WARRIORS

Direct from the award-winning creative team behind the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, Opera Warriors showcases the best of Chinese modern theatre arts in a show that tells a story of the Peking Opera through martial arts and modern dance. To celebrate the closing of the Year of Chinese Culture in Australia, Opera Warriors will premiere at the Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House with four shows only from 14 to 16 June.

Opera Warriors is choreographed by Mr Xing Shimiao, and scripted by Ms Pik Wah Li (Lilian Lee) – one of Hong Kong’s most popular columnists, whose screenplay Farewell My Concubine won the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival in 1993. Mr Sha Xiaolan, the Lighting Designer of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of Beijing 2008 Olympics, will light the Opera House stage.

Leading Chinese dancer Mr Wang Di, who performed the painting scroll sequence in Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony, and Mr Huang Doudou, China’s most famous male dancing artist, who performed Chinese Kung-Fu in the Closing Ceremony of 2004 Greece Olympic Games, will lead the troupe of 60 dancers.

Brought to Sydney by the Shanxi Huajin Dance Art Troupe, Opera Warriors is an exquisite visual feast that combines an elaborate set, beautiful costumes, dynamic lighting and original music with a story that encompasses the dramas of life.

www.operawarriors.com.au

Win a Double Pass to:
Nutcracker On Ice at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre or Opera Warriors at Sydney Opera House!

Just email info@danceinforma.com with subject: “WIN TICKETS” and tell us What show you’d like to win tickets to and why. Dance Informa’s Editors will pick the best responses to win.
* Please include your full name, postal address and date of birth.

Competition open until May 24.

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

Dance Informa magazine is giving away cash to a lucky dancer and his or her studio. Imagine what you could do with $1000 cash. Imagine blessing your dance studio with $3000. Make dance dreams come true and enter today!
Just click on the image below.

Dance Studio Owners: Tell your teachers and students about this contest. The more entries for your studio, the greater your chances to win. How would you like $3000 towards renovations, new flooring, costumes, camps, audio equipment or whatever you need?

Stephen Agisilaou is no ordinary dancer. His idiosyncratic journey from ‘loungeroom’ dancer to company director is one of Australia’s most refreshing and inspiring.

By Paul Ransom.

The rules do not apply to everyone. Take Stephen Agisilaou. He started dancing at eighteen and now, barely a decade later, has danced professionally here and overseas and fronts his own company.

When Vertical Shadows’ two latest works, the pas de deux Crimson and the larger scale On The Rocks take to the boards in May, Artistic Director Agisilaou will once again be living his maverick dream of narrative driven, theatrically inspired contemporary dance. Although he may not be the first to try this particular sleight of choreographic hand his self-taught insights into the marriage of strong theatre storylines and the beautiful abstractions of dance will doubtless be sitting at the heart of both works.

“It wasn’t so much choreography that I enjoyed but directing,” he says, recalling the original idea behind Vertical Shadows. “I enjoyed coming up with concepts.”

As a template for getting dance productions up to speed it sounds upside down. “The chorey kinda comes last,” he cheerfully declares. “I really blueprint the story and the staging first before we ever get into the studio to choreograph. The direction is at the forefront; but because I put so much into the process of the story telling, the chorey sorta comes easily.”

Stephen Agisilaou and Jayden Hicks. Photo by Eddie Hobson

However, Agisilaou is adamant that it is still dance. “It’s not theatrical in the sense that the dancers are playing human beings with personalities,” he explains. “It’s a contemporary piece, so it is abstract. But we do give the dancers direction about character and motivation sometimes.”

For company dancer Jayden Hicks, who appears in On The Rocks, the extra character background is clearly useful. “It’s always better to have a thought behind the movement, either from yourself or given by the director. You need an inner story. Whether or not the audience can tell what you’re doing they can tell from your face that you’ve got intention, that you’re dancing for something and not just for dance.”

It’s an important distinction and something that Agisilaou keeps in focus as he tries to stay on the right side of the dance/mime line. ‘Character’ motivation and narrative intention are restrained by the desire to create non-literal and more emotional forms of theatre.

For a piece like On The Rocks the challenge is to find a way of letting the audience see and feel the heroine’s situation without telegraphing it. Jayden Hicks is confident that the back story will be evident. “With the high divorce rate now and marriage just so disposable, I’m pretty sure that the audience will get the idea of this woman contemplating a separation,” he begins. “Everyone can understand what she’s going through. Y’know, she’s wondering whether she’ll be alone, or whether there are other fish in the sea – all that stuff.”

Vertical Shadows dancer Jayden Hicks. Photo by Chris Parker

If that sounds like a crisis of middle age, Stephen Agisilauo’s “18-25” cast may well be fortunate enough never to have crossed such bridges. As their director though, he is less concerned with life experience and more about presence and potential. “Mostly I need the cast to understand who they are in any space, at any stage, at any time,” he elaborates. “The show is not the kind of show where they need to be military in the way that things are put together, or exactly the same at exactly the same time, but because they are a young cast the progression and development rate should be quite high.”

Meanwhile, Jayden Hicks offers the following insight. “He’s a great director in that he lets you feel that you helped him to create the show. I mean, it’s his way or the highway but he’s not obnoxious about it,” he concludes with a grin.

It’s been a remarkable ten years since his father casually asked him if he wanted to take dancing lessons. Agisilaou has gone from self-taught ‘loungeroom’ dancer to company director, via a stint with Move The Company in Canada and choreographic guest spots on SYTYCD. Sometimes it’s hard work and graft that pays off, other times its inspiration that wins out.

Laughing at his ‘boss’ Jayden Hicks simply says, “I actually started dancing before Stephen.” Now that really tells you something.

Win a Double Pass to On The Rocks!
Just email info@danceinforma.com and tell us “Why and When You Started Dancing”.
Please include your full name, date of birth and postcode. Good luck!
Competition ends May 4.

Vertical Shadows presents ON THE ROCKS
Date: 9-12 May 2012
Venue: The Chapel Chapel Off Chapel 12 Little Chapel Street Prahran VIC
Tickets: http://chapeloffchapel.com.au/melbourne-comedy-theatre-art/melbourne-events/melbourne-live-music/on-the-rocks-9-12-may/

Top photo: The dancers of Vertical Shadows. Photo by Chris Parker.

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

With landmark locations and the most spectacular dance fusion of Latin and street dance ever seen, the sequel to the global smash hit StreetDance is bigger, better, bolder and back ..in 3D.

To beat the world’s best dance crew, street dancer Ash (Falk Hentshel), with new friend  Eddie (George Sampson), sets off to gather the greatest street dancers from around Europe, falling in love with beautiful salsa dancer Eva (Sofia Boutella) in Paris.

Only at the movies April 19!

Win 1 of 10 Double Passes!
Just email info@danceinforma.com with subject: “Streetdance 3D” and tell us Why You Love to Dance.
Dance Informa’s Editors will pick the ten best responses to win.
Please include your full name, date of birth and postcode.

Competition is open until April 12.

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

Merry Christmas Dance Informa readers!
We have some wonderful Christmas presents for 4 lucky readers:

Win a Beautiful Dance Print
or Tickets to A Chorus Line!

WIN this unique canvas art-print by Dwyer Design Co!

This artwork will add a splash of elegance and artistic-fun on your wall. The bold brushstrokes provoke a sense of movement in the painting and help the viewer experience the energy of the dancer.

The canvas measures 30cm (h) x 30cm (w) x 3cm (d) and has a satin textured finish.

This artwork is part of a series called “The Art of Dance” by Dwyer Design Co. which combines two amazing expressions of artistry: dance and art.  To see the full “The Art of Dance” series see www.dwyerdesignco.com

To Enter
Email Dance Informa at
info@danceinforma.com with
Your Name, Date of Birth, Full Address, Phone Number and ‘Your Christmas Wish’.
Good luck!

WIN a Double Pass to A Chorus Line at Adelaide Festival Centre!

Direct from Broadway and a U.S Tour, an all-new Australian production of one the most successful American Broadway musicals of all time, A Chorus Line is coming to Adelaide Festival Centre’for a limited season beginning December 31.

A Chorus Line tells the tale of 17 dancers desperately auditioning for eight stage roles in a musical. For more information visit www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au

Win 1 of 3 Double Passes to the New Year’s Day matinee performance, January 1^st at 3pm.

To Enter
Email Dance Informa at info@danceinforma.com with
Your Name, Date of Birth, Full Address, Phone Number and ‘Your Christmas Wish’.
Good luck!

Competition opens on Dec 5 2011. Competition closes on Dec 18 2011. Winners will be selected at random on Dec 18 at 5:00pm EST and notified by email and/or phone. All entrants must provide an email address, a postal address, full name, phone number and date of birth. All entrants who are not a subscriber to Dance Informa will be given a free subscription. All subscribers can unsubscribe at any time by visiting danceinforma.com/unsubscribe. Minimum entry age is 13 years of age. Prizes will be drawn in Highbury SA. Winners will be published at www.danceinforma.com after they are announced. If not all prizes are claimed, a Second Chance Draw will be held. This competition is held by Dance Informa Pty Ltd of SA. Phone 1300 783 120.

Win Tickets to Jecko Siompo’s We Came from the East.

In an Australian premiere, Jecko Siompo and Jecko’s Dance present We Came from the East at this year’s Melbourne International Arts Festival. First you hear the noises, a cacophonous array of yelps emerging from the blackness. And then the bodies appear, contorted and animalistic, folded backwards and leaping toward the ceiling with bestial vigour. It’s a long way from breakdancing, yet it seems so familiar.  Could it be true? Could hip-hop really have come from Indonesia? This is the question mischievously posed by Jecko Siompo in We Came from the East. Siompo conjures up a furious display of the apparently indelible links between traditional Papuan dance and contemporary hip-hop.

To Enter
Email Dance Informa at info@danceinforma.com with
Your Name, Date of Birth, Full Address, Phone Number and ‘Why you love Dance Informa’.
Good luck!

We Came from the East
Tue 18 – Sat 22 Oct, 8pm
The CUB Malthouse, Beckett Theatre
Bookings: M-TIX (03) 9685 5111 / malthousetheatre.com.au
Ticketmaster 1300 723 038 / melbournefestival.com.au

NSW Permit Number : LTPM/10/00971CLASS: Type B
Competition opens on Oct 4 2011. Competition closes on October 12 2011. Winners will be selected at random on Oct 12 at 5:00pm EST and notified by email and/or phone. All entrants must provide an email address, a postal address, full name and date of birth. All entrants who are not a subscriber to Dance Informa will be given a free subscription. All subscribers can unsubscribe at any time by visiting danceinforma.com/unsubscribe. Minimum entry age is 13 years of age. Prizes will be drawn in Highbury SA. Winners will be published at www.danceinforma.com after they are announced. If not all prizes are claimed, a Second Chance Draw will be held. This competition is held by Dance Informa Pty Ltd of SA. Phone 1300 783 120.

Top photo:  (c)Riduan

WIN a Double Pass to A Chamber Ballet by Ensemble Liaison with JACK Productions at Melbourne Recital Centre.

Ensemble Liaison and JACK Productions explore the intersection of chamber music and dance, creating a new ‘chamber ballet’ to be premiered on 18 August. With no sets and no crowded stage – just four musicians and four dancers in Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, this collaboration is a celebration of cross-art form talent.

To Enter
Email Dance Informa at info@danceinforma.com  with:
Your Name, Date of Birth, Full Address, Phone Number and ‘Why you love Dance Informa’.
Good luck!

A CHAMBER BALLET – Ensemble Liaison with JACK Productions
Date: August 18, 7pm
Venue: Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre
Book at: www.melbournerecital.com.au or call the Box Office on 03 9699 3333.

NSW Permit Number : LTPM/10/00971CLASS: Type B
Competition opens on Aug 3 2011. Competition closes on August 12 2011. Winners will be selected at random on Aug 12 at 5:00pm EST and notified by email. All entrants must provide an email address, a postal address, full name and date of birth. All entrants who are not a subscriber to Dance Informa will be given a free subscription. All subscribers can unsubscribe at any time by visiting danceinforma.com/unsubscribe. Minimum entry age is 13 years of age. Prizes will be drawn in Highbury SA. Winners will be published at www.danceinforma.com after they are announced. If not all prizes are claimed, a Second Chance Draw will be held. This competition is held by Dance Informa Pty Ltd of SA. Phone 1300 783 120.

Readers, enter today to win tickets to two amazing dance shows, or the prestigious Australian Dance Awards!

Win a DOUBLE PASS to Ballet Revolucion
Melbourne or Brisbane
Click here to hear about Cuba’s Ballet Revolucion and the company’s Australian tour.

Win a DOUBLE PASS to Side To One in Adelaide.
Click here to find out more about this new contemporary dance work presented at the Adelaide Festival Centre.

Win a DOUBLE PASS to the 2011 Australian Dance Awards in Brisbane
Click here to find out more about the dance industry’s night of nights!

To Enter
Email Dance Informa at info@danceinforma.com  with:
Your Name, Date of Birth, Full Address, Phone Number and ‘Why you love Dance Informa’.

Good luck!

NSW Permit Number : LTPM/10/00971CLASS: Type B
Competition opens on July 2 2011. Competition closes on July 16. Winners will be selected at random on July 16 at 5:00pm EST and notified by email. All entrants must provide an email address, a postal address, full name and date of birth. All entrants who are not a subscriber to Dance Informa will be given a free subscription. All subscribers can unsubscribe at any time by visiting danceinforma.com/unsubscribe. Minimum entry age is 13 years of age. Prizes will be drawn in Highbury SA. Winners will be published at www.danceinforma.com after they are announced. If not all prizes are claimed, a Second Chance Draw will be held. This competition is held by Dance Informa Pty Ltd of SA. Phone 1300 783 120.

Win 1 of 5 Doubles Passes to The Legend Of Shangri La

The Legend Of Shangri La features Chinese living treasure and superstar Yang Liping who is hailed as a dance and choreography tour-de-force in her own country. She will lead 50 dancers and musicians in an extraordinary performance of traditional song and dance fused with modern choreography.

The Legend Of Shangri La will be performed at the State Theatre, Sydney from  June 22 – 26 and celebrates the official opening of the Year of Chinese Culture in Australia.

The show is an exquisite visual feast that combines a surreal setting on stage with dynamic lighting, music and a three-dimensional stage design. Simplicity, joy and warmth blend with the excitement and pageantry of instruments featuring huge drums that reflect the original beats and rhythms of their ancient beginnings.

Win a Double Pass to the June 22 performance.

HOW TO ENTER:
Suggest Dance Informa to 3 friends and you could WIN!

Just Email Dance Informa at info@danceinforma.com with:
 - Your full name, date of birth and address
-  Subject:  ‘Shangri La’
-  PLUS the email addresses of 3 dance friends.

Your friends will be given a free subscription to Dance Informa. If your friends would not like a free subscription they can unsubscribe at any time by visiting danceinforma.com/unsubscribe

NSW Permit Number : LTPM/10/00971CLASS: Type B
Competition opens on May 3 2011. Competition closes on June 6. Winners will be selected at random on June 6 at 5:00pm EST and notified by email. All entrants must provide an email address, a postal address, full name and date of birth with three friend’s email addresses. Friends will be given a free subscription to Dance Informa magazine, which they can unsubscribe from at any time. All entrants who are not a subscriber to Dance Informa will be given a free subscription. All subscribers can unsubscribe at any time by visiting danceinforma.com/unsubscribe. Minimum entry age is 13 years of age. Prizes will be drawn at Mitchell Ave, Highbury SA. Winners will be published at www.danceinforma.com after they are announced. If not all prizes are claimed, a Second Chance Draw will be held.  This competition is held by Dance Informa Pty Ltd of SA. Phone 1300 783 120.

TryBooking will donate back all booking fees for your next performance, workshop or other event you would like to trial with TryBooking’s online ticketing service!*

Click on the logo to register for the draw.

*bank fees excl

Visit these links to see how dance schools and companies are using TryBooking:

Strut Dance – Tongues of Stone 
2011 Australian Dance Festival 
Balmoral Balletto Concert
Dancehouse

If you would like any information please call TryBooking today on (03) 9012 3460 and visit www.trybooking.com

“Fantastic! I will never go back to doing our own tickets. I am recommending TryBooking to everyone I know.”
Mathis School of Dancing

“After 42 years of managing ticket sales manually, I have finally been rewarded with TryBooking. Parents are happy selecting their own tickets and also have the opportunity to purchase the DVD was a bonus”.
Inara Svalbe O.B.E, Centenary Dance Academy

“My initial concern was it was going to be a hassle to set up, but it was extremely simple and user friendly”.
Murray Holmes, Donna Jeans Danceforce

Even if you’re a first time user, TryBooking is still easy to do. When I needed it, the support was excellent and very responsive.”
Fun4Kids Festival

“I feel like I can just call for help and we weren’t just forgotten or taken for granted once we came on board.”
La Mama Theatre

NSW Permit Number : LTPM/10/00971CLASS: Type B