By Emily Yewell Volin.

Dancers lead curious lives – and no time of year allows for full dance immersion quite like summer time.  It’s the time of year when young dancers typically have time to participate in summer intensives and workshops, where it’s customary to spend 8-12 hours a day studying what they love – dance.  So, what about the weeks between workshops or during family vacation time?  How can a dancer stay fit, broaden his/her artistry, and stay prepared for auditions?  Here are a few ideas to inspire summer growth in body, mind, and career preparedness.

Cross Train
Summer breaks provide terrific opportunity for a dancer to hone his/her overall fitness.  Dance training is largely non-aerobic and a dancer needs to build his/her cardiovascular fitness and master technique.  Summer is a great time to add some aerobic activity into your training regime.  Swimming, fitness walking, jumping rope, biking, climbing stairs, and in-line or roller skating are just a few of the fun activities that can help increase cardiovascular strength.

Seek New Experiences and Notice Everyday Ones
Dancers are artists as well as technicians and choreographers rely upon your ability to evoke emotions and/or characters in every piece you perform. One of the best ways to train your body and mind to call upon these qualities is to begin noticing the world around you through a dancer’s eyes.  Everything you do and experience elicits a postural reaction in the body.  Notice these reactions and draw upon them during future class and rehearsals.

Volunteer
Dancing is hard work and it is easy to lose sight of the qualities that first drew you into it.  Arrange to teach a class or perform for a group of people who would not otherwise have exposure to dance this summer.  You may be surprised by how excited the opportunity to dance makes people.  It is likely their enthusiasm will be infectious.

Headshot
Summer is a great time to update your headshot.  Just be sure you have not spent too much time in the sun before the shoot and that you do not have visible tan lines during the session.

Bio/Résumé/Demo Reel
Dancers are artists, technicians and business people.  Make some time to update your résumé, biography, and demo reel this summer.  Chances are you have new accomplishments since your last did an update and there’s never time to do your best revisions when rushed by a sudden need for the materials.

Journal
Reflection and goal setting are vital to your progress as a dancer.  Begin journaling about your short and long-term goals and, if you already have a class-corrections or rehearsal journal, review your past goals and corrections.  Reflect upon how much you have improved and seek to address areas still in need of improvement.

Read about dance
Reading about those who came before us in the world of dance and learning from their career paths informs our own choices and goals.  Dance Informa has a wealth of inspiring interviews and advice columns. Just type a topic or artist’s name into the top search bar (on the right) and see what you can find.

Watch dance
Live performances, online sources, movies – it doesn’t matter where you find dance; watch it.  You will learn from the styles you do enjoy and you’ll learn from those you do not.  Work toward establishing your own aesthetic and be open-minded.

Open Studio
Or, open living room!  Invite some dancing friends to join you and give each other a barre or class.  Some studio directors have designated ‘open-studio’ days when students are allowed to work in a studio by themselves, while the owner is on the premises.  If your studio is not available during the summer months, clear the living room furniture, use some chair or sofa backs as a barre and dance.

Choreograph
All these dance-related activities may leave you with something choreographic to say.  Play with your ideas.  Be direct about what is inspiring you and try to plan and/or create a work to communicate your ideas.  You may develop a short phrase or an entire piece.

Write a thank you note
Recall a person who has supported or inspired you as a dancer.  This person may be a teacher, family member, friend, or someone you have never met.  Write a note, either email or hand-written, and deliver it.  Recognising the people who have supported your dancing will inspire them and you.

Top photo: © Sanches1980 | Dreamstime.com

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.

Launch Pad
Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Art
February 2012

By Belinda Adams.

It is intriguing that so many people rush to see the latest international or interstate shows when they arrive in Brisbane, but little do the theatre going public know of the talent that exists in our very own backyard.

In a small performance studio in the Judith Wright Centre, Expressions Dance Company performed Launch Pad 2012. Featuring the work of local choreographers and dancers in an intimate setting, Launch Pad was nothing short of exquisite. They were able to create an environment that rivaled any large scale production with some simple prop changes and clever use of lighting.

The dance itself was raw, complex and brilliantly executed. Each of the choreographers had a chance to speak with the audience and tell the story of where their choreography began and how the idea evolved. This created a very personal experience for the audience and gave us an insight into the choreographers’ processes.

Gareth Belling, a Queensland Ballet dancer and choreographer created two works for Launch Pad. The first was From Darkness, a duet performed by Riannon McLean and David Williams that blurred the distinction between victim and offender. Watching this piece the dancers had you experience what they were feeling as they drew you into their story with raw movement and ultimate belief in their characters. The second Say Something, a piece performed by QUT dance students, explored the dynamic of broad based acceptance at the expense of personal opinion. This piece was energetic and fast paced with very contrasting choreographic choices. Overall, Gareth succeeded in creating wonderfully eloquent work for such a young choreographer. He certainly has a bright future ahead.

Bloodlust, by Claire Marshall was inspired by the movie Single White Female to start and further explored toxic friendships. Samantha Mitchell and Michelle Barnett performed this piece with total commitment and conviction. Both are very talented dancers who bought this rigid, intense piece to life.

The final performance was Crush by Lisa Wilson, performed by Elise May and Jack Ziesing. This was a debut showing for Wilson with EDC and she certainly delivered an amazing creation. Crush, portrayed the dancers struggle with panic and its contrasting manifestations of restraint and immobility. With the skillful use of varied LED light sources, Elise and Jack presented this piece with maturity and one hundred percent commitment to their personas. Elise is a striking dancer with a clear talent and skill for this demanding art form. This was an edge of your seat piece that had you breathless from start to finish. I can’t wait to see Lisa Wilson’s current work in progress entitled Lake. She is a transpiring choreographer who has a gift for creating quality work with a unique essence.

Launch Pad 2012, represents the true core of dance and perfectly showcases the talent that exists in Brisbane. This performance embodies what dance truly is – raw, powerful and honest.

Photo: EDC’s Jack Ziesing and Riannon McLean. Photo by Fiona Cullen.
Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – everything dance in Australia – dance news, dance auditions & dance events.