By Laura Di Orio.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Rebecca Martin.

Australian dancer Stephanie Williams has gone from strength to strength since leaving The Australian Ballet in 2011 and joining Het Nationale Ballet in Amsterdam for six months before settling into her new home of New York where she is one of American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) newest recruits.

Since commencing her ballet training at the age of 8 with the Marie Walton-Mahon Dance Academy in Newcastle, Stephanie has been a dancer to watch.  Moving to Melbourne as a teenager to train at The Australian Ballet School, she received the Gold Medal at the 10th Asian Pacific International Ballet Competition in Tokyo, graduated at the top of her class, and performed the dual role of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake.  In 2007, Stephanie joined The Australian Ballet as a Corps de Ballet member before being promoted to Coryphee the following year.  While with The Australian Ballet, Stephanie performed many Soloist and Principal roles and was a guest artist with Christopher Wheeldon’s Morphoses, again performing Principal roles.  2009 saw Stephanie work with choreographer Wayne McGregor on his new piece Dyad 1929, and become the youngest ever winner of The Australian Telstra Ballet Dancer of the Year Award and People’s Choice Award.

In the lead up to the world premiere of Ratmansky’s Firebird in California, Stephanie found time to speak with Dance Informa about life since leaving Australia…

You’ve done quite a bit of travelling lately, having gone from The Australian Ballet to Het Nationale Ballet in Europe, and now with American Ballet Theatre in New York. How are you managing so far away from friends and family?

The past year has been a whirlwind of travel, exploration and life change. At times it’s been wonderful and exciting and at other times scary and daunting, but all part of an incredible journey that has given me a fresh perspective on life and dance. The beautiful people that have come into my life have had a huge impact on me and they have helped me with the major changes that come with moving to the other side of the world. I have to say I am extraordinarily fortunate to have the most beautiful, supportive family whose love and belief in me has never wavered, even when I’ve felt lost at times. And although I miss them terribly, I am in an extremely positive, motivating, passionate and inspiring environment every day at ABT. This fills me with a sense of happiness and allows me artistic fulfillment, of which I couldn’t have ever imagined and appreciate so much. And thank goodness for Skype!!

Stephanie Williams of American Ballet Theatre. Photo James Hooper

Any interesting cultural differences you’ve come across?

New York is incredible in that I feel like it’s so open to different styles and foods and that’s why it’s so exciting because there is always something new and interesting to try and seek out. I’m not a good sleeper so the fact that I live in ‘The city that never sleeps’ works perfectly for me!
Amsterdam is like no other place, with canals and bikes everywhere you look. I used to love seeing an entire family on a bicycle – the mum riding with the two kids on the front, baby in arms, perhaps an umbrella and mobile phone in hand and some groceries hanging off the handle for good measure. All executed without a care in the world! And then parked amongst another hundred bicycles so the street looks like a twisted metal junkyard! What a truly amazing sight and the epitome of Amsterdam.

Do you notice differences in European and American dancers compared with Australians?

There are definitely differences in dancers from Europe and America compared to Australia and I think a lot of it comes down to training and cultural differences. But what I think is amazing about dance is that it is universal. All around the world there are inspiring artists expressing themselves through movement and to me I feel that it is such a special, beautiful way to share one’s emotions. No matter your training, background or where you’re from, each individual has his or her own unique way of expressing that through dance. That is incredible.

Did you have trouble securing a Visa to work in the US?

I was actually very lucky with securing my Visa. ABT helped by petitioning on my behalf and they required a lot of paperwork from my time dancing with Het Nationale Ballet, Australian Ballet and Morphoses The Wheeldon Company, so my mum was an absolute hero and compiled everything and sent it to ABT. Once my petition was approved I secured my Visa. It has a name which I love. Apparently I am an “Alien with Extraordinary Talents”! I then just had to go to the US Consulate in Amsterdam, but was very lucky with how smoothly it all came together.

Is living in New York and dancing in one of the world’s best companies a dream come true?

I have to admit I do pinch myself most days. I have found a happiness and an appreciation for what I am fortunate enough to do every day. Living in New York is incredible. It is a city to get totally lost in, to explore and to dream. American Ballet Theatre is a very special organisation and to be a part of it is very humbling and inspiring. But over the course of the last 15 months I have grown up a lot (as stereotypical as that sounds). I have found such beauty in people, places, dance and life and to be able to recognise and appreciate it. That, to me, is the dream I have journeyed to.

What shows do you have coming up with ABT?

At the moment I am in Costa Mesa preparing for our triple bill which consists of Merce Cunninghams’ Duets, Christopher Wheeldons’ 13 Diversions and the world premiere of Ratmanskys’ new Firebird. I will be dancing in 13 Diversions and Firebird which I am really excited about! Being involved in the creation of Firebird has been incredible and inspiring each and every day. Working with Ratmansky and seeing this ballet come together has been amazing and I’m so excited about the premiere this week!

Will Australian audiences see you on stage at home in the future?

I really hope I can come and dance in Australia sooner rather than later, so I will definitely be looking at how to make that happen.

Top photo: Stephanie Williams dances in La Bayadère with American Ballet Theatre. Photo Gene Schiavone.

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

By Rain Francis.

Arts Centre, Melbourne
February 2012

The Australian Ballet’s 50th Anniversary celebrations have begun with a big, beautiful bang. Infinity is a triple bill of new works created by three of Australia’s most important choreographers, to three commissioned scores.

The evening opens with The Narrative of Nothing, from Australia’s beloved Graeme Murphy. After creating a string of lavish story ballets, including 2011′s Romeo and Juliet, Murphy opted out of the constraints of expressing a narrative, returning to a more neoclassical, purely abstract form. During the creative process, however, he found it impossible to NOT find meaning in the steps being constructed, eventually coming to the conclusion that as humans we need – have always needed – stories. The resulting ballet is a 30 minute exhibition of formidable technique, not necessarily always virtuosic in the sense of being grand and showy, but intricate, flawlessly executed and at times lightning-quick. As Murphy noted, in the various groupings of dancers, the audience is free to find its fictions and fantasies.

The Narrative of Nothing is set to Brett Dean’s Fire Music, dedicated to the victims of the 2009 ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires. Powerful in scope and elaborately detailed, the score is expertly rendered by the choreography. The dancers are dressed in unitards which are covered in minute mirrors – an innovative design of Murphy’s long-time collaborator, Jennifer Irwin.

Unexpectedly, the most traditional classical ballet choreography and costumes of the evening are to be found within a piece by one of our most eminent contemporary choreographers. There’s Definitely a Prince Involved is Gideon Obarzanek’s first major work since departing Chunky Move. It asks questions such as ‘what is ballet?’ and ‘what is love?’, drawing on answers collected by Obarzanek when conducting interviews as part of his research. Swan Lake, as the quintessential ballet, is deconstructed and given a realist’s revamp, shot through with candid, sometimes amusing, often nerve-touching narration. Created alongside the choreography, Stefan Gregory’s score manipulates Tchaikovsky’s famous original, thankfully retaining its faultless essence.

The show-stealer of the second work is easily the contemporary Grand Pas de Deux, narrated by Madeleine Eastoe and danced by guest artists Sara Black and James O’Hara. The two bodies writhe and tumble with invertebrate fluidity, reminiscent of the fabulous dressmaker’s dummy in Dame Peggy van Praagh and George Ogilvie’s production of Coppelia.

For me, the piece de resistance of the evening is Stephen Page’s mesmerising Warumuk – In the Dark Night. Inspired by Yolngu families’ creation stories of the night sky, the work explores the ‘spiritual relationship between people, land and nature’. Various myths are interpreted, including those of the Milky Way, the lunar eclipse and the morning star. Dancers from Bangarra Dance Theatre and The Australian Ballet blend seamlessly, the latter embracing a more weighted movement vocabulary. Throughout, the combination of the dance, David Page’s score and Padraig O Suilleabhain’s lighting is nothing short of hypnotic, but it is Jennifer Irwin’s breathtaking costumes which blow my mind, particularly in the dance of the Seven Sisters.

Infinity is a well-balanced cross-section of the Australian dance palette. It incorporates various traditions and our unique Indigenous culture, whilst nodding to the new directions of our choreographers. Here’s to the next 50 years.

Photo: Graeme Murphy, Lana Jones, Gideon Obarzanek, Stephen Page. Photo Georges Antoni

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

By Rain Francis.

February 26 2012.

Last month, Melbourne dance students were treated to a very special experience. The Australian Institute of Classical Dance held a workshop, led by master choreographer Graeme Murphy, and his wife and Creative Associate Janet Vernon. Held at the beautiful Australian Ballet Centre studios, this was a rare chance for the next generation of dancers to learn from one of the country’s most treasured creative teams.

The workshop began with a talk by Mr. Murphy. He discussed questions such as ‘what is choreography?’, inviting answers from the dancers as well as sharing his own ideas with us. He also talked about his most recent work, The Narrative of Nothing, which is part of The Australian Ballet’s Infinity season. Having seen the show only the night before, this was for me a fantastic insight into a brilliant work. Personally, I would have been happy to sit on the Tarkett for hours and just listen to Mr. Murphy talk. He was so personable, engaging and articulate, with a sense of humour everyone warmed to.

When we did stand up, we tried a few simple group exercises, under the direction of Mr. Murphy. He instructed us to find a horizontal shape, then to turn it to face the back, moving as a group. We experimented with different levels and speeds, and with the spatial arrangement of the group. Next, we learned a very short movement sequence, which we then had to decipher in retrograde. Spread out in a line across the room, we moved through the sequence in a canon, then reversed it, and again played around with tempo. These simple exercises illustrated the effectiveness of playing with the elements of movement, and the endless possibilities available to the choreographer.

After a brief lunch break Mr. Murphy talked about the importance of linking steps; about the pathway between one movement and the next. We were asked to come up with three separate movements in only five minutes. The next instruction was to find ways to link them together to form a phrase. After some time working on this idea, we were asked to present our phrases one at a time. This was quite a daunting task for many of the younger dancers in the room. I found that a good approach was not to think about the fact that I was about to perform solo in front of Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon. Both of them made observations on everyone’s phrases, giving feedback and asking for repetitions and variations. They were encouraging and sincere in their reactions, which was inspiring.

Although fleeting, this workshop was an unforgettable way to spend a Sunday. To meet Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon was in itself a treat, and to gain even a fragment of insight into their working methods was of great value.

Formed by Marilyn Jones OBE, the A.I.C.D. is a non profit organisation to assist teachers and students of classical dance in Australia. It is run by a devoted band of volunteers headed by Dame Margaret Scott, the founding Director of The Australian Ballet School. The programs the A.I.C.D. produce are designed for the particular needs of dancers in Victoria. Their next program is a series of adult ballet classes given in the studios of The Australian Ballet and taken by principal dancers of The Australian Ballet. All monies raised go toward funding a Choreographic Showcase to help promote new choreography.

Photo of Graeme Murphy by Lynette Wills.

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

By Laura Di Orio.

For dancers, who are so in control of their body and used to being intensely self-focused, the idea of a dramatically changing body and shift in priorities may seem like a shock. For dancers who have faced these changes and now have a young life to add to their own, however, the journey is well worth it. Nowadays, more and more dancers have found that, with some hard work and patience, it is possible to raise a family and return strong to their performing careers.

New York City Ballet Principal Jenifer Ringer, who is already a mother of a young daughter and is almost eight months pregnant with a little boy, says the most important thing for pregnant dancers is to listen to their bodies. During each of her pregnancies, Ringer’s doctor ensured her that any activity her body was used to doing would be safe and healthy, as long as she felt comfortable. For Ringer, that meant performing up until about three months into her pregnancy, but even now, she continues to take partial ballet class.

NYCB Principal Jenifer Ringer in The Four Seasons. Photo: Paul Kolnik

“I cut back depending on how I feel,” Ringer says. “I’ve heard of some dancers doing grand allegro up until they give birth, but I was never comfortable with that. Now, I’m basically just doing barre and then adagio and tendus in center and then I’m done.”

Each dancer’s body will feel different during this time of change. Laura Tong, a soloist with The Australian Ballet, whose son Henry is about six months old, performed until she was 19 weeks pregnant and took class or barre in some form until she was 8 months along. “In the later months, I spent most of the time giggling about my attempt at an arabesque and the fact that I’d forgotten what a stomach muscle was,” Tong says, “but it was nice to still be able to spend that time in the studio with my friends and colleagues.”

Tong also recalls the last partnering role she performed while pregnant, as Kate in Madame Butterfly, at about 15 weeks. “Poor Rudy Hawkes had to lift me above his head and twirl me around,” she says. “I think that pas de deux work during pregnancy is sometimes more daunting for the man, as they feel completely responsible for the safety of all three of you!”

Abby Silva Gavezzoli, a dancer with Parsons Dance, worked together with her doctor (she had to promise to wear a heart rate monitor during physical activity), company directors and fellow dancers to ensure she could safely tour and perform with the company for as long as possible during her pregnancy. At the time, Parsons Dance was preparing for their season at The Joyce, and while some of Gavezzoli’s more rigorous parts were understudied, she said she still danced a good bit.

Abby Silva Gavezzoli of Parsons Dance, backstage with her son, Marcello, during Parsons' 2012 season at The Joyce.

“I toured and performed until I was about six months along,” says Gavezzoli, whose son, Marcello, was born in August 2011. “I took full class, including jumps and pirouettes, which were hilarious, until seven months. I remember at the end of that month just feeling like, ‘Okay, enough!’ I just wanted to sit in my new rocking chair and read with a fan blowing on me!”

As dancing gets harder further into the pregnancy, dancers often rely on lighter activities, such as yoga, walking and some Pilates, to keep themselves in shape.

Gavezzoli says she did a lot of walking and core-stabilizing exercises like planks. She also went to prenatal yoga up until the week she delivered. “That was great for meeting other expectant mothers and to share what we were experiencing,” she says. “It focused more on getting you ready for the delivery, which I was having so much fear about.”

Once an expectant mother does give birth, it is important that she talks with her doctor about what’s healthiest during her return to the stage. Dancers should embrace the process, which will most likely be a gradual one, as it takes time for a woman’s body to recover. And again, each dancer’s experience will be different.

Ringer says her first child hardly slept, so that left no time for exercise for the first three months, but her physical therapist recommended waiting that long anyway. After six months, Ringer was back on stage, although she says she wasn’t at her optimum performance weight until about one or two months after that.

Tong started her rehab with Pilates about six weeks after giving birth, and she progressed to simple barre exercises a few weeks later. She will return to the stage in May, when she performs Onegin at the Sydney Opera House.

Gavezzoli says she felt anxious to move her body after giving birth and that her family had to remind her to not push herself. Once she did get the all clear from her doctor, she went back to the studio in November (she brought Marcello along every day) and performed in Parsons’ season this past January.

Laura Tong, soloist with The Australian Ballet, with her son Henry. Photo courtesy of The Australian Ballet

Aside from the process of getting the body strong and in shape again, a struggle for many new mothers is the time away from their baby.

“Ballet class is in a lot of ways a very self-involved thing,” Ringer says, “and I had been giving so much love and care to this baby, it felt strange to go back and do something that was so self-focused. It didn’t feel as important as raising a life.”

“I was always active, not only dancing but also running, swimming and doing yoga,” adds Gavezzoli, who says that a 10 a.m. ballet class can no longer be her first priority. “It’s hard not being able to just drop everything and go for a run. I miss that freedom sometimes, but then there’s a little giggle or smile from Marcello and the feeling passes.”

Ringer says that her realization of what is most important in her life has actually translated into making her a better dancer. “There’s something really freeing about dancing now for me because it’s not the most important thing in my life,” she says. “My children are the most important thing in my life, and now when I dance it feels like a joy and a privilege to do, and I give myself more of a break. I allow myself to make more mistakes, and I think that’s made my dancing better because I don’t worry about being perfect all the time.”

As far as advice for other dancers who want to have a baby and return to stage careers afterwards, all of these women say to go for it.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” Ringer says. “Seeing my body change and gain weight over these 40 weeks is a miracle. So embrace it, enjoy it and know that you’ll be able to get your body back with just a little bit of hard work and time. It’s all worth it.”

Top photo:  A pregnant Laura Tong, soloist with The Australian Ballet. Photo by Jasmin Tulk
Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – everything dance in Australia – dance news, dance auditions & dance events.

Hear from your favourite dance artists and be inspired for 2012!

By Deborah Searle. 

What’s your New Year’s Resolution? Do you make goals for yourself at the start of a new year, in the hope of becoming a better dancer, choreographer, or teacher? Even the industry’s most renowned dance artists set new goals for the new year.  Dance Informa spoke to the industry’s dance stars to find out their plans for 2012.

Madeleine Eastoe with Kevin Jackson. Photo Georges Antoni

Madeleine Eastoe
Principal dancer, The Australian Ballet
www.australianballet.com.au  

“My New Year’s resolutions are to do all those stretches and exercises I put off until later because they hurt, to eat less chocolate and drink less coffee (like that will happen!),  and to make realistic resolutions for the future!

My aspirations for 2012 are to be partnered by Kevin Jackson wherever possible and remain injury free, so I can enjoy all my performances and rehearsals leading up to them. I guess I aspire to keep a high standard of dancing while being emotionally and artistically challenged. I also plan to enjoy my wonderful family life, because I’m blessed to have this career as well as the love and support of my husband and daughter.”

Marko Panzic

Marko Panzic
Dancer, Choreographer, Producer
www.markopanzic.com

“My theme for 2012 is all about LEARNING! My goal and resolution for 2012, is to learn new things and develop new skills in the world of entertainment. 2012 marks the first year which I will be producing a dance show in Sydney. I am excited for 2012 and excited to grow and learn more and more in different fields in the Dance world. Another secret resolution is to work with Beyonce at some point. I’m working towards it! Hehe “

To learn more about the show Marko’s producing in 2012 visit www.markopanzic.com/tannos-choice 

Paul Knobloch

Paul Knobloch
Company Dancer, Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, San Francisco USA

“This New Year I will be joining Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, moving from Australia to San Francisco and making my mark on the American dance scene. I guess my resolutions for the new year are much like my ultimate dance dreams:
To be the best dancer I can possibly be.
To give myself completely as an artist. 
To bring happiness, joy and inspiration to all I am blessed to dance for.
To learn, absorb and soak up as much knowledge available to me in order to inspire and share the gift of dance with others.
To inspire other people who have a love and passion for dance, and encourage them to reach for the stars in pursuit of their ultimate dreams.”

After eight years as a leading dancer with The Australian Ballet, Paul Knobloch then joined the renowned Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. Now America is calling and Paul will join San Francisco’s Alonzo King LINES Ballet in 2012.

Sarah Boulter

Sarah Boulter
Renowned choreographer, Co-Director Ev & Bow
www.evandbow.com

“My New Year’s resolution is to be more adventurous in every experience to expand the capacity of my imagination, creativity, friendships & choreography. My Goals are to push myself choreographically and share my work in many forums both within Australia and overseas. Lastly, to create more opportunities for contemporary dancers in Australia providing more performance and career opportunities!”

Kevin Jackson with Madeleine Eastoe. Photo Georges Antoni

Kevin Jackson
Principal dancer, The Australian Ballet
www.australianballet.com.au  

“I don’t often make New Year’s resolutions, mainly ‘cause I don’t like disappointing myself when I don’t keep them! My resolution for the year to come will be to be a better lover, friend and family member to the people I love and care for. My aspirations for 2012 are to give Australian and overseas audiences great shows and to continue to develop and improve as an artist while working with The Australian Ballet.”

Erin Lamont

Erin Lamont
LA Based Choreographer and Creative Director
www.erinlamont.com

“My choreography and dance goals for this year include: choreographing a national commercial, my burlesque group ‘The Lalas’ to be in a residency at a resort/casino in Las Vegas (www.thelalas.com), and to work on a hit sitcom show choreographing a “spoof” scene for actors.  I LOVE working with non-dancers on comedic routines.  I always have such a blast! Other goals are to choreograph for another CSI episode.  I recently worked on CSI:NY and the experience was amazing.  As a dancer and choreographer I felt so appreciated and respected.  I also had a lot of artistic freedom in the scene which made for fun improvisation. Also, SYTYCD.  Need I say more? Lastly, I aim to work my agent to the bone and keep her so busy with all of my bookings. I just signed with The S Agency in L.A, and I am so excited for what lies ahead!”

LA based, Detroit born, Erin Lamont is an in demand choreographer with feature credits including The Video Game Awards with Neil Patrick Harris, Lady Gaga, Kevin Rudolph, Trace Adkins, Boys Like Girls, the Veronicas, CMT’s Your Chance to Dance, L.A Fashion Week, and ESPN. Erin tours internationally as a guest artist and choreographer and is also the producer and director of L.A’s hottest burlesque group, ‘The Lalas’.

Michele Assaf

Michèle Assaf
Artistic Director of World Dance Movement-The International Workshop
www.WorldDanceMovement.com

“To create more outlets nationally and internationally to educate dancers and support this community that has brought me a lifetime of joy.”
.

Robert Hoffman

Robert Hoffman
Step Up 2:The Streets, faculty of The PULSE On Tour
www.punchrobert.com

“To make ‘The Yes Dance’ into a movie… Grow as a person… And create a lot of smiles, wonderment, and laughter.”

Robert James Hoffman rose to fame as the lead male in Jon M. Chu’s urban dance drama ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’. He is a faculty member of The PULSE On Tour®, a powerful weekend dance event featuring the most renowned instructors, choreographers and educators of today. www.thepulseontour.com

Riannon McLean

Riannon McLean
Company dancer, Expressions Dance Company

“My New Year’s resolution is to always be honest and open about the artist I am and the goals I believe I can reach. My goals and aspirations are to keep gaining knowledge and experience both mentally and physically and to simply embrace this wonderful journey I am on!”

David Williams

David Williams
Company dancer, Expressions Dance Company

“My New Year’s Resolution is to get my Driver’s Licence. I’ve been on my L’s for 9 years! My goals and aspirations for 2012 are to be the strongest my mind and body have ever been….It’s time to conquer!!!”

Samantha Mitchell

Samantha Mitchell
Company dancer, Expressions Dance Company

“My New Year’s resolution is to broaden my horizons, attend a varied range of live theatre, challenge my cooking skills, get my sewing machine out more frequently, improve my keeping-in-touch skills with overseas friends, grow a herb garden… oh and perhaps learn a language!

My goal for 2012 is to develop a piece of choreography. When I was in my third year of training I dabbled a little in choreography, but haven’t revisited it since becoming a professional dancer. Now I’m in my fifth year of work, I want to experiment with some ideas. It’s a very exciting prospect, and I am looking forward to the challenge.”

Expressions Dance Company’s 2012 season kicks off in Brisbane with ‘Launch Pad 2012’ from Feb 21 – 25, and continues with ‘Scripsi Scriptum’ in March – a co-production with Cathy Sharp Dance Ensemble from Switzerland. EDC will also tour to Melbourne in July to perform as part of The Australian Ballet’s ‘Lets Dance’ season and more performances and collaborations will be announced in the New Year – stay tuned. www.facebook.com/expressionsdancecompany or www.expressionsdancecompany.org.au

Top photo: © Tom Wang | Dreamstime.com

Canberra’s very own born and bred ballet star Paul Knobloch is set to take the US by storm.

After eight years as a leading dancer with The Australian Ballet, Paul left at the invitation of Artistic Director Gil Roman to join the prestigious Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. Now the USA is calling as Paul has landed himself a position to dance in San Francisco with the renowned Alonzo King LINES Ballet.

Alonzo King is one of the few bona fide visionaries in the ballet world today. He communicates ballet as a science – founded on universal, geometric principles of energy and evolution – and continues to develop a new language of movement from its classical forms and techniques. He is one of few known for connecting audiences to a profound sense of shared humanity in dance and it’s no wonder Paul’s creative energy is being pulled to his realm.

Knobloch’s exceptional artistic talents have propelled him from a young age to achieve national and international recognition as an outstanding dancer, artist and partner of the highest calibre. His continued success as one of the few elite world-class Australian dancers is highly acclaimed by critics and peers alike in both classical and contemporary dance. He has graced the stages of the world and danced throughout Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe, China, America and Japan.

Paul made his mark as a choreographer with The Australian Ballet in 2006 whilst still in high demand as a leading dancer within the company. He continues to enjoy the benefits as both a dancer and choreographer on the international stage, having created works for the Australian Ballet and the Australian Ballet School as well as new works entering the repertoire of Canada’s Ballet Victoria. Paul hopes his exposure to the American dance scene will also open up new opportunities for future choreographic collaborations.

But for now, dancing is his priority and the excitement of “working with the King” is what he most looks forward to.

“Alonzo is a true master of dance, equal to that of Balanchine, Kylian, Forsyth or Béjart. His philosophy about dance and his knowledge appears endless. He brings the best out of his dancers and has given me a new breath of inspiration and love for dance that I thought was not possible. I can’t wait for the new journey that lies ahead”, said Paul.

Photos by Silas Brown

By Rebecca Martin.

Alice Topp first pulled on her dance shoes in the town of Bendigo at the age of 4.  She relocated to Melbourne to study dance full time, first at the Victorian College of the Arts, then Leanne Rutherford’s Ballet Theatre of Victoria.  Alice then made the leap over the Tasman to join the Royal New Zealand Ballet before settling in at her current home at The Australian Ballet where she is a corps de ballet member and emerging choreographer.

For the past two years, Alice has been a prominent choreographer in The Australian Ballet’s Bodytorque seasons, with her first piece “Trace” being hailed by critics and dance lovers.  The piece was so successful that it was performed again outside of the Bodytorque program. 

Alice took time out of her demanding schedule to chat to Dance Informa about life on the road and life as a dancer.

Was Bodytorque your first foray into choreography? 
Yes, it was my first experiment with choreography. I’d never considered choreography previously until the 2010 Bodytorque season.

How did you find being on the other side of the creative process?
I loved it! There are so many different elements to consider and explore being on the other side. As a dancer, I’m used to taking directions and delivering the material but as a choreographer, you have control over your vision for the piece, the quality of movement, the choice of music, the lighting, set designs, video projections, props, costumes, dancers…. It can be rather overwhelming, but what I love about it is that there are limitless possibilities to explore your ideas. Collaboration is one of my favourite ways of creating and I love being surrounded by a team of talented artists each contributing their own unique flavour and shaping the work as we grow together on the journey of the piece.

Alice Topp, photo by Tim Richardson

How much of the year do you spend on tour with The Australian Ballet? 
We spend roughly five to six months a year on tour. Four months are spent in Sydney with yearly trips to Adelaide and Brisbane. There’s often an overseas tour also.

What is it like to tour with a professional Company?
It’s both exhausting and exhilarating!

Touring with a professional dance company means fulfilling a lifelong dream and having the opportunity to perform in some of the world’s most beautiful theatres. It means doing what I love on the national and world stage, working with the industry’s most amazing artists, choreographers, orchestras, production teams, technical staff and designers.

At The Australian Ballet we’re incredibly well looked after. Our medical team comes with us on tour and we have access to all dance maintenance equipment and facilities. We also have an amazing group of company managers sorting out our flights, accommodation and ticketing and a fantastic team of people organising our media commitments, sponsor related functions and anything in between!

As touring means performing and rehearsing six days a week, we often spend our Sunday sleeping and in recovery. As tiring as it is though, performing to a wide range of appreciative audiences means that it’s usually an incredibly rewarding experience.

Do you have any rituals or items you can’t travel without?
No rituals, but my tour mascot is usually my cat! Most tours he travels with me, otherwise he visits his ‘country retreat’ in Bendigo where my parents look after him.

What is the best part of touring?
I would say the change of scenery and the challenge. As we spend so much time interstate, Sydney has become rather a second home, so the familiarity, weather change and the shift into the Opera House is always welcomed. The best part of all touring though would have to be the international tours which are always a highlight for the sights, culture, history, hype and overall sensory experience.

What is the worst part of touring?
Packing and missing your own bed.

What advice would you give to fellow touring performers? 
For long tours – be mentally flexible. Don’t pack too much because you always come home with more and no-one likes airport excess luggage taxes. Try to limit everyday takeout, as convenient as it is when you’re exhausted, because good nutrition aids your recovery process and prevents you getting run-down and sick. Invest in a multivitamin. Never underestimate the value of a good night’s sleep. Try to maintain a balance. It’s important to maintain other interests to help keep perspective, keep yourself grounded and not let work become all-consuming. This will also mean that you have more creative energy to put back into your dancing. Pack a good book. Always have your iPod handy.

For overseas tours, make the most of every moment both inside and outside the theatre, because you never know when you’ll return and you don’t want to just see the inside of the auditorium.

What has been your favourite experience on tour (on stage or off)?
The most outstanding moment thus far would be the standing ovation we received in Paris at The Chatelet Theatre in 2008 in a joint tour with Bangarra Dance Theatre. The buzz was incredible!

Where would you most like to perform?
Palais Garnier, the Paris Opera.

Favourite roles danced? 
Wayne McGregor’s Dyad 1929 and Stanton Welch’s Divergence.

Role you would most like to perform?
Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain pas de deux.

What are you looking forward to in The Australian Ballet’s 50th Anniversary year? 
The Infinity program, which is a triple bill of works by Graeme Murphy, Stephen Page and Gideon Obarzanek.

By Rebecca Martin

“This is something of a golden age at The Australian Ballet … There’s not much it can’t do, and can’t do breathtakingly well” Herald Sun 

It’s hard to believe that The Australian Ballet will be turning 50 next year.  To celebrate, the company will be presenting a blockbuster program in 2012 including traditional ballets, experimental triple bills, the return of audience favourites, an Australian dance party, and special international gala.  Additionally, there will be extensive national and regional tours, education programs, and a free outdoor performance.  The 50^th anniversary season is the culmination of the past three years which has showcased the company’s diverse history and achievements. 

Since the company’s first performance in 1962, The Australian Ballet has defined ballet in Australia thanks to the vision of founding Artistic Director Peggy van Praagh.  With Principal Dancers from the Borovansky Ballet, a Ballet Master from The Royal Ballet and a teacher from the Pavlova Company, the repertoire consisted of international works that were successful overseas in addition to some new works created specifically for The Australian Ballet.  Some of the world’s greatest dancers came to Australia to perform as guests of the company, most notably Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev.  Peggy van Praagh established The Australian Ballet School in 1964 as the official school of the company which was directed by Margaret Scott.  The Australian Ballet School has produced some of the world’s finest dancers.

Madeleine Eastoe, Andrew Killian, Kevin Jackson, Robyn Hendrinks of The Australian Ballet. Photo Georges Antoni

In 2001, former student of The Australian Ballet School and Principal Artist with The Australian Ballet, David McAllister, was appointed as the company’s new Artistic Director.  His tenure as director has seen the company forge a more modern and fashionable image and has worked to broaden its audience both locally and internationally.  The Australian Ballet is now one of the hardest working companies in the world, presenting over 200 performances annually and boasts a varied repertoire that includes works from some of the world’s greatest choreographers.

Colin Peasley joined The Australian Ballet for its inaugural season in 1962 and has remained with the company ever since, becoming one of the audience’s most loved performers.  Born in Sydney, he trained with Valrene Tweedie and spent his early career in musicals and television.  Since joining The Australian Ballet, Colin has been ballet master and principal dancer, and is currently the director of the company’s education program.  In 1996 he was awarded a medal of the Order of Australia, and was inducted into the Australian Dance Awards Hall of Fame in 2005.

I spoke with Colin about the company’s upcoming anniversary and achievements:

Is it hard to believe that The Australian Ballet is 50 years old? 

“In 1962 when the company was founded we were administered jointly by JC Williamson and The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust. Our first tour of Australia was reasonably successful, however this success wasn’t repeated in New Zealand where the company aborted its tour after playing only the North Island.  The Trust reacted to the financial losses made during the New Zealand tour by blaming and sacking the manager and threatening to close the company. 

Colin Peasley. Photo by James Braund

This obviously made the company feel very vulnerable. So soon after, The Australian Ballet became autonomous with its own board of management.  The careful stewardship of successive administrators has meant that the company has always equalled our artistic success with financial responsibility.  So, to answer your question – except for that first scare, I have always believed that The Australian Ballet was headed for a very long life!” 

When the company commenced all those years ago, did you (or anyone) think it would be as respected on the world stage as it is now?

“One of the saddest aspects of cultural life in Australia during the early 1900s was called the ‘cultural cringe’, where the average person believed that everything from overseas must be better than what we could produce at home.  Strangely in the arts, this actually proved to be beneficial.  Because we thought dancers trained in Europe would have a better technique or more appealing stage personalities, our dancers used this as a challenge and worked harder to become ‘performing artists’.  So much so that when The Australian Ballet first toured overseas in 1965, performing in twelve major cities including London, Paris, Copenhagen, Berlin and Los Angeles (with return seasons in Paris and London) , we were thrilled to receive rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. 

Since then the company has taken 31 overseas tours and visited 37 countries. Not bad for a company that is only a youngster when compared to the Paris Opera Ballet which was 300 years old when we were born!”

What do you think has been the biggest challenge for the company over the years and what remains its biggest challenge today?

“The dreaded tyranny of distance.  One of our major costs is transporting our dancers, staff, scenery and costumes around this big, wide country. Unlike the Royal Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet, we are not resident in one city and our charter requires us to present performances throughout Australia.” 

What sets The Australian Ballet (and its dancers) apart from ballet companies elsewhere in the world?

“Dancing not only reflects the culture of particular areas but also the lifestyle. This can be very easily seen in the dancing of Australians – broad and athletic; of the French – refined and stylish; and the English – well-mannered and exact.  Australian dancers, like Russian dancers, have a breadth of movement that is athletic and expansive reflecting the size of their home countries.  When you marvel at Australian dancers on stage you are not only appreciating their physicality but also the very essence of this wide, sunburnt country.”

Given that you’ve performed with some of the greatest dancers of all time and performed all over the world, is there an absolute highlight from your time with The Australian Ballet?

“My greatest joy, of course, was being selected to be a member of this fantastic company.  Especially as I was not only a late starter, but my only experience had been dancing on television in variety shows.  This highlight was doubled when, during The Australian Ballet’s first season we had two of the world’s most acclaimed stars, Sonya Arova and Erik Bruhn, as our guest artists. The excitement was tripled when Rudolf Nureyev came out to visit them in that Sydney season.  If there is such a thing as ‘ballet heaven’, I was in it.”

How do you see the future of dance in Australia, and more specifically, the future of The Australian Ballet?

“When The Australian Ballet began, they were not many fully professional dance companies around. Now every state has at least one professional company. To service these companies, every state also has full-time training institutions producing dancers who are respected world-wide.

Because our dance students are committing themselves to the profession earlier than in the past, we are developing artists who are both technically proficient and artistically advanced. We’re also seeing more choreographers producing work reflecting an Australian view of the world, which means the future for dance in Australia looks both interesting and exciting.”

Top photo: Kevin Jackson, Madeleine Eastoe, Robyn Hendricks, Andrew Killian of The Australian Ballet. Photo Georges Antoni.

Telstra Opening Act

In its second year running Telstra’s Opening Act is bigger and better! You and your dance group have the chance to win any dancer’s ultimate dream, to perform your own choreographed dance infront of thousands of spectators in Brisbane Gardens. That’s right The Australian Ballet and Telstra are joining forces to find the best dance group out there to be the Opening Act at Ballet in the Gardens in Brisbane. They want to see dancers from all walks of life who are able to display their ability of grace, athleticism, individuality and creativity. Whether you are a Hip Hop dancer or Ballet dancer, if you think you have what it takes strap on your dancing shoes and blow Telstra and The Australian Ballet away!

Telstra Ballet in the Stadium 2010 outdoor performance

To be in the running ‘like’ www.facebook.com/telstra

Proceed to the Opening Act Page. Then submit a 3 minute video of your group dancing to one of the selected songs available for download on the page. Your entry will be vieweable by all members of the public in the viewing galley on the Telstra facebook page. Judges from The Australian Ballet and Telstra will pick their top submissions to go into the finalist round. Then it’s time to rally the troops! All finalists will be entered into a public vote where the Facebook community will have the power to decide who their favourite Opening Act is. This is your chance to to rally your friends, family and whoever you can find to vote for your Dance Troupe and win the Major Prize – A trip for your dance group to fly to Brisbane and perform as the Opening Act to The Australian Ballet at Telstra’s Ballet in The Gardens performance.

Entries are open from 21st July – 7th September
Finalists announced 19th September
Voting is open from 20th September – 13th October
The winners must be available for travel from 5th November – 6th November
 

So get dancing and visit www.facebook.com/telstra!