By Rain Francis.

Starting to think about full-time dance training? Now more than ever there are some fantastic options out there – and they may be closer than you think. Gone are the days when you have to move to Melbourne or Sydney to get the best training. While there are some amazing courses offered in these two cities and a wealth of dance opportunities, don’t dismiss the high quality training options offered elsewhere – staying closer to home could be a good option for you.

One of the most important factors in staying closer to home is of course having your loved ones near. “The family can directly manage all aspects of their child’s development and training, providing hands on love and support,” says Canberra Dance Development Centre Director Jackie Hallahan. This means having a helping hand with everything from your day-to-day living tasks, to just having a shoulder to cry on when you are exhausted or frustrated.

“Dancing full time can be very demanding physically, mentally and emotionally,” says Beth James, director of Western Australia Conservatoire of Classical Ballet. “For a young student, having these demands – as well as living on their own without family – and having to go home to cook, clean, and prepare after an exhausting day can be tough. And of course, having your friends close by on your day off can be just what you need to keep a healthy balance away from dance.” Although you will make lots of new friends wherever you study, it’s wonderful to be able to keep in touch with your established friends – and not just on Facebook!

“In our experience, most students find the transition from high school to 30 hours a week of intensive training somewhat overwhelming, especially throughout the first term,” agrees Phil Talbot, CEO/Director of Principal Academy of Dance and Theatre Arts in Perth. “By being close to home they have the support of family members to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle and cope with stress, especially at assessment time.”

Canberra Dance Development Centre full time student Georgia Powley. Photo by Greg Primmer.

It is perfectly normal to find the transition to full-time training difficult. Besides dealing with a new environment, new people and the physical and mental stresses of such a full-on workload, if you’re living away from home there are additional pressures. It might be the first time you’ve had to do your own food shopping, transport yourself to the studio, pay bills and deal with other everyday realities. After a long day of training, it’s likely that all you’ll want to do is have a bath and then vegetate on the lounge room floor. This is where unhealthy habits can start to creep in, such as living on ‘convenience’ food. Living at home can give you more stability, so you are freer to put all your energies into your training.

Another thing to consider is money. Full-time training can place a large financial burden on you and your family, and training closer to home can help ease that considerably. Though it may be tempting to leave home and head for the big smoke, try to be realistic about the pros and cons.

Living at home can save thousands per year on rent and other living costs. And if you are living away from home, you’ll be paying much more to live in one of the bigger cities. Unfortunately, getting yourself into debt early on can really affect your future. “It’s not just the family – the student takes on the financial burden as well and this can interfere with decisions made down the track,” James explains. The reality is that you may not be able to travel to auditions or afford to do all the classes you need to after graduating.

Hallahan agrees, adding, “[Staying at home means that] the students’ parents may be able to invest more money in their child’s training rather than on additional living costs.” So if there’s any way to avoid getting into debt – or placing strain on your family’s finances – it’s advisable to investigate and consider these options.

Australia’s most successful dancers didn’t all come from the schools in the big cities. Terry Simpson Studios in Adelaide turned out Remi Wortmeyer (The Australian Ballet and Dutch National Ballet), Nicola Leahey (Compagnie Thor, Belgium), Jesse Scales (Sydney Dance Company) and Nicola Wills-Jones (Royal Ballet, Flanders). Graduates of Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in Perth have worked in Western Australian Ballet, Queensland Ballet, Australian Dance Theatre, Expressions Dance Company and many international companies.

There are also some world-class dance companies outside of Sydney and Melbourne. Adelaide has Australian Dance Theatre and Leigh Warren and Dancers, Townsville has Dancenorth and Launceston has Tasdance, just to name a few. Making yourself known to these companies while you’re training – either through secondments or taking company class – can be a great way to build relationships which may lead to employment after graduation. Also, if you are considering a career as a choreographer, do some research into the local grants available from your state’s branch of Ausdance, or from your regional council. Sometimes, being in a smaller centre can actually be an advantage; there are less people vying for the same funding dollars. So, make the most of all your area has to offer.

Of course, I’m playing devil’s advocate here; there are also advantages to flying the coop. The truth is that no matter where you choose to study, you will find a way to make it work, and to get absolutely the most out of every opportunity that comes your way. Your full-time training will be one of the most challenging things you will ever do, but it is also an exciting time which will pass you by far quicker than you can imagine!

Be sure to check out Dance Informa’s 2014 Full Time Dance and Auditions Guide, out this July. The Guide lists the best full-time schools and courses across Australia.
To check out the 2013 Full Time Guide, click here.

Sydney Opera House has regretfully announced that Spring Dance, Sydney’s popular contemporary dance festival, will no longer be held.

Sydney Opera House created Spring Dance in 2009 as part of the centres annual dance program.  For the first three years, it was curated from within the Opera House’s programming team. In 2012, the Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company, Rafael Bonachela, led the program.

The 2012 festival was an outstanding success.  Rafael’s inspiring leadership and varied, exciting program were whole-heartedly embraced, giving Spring Dance its most successful year ever. A special delight was the close Sydney Opera House/Sydney Dance Company collaboration that resulted in last year’s world premiere of Contemporary Women.

‘Agwa and Correria’ by Mourad Merzouki, presented at Spring Dance 2012. Photo by Jess Bialek, courtesy of Sydney Opera House

Unfortunately, even after such a successful year, Sydney Opera House has cancelled the Spring Dance program. As part of the Opera House’s current budget planning they have reviewed their projects and deemed Spring Dance as too expensive. Spring Dance was the most high-profile manifestation of the Opera House’s commitment to contemporary dance.

“While we have been happy to make this investment to support an art form that boasts a relatively small but passionate audience, we can no longer continue to commit the funds required to present it on its original scale.  Rather than present a diminished festival, we have decided to end Spring Dance on the wildly successful note Rafael Bonachela achieved in 2012,” explains Louise Herron, CEO, Sydney Opera House.

“It goes without saying that this decision has been made for purely financial reasons. In no sense is it a reflection on the truly outstanding work of Rafael and our close friends at Sydney Dance Company.”

While the dance industry morns over the cancellation of one of the country’s most adored dance festivals,  Sydney Dance Company and the Opera House plan to collaborate again in August of this year to present the Company in a new work.

“These collaborations are just one of the many ways we intend to continue to work together in the future.  And we will continue to present international dance such as Sylvie Guillem and Nederlands Dans Theater,” says Herron.

Photo (top): Promotional image for Spring Dance 2012, courtesy of Sydney Opera House

SDC leaps into 2013 with a stunning mixed bill performance in Sydney, before hitting the road to showcase the best in contemporary dance to audiences around Australia and internationally.

Sydney Dance Company’s 2013 season begins this month with the aptly named De Novo, from the Latin term ‘of the new’. Promising to be one of the most exciting dance offerings of the year, De Novo features the Australian premiere of Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman’s Cacti, coupled with the world premiere of Emergence, a new work by Sydney Dance Company Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela. For Emergence, Bonachela joins forces with composer Nick Wales, internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko and fashion designer Dion Lee.

Bonachela is thrilled to bring one of Europe’s most highly sought after choreographers to work with the company’s dancers for Cacti. “I’m really excited to introduce Alexander Ekman to Australian audiences,” says Bonachela. “At the age of 28 he has already created 35 works for some of the best contemporary dance companies internationally, including Nederlands Dans Theater, Cullberg Ballet, Gothenburg Ballet and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. In 2010, he was made associate choreographer for Nederlands Dance Theater 2.”

“Ekman’s Cacti is a totally fresh and engaging dance piece about how we observe art and how we often feel the need to analyse and understand it. Performed with a live string quartet on stage, it is joyful, intelligent and irreverent, and has been hailed by critics for all of these qualities.”

Dancers Natalie Allen and Andrew Crawford in Sydney Dance Company’s ’2 One Another’. Photo by Ken Butti.

Bonachela continues, “I am also thrilled to be working with Nick Wales and Sarah Blasko on Emergence. I previously collaborated with Nick on 2 One Another in 2012, and have been an admirer of Sarah for a long time, as a great artist, singer and poet. The fact that Nick and Sarah are friends and have frequently collaborated themselves, made a perfect opportunity to suggest that they work together with me on the music for a new production.”

Emergence will feature costumes by one of Australia’s most innovative young designers, Dion Lee, who Bonachela is also a huge fan of. “I have followed Dion’s work for a few years and he has also come to our shows, so we have been circling one another,” Bonachela jokes. “I can’t wait to see how he visually interprets Nick and Sarah’s music and my choreography, and translates this feeling to dressing the company’s dancers.”

Following De Novo, the company will take their acclaimed production 2 One Another to Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin in May, and then reconnect with the Australian Chamber Orchestra to present Project Rameau in Brisbane and Canberra in July and September.

“Sydney Dance Company is proud to present the same works in regional centres as we do in the major cities,” says Bonachela. “Audiences everywhere love great dance! It is with great anticipation that we look forward to travelling around the country and engaging with people who may not have had the opportunity to enjoy one of our performances before.”

This year the Company will also take an extensive international tour, returning to North and South America, and present a season as part of Sydney Opera House’s Spring Dance 2013.

Recognised as one of the world’s foremost contemporary choreographers, Rafael Bonachela has provided artistic direction and leadership to Sydney Dance Company for the past four years, and in 2012, also curated a highly successful Spring Dance program for Sydney Opera House.

De Novo, featuring Alexander Ekman’s Cacti and Bonachela’s Emergence, is now running at Sydney Theatre for three weeks from March 1 – 23. For tickets and further information about Sydney Dance Company’s 2013 season, visit www.sydneydancecompany.com.

Top photo: Sydney Dance Company’s De Novo. Dancers Jessica Thompson & Chen Wen. Photo by Ellis Parrinder

Sydney Theatre
March 1, 2013

By Renata Ogayar.

Sydney Dance Company’s De Novo premiered at Sydney Theatre Walsh Bay last night with three contrasting works: Emergence, Fanatic and Cacti all, which expressed elements ‘of the new’.

Emergence, choreographed by Rafael Bonachela, was a thirty-seven minute piece that collaborated musically with Sarah Blasko and Nick Wales. Dancers appeared in stillness amongst fluorescent lights horizontally placed on the floor, held by vertical wires that created a dimension of depth to the stage through the architectural lighting design of Benjamin Cisterne. Seamlessly flowing in and out of movement sequences, hints of Bonachela’s signature style were exposed through the new found choreographic language.  Dion Lee’s grungy yet sophisticated costumes of half blazers, nude tones and linear patterns gave intensity to the work, fusing focus, class and pop culture.

Fanatic was a superbly entertaining fifteen-minute work choreographed by Larissa McGowan. It was inspired by filmic notions and sci-fi homages underpinned by recurrent streams of pop culture. Plunging into the cinematic realm of the Alien and Predator series, the piece explored the obsessive fandom within the 21st Century. Embracing the movie star in all of us, the work was performed by Natalie Allen, Thomas Bradley and Chris Aubrey who shamelessly, energetically and comically gave their all, not only to varied and fragmented movements but simultaneously lip syncing dialogue of fanatics, running through fictitious jungles and battling sword fights in order to surface as the hero. A fun fuelled piece relative to many.

Cacti was originally choreographed in 2010 by Alexander Ekman for Nederlands Dans Theater 2 in The Hague. An apt piece of art that was incredibly humorous, polarizing the all too common question “what does it mean?” when one contemplates the meaning of modern artwork. The underlying concept of this piece is that art often speaks to the subconscious and the meaning is never so black and white, but should rather be interpreted and experienced how one chooses.

Intellect and humour engulfed the stage. Eloquent dancers entered the stage and orchestral players brought the piece to life. Evolving from eloquence to ‘a new decade of utopia’ the dancers aligned themselves, kneeling behind white boxes waiting in stillness and poise through inhalation.  Tribal beats erupted as the dancers beat the boxes in a synchronised yet quirky manner.  Erratic moves gave spontaneity to the piece leaving the us in suspense.  Before one could attempt to identify the meaning, the stage had transformed, boxes had moved with the random appearance and addition of cacti and the momentary freeze of sculptured bodies. Dancer’s rhetoric was demonstrated between two performers practicing a movement sequence. A parity all too familiar to those of the dancing world. The ending was drawn out in a comedic manner that created suspense and laughter throughout the audience as the dancers draw nearer and nearer to the end.

De Novo is highly recommended for an evening bursting with new creativity, bringing freshness to the scene.

Photo (top): Sydney Dance Company’s De Novo. Dancers Jessica Thompson & Chen Wen. Photo by Ellis Parrinder.

By Rebecca Martin.

After all the blood, sweat, tears, hairspray, blisters, bruises, melt downs, costume changes and fun, it’s time to graduate from full-time dance training.

Now what?

You may have dreams of Broadway or West End, Paris Opera Ballet or The Australian Ballet, the world stage or opening your own dance school, but it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to achieve these dreams straight out of training.

Here are some tips to help you reach your dreams.

Get experience – Loads of it

Fill your CV with as many different things as possible, and say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. Saying yes to job offers can strengthen connections with key industry players who can get you a step closer to your ultimate dream.

For all the thousands and thousands of dancers in Australia that want a job in their industry, very few of them will be fortunate enough to earn a living from dancing. There are limited companies with limited places, and directors want a performer that has treaded the boards a few times and can be relied upon to carry a show and handle the strenuous life of performing.

Get an agent

Many auditions are by invite only and must be done through an agent. Find yourself a good agent who knows your strengths and weaknesses who will source work for you.

Think outside your comfort zone

If you’ve trained in ballet, consider musicals.  Phantom of the Opera has roles for ballet dancers. If you’ve trained in jazz, take some acrobatic classes and audition for a cruise ship. Consider working behind the scenes in choreography and production. Audition for TV commercials and TV shows. Teach other dancers, perform at theatre restaurants, try character roles at Movie World and other theme parks around the world, put on your own show, travel, experiment, don’t stop learning and don’t turn down any opportunity.  You don’t know where it may lead.

Dance Informa spoke to some dancers who have had varied and fulfilling careers since graduating from full-time dance schools:

Hayley Uberti
Graduate of The Space Dance and Arts Centre

What are some of the things you have done since graduating?
Since graduating I have been very fortunate to be able to work with some great choreographers and experience different performance avenues. I have worked for Grayboy Agency (William Forsythe’s choreography) on a Princess Line Cruise Ship that sailed the world, I have been a part of three pieces performed by Vertical Shadows that were directed and choreographed by Stephen Agisilaou, [and] performed in various corporate shows, events and video clips. I have had small acting roles with Opera Australia, short films and TV commercials and worked around Australia and Singapore with suit work contracts. I have been teaching for over 10 years and have recently ventured into professional choreography, including corporate events and fashion shows.

What advice do you have for new graduates who are embarking on a dance career?
Be patient, attend as many auditions as possible to gain experience and expose yourself to various choreographers who may not cast you today but will always remember faces. No doubt you will come across them again.

Don’t let your full-time training go to waste, keep up classes and commit yourself to continually building your craft and keeping in shape. Keep those ballet classes up!

Robert Kelly

Robert Kelly
Graduate of Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts

What are some of the things you have done since graduating?
While training at WAAPA I was fortunate enough to take an original piece I created to rural areas in Western Australia. Then later I danced in the corps de ballet with West Australia Ballet.

After Perth I went on to dance as a guest for the National Theatre Ballet School in Don Quixote and Le Corsaire, both of which went on tour all around Victoria. I ended up dancing in three other touring companies in Australia all of which were a great artistic experience and also a paid experience…which is not so easy to find these days.

I have taught company classes and student workshops for people from all over the world. I’ve also created major works locally and overseas to audiences of more than 2000 and was employed by the Catholic Church to create a surprise work for a congregation.

Aside from being a dancer I’ve been a choreographer, teacher, costume designer and director of my own company.

What advice do you have for new graduates who are embarking on a dance career?
If you start with an open mind but a solid discipline you can kick a few goals. Most importantly be fair to those who were even 50 percent as fair to you.

If new graduates are planning to use their Bachelor of Arts, Diploma of Dance or Diploma of Education for a career in Australia they are on solid ground for entry into arts psychology, physiotherapy or other positions that are not directly movement related.

Always be polite in the audition process to everyone. Use this opportunity to make friends, contacts and evaluate situations. The dancer has to be out for themselves first and foremost as it is a ‘cut-throat’ industry but that does not mean that you can’t make a good friend or two.

Katie Hurst-Saxon

Katie Hurst-Saxon
Graduate of International Ballet Academy NZ

What are some of the things you have done since graduating?
After graduating at 16 I was offered a contract with the Royal New Zealand Ballet straight away. By the age of 19 I had my first Principal role. I spent nine years with RNZB, dancing many lead roles and also different styles of dance. Along with the pure classical ballets we performed, we also did a great amount of contemporary and neoclassical works. After nine years I decided I needed a break, so I headed back home to Christchurch and did a bit of teaching. I choreographed a few dances for students doing competitions too. After about a year I realised that I did still want to dance and I have been freelancing for the past year. I did Angelina Ballerina with RNZB (as Angelina), Giselle with Melbourne Dance Theatre (as Giselle) and am now rehearsing for the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty (as Carabosse and Aurora.)

What advice do you have for new graduates who are embarking on a dance career?
Don’t give up! It’s likely that you’ll have rejection and criticism thrown your way, if you let that get you down you’ll have trouble surviving in this world. Use the bad to make you even stronger. Be strong, be confident, know what you want and don’t stop till you’ve done everything you can to get it.

Jayden Hicks

Jayden Hicks
Graduate of The Space and Ministry of Dance

What are some of the things you have done since graduating?
In the past two years since graduating I have performed with Vertical Shadows (Release The Stars and On The Rocks), in Stage Art’s production of Matalor, completed a secondment with Chunky Move for Keep Everything, toured with Melbourne Ballet Company in On Air and Infinite Space, was a featured dancer in Quirky Productions’ La Cage Aux Folles, performed in the burlesque piece Holy Ship at Red Bennies, appeared in a music video for singer Sam Burke and performed in Industry Nights’ Immersed and Underground, as well as Short and Sweet: Dance. 

I teach for The Space, Jason Coleman’s Ministry of Dance, Elevator Studios, Gippsland Academy of Dance, Vicki’s Dancing Academy, Backstage Dance Studio, Pole Divas and Volar Dance Centre. I also do dance and aerial consulting including silk, hoop, pole and dance collaboration.

What advice do you have for new graduates who are embarking on a dance career?
Don’t try to follow in someone else’s footsteps. The beautiful thing about the dance industry is that there is no right or wrong way to succeed. There is no set direction that you must take once you graduate. Keep expanding your knowledge of dance and the dance community and find your own way to success. Also don’t pigeon hole yourself into a stereotype. The more versatile you are the easier it will be to find work.

Gina Brescianini

Gina Brescianini
Graduate of McDonald College and The Australian Ballet School

What are some of the things you have done since graduating?
I have opened my own yoga centre called Radiant Awakening in Sydney where I teach Kundalini Yoga and Pilates. I also teach ballet to adults at Sydney Dance Company studio. I teach ballet, yoga and Pilates to the senior students at McDonald College and ballet and Pilates at Dorothy Cowie School of Dance.

What advice do you have for new graduates who are embarking on a dance career?
Give it all you’ve got everyday. Learn as much as you can from all teachers, choreographers and dancers. Have fun and enjoy it, stay focused and know that we all have good days and bad days and it is all worth it!

Samantha Dodemaide

Samantha Dodemaide
Graduate of Patrick Studios Australia

What are some of the things you have done since graduating?
You name it, I’ve most probably given it a red hot go. My ultimate dream was always to be a musical theatre performer, but I knew this was also the dream of many others and that it would take a lot of hard work (even after I had finished three years of full-time dance training). So after graduating I made sure I didn’t stop training, made sure I was attending dance class and singing everyday, taking acting lessons and working hard at the gym.

I was lucky enough to land a job performing at Witches In Britches theatre restaurant, as part of their five-person comedy show (which allowed me to sing, dance and act.) I also landed a few small-scale jobs both here and overseas, fashion parades, club free styling, kids’ shows such as A Looney Tunes Christmas in Singapore and touring pantomime shows of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.  I travelled to Dubai multiple times as part of a cheerleading team for the Dubai Rugby 7’s Tournament. I was working for a children’s musical theatre school teaching dance and drama most nights of the week.

Throughout all of this I was attending multiple musical auditions but couldn’t seem to break my way in. Then after what seemed like an eternity it finally happened. Since landing my first show which was Wicked at Universal Studios Australia I have also now performed in Anything Goes, The Producers and A Chorus Line. Most recently I have been performing alongside Geoffrey Rush in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

What advice do you have for new graduates who are embarking on a dance career?
Follow your dreams and they will come true! I truly believe you can make anything happen if you put your mind to it. As long as you are patient, work hard, and are 110 percent committed to your craft you cannot fail. You can never stop improving, and the more time and energy you spend improving yourself, the more success you will have.

Top photo: Dancer Katie Hurst-Saxon

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 Laura Di Orio.

Sometimes crazy, usually superstitious and always repetitive, many of us have pre-performance rituals we engage in to help us get focused and ready for the stage.  Here professional dancers dish on their quirky traditions and share what they do to prepare themselves for a show.

Christopher McDaniel, dancer, Los Angeles Ballet

In my dressing room, I sit at my station and tear two sheets of paper towels – one to place foundations and eye shadows, and the other for the brushes in the order in which I’ll use them. I also place my performance shoes on the desk in the order I’ll dance in them. I like to then freshen up, sometimes with a full shower. Then I start my makeup. I try to stay in a quiet zone before a show because I get nervous. I put my iPod on and start to listen to music that’s calming and relaxing, usually something Gospel. The whole time I am snacking on mint Mentos and crackers. The chewing of Mentos, which is very different from gum, calms me down and simultaneously gives me a little sugar rush.

I started this ritual while I was on my first tour with the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble. I got yelled at by the ballet master for being too playful and excited backstage. So I explored the things that made me calmer. And as my repertoire on the tour began to increase and I started dancing more featured roles, I developed a love for my quiet time before a show.

Christopher Bloom, ­­­dancer, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, New York

I do sixteen entrechat-six before every performance. I began this during my freshmen year of college. At the Ailey School we have a very large studio that acts as a green room when we’re performing. With a whole bunch of energetic young dancers warming up, it is inevitable that little contests should break out. I got into an entrechat-six contest with a friend. Afterward, I realized that I had gotten very warm very quickly, so I remembered it for the future. So, doing them before a show gets me warm, as well as gives me confidence that I am indeed a capable dancer.

Thomas Bradley, dancer, Sydney Dance Company

I listen to Avicii’s “Levels” before every show. Adrenaline always comes knocking when it starts. Right before beginners call, I find a quiet place and rest my head against a wall and say, “Earth, fire, wind, water and spirit be with me.” It sounds immensely corny, but it’s what I do. When I get nervous, I tap my second, third, fourth and fifth fingers against my thumb back and forth as fast as possible. It’s great to distract you from being nervous and also focuses you. The reciting of the elements comes from my interest in their natural and somewhat untapped powers. I haven’t ever forgotten to do it, so I’m not sure if it’s all baloney! It certainly contributes to a stable and ‘ready’ state of mind pre-show.

Sarah Braverman of Parsons Dance. Photo by Evan Guston

Sarah Braverman, dancer, Parsons Dance, New York

I have a few little quirks that I have noticed over the years. Pre-show, there must be Diet Coke on hand. In my dressing room, I perform my ‘shake the sillies out’ dance with the other ladies. It’s ridiculous, but it helps to get the adrenaline going. I have to get to the stage to warm up at half-hour. After doing abdominals and a little yoga, I have to crack both hips, then go through the ‘scary’ parts of the choreography.

Then comes the ‘unity breath’ and ‘whoosh’. [The whole company does] a series of big inhales and exhales and relevés to check our balance. Before the fourth time, I always have to say, ‘Last time.’ Then comes the ‘whoosh’, when we all gather our hands on each other’s over center-center and have a pre-show talk from our artistic and rehearsal director. Then I have to kiss my hand and touch the center-center mark. Everyone takes turns doing this and puts both feet, one after the other, on the mark and makes a ‘smooch’ noise. I always have to go last!

During the show, there are certain moments when I make eye contact with certain people at the same time every show, or the same inside joke is repeated at the same point in the program. Ritual or habit, I’m not sure, but I haven’t skipped these ‘rituals’ yet and don’t plan to!

Christina Ilisije, dancer, Parsons Dance

Our Parsons family has a pretty long list of pre-show rituals. Personally, I always kiss my fingers and put my smudged lipstick over the center mark. I also always have Ian Spring from the company fly me like Superman – my hip creases in his elevated legs. Apparently, this ridiculous position lengthens my back and stretches his hips. A win, win for us both. To top it off, he always proceeds to talk to me in Spanish at this point. A fun bonus!

I’m not particularly superstitious, but there is something that feels comforting in the routine. The stage is a special place that forever remains unpredictable, and a few rituals help bring some peace of mind for what’s to come. That being said, there are definitely shows when we are all running late and we only get one ‘unity breath’ in and maybe I don’t get lifted and fly with Ian or get to smooch center. To be honest, once the music starts, my partner is staring me in the eyes and my legs are in the air, none of that matters, and those thoughts of missed rituals are the furthest thing from my mind.

Kimberly Giannelli, soloist, Ballets With a Twist, New York

There are three things that have to happen before I am about to go on stage. I must have one water and one red fruit punch-flavored Gatorade positioned next to one another at all times. In my makeup bag, I have a medallion from Bali that my old boss gave me of Dancing Shiva. Just before I begin applying my stage makeup, I hold it in my hands for a few seconds and then place him back in the right-hand corner of the makeup bag. Then, just after finishing my makeup, just before putting on my costume, I call out to my dance partner, Aengus Ortiz, for a very important job. I reach into my bag and pull out the same thin purple instrument: the neck shaver! He performs a very attentive haircut, making sure the nape of my neck is free from any fly-aways.

I am a very superstitious person. I have to walk the same pathway down the sidewalk into the theatre for the entire run of the show. Depending on how long the run is, and if it was a good show, I have to wear the same pair of tights. If I had a bad show for whatever reason I have to change everything – pathway, tights, order of my makeup, and hair.

Alisha Coon, dancer, Sydney Dance Company

After morning rehearsals, I eat lunch at my favorite restaurant, usually choosing the same meal on each performance day. It is really important to eat properly on a show day, and I can never be bothered to cook, so I go to my favorite restaurant and choose something that I know will give me enough energy for the show but won’t make me bloated or leave me hungry mid-show.

I am admittedly easily distracted, so mental preparation for a performance is really important for me. This means getting to the theatre early to do my hair and makeup, and making sure I have plenty of time to warm up so I never feel rushed. I will always go on stage before a performance as a part of my warm-up to think through entrances and corrections, and I will also dance out certain sections to get my body into the piece.

Top photo: Christopher Bloom, a dancer with the Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, does 16 entrechat-six before every performance. Photo by Daniel Bloom.

By Rain Francis.

Creative Director Tony Assness has one of the most impressive portfolios in Australia. He is best known for staging incredible live events, such as the legendary Sydney launch of Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rogue, the 75^th Anniversary of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and many summer and winter spectacles for Myer. He is also a stage and costume designer for theatre and dance, having worked extensively with Sydney Dance Company.

Although he finds it “so boring” to talk about the past, Assness’ journey has been an interesting one. South African-born, he and his family immigrated to Newcastle when Assness was 11. Teased for being different, he spent months on end in the relatively safe confines of the school art room or library, absorbing information and feeding his imagination. In his late teens he got a job as a design assistant at Sydney’s Nimrod Theatre Company (now Belvoir Street Theatre). After a year he left to study Visual Arts at the University of NSW, an experience he says was important because “it was the only time I have ever been allowed to fail”.

The decision to go to art school as opposed to NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts) spun Assness’ career onto a different path than the one he had envisaged. Finding it difficult to get work in theatres after graduating, he found himself working more in a corporate context. He has since delivered mind-blowing launches for companies such as Red Bull, Verve Cliquot and Foxtel, and orchestrated the 10^th wedding anniversary of Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch on Clark Island – to name just four from quite a stunning list of projects.

With his roots still firmly in theatre though, Assness professes that he loves to work in dance. In 2007 he was asked to generate a new look for Sydney Dance Company, which at that time had no artistic director in place. “It was the first time in 30 years that the dancers were photographed without Graeme Murphy’s direction,” he explains. “I was asked to create a brochure that heralded three new works that had not yet been created. It meant an entire re-imaging of the company to ignite new found interest.”

Tony Assness’ costumes for Sydney Dance Company’s ’2 One Another’. Photo by Ken Butti.

With the appointment of Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela, Assness returned to SDC, to collaborate on Rafael Bonachela’s first work for the new company, 360º . Assness designed sets, costumes and a large scale, integrated video component for the work. It would go on to be critically acclaimed, cementing a new path of success for one of Australia’s most loved dance companies.

The two collaborators joined forces again recently for Bonachela’s latest work, 2 One Another. By that stage, Assness was very familiar with Bonachela’s ethos, movement vocabulary and style of working. “Raf works in a very abstract way,” he explains. “There is always tension between something abstract and something very real and practical, which a costume needs to be – especially a costume for dance.”

He adds that knowing what a choreographer responds to is the “starting point into the world that is being created”. Bonachela, for example, sees the dancers as “shapes and forms, pieces of a whole and who they really are.”

“The dancers in Raf’s pieces are not playing characters in the sense that a dancer in The Nutcracker or Swan Lake would be a swan or a tin soldier,” Assness explains. “They are not even playing an abstract version of a swan or a tin soldier – and added to this, there is an absence of gender codes. I would not be asked to put a dancer in a dress or a suit.”

He admits that the costumes are the most demanding aspect of designing for dance; an ongoing riddle that takes the entire rehearsal process, and then some, to solve. Other elements, such as set and video, play support roles as they interact visually, but physically, they are separate. The costumes on the other hand, need to be like a second skin, and Assness wants the audience to see the dance, not the costume.

“I would like to create a costume that wasn’t there, that did not interfere with the dance in any way,” he adds. “It’s such a strange thing to design something that’s not there… it’s impossible, but this is something that I am always trying to do.”

So, what makes an outstanding costume for dance? Perhaps the obvious answer is that the costume cannot hinder the dancer, and it must be able to be washed every night, which significantly narrows the options in terms of what can be created. “There can be nothing extraneous, and there has to be an idea, a good one, that drives the whole thing,” says Assness. “The challenge, which is really exciting, is to take a restricted pallet and not be hindered by it.”

Maybe it’s this spirit of embracing challenge that has brought him to the top of his game. Although he is used to directing some of the most extravagant parties and launches in Australia, he says he would love to be asked to “design a Shakespeare with $300 and be told to do it all from Lowes.”

“I think in Australia you have to be very versatile,” he says. “I just focus on whatever I am doing and find a way to take that project to the highest level possible within the budget and time parameters that I find myself in on any given day. I think I am lucky and it’s a privilege to be doing what I get to do.”

Assness has lots of great advice for anyone interested in a career in costume and stage design: “Do whatever it takes to get a gig. Whatever that is, keep working and over deliver – and make sure you get paid. Try and get an agent who can mentor you and put you in front to people. Go to shows, read, travel, absorb everything and always be prepared. And perhaps go to NIDA. Learn to draw and study colour theory and teach yourself to write.”He adds that it is important to be a very good listener, and to be “fundamentally selfless. I never work from the point of view of ‘what I will get out of this?’.”

Keep an eye out for the much-anticipated 2013 film, Luhrmann’s The Great Gatbsy, in which Assness has the magnificent job title of Party Design Consultant. The combination of Luhrmann and Assness’ unique and lavish visions – plus Gatsby’s famed, decadent parties – equals the promise of some pretty wild visual feasts.

Top photo: Costumes by Tony Assess for Sydney Dance Company’s 360°. Photo by Jez Mead.

Sydney Opera House
August 29 2012

By Kristy Johnson.

Spring Dance Curator, Rafael Bonachela, commissioned works by Emily Amisano, Stephanie Lake, Larissa McGowan and Lisa Wilson for this year’s festival. Chosen “because of their unique talent and different approach to dance-making”, Contemporary Women ticked all the right boxes when it came to creating four innovative pieces of choreography for Sydney Dance Company.

First and foremost, it was exciting to see four of Australia’s most talented female choreographers create a repertoire of works, performed by the best of Australia’s contemporary dancers. Usually we aren’t privileged to see a complete program solely of female choreography.

Kicking off the night was Desire by Queensland’s Lisa Wilson. Focusing on the internal forces that drive us or make us hesitate or waver in action, inspiration came from the interior landscape of body and mind. A brilliant cast including Emily Amisano, Lachlan Bell, Thomas Bradley, Juliette Barton, Richard Cilli, Janessa Dufty and Bernhard Knauer, brought together the landscape of body and mind with connectedness and fluidity of movement.

Photos by Jess Bialek

Fanatic by Adelaide’s Larissa McGowan provided great comic relief and was by far my favourite piece of the night. Using humour and physical expression, the dancers investigated what happens when Alien and Predator movie fans express their emotions through youTube. Laughter was often heard from the audience throughout the entire piece.

Dancer Emily Amisano, who performed in Desire, returned as choreographer for the third instalment of the night, Yield. Sydney based Emily, examined how we come to understand others through their behaviours, reactions and limitations, by considering the balance within a relationship. A playful nature was depicted through the use of props including stools and mats, as well as the expressions shown on the dancers’ faces.

The final piece of the night, Dream Lucid, was choreographed by Melbournian Stephanie Lake. Stephanie asked the audience to consider a modern dilemma.  Are we able to be an individual in a society so highly controlled or is our freedom simply an illusion? This was evident to see through the dynamic choreography, and inability of the dancers to escape contact by other artists.

The clever use of lighting for the program should receive a mention. Benjamin Cisterne created depth to the performances through flickering lights, which caused the choreography to appear more dynamic and intense at times.

By the amount of applause given at the conclusion of the night, it was evident I wasn’t the only one who thoroughly enjoyed each performance. Each piece was innovative in its own right, had one captivated by the sheer level of talent of the dancers, and entertaining. Once again, Sydney Dance Company did not disappoint.

Sydney Opera House has unveiled a vibrant and eclectic program for Spring Dance 2012 – Australia’s only international festival of contemporary dance – curated by Rafael Bonachela.

Brimming with energy, and with an international flavour, the two week festival will be a celebration of movement, infused with Rafael’s spirit and his passion for dance. The festival, which will take over Sydney Opera House’s Western Foyers, includes an evening of four world premieres, three Australian premieres and offers up an assortment of dance and music styles to Spring Dance audiences.

Running from 20 August – 2 September, this year’s festival will get off to a sizzlingly sensual start when Sydney Opera House welcomes back Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. He will perform on stage for the first Australian presentation of Dunas, created and choreographed with renowned flamenco dancer María Pagés who will perform in Australia for the first time.

TAO Dance Theatre. Photo by Matthew George Johnson

The French choreographer Mourad Merzouki and his troupe of 11 dancers from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro will take Sydney by storm with their energetic fusion of hip hop, capoeira and samba with their double bill Agwa and Correria. By contrast, Beijing’s TAO Dance Theatre will also make their Australian debut, presenting the elegantly pared-back dances Weight x 3 and 2, set against the music of legendary minimalist composer Steve Reich.

Sydney Opera House and Sydney Dance Company will shine a light on female choreography with the world premiere of Contemporary Women – a series of four innovative works created by female Australian choreographers and performed by Sydney Dance Company’s dancers. The pieces, currently in development, will be further illustrated by a specially commissioned film and photography exhibition in the Western Foyers by Peter Greig.

Also celebrating home-grown talent will be Clouds Above Berlin choreographed and performed by Antony Hamilton and Melanie Lane; and iOU dance solo series which will showcase the best of Sydney’s independent dance scene.

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and María Pagés’ Dunas. Photo by David Ruano

Spring Dance curator Rafael Bonachela said, “From the intellectual and innovative to the joyous and lyrical, there will be so much on offer at this year’s Spring Dance. For dance aficionados there will be some beautiful yet rigorous work presented by some truly inspirational artists. And for those people walking the streets of Sydney who don’t yet know that they love contemporary dance – we’re going to find them and welcome them to our community of dance lovers!”

Executive Producer Jonathan Bielski added, “We invited Rafael to lead Spring Dance not just because he is an artist of international acclaim, which he is, or because he is the most charming man in Sydney, which he most certainly is, but because he is a gifted programmer of other artists’ work and this talent is rare.”

Spring Dance will be accompanied by a series of on-site events including post show Q&As and artist-led masterclasses. The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director David McAllister will lead a free outdoor ballet class and there will be a free jazz class taught by Rafael Bonachela and Ramon Doringo.

For the first time, the festival will be documented by a photographer in residence, Justin Ridler – keep an eye on the Spring Dance blog to stay up to date with his behind the scenes images.

There will be a one-off free film screening of Rudolf Nureyev and Robert Helpmann’s 1973 performance of Don Quixote for The Australian Ballet, introduced by David McAllister, offering a rare opportunity to revisit the first official public performance in the Sydney Opera House Opera Theatre.

The documentary film Never Stand Still, made at the Jacob’s Pillow festival in Massachusetts, will be screened at the Drama Theatre, offering an insightful glimpse into the world of dancers and choreographers. Tickets are $15.

Tickets for Spring Dance performances are only $35 and can be purchased via sydneyoperahouse.com or by phone on 02 9250 7777.

Top image: Mourad Merzouki’s Agwa and Correria