We can all remember jazz ballet, jazz hands, lycra, sequins, lace-up jazz shoes and Flashdance, but what is jazz dance now and how has it evolved?

Jazz dance is no longer solely the domain of fan kicks and shimmies. The term “jazz” now incorporates a broad range of dance styles. Prior to the 1950s, jazz dance was a style that originated from African American dance and in the 1950s “modern jazz dance” emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance. Every individual style of jazz dance to this day has roots traceable to one of these two distinct origins.

Beginning in the 1930s and continuing through the 1960s, jazz became a form of dance that required the dancer to be highly skilled, and during this time, both modern and ballet choreographers including George Balanchine, Jack Cole, Jerome Robbins and Bob Fosse experimented with jazz dance.

Jazz dance develops in parallel to popular music, with jazz being the physical embodiment of popular music of a given time.  It therefore continues to evolve and remain popular across the world and across age groups.

Dance Informa sought to uncover what is being taught as “jazz” in Australia’s leading dance programs and spoke with the directors of some of our country’s premier institutions.

Students at Urban Dance Centre, Sydney

Juliette (Jet) Verne
Urban Dance Centre, Sydney

What styles of jazz does your school teach?
Urban Dance Centre teaches traditional jazz with a taste of modern flavor. We believe and are very passionate about the classic technique, power and clean lines of traditional jazz and we include and are continuing to grow with today’s modern movement, music and styles.

What makes a great jazz dancer?
A great jazz dancer owns their dancing with power, technique, confidence and style. Someone who is unpredictable with outstanding technique and a whole bunch of fire!

Where do you draw your inspiration from when teaching and performing jazz?
I draw my inspiration from successful dancers/choreographers such as Desmond Richardson, Gil Duldulao and our very own Kelly Abbey. Plus my family, UDC faculty and students, and music inspire me every day!

How do you think jazz has influenced other styles of dance?
I think jazz has influenced many styles of dance and music. A lot of pop artists throughout the years have fused jazz and hip-hop styles together and have come up with some amazing dance routines in their music videos and live concerts. Lady Gaga, Madonna, Beyonce and Janet Jackson, to name a few, have all had a jazz influence within their repertoire and have produced some very exciting and inspiring work.

What do you think jazz is now and how has it changed?
I feel jazz dance styles have branched out to many exciting new and different styles like lyrical jazz and JFH (Jazz/Funk/Hip Hop) and is constantly growing and changing. Like any art form, jazz will continue to grow, morph and change which is why we as a dance community are so passionate about it and love it!

Dancers perform iconic Fosse jazz choreography in the Australian production of ‘Chicago’. Photo by Jeff Busby.

Todd Patrick
Patrick Studios, Melbourne

What styles of jazz does your school teach?
At Patrick Studios Australia we offer a number of different styles. In jazz particularly we teach jazz technique classes tailored to beginner, intermediate or advanced students. We also specialize in jazz classes that include a technical routine as well as Broadway jazz classes taught by Australia’s leading musical theatre choreographer – Andrew Hallsworth.

What makes a great jazz dancer?
A good jazz dancer has wonderful technique and lines with a good base in classical ballet. Men, in particular need a strong grounding and a masculine edge to their dancing.

All great jazz dancers dance with power and can interpret music well. These days there are some extraordinary dancers that master their technique. This is incredible to watch but I strongly believe that there is no point in doing 10 turns into an incredible jump combination finishing with a back handspring if you do it like a gymnast. I love all of that, I think it’s exciting, but I know that with a sense of performance and feel for your music you will make a connection with your audience that will far outweigh technical feats.

Where do you draw your inspiration from when teaching and performing jazz?
I am incredibly inspired by the dancers around me, especially my students, each and every day!

How do you think jazz has influenced other styles of dance?
Jazz is in every style of dance, it’s a natural way of moving.  You don’t have to have the perfect facility to be a great jazz dancer; therefore, jazz is a style that runs through many genres of choreography. More than anything, its influence is seen in every new generation coming through as they watch A Chorus Line or Footloose, or any show or movie that inspires children to take their first steps towards a dance studio.

What do you think jazz is now and how has it changed?
Jazz is IMPORTANT, that’s what I know.  The three major musical theatre auditions this year were all about technique and style; Lion King, Grease and Wicked are all shows that you must have a strong technical foundation for. If you want to be a successful dancer you must have jazz training. Sometimes I think lyrical becomes what younger dancers think is “in”. In fact, it is derived from a fusion of jazz and contemporary.

Real jazz is athletic and sexy, it’s full of energy and grit, it’s sweaty and exhausting, from the sensuality of Fosse to the strength of A Chorus Line. Personally, jazz for me will always be a Barbara Warren Smith class. She has taught most of Victoria’s jazz dancers how to roll a shoulder and tip a hip unlike anyone I know. She is still the sexiest woman strutting her stuff in the studio as she was when I first had the privilege of taking her class.

Cameron Mitchell
Brent Street, Sydney

What styles of jazz does your school teach?
Commercial jazz, Broadway jazz, JFH (jazz/funk hip-hop), lyrical jazz – basically every form of jazz.

What makes a great jazz dancer?
Versatility is the most important thing for any dancer. You must be able to adapt to any choreographer’s style.

Where do you draw your inspiration from when teaching and performing jazz?
The music! That’s where it all begins. I let the music tell my body what to do and feel.

How do you think jazz has influenced other styles of dance?
I think in this day and age all the styles influence each other. Hip-hop has a jazz flavor, yet jazz is heavily hip-hop influenced.

What do you think jazz is now and how has it changed?
If it’s really good it is because it has evolved. All jazz can have the feeling of times past but it really has to be modern – even Broadway, if it has a new spin. It’s great.

Top photo: Talia Fowler and the Australian cast of FAME. Photo by David Wyatt.

By Rebecca Martin.

Michael Ralph is well known around Melbourne, not only for his dancing but his fantastic classes at The Space, Michelle Slater School of Dance, Jason Coleman’s Ministry of Dance and Centrestage Performing Arts School.

Recently, he has started creating works that have garnered critical and audience praise alike. His new work, Now & Then – Ralph’s first full-length production – will be presented at Gasworks Theatre in Melbourne on March 21-23. Featuring who’s who of the Melbourne dance scene, the work presents Ralph’s own brand of Broadway jazz and contemporary dance.

Dance Informa recently caught up with this budding choreographer to ask him a few questions.

You trained at Dance World Studios and teach at various places around Melbourne. Share with us more of your background as a student and performer. 

I actually grew up in New Zealand in a city called Tauranga on the beautiful east coast of the North Island. I started dancing at age four at the dance school around the road from my house. I moved to Australia in 2007 to study full-time at Dance World Studios and to pursue a career here.

Michael Ralph

After a year of full-time (dance) I was very lucky to be cast in the musical CATS as my first professional gig. I learnt so much about performing and about myself from being on tour. Since then I’ve performed in FAME the Musical, CATS again playing another role and in Moonshadow, the Cat Stevens’ musical.

My two goals when I moved to Australia were to perform professionally in musical theatre and to be a musical theatre choreographer. So I guess everything has been working towards these goals. I am extremely passionate about the knowledge I have gained over the years from so many incredible people who have taught, mentored and worked with me. Because of them, teaching others comes so naturally.

Now & Then isn’t your first piece of choreography. You have created prize winning pieces presented at Short + Sweet.

Last year I created a piece called Project Elvis, which was part of Short + Sweet Dance festival 2012. It won “Best Choreography”, which was a huge step forward for me and my work. The year before that I won the “People’s Choice” award for my piece Mood Swing at Short + Sweet. I have also created work for Immersed Industry dance nights, Underground Dance night, Magnormos Theatre Company and many cabaret and corporate shows. A lot of my work is for showcase and competition pieces for the many dance schools and music theatre institutions that I teach at.

Do you prefer dancing or choreography?

Dancing will always be my first love. There’s nothing quite like that feeling out there onstage – it makes me feel bigger/stronger than I believe I am in real life. But I have always been fascinated with choreography and studying different peoples’ work and processes. It feels so much more like what I was meant to do in life. I love choreographing and it’s very creatively satisfying.

Who is your favourite local choreographer and why?

I would have to say Kelley Abbey. She has such distinct vision and style with everything she does – musical theatre, television, and film. Working with her in FAME was a hugely inspiring experience and a great honour.

Who is your favourite all time choreographer and why?

That’s WAY too hard to answer! I pride myself on knowing all there is to know about the great choreographers of the past and present. I like them all for different reasons. If I was to narrow it down to a few I would say Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett, Jack Cole, Rob Ashford and Gene Kelly. I love choreographers of all styles though and try to let this influence my work a lot.

Michael Ralph’s ‘What is this thing called love?’

Tell us about your new work, Now & Then.

Now & Then is my first full-length dance production directed and choreographed by myself. I’ve been planning and thinking about doing a show for about two years now and finally the right moment came to go ahead and do it. Essentially the show is a chance to showcase my work to the musical theatre and dance industry in the hope of creating more interest and opportunities for myself as a choreographer.

The first piece, What is this thing called love?, is a young man’s journey to find the essence of true love. Set to a catalogue of Cole Porter’s finest hits, it promises to seduce, thrill and set your toes tapping. The second piece, Ladies of Hollywood, is a tribute to the great Jack Cole – a lesser known choreographer of film and theatre whose work I adore. The final piece, Project Elvis, explores the lust, loneliness and love of youth in the 1950’s. Featuring a rockabilly meets 2013 soundtrack of remixed Elvis Presley tracks that will blow the roof off the joint!

Tell us about the team involved in the show.

The dancers in this show are so incredible and I am extremely lucky to be working with each and every one of them. We’re about halfway through the rehearsal process now and I’ve been having such a wonderful time. The workload involved with putting on your own show is a tad daunting, but I try to keep on my game my being organized and surrounding myself with a strong team, (including) Scott Hendry (Co-Director), Amy Mete (Production Assistant), Tanje Ruddick (Production Manager) and Gemma Kelly (Costume Coordinator).

I cannot wait for people to see what we have been working on. I always strive to create work that audiences find connectable, entertaining, and fresh – even in an old school way.

To get your tickets to Now & Then visit www.gasworks.org.au and for more information visit www.facebook.com/NowAndThenDoubleDanceBill.

Photos courtesy of Michael Ralph. Top photo from Project Elvis.

By Chelsea Thomas.

Kati Smasne, 16, never dreamed she would win the first global competition of Dance Upon A Dream, a new online dance competition founded by international performer and judge Joshua Horner.

Horner, a judge for Dancing with the Stars Australia and a choreographic consultant for Disney, launched the competition alongside co-host Emily Loftiss, professional dancer, singer and choreographer, to offer competitive dancers a place to compete on an international scale without ever leaving the comfort of their homes.

Smasne was just one of hundreds of dancers to apply under the ‘senior’ division (16 years old or older), with the other divisions being ‘mini’ (7-10 years old), ‘junior’ (11-12 years old) and ‘teen’ (13-15 years old). She said she was “amazed” and “overwhelmed” when she found out she was awarded the Solo Ultimate Overall Winner. Her submission, titled “White Blank Page”, was a video of her dancing a contemporary solo choreographed by her friend Rile Reavis at the competition Dance Magic in Oregon in August 2012.

“I honestly couldn’t even believe I won and that now I’m going to study in New York at Broadway Dance Center. I come from a small town so it’s just amazing. I feel so lucky,” Smasne said.

Smasne was a standout to judge Elizabeth Parkinson who remarked, “Kati represents my favorite kind of dancer! She has a strong technical foundation with a dynamic plié and beautiful line. On top of that she is a performer and fantastic mover so rather than focusing on her technique we get to enjoy the pure joy of her personality!” Judge Peter Gregus of Jersey Boys on Broadway said, “Kati has unerring technique, which she doesn’t let overshadow her presence in her performance. She manages a beautiful marriage of both.”

Young Kati even caught the eye of judge Christopher Gattelli, Tony Award winning choreographer of Disney’s Newsies, who expressed, “Kati is a beautiful dancer with incredible facility and her own unique quality, that shows fantastic potential.  She was the perfect choice to represent Dance Upon A Dream’s premiere overall winner.”

Smasne, who has been awarded a three-month scholarship to attend Broadway Dance Center, has big dreams that come from humble origins. She was raised for most of her life in Spokane, Washington, a medium-sized city of about 200,000 residents. At age seven, she began dancing with her older sister, which spurred her on because of their “sisterly competitiveness.” While her sister eventually stopped dancing, Kati kept going, taking jazz and later ballet.

“When I was young I discovered I really loved dancing. I loved being on stage. My dance teacher told me that if I wanted to get better I should take ballet. Soon after, I started,” Smasne said.

Kati Smasne. Photos by Scott Martinez Photography

Kati began her ballet training at the Ballet School of Coeur d’Alene under owner and instructor Ceci Klein, who danced with American Ballet Theatre in the 1950s and 60s. For almost a decade, Klein has been guiding and teaching Smasne, providing her foundational technique and poise. Klein, who also instructed Andrea Cooper, who went on to be a dancer at Oregon Ballet Theatre, also encouraged Smasne to pursue additional summer training and intensives.

For two summers Smasne participated in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s student intensives. She said, “I really loved that and I knew from that I wanted to be a dancer.” Another experience that inspired her and stayed with her for years was her young participation in the musical CATs. Now, Smasne says her attention is on getting to Broadway and finding her niche in jazz or theatre.

“In the last two years my focus has been on jazz and theatre because I really enjoy it,” Smasne said. “I’ve come to realise my personality is geared toward jazz – being sassy and expressive. I like the freedom of being able to make a piece my own.”

In her Dance Upon A Dream submission, Smasne’s passion for jazz and theatre is evident in her obvious, theatrical expressions and her exposed, vulnerable emotions. The work, originally a duet restaged to be a solo, shows off her excellent technique, undeniable vision, charismatic energy and balanced self-confidence.

And her self-confidence is merited. It seems everything Smasne does she does well. A high school junior with a 4.0 GPA, Kati juggles her dance schedule with attending college classes. She is on track to finish her associate’s degree at the same time she graduates from high school. She plans to pursue nursing when she can no longer dance or perform.

Smasne’s jazz instructor, Judy Reavis of the studio Dance Unlimited, said she is proud of Kati’s award.

“We are thrilled at the opportunities Kati will receive as the winner of Dance Upon a Dream. Ceci Klein and I are very proud of Kati. We celebrate her commitment and dedication to the art of dance. It has been a blessing to witness her passion for movement and to nurture her gift,” Reavis said.

After recently competing at New York City Dance Alliance in Portland, Oregon, Smasne now looks forward to preparing for her summer at Broadway Dance Center.

For other dancers looking to compete for this chance with Dance Upon a Dream, the process has been created to be as easy as possible. It’s as simple as uploading a video of a solo, partner or group piece from a dance competition to youTube, selecting an age division and performance category on the Dance Upon a Dream website, and copying and pasting the video link from YouTube to the competition website. For more information, visit www.danceuponadream.com.

Whereas other dance competitions provide dancers with a sense of where they place in their state, their region or their country, Dance Upon a Dream allows participants to see where they rank throughout the whole world. Smasne said she is so thankful for a competition like Dance Upon a Dream.

“Thanks so much to Dance Upon a Dream for the amazing opportunity they have given me. I am so excited to train in New York at Broadway Dance Center. Wow, a dream come true,” Smasne gushed.

Dance Upon a Dream and its array of world-class industry judges, offers various awards for all solo, duo/trio and group winners, including partial scholarships to the Hollywood Summer Tour, a Just Dance 4 game from UBISOFT or a Dance Upon a Dream One’Z to wear. Group winners will also receive a personal invite to the Dance The Magic showcase on Broadway this summer, as well as Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris and Disneyland Hong Kong.

Smasne said dancers should not underestimate the importance of competition in challenging and inspiring themselves.

“It pushes you to be better,” she summarized. “When you compete, you have to be much more refined. Everything has to be disciplined and perfect, so you work harder. You never know where that extra effort or exposure will take you.”

To see Kati’s winning entry visit www.danceuponadream.com/entry/10129.

Entries opened for the next round of Dance Upon A Dream on January 31st. Get your entry in now!

Dance Upon A Dream Season 1 Winners:

Ultimate Winner: Kati Smasne, USA

People’s Choice: Kloe Burke, Australia

Judges Choice: Rhiannon Tringas, Australia
Judges Choice: Harrison Lee, Australia
Judges Choice: Michael Dameski, Australia
Judges Choice: Michelle Quiner, USA
Judges Choice: Maddison Weiley, Australia
Judges Choice: Cassandra Clarke, Australia
Judges Choice: Kelly Webster, New Zealand
Judges Choice: Kayla-Maree Tarantolo, Australia

Mini – Solo – Musical Theatre: Isabel Lacon , USA
Mini – Solo – Lyrical/ Contemporary: Shontaya Smedley, Australia
Mini – Solo- Ballet: Ashleigh Brant, Australia
Mini – Solo – Hip Hop: Manaia Davies, Australia
Mini – Solo – Jazz: Tia Buell, USA
Mini – Solo – Acro/ specialty: Lexie Brown, Canada
Mini – Solo – Tap: Grace Gellie, Australia
Mini – Boys Award: Ashton Schier-Mason, Australia
Mini – Duo/ Trio – Jazz: Alex Burghardt, Meredith Page, Skylar Podziewski, USA
Mini – Duo /Trio – Acro / Specialty: Kailin and Lexie Brown, Canada
Mini - Duo Trio - Lyrical/ Cont: Grace Gellie and Brooke Ainsworth, Australia
Mini – Duo/ Trio – Tap: Grace Gellie and Shanae Holland, Australia
Mini – Duo/ Trio – Musical Th: Cody Ettingshausen & Sophie Piggott, Australia
Mini -Small Group- Hip hop: Zyannna, Xeryus, Justine, Amik,
Alexias, Kaylinda, Dominique, Canada

Junior –  Solo – Jazz: Clare Billson, Australia
Junior – solo – Lyrical/ Cont: Sophia Kaloudis, Australia
Junior – Solo- Ballet: Madison Ayton, Australia
Junior – Solo – Tap: Rudi Palmela, Australia
Junior -Hip Hop – Solo: Chantelle Redzeposki, Australia
Junior – Solo -Musical Th: Hamish Briggs, Australia
Junior – Solo – Acro/ Specialty: Kailin Brown, Canada
Junior – Large Group – Lyrical: Sans Souci Public School, Australia
Junior – Duo/ Trio – Hip Hop: Chantelle Redzeposki, Claudia and Chelsea Robertson, Australia
Junior – Duo/ Trio – Lyrical/ cont: Harley Rodrigue, Mackenzie Van Natta, Darian Callais, USA
Junior – Duo /Trio – Jazz: Jemima Smith and Laurence Neuhaus, Australia
Junior – Boys award: Hamish Briggs, Australia

Teen – Solo – Jazz: Marie Spieldenner, USA
Teen – Solo – Lyrical/Contemporary: Kloe Burke, USA
Teen – Solo – Tap: Zoe Barbera, Australia
Teen – Solo – Musical Theatre: Rachel Moore, Australia
Teen – Solo – Hip Hop: Carla Celesti, Australia
Teen – Solo – Acro/ Specialty: Megha Budhrani, FL
Teen – Duo/ Trio – Musical Theatre: Jason Kidd and Kiarra Vacek, USA
Teen – Duo/ Trio – Lyrical /Cont: Briana Collova & Nicholas Cruse, Australia
Teen – Duo/ Trio – Tap: Matiu and Marie Samuel, New Zealand
Teen Boys Award: Thomas Dilley, Australia
Teen – Small Group -Hip Hop: Madison, Rachelle, Jordan, Migo, Jasmine, Paige, Cassandra, Canada
Teen – Small Group – Lyrical/ Cont: The McDonald College, Australia
Teen-  Large Group –Jazz: RG DANCE, Australia
Teen – Large Group – Ballet: The McDonald College, Australia

Senior – Solo- Acro/ Specialty: Samantha Rybka, Australia
Senior – Solo – Hip Hop: Axel-Roman Allioux, Canada
Senior – Solo- Lyrical/ Cont: Kati Smasne, USA
Senior – Solo- Jazz: Emma Swannie, Australia
Senior – Solo – Tap: Kiana Smith, Canada
Senior – Solo – Musical Theatre: Kiana Smith, Canada
Senior – Large Group – Acro/ Specialty: Lee Academy, Australia
Senior Boys Award: Matt Antonucci, Australia
Senior – Duo/ Trio -Jazz: Tasmin & Eliza Cummins, Australia
Senior Duo/ Trio – Lyrical / Cont: Meg Scheffers and Tiffany Browne, Australia

By Deborah Searle.

NYC based dancer and choreographer Joshua Bergasse has risen to fame for his work on the television hit Smash which follows the development of a new Broadway musical, Bombshell. Recently receiving the 2012 Emmy for Outstanding Choreography, Bergasse has a long list of dance and choreographic achievements and is a sought after theater dance teacher. With season one of Smash just released on Blu-ray and DVD in Australia and season two ready to air in America early next year, Josh spoke with Dance Informa about the success of the show.

Produced by none other than Steven Spielberg, Josh knew that Smash would be a success right from the beginning. “I knew that I was joining something very special when I was brought on board with the names involved including Spielberg, the cast, and the backing of the network”, Josh shared. “I was excited about it. I hoped that it was going to be a big hit.”

Even with such a supportive team, the creation of such a show has been a challenge for Josh. “My biggest challenge on Smash is the schedule because we’re not like any other TV show. It’s different because we are shooting twelve hours a day and the same people that are filming also have to find time to record music, and go to dance rehearsal. It’s hard trying to find the time for dance rehearsal in-between their shooting scenes, and then they have to record the music, go to makeup and hair, and then do all the other things involved in show.”

A scene from season one of ‘Smash’ as seen on Foxtel and Channel 7.

The cast of such a drama is filled with triple threats who can sing, act and dance up a storm, but what about the star Katharine McPhee who was runner-up on the fifth season of American Idol? Known much more for her singing than her dancing, Josh explained that “people didn’t know that she had a dance background, so she surprised a lot of people. Kat studied dance when she was a kid, she grew up studying dance. For her it was kind of like riding a bike, you just hop back on. I think at the beginning of the season she was a little nervous about it, but as we went on she really got comfortable with it again.”

So what was it like to work with McPhee? “It’s really great to work with her,” shared Josh. “She has a great dance vocabulary and she’s kind of game for anything.”

Happy with the huge success of the show and the creative license given to him, Josh said “it’s been a really fun ride!” With much dictated by the writers, Josh does get some freedom choreographically within the boundaries of the script. “What I’m doing is really dictated by what happens in the story and the music, but I’m kind of free to do what I prefer to do choreographically.”

With a theatre background, Josh never expected to be working in television. “If anybody said to me a few years ago that I’d be working on a TV show as the choreographer, I would have laughed. It really is a dream come true.” But Josh hasn’t found the transition from stage to camera too difficult.  “As the choreographer of Smash most of my assignment is about me choreographing a number that could take place on stage. Normally we shoot our numbers on what would be a Broadway stage. Then once we start shooting we find different angles and the camera just adds another dimension.” Some pieces are much more difficult though. “There are other numbers we do that require some special effects or a lot of stops and starts and it’s only after the editing that you really see the whole thing through,” Josh explained. “When you have it in parts with different stops and starts it’s hard to keep track of everything and remember exactly what you have, where you left off, and where you have to begin the next shot.”

A scene from season one of ‘Smash’, as seen on Foxtel and Channel 7.

With much of the show directly transferrable to the stage there have been rumours about Bombshell actually becoming a Broadway production. “There was a lot of talk of that in the beginning and it’s a great idea, but I think right now everybody is just really focused on the TV show because it’s so all-consuming. If you watch the TV show you see how much work there is in creating a Broadway show, so there’s no way that this team would be able to do both at the same time. I think you’d have to bring in a whole new team to do that, or give us a nice long break”, Josh laughed. “I would love to see it and I would love to be a part of it.”

With season two set to start airing on February 5 in America, Smash fans are eager to view the new chapter. “We’re going to do eighteen episodes this season, which is three more than last season”, shared Josh. So what can we expect to see in these eighteen episodes? “In the second season you can expect the trajectory of two shows: Bombshell and another new show. So instead of following one you’re following two shows,” Josh divulged. “And you can expect more great guest stars including Jennifer Hudson and Harvey Fierstein.”  Season two is set to please. “I think we’re trying to stay surprising people”, said Josh. “We’re trying to change things up a little so it’s not just the same thing we did last season and we’re trying to kind of push the bar with our musical numbers.”

Winning an Emmy for his choreography for season one was the icing on the cake for Josh who cites Smash as his “absolute career highlight.” We look forward to seeing Josh’s work in season two of Smash.

By Laura Di Orio.

At the age of 18 months, when most kids are perfecting their walk, Reed Luplau was beginning to dance. His mom ran a dance studio, Jody Marshall Dance Company, in Perth and there Luplau grew up in the studio learning jazz, musical theatre and acrobatics. His dancing allowed him a successful, memorable career in Australia and has since landed him in the United States, where he is now a permanent resident and lives in New York City. But he’s much more than just a dancer now; he also has choreographing, teaching and, most recently, acting, under his belt. And his expectations are still sky high. With his plate of skills forever growing, it is no doubt that Luplau, already a star, is growing brighter and brighter every day. He is a man on a mission, and nothing seems to stop him.

“I pretty much didn’t know any other life than dancing,” said Luplau, who ironically says he didn’t discover ballet until 14 years old when he saw his first classical production, West Australian Ballet’s Coppélia. He said he thought, “What is this? What’s going on? You can be paid to dance?”

This first sprouted more trips to the ballet, where he was also exposed to the company’s more contemporary works by choreographers such as Hans van Manen and Nacho Duato. Luplau was hooked. He decided to seek out a ballet school to train part-time, and then, at the age of 15, was accepted into The Australian Ballet School and packed his bags, left his family behind and moved to Melbourne to train full-time.

Reed Luplau in performance with Lydia Johnson Dance in NYC. Photo by Kokyat

From there, Luplau ventured to Sydney to dance with the Sydney Dance Company under the direction of Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon. His dance career was beginning to blossom – he was the poster boy during his second year with the company for one of Murphy’s new works, he was nominated for numerous awards and he was often a chosen dancer for outside choreographers.

One of those choreographers was Aszure Barton, a New York-based choreographer who created a work on Luplau and two other company members.

“She really changed a lot of my view of dance in Australia,” Reed recalls. “She kind of pushed my buttons and was like, ‘Reed, do you need to move? What are you doing here? Grow up. You need to come follow me to the States.’”

So, when Luplau was offered another contract with Sydney Dance Company, he turned it down and, in February 2010, moved to New York for good. “Just a hunch,” he says of his decision to move.

Since arriving in New York City, Luplau has danced with Stephen Petronio Company, Aszure Barton and Artists, Lydia Johnson Dance and Compagnie Julie Bour, among others. In September 2011, Luplau joined Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, which, for him, has been extremely rewarding.

“[Lar] is such a legend and he’s a dancemaker. It’s been such an honour to be involved with him, create with him and dance his beautiful work,” Luplau says.

Also in New York City, Luplau works with his agent and books gigs, such as a promo for Teen Nick and a dancing stint for the Lucille Lortel Awards opening night. In this way, he finds life as a dancer in NYC different from the life of a concert or contemporary ballet dancer in Australia.

“The opportunity to be able to do things that come up has been fantastic – the versatility that comes with it,” Luplau says. “It’s not so one-stream. In this city the way you survive is you’ve got to book that job and take whatever you can get.”

Still, as an Australian with an O-1 Visa, there were jobs that Luplau couldn’t go for because of his status. So, rather than renewing his Visa, he made the investment in his career and applied for permanent resident status. It became official in August of this year.

“I didn’t want to reapply for another Visa because I was just going to be doing the same things, and, for me, I need to keep evolving and I need to keep pushing my boundaries,” Luplau says. “That’s why I moved here. I would not have moved out of my home and become the struggling artist, to be honest, if I didn’t believe in it and if I didn’t want to push it. It’s expensive, but it was something I had to do.”

Luplau is convinced it will be worth it. Already he has been to his first Broadway call and did The Last Goodbye workshop, where he met Sonya Tayeh and Alex Timbers, both of whom Luplau says he never thought he would have met in his life.

Reed Luplau. Photo courtesy of Energetiks. www.energetiks.com.au

Then one day, Luplau got a casting call for a feature film, 5 Dances, a predominately dance-focused film directed by Alan Brown. Luplau, who had never read lines before and had never had to portray someone else, went in for the call. A month later he was called back, and after a less-structured, improv-based callback, Brown told him, “I really like you. You can’t act, but we’re going to hire you.”

So Luplau, ever-evolving in his skill set, tried his best. The movie wrapped and is slated to be released in early 2013. It has been rumoured to open the Lincoln Center Dance on Camera Festival on February 1, 2013. By the end of the process, Luplau was so inspired that he sought out an acting school in order to serve his next quest: Broadway.

“It’s doable and I can do it,” Luplau says. “I want to do so much in the short time that we have on this earth, and Broadway is the next thing I want to do, so it’s time to figure out what to do and how to get there.”

With the help of the 5 Dances casting agent and Alan Brown, Luplau found an acting school that would fit in well with his dance schedule, where he has been studying since September.

“It’s a struggle,” Luplau admits, “but it’s something I believe in and it’s something I want to transition into. It’s challenging. I’ve been dancing for so long. Not that I don’t find dance that challenging anymore, but to be able to speak and portray someone else is difficult. I’m only two months in and I’m like, ‘give me more.’”

It is this determination and thirst for more that makes Luplau’s goals seem just an arm stretch away. He understands that the world of Broadway is a competitive and challenging one, but he continues to strive.

“I feel that with all these extra tools that I’m picking up, it’s something that I want to do, and I’m very serious about it,” Luplau ensures. “That’s what I’m focusing on.”

That said, however, Luplau points out that New York City is one that is best lived moment to moment. “I remember I used to have such a clear vision,” Luplau says. “I mean, I have a vision of where I’d like to be, but five years from now I can’t tell you where I’ll be. Not that it sets you up for failure, but sometimes it sets you up for disappointment because it’s just life. Life just changes like that. This city and the way that everything is, you have to live day by day. Or check by check.”

But no matter where Luplau may be one year from now, one month from now or one week from now, it is sure that he will still be pushing his boundaries.

For more on Reed Luplau, head to his website at www.reedluplau.com

Top photo of Reed features fashion by Energetiks dancewear. www.energetiks.com.au

By Kristy Johnson.

Opening to rave reviews in Sydney, An Officer and a Gentleman is continuing it’s packed out season. Part of its success no doubt lies in the choreography. Turning a Navy drill sequence into something for the stage provided a challenge for choreographer Andrew Hallsworth. Yet what we see on stage is something quite naturalistic and a true testament to the work of one of Australia’s most talented visionaries.

Here, Dance Informa chats with Andrew on the creative process behind the musical.

How did you find the experience of choreographing for An Officer and a Gentleman? Was any part of it challenging?

Well, what was challenging was the physicality of it. When the candidates go through their training program it includes lots of climbing, jumping, crawling on the floor, getting dunked under water, and gun drills. So that was kind of challenging but exciting at the same time. It was something I’ve never really done on stage before. And because I wasn’t going for a ‘dancey’ kind of version, like a West Side Story where the men all dance around the stage, I had to find a choreographed sort of physicality that looked naturalistic. That was really challenging. How many times does a push up look like a push up? Or an ab exercise look like an ab exercise? It has to look like something else because you’re doing a musical.

Had you worked with any of the dancers before on other productions?

Yes, there were quite a few of them I had worked with before, including Amanda Harrison and Bert Lamonte. There’s a whole bunch of them I had worked with on other shows, whether they’d been musicals or something else. Then there was sort of a new crew that had come in. So it was all about finding new professional relationships with them.

'An Officer and a Gentleman' rehearsals

How far in advance did you begin rehearsals?

We started seven weeks out from the opening, so we had four weeks in the rehearsal room and then we were in the theatre for three weeks. It was about seven weeks all up.

Is that generally how it works for other musicals?

It’s about the same. It’s usually seven to eight weeks. We started in March and we opened in May, and that’s the usual kind of set up for those big musicals. I’m doing a production company show in Melbourne at the moment and we have two weeks to get it up and running. We work really fast. You have to surround yourself with really good, experienced people.

Were you present at the auditions for An Officer and a Gentleman?

Yes, I sure was. We workshopped it over two years leading up to when we opened. We did a big workshop in Melbourne, and then we went to New York and had a workshop there. And then just before we started rehearsals, we just did a mini workshop which was with actors around the table to hear the flow of it again, and the auditions happened before that. Probably six months leading up to the opening. So it’s been a two-year process.

Do you think Australian musicals are on the same level as what you see on Broadway? Or is Broadway on a much grander scale?

It’s on a grander scale because there are so many more shows there. You go to New York and you see that the whole midtown area and every street has got three theatres on it on either side of Broadway. Clearly it’s the mecca where musicals were born and they do it the best there, without a doubt. But Aussies are as strong as the Americans are. Our production of Priscilla in Australia was just as strong as the Broadway production that’s just about to close. But there’s just that Broadway thing….I don’t know what it is. It’s that whole midtown section and every night there’s billboard after billboard, so whenever you see a show there, you’re just so enraptured in all the musical theatre around you. It just makes everything much grander and more professional. As far as talent goes, I think there’s just more dancers there. When you audition in New York you see dozens and dozens and dozens of people for one particular role. There are just so many shows there and so many more stars.

Having started out as a performer, do you prefer to be on the other side of the creative process and be involved in choreography?

Yeah, I do.  I loved performing in shows, but even when I did my first show when I was 17, I was interested in the process of how they built the musical up. I’d always watch rehearsals even if I wasn’t in the dance routine. I’d always sit in and watch. I was never interested in being a leading man or anything like that. As soon as I had a few shows under my belt, I started wanting to be a dance captain and wanting to be an assistant and just that general progression towards going ‘well I like choreographing, let’s see whether this is going to happen or not’. I was lucky enough to align myself with Ross Coleman who kind of mentored me for 12 years, and then I was choreographing my own shows. Having him there and pushing me opened a lot of doors to what I’m lucky enough now to be able to do. It’s always been something I’ve been interested in.

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 Laura Di Orio.

Dance and Broadway fans have a lot to look forward to this year with the new musical drama, Smash. With an all-star cast, exciting choreography and Steven Spielberg behind it all, this newest show to hit the dance television craze is sure to be a … well, smash.

Smash, which premieres in February on Foxtels’ W channel, tells the story of producing a Broadway musical – the ups and downs, the casting issues and real-life drama that threatens to hinder its progress. Debra Messing and Christian Borle play Julia and Tom, a successful songwriting duo, who hope to freshen up the Broadway scene and create a new musical based on Marilyn Monroe. Angelica Huston plays the musical’s producer, and other big stars like Uma Thurman and Bernadette Peters will make appearances throughout the series.

As if the theatre drama wasn’t enough for the characters, issues in life outside – an adoption and a potential divorce, just to name a few – make things even more difficult. But, like in life, the show must go on, and Smash’s Monroe musical must fight its way through opening night, when it’s up to the audience to determine its success.

Cast of Smash in rehearsal. Photo by Will Hart/NBC

The team behind Smash is a strong one – many with a Broadway past – and everyone is attached to the idea of making the show as realistic as possible. Spielberg will team with Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, both adept in Broadway shows and musical-inspired movies (they produced Chicago and Hairspray), as Smash’s executive producers. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, songwriters from Hairspray, will write Smash’s catchy tunes.

Josh Bergasse, a NYC-based choreographer and faculty member at Broadway Dance Center, is the show’s lead choreographer for season one. Bergasse himself has danced on Broadway in Hairspray and The Life, and also on tour in Movin’ Out and West Side Story. With Bergasse in reign of the moves, Smash’s numbers will be exciting and athletic.

Already there is a strong online community for Smash’s fans, who have begun to proclaim themselves as ‘Team Ivy’ or ‘Team Karen’ and many of Smash’s songs will be available for sale on iTunes each week.

When the show starts airing this month, tell us what you think by posting your comments below.

Top photo: Megan Hilty as ‘Ivy Lynn’ in Smash. Photo by Will Hart/NBC

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 and Melbourne.

Adelaide’s Debora Krizak will play the sexy, full of attitude character of Sheila Bryant in the stunning Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning musical, opening at Adelaide’s Festival Theatre on December 31.

Debora originates from Adelaide where she obtained a Bachelor Of Arts Degree in Performing Arts. Moving to Sydney in 2001, Debora made her music theatre debut in GFO’s The Producers in which she understudied and performed the role of Swedish secretary ‘Ulla’.

Performer Debora Krizak

“I am very excited about performing as Sheila in A Chorus Line and audiences can expect to witness a bird’s eye view into the grueling audition process that is a part of any music theatre performer’s life! It’s high energy, inspiring and full of emotion. Everyone in this show has to dance, sing and act. There’s no hiding. Not to mention the amazing score and iconic Michael Bennett choreography. I’m so thrilled Adelaide is getting a music theatre premiere,” Debora said.

“There are some strong characters in A Chorus Line which tells the stories of the dreams and aspirations of 17 dancers auditioning for eight stage roles in a musical. Sheila is certainly one of those strong characters who as part of her audition tells the story of her difficult childhood, with a mother who lived her life through Sheila and an unfaithful father,” Debora shared.

Sheila is Debora’s dream role. She first saw the film “A Chorus Line” with her Mum in 1985 and has always remembered Sheila who struck a chord with her and her song “At The Ballet” which is such a poignant part in the show.

Debora has also appeared in Calendar Girls, Respect The Musical, played Shania in Karaoke The Musical for Guy Noble and the role of Madame Aubert in Titanic a New Musical. She recently performed as Gina in Stalker Theatre’s physical theatre piece Shanghai Lady Killer. 

Other stage credits of Debora’s include lead vocalist for some of Australia’s most successful corporate touring acts as well as featuring as a solo performer for Tennis Australia, the Australian Grand Prix and the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games to name a few. Debora has established a successful television career having hosted Network Ten’s The  Music Shop and has featured in many TV commercials, corporate videos and Australian films.

This new contemporary production comes direct from Broadway, directed and re-staged by Baayork Lee, with Musical Supervisor Peter Casey, produced by Tim Lawson and TML Enterprises. Producer Tim Lawson says “Audiences will be blown away by the talent of the cast we have auditioned.”

A Chorus Line

The cast will also include Josh Horner (Billy Elliot on Broadway, Tivoli, Dirty Dancing, Dancing With the Stars) who will play formidable Broadway director, Zach. Josh says “This role of Zach really speaks to me. You see people giving their heart and soul and you are in control of their dreams. I’ve been on both sides of that role so A Chorus Line mirrors perfectly my life as a dancer.”

A Chorus Line was originally conceived, choreographed and directed by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban.  Director Baayork Lee has been involved in A Chorus Line since 1975, first as a dancer in the original Broadway cast creating the role of Connie, through to directing the show in the U.S. and now in Australia. 

Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and Artistic Director Douglas Gautier says “It’s the musical for anyone who has ever had a dream and put everything on the line to achieve it. Dance is so popular at the moment and we hope all those who love watching dance on television or the stage, together with the many who participate in dance classes will come out for what will be a thoroughly enjoyable night out.”

The original production of A Chorus Line opened in 1975. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Score and Book, and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award.  It ran for nearly 15 years, closing in 1990 after 6,137 performances, and was revived on Broadway in 2006.

A Chorus Line will run in Adelaide from December 31, before opening in Melbourne on February 4 at Her Majesty’s Theatre.

For more information and tickets visit www.achorusline.com.au

The ever-popular Broadway musical Annie will light up Sydney’s Lyric Theatre from 29 December in an exciting new production produced John Frost. Returning to the role of New York ‘zillionaire’ Daddy Warbucks will be one of Australia’s greatest theatrical talents, Anthony Warlow, fresh from his success in the title role of the World Premiere of Doctor Zhivago. Show business legend Nancye Hayes will play the tyrannical Miss Hannigan who runs the orphanage where Annie begins her journey. This is the third Australian production of Annie that Nancye has been involved with, having played Lily St Regis in the original production and been Assistant Choreographer for the second.

Joining Nancye as her scurrilous brother Rooster Hannigan is television and stage favourite Todd McKenney (The Boy From Oz, Dancing With the Stars). Playing Rooster’s “lady friend” Lily St Regis and Warbucks’ secretary Grace Farrell will be two leading ladies of musical theatre, Chloe Dallimore (The Producers) and Julie Goodwin (West Side Story) respectively. Making his musical theatre debut in the role of President Roosevelt (FDR) will be radio veteran Alan Jones.

Anthony Warlow as Daddy Warbucks

Announcing his all-star cast, Producer John Frost said, “I’m often asked when Annie will return to the stage, and I’m thrilled that for this new production we have the A-list of Australian musical theatre talent – Anthony Warlow reprising one of his favourite roles, Nancye Hayes putting her mark on the role of the mean Miss Hannigan, and Todd McKenney, Chloe Dallimore and Julia Goodwin who are the cream of Australian talent. And I know Alan Jones will surprise everyone in his musical theatre debut. Our production team is top quality as well – director Karen Johnson-Mortimer, choreographer Kelly Akers and musical director Peter Casey. You can bet your bottom dollar Annie will be a hit again in 2012!”

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell said, “Over the coming years, Sydney will play host to a number of musicals, many of which will have their Australian and World Premiere season in Sydney and many of which will be produced by John Frost. Today we add another musical to the list, the Australian premiere season of Annie and making his musical theatre debut in the role of Franklin D Roosevelt will be Alan Jones. I’m sure his listeners will be the first in line,” Mr O’Farrell said. “In the last month we have announced that Sydney was chosen for the Australian Premiere of The Addams Family and the World Premiere of Strictly Ballroom. This is in addition to the recent highly successful first run of Doctor Zhivago, as well as Legally Blonde opening in Australia in June 2012”, he said.

Based on the popular Harold Gray comic strip “Little Orphan Annie”, the musical Annie burst into popularity in 1977 when it opened on Broadway. After running there for nearly six years, it has played in over 22 countries worldwide including the UK, Argentina, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Spain and Australia. Annie became a smash-hit movie musical in 1982 starring Aileen Quinn, Albert Finney and Carol Burnett that is adored worldwide and a fixture of popular culture references.

Annie first toured Australia from 1978 with a cast that included Jill Perryman, Hayes Gordon, Kevin Johnson, Nancye Hayes and Anne Grigg. Annie returned to the Australia stage in 2000 produced by John Frost starring Anthony Warlow, Amanda Muggleton, Jane Scali, Philip Gould and Angela Kelly. For this production, Annie’s lyricist and original Broadway director Martin Charnin wrote a new song for Anthony Warlow to sing in the show, an unprecedented honour for Warlow.

Annie is full of toe-tapping hits such as It’s the Hard Knock Life, Easy Street, You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile, NYC, Maybe and everyone’s favourite song – Tomorrow. These wonderful songs have become staples of musical theatre repertoires worldwide and now, 34 years on, it remains one of the most loved and universally appealing musicals of all time.

Annie
Lyric Theatre, Star City From December 29
Bookings 1300 795 267 or ticketmaster.com.au