Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2016 - January 2017 i Dance Australia

In October I had the pleasure of seeing My Fair Lady at the Sydney Opera House. With direction by Julie Andrews, who starred in the show’s 1956 premiere season, and the original Cecil Beaton costume designs, the current production may be new but it is a heady trip down memory lane. Having performed in a high school version of the much-loved musical, watching My Fair Lady was an especially nostalgic experience. Each scene flooded my brain with long-forgotten memories. I was overwhelmed, too, with a sense of gratitude to my wonderful drama teacher, Mrs Anne Hairsine. While a school production is what it is, watching this professional version I could see the lengths to which Mrs Hairsine had gone to ensure that every aspect of our production was as professional…

1 ROYAL BALLET SUMMER SCHOOL Applications are open for the Royal Ballet’s 2017 summer school. http://www.danceaustralia.com.au/news/royal-ballet-school-summer-programme 2 PHOTOS FROM RIO Enjoy this beautiful gallery of images from Phillip Adams and Gregory Lorenzutti. The pair have been commissioned to create a new work for Brazilian company Companhia de Ballet da Cidade de Niterói. http://www.danceaustralia.com.au/news/photos-from-rio 3 THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET’S 2017 SEASON Find out what the Australian Ballet is up to in 2017. http://www.danceaustralia.com.au/news/http://www.danceaustralia.com.au/news/wheeldon-swonderland-to-headlinethe-australian-ballet-s-2017-seasonhttp://www.danceaustralia.com.au/news/wheeldon-swonderland-to-headlinethe-australian-ballet-s-2017-seasonwheeldon-swonderland-to-headlinethe-australian-ballet-s-2017-season…

Back in 2002 a young Australian dancer named Steven McRae won the gold medal at the Genée International Ballet Competition in Sydney. It was the first time the Genée had been held outside the United Kingdom. Now it is 2016. Steven McRae is a principal with the Royal Ballet and the Genée is returning to Sydney. Completing the circle, McRae has been appointed the Genée 2016 Ambassador. He remarks, “As a springboard into launching my professional dancing career, the Genée experience and its world-class teaching gave me an extraordinary opportunity to develop as a dancer.” 2016 will see a record number of 97 dancers from over 14 countries compete in this prestigious international ballet competition in Sydney, 7-11 December. The final, held 11 December at the Sydney Opera House, will…

Joseph Simons Australian choreographer/director In my experience, as much as you try, negative comparison never goes away, but what you can get better at is dealing with it, and allowing it be as short-lived as possible. This often comes with age, but it’s never too early to develop a healthy mental state. Whenever I see another artist and I start my internal rant (“I don’t have a documentary made about me”, “I haven’t choreographed a full-length ballet yet”, “I can’t do a triple tour”). I remind myself of a few important things I will share with you. You don’t know how they got there. Their circumstances are different to yours and you’ll never have exactly the same background, situation, up-bringing, training, finances, support group. It’s impossible for you to be…

A former prima ballerina, Lucinda Dunn danced with the Australian Ballet for 23 years, twelve of these as a principal artist. She is currently Australia’s longest serving ballerina. Dunn had her early training in Sydney with Janece Graham and Tanya Pearson. After receiving a scholarship from the Prix de Lausanne, she spent two years at the Royal Ballet School, London, aged 15-17. On graduating she was offered contracts with the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Australian Ballet, accepting the latter. During Dunn’s time as a dancer she had two daughters. She retired from the stage in 2014 as one of Australia’s most loved and revered ballerinas. Dance Australia: Describe your pathway to becoming a teacher. Lucinda Dunn: I had never envisioned I would teach, nor take over such a prestigious…

“IF you’d asked me 17 years ago where my path was leading me it would have been a certain answer, ‘Professional dancer.’ However life threw me a few curve balls and changed my trajectory. “I left school to pursue dance when I was 15. My mother and my grandmother went to extraordinary lengths for me to study this beautiful art form. Under the guidance of Prudence Bowen I achieved such accolades as the Wahringah Scholarship, outright winner of the McDonalds Scholarship, RAD Bursary, Genee Gold and a scholarship from the Prix de Lausanne. Back stage, however, my mum was fighting a very aggressive form of breast cancer. We lost her just after the McDonald’s Scholarship. “I took my place in 3rd year at the Royal Ballet School in 1999 but…

BRETT Morgan trained at the Saill Academy of Dance at Circular Quay and then the Australian Ballet School in 1982. He danced professionally with the Australian Ballet for six years before joining Sydney Dance Company (SDC) where he danced under Graeme Murphy. At SDC Morgan also held several other positions including dance master, rehearsal director and dance director. He has performed and taught masterclasses all over the world. Dance Australia: Describe your pathway to becoming a teacher. Brett Morgan: My path to teaching was an unexpected fork in the road. I was injured while at Sydney Dance Company. Despite this, Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon still gave me the opportunity to go on tour to France with the company. On that tour, the then ballet master, Bill Pengelly, was also…

Dance Australia: Describe your pathway to becoming a dance teacher. Fiona Donaldson: When I was 10 years old, I had already decided that I wanted to be a great teacher of ballet and dance, run my very own dance school and own my own premises. I started assisting my dance teacher as young as 13, as I enjoyed helping out with the younger children. As I got older I had a huge passion to teach and nurture young people, to offer a high level of technique in dance, and to be a mentor for them. I was accepted into a youth dance company that was auditioned by Marilyn Jones, but I didn’t take the option of a professional career as I had a burning desire to teach. So, straight out…

SONYA Shepherd started dancing at the age of four, under the guidance of her mother, Terri Charlesworth, OAM, WA Cit. at the Terri Charlesworth Ballet School and later at the Graduate College of Dance (GCD) also under the direction of Charlesworth. In 1977 she graduated with a Diploma of Dance. She then continued her training with Marika Besobrasova at the Princess Grace Acadamie de Danse Classique in Monte Carlo. Sonya was one of the first members of Kinetikos Dance Theatre – WA’s first contemporary dance company. For a brief, yet highly productive period, she moved away from the world of classical ballet to pursue a career in competitive professional aerobics where she represented Australia in three international aerobics titles and Western Australia in nine national tiles. She now draws upon…

Combating the dramas and adrenalin of the stage is a little like going into battle (without the dying part).” CHRISTMAS time for graduating dancers in Australasia is ‘D-Day’ – did I get the job? It is a brutal reality check for most, and “OMG!” for the lucky few. What should you expect from the professional adventure? Here are my five exciting ‘pros’ and frustrating ‘cons’ - a concession for those who missed out - attached to a career in dance. Pro #1: Getting paid for what you love It is a much bandied about line around dancers: “You’re so lucky getting paid to dance!” (Often used as a negotiation line). There is no denying it. When compared to a regular 9 to 5 desk job we are privileged. Transitioning from…

HOME MADE MUESLI Makes - 3 cups Prep - 5 mins, 10 mins cooling Cooking - 30 mins INGREDIENTS: 2/3 cup bran flakes or processed bran 1/3 cup quinoa flakes 1 cup rolled oats 1/3 cup chopped almonds 1/3 cup pepitas 2 tbsp sesame seeds 2 tbsp chia seeds 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tbsp butter, melted METHOD: 1. Pre-heat oven to 160c (140c fan-forced) 2. Line a large baking tray with baking paper 3. Combine all dry ingredients (except chia seeds) together in a large bowl 4. Add maple syrup and melted butter, toss to coat 5. Arrange mixture on baking tray in a single layer and place into oven 6. Bake for 10 mins 7. Toss and bake for another 10-15 mins or until golden 8. Stand for…

FOR 17 year old Brisbane dancer, Amelia Townsend, the last year has been one of growth and inspiration mixed with a fair share of pressure and intense training. Townsend completed her first year at the upper school of the Royal Ballet School (RBS) in July this year and in September moved into second year. She is excited about the opportunities that lie in wait over the coming months. Previously a student with Annette Roselli Dance Academy and the Australian Ballet School, Townsend says her first 12 months at the RBS were incredible. Though the training has been intense, she admits, with long days followed by school work and constant pressure to do one’s best and improve, the teachers have been very encouraging and nurturing. Some of the highlights of her…

THE Annette Roselli Dance Academy (ARDA) in Brisbane has a very special drawcard for its January International Summer School. The International Summer School, running 14 - 21 January 2017, offers classes in classical ballet, pre-pointe and pointe work, solo and group classical repertoire, boys’ virtuosity, contemporary and contemporary repertoire, body conditioning and stretching, jazz, character and acrobatics. A range of guest teachers including Jane Devine (ex Royal Ballet and English National Ballet), Claudia Dean (ex Royal Ballet Company), Adam Blanch (ex Queensland Ballet and Sydney Dance Company) and Tracey Carrodus (ex Sydney Dance Company) will be offering classes. However the headline teacher is Robert Parker, artistic director of the Elmhurst School for Dance and ex principal dancer with the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Parker will be teaching at the Summer School…

1. Commitment Regular well-planned classes are important says Rank, “Dancers with PD rely on your commitment, consistency and tenacity. They are, after all, demonstrating all those qualities and should expect nothing less from their teacher.” 2. Team It is important to have a couple of teachers you can draw on in times of sickness or for assistance if participants require support. Many classes are taught with two teachers or support persons. 3. Premises Accessibility for wheelchair access and a studio environment conducive to safety and well-being is important as is parking. 4. Location The social aspect of Dance for PD is an essential element with Rank advising, “A café that is close by for the morning tea component of the class is very important.” 5. Community considerations Hewton says it…

Where were you born? Un EnZed! Wellington to be exact. Do you come from a theatrical family? Indeed I do. Both my parents were actors. Mum now teaches high school drama and Dad runs an access radio station… both hugely over qualified for their jobs! My brother is also an actor/dancer slashie, as is my half sister. How did your career in musical theatre begin? In the amateur world it began in the musical Scrooge, I was Tiny Tim. What dance styles did you learn as a student? I began in ballet and will sing its praises for the remainder of my career and beyond. Ballet gave me the discipline to survive in this industry. It gave me a foundation in technique that I treasure and an appreciation of musicality…

Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet Academy will be presenting a one-week intensive ballet workshop in Sydney this January. The workshop is open to students ages 9 and up and will include classes in classical ballet, character, pointe and variations. The program is suitable for all levels from beginner/intermediate through to advanced/pre-professional. It will be taught by Ekaterina Trunina, who graduated from the Bolshoi in 1999. She has travelled internationally as a master teacher for the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. The workshop also functions as an audition for the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Founded in 1773, the Bolshoi Ballet Academy is one of the oldest Russian arts organisations. It has produced dancers such as Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, and Natalia Osipova. Bolshoi Ballet Academy workshop & audition 4-8 January Rogerson Elite Classical Training Facility 31…

Looking after the body is hugely important in dance. If a dancer feels thirsty before, during or after a class, rehearsal or performance, it’s almost certain they’re dehydrated. Consuming water helps the body to rehydrate and recover, but if the intensity of the exercise has been high for more than 60 minutes, it may be necessary to drink some ‘hypotonic’ or ‘isotonic’ fluids. As the body sweats during exercise, it loses valuable carbohydrates and electrolytes that are key to the efficient performance. Greater levels of dehydration affect strength, the ability to concentrate and increase the risk of injury. ‘Hypotonic’ fluids are specifically designed to replace fluid lost through sweating and are best consumed after exercise. ‘Isotonic’ fluids however, are designed to replace fluid – and provide energy (calories) in the…

“If the vertical position most basically reflects the human essence, then standing on the toes represents man’s apotheosis, that is his highest conceivable and imaginable expression.” – Akim Volynsky, The Book of Exaltations, 1925 “Do we simply say that the technology of the pointe shoe is the apotheosis of classical ballet? If so, then where do we go from here?” – Garry Stewart, 2016 What is the place of pointe work today? How are contemporary choreographers using this beautiful though somewhat controversial device? Born during 19th century Romanticism, pointe work is a strange and remarkable innovation, and it’s pretty hard to imagine the evolution of classical ballet without it. In a way, rising to pointe was inevitable, as ballerinas aspired for ever greater refinement, poise and line – the peak…

MARGARET Illmann’s stage career as a professional dancer spanned almost 25 years. She performed as a principal dancer with Vienna Staatsoper, the Australian Ballet, Berlin Staatsoper Unter Den Lindern, Berlin Deutsche Oper, Stuttgart Staatsoper and the National Ballet of Canada. In 1993 she danced the lead role of Victoria Page in The Red Shoes, on Broadway. Dance Australia: Describe your pathway to becoming a teacher. Margaret Illmann: Becoming a teacher was a natural transition from being a professional dancer. Throughout my career I found mentors who inspired me and helped me improve beyond what I thought was possible. I wanted to provide the same for the next generation of dancers. I have been blessed to work with many of ballet’s ‘greats’ and I am passionate about passing their knowledge to…

“I began ballet at age five with Philippa Campbell and Joye Lowe in Auckland, NZ, and at 16, moved to Germany to take up a two-year scholarship at the Berlin State Ballet School. After graduating I joined the ballet ensemble of the Metropol Theater Berlin, then danced as a soloist in Ballettcompagnie Deutschland and Theater Potsdam. After eight years as a classical dancer I branched into musical theatre, taking the lead dancer/singer role in Disney’s production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. My decade of dance in Europe was exciting, inspiring and extremely rewarding. I danced for sold-out houses, toured Germany and Belgium, and even danced for royalty! “I moved to the Gold Coast in 2002 to start a family and, after a few years teaching for others, I decided…

“I have always seen myself as a dancer, teaching has come as a consequence of my love of dance. My mother was a dance teacher, and I became an assistant dance teacher from the age of 11. “I trained as a full-time dancer at Tony Bartuccio’s Dance and Promotion Centre. After finishing at Bartuccio’s I secured a contract in Japan where I lived and worked for three years in stage shows and productions around Japan. “When I arrived back in Melbourne I joined a hip-hop class casually at Bartuccio’s. Caroline Gillmer, Tony’s wife and business partner, approached me after the class and offered me a job teaching at Bartuccio’s and assisting Tony in gigs and the students’ graduation. “After establishing myself as a valuable and reliable teacher and assistant, I…

KELLY Aykers began dancing at the Ballarat Calisthenics Club, age three and by age eight she had joined a ballet school and trained in the Cecchetti method. At 16 she was awarded a scholarship to study theatrical and commercial training at a full time school in Melbourne. During this full-time year Aykers was employed in a cabaret show and was also teaching three nights a week. After her training year, she was snapped up by David Atkins and put into the coveted “Electric Legs”. Dance Australia: Describe your pathway to becoming a teacher. Kelly Aykers: I had a knack for retaining choreography so my fellow students often counted on me to go through steps with them. I started my own classes at the age of 15 when I saw the…

“AS a student I was delighted to be accepted into the Joffrey Ballet School, the feeder school for the Joffrey Ballet Company in the US and later the Princess Grace Dance Academie in Monte Carlo, which gave me brilliant exposure. I completed my RAD teaching qualification in 1990 as I knew teaching was my calling and I’m now also a mentor for the RAD teacher training. “I have a love of dance that I hope to pass on to my students. I enjoy seeing young students mature into beautiful confident dancers, seeing them succeed in exams and competitions and being accepted into an institutions such as the Australian Ballet School. “I’m extremely proud to be celebrating 25 years of North Shore Dance Academy. When a student gives me a heartfelt…

“Tanja had these ideas. Constant ideas.” TANJA Liedtke was a creative powerhouse. A charismatic performer, her first professional engagement was a coveted contract with Australian Dance Theatre, where she stayed until 2003, before joining Britain’s groundbreaking DV8 Physical Theatre. At the same time as her career as a dancer was flourishing, she was also developing her own work and her first full-length work, Twelfth Floor, premiered in 2004. Picked up by the Australia Council’s Mobile States initiative in 2006, Twelfth Floor toured Australia, taking out the 2006 Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography. It was a massive coup for the young Tanja, but the best was yet to come. Having created two more full-length works, Imploded and construct, Tanja was appointed artistic director of Sydney Dance Company in…

Like dancers, a circus performer’s training is never complete. Canadian circus artist Daniel Craig, who performs in a handbalancing act with wife Kimberly Craig, remarks, “You have to train - and not only your skills. We train with some of the world’s best coaches at Canada’s National Circus School. When we’re there we are training for nearly five hours a day- and that doesn’t include conditioning. The best quote we’ve ever heard from one of our coaches is ‘Remember- if you’re an acrobat and you wake up not in pain it means you’ve quit or you’ve died.’ So we put the belt back on and try it again. And again. And again. It’s not a good day until your clothes are soaked through and your iPod has run out of…

In 2017 Queensland Ballet (QB) is welcoming a new soloist, Australian Lucy Green, and two new company dancers, Swiss-born Lou Spichtig and Australian Serena Green. “We’ll be welcoming three new female dancers to our company with each of them bringing great experience from international ballet companies, says QB artistic director Li Cunxin. “I’m delighted that Lucy Green will be joining us from Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB). Lucy has been dancing with RNZB since 2010 and has always stood out to me as one of their most incredible dancers. She will join us as a soloist and we’re so pleased she’ll be part of our company. Lou Spichtig is a very talented young dancer who comes to us from Zürich Youth Ballet and was a gold medallist at both the…

Q “How can I stop comparing myself to friends who also dance?” – aspiring dancer, 14 years old. Dear Dancer, All dancers compare themselves to others! The friends you compare yourself to are doubtless comparing themselves to you. And ideally we come to admire our colleagues and learn from them without the shadow of envy. But it can take time to get there. My advice is to make it an actual exercise in class and on stage to observe your friends. The exercise is not to compare yourself, but to watch attentively, as a teacher or director or choreographer does. Learning to do this can benefit your whole career as it trains your focus and you may find you pick up technical cues and choreography with greater speed and accuracy…

VALMAI Roberts trained with Sadie Lewis, then with Joan and Monica Halliday, and then at the Australian Ballet School. She danced with the Australian Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre (Manchester) and the Joffrey Ballet (New York), before retiring from the stage in 1983 to have a family with husband Ross Stretton. “Whilst I did not miss the demands of a professional career after I retired, I missed ‘ballet’ - the music, the joy of expressing myself, the physicality and being transported by the music to “another place”. One day my teacher, Maggie Black, telephoned me to say she had recommended me to Lawrence Rhodes, the head of the dance department, Tisch School of the Arts (TSA), New York University. The position was part-time dance lecturer and, after successfully auditioning, my career…

Dance Australia: What is your school philosophy? Terry Simpson: One of the key things that I say to my students is to have “courage and determination.” It’s written on their studio jackets. You have to first have the courage in this life to follow your dreams and then you have to have the determination to follow though by working hard. That’s my key little phrase for life and for dance. DA: What is your own dance background? TS: I started my training in Johannesburg with a wonderful South African icon, Poppy Frames. Then I went to England to the Royal Academy of Dance. From there I got my first job in Australia and I have to say that the Australian dance scene and way of life has certainly impacted my…

HILARY Kaplan was born in South Africa and trained there with Reina Berman for Ballet and Mercedes Molina (Spanish dance). At the age of 16, Hilary was offered positions both from Professor David Poole (CAPAB in Cape Town) and Denise Schultz (PACT Ballet, Johannesburg - now South African Ballet Theatre) to join their companies, but after attaining the Solo Seal and winning the RAD Bursary, she decided to first travel to London to train at the Royal Ballet School. On her return, she danced professionally with both these companies for a few years, before marrying and having a family (five daughters, none of whom are dancers). She then moved into teaching ballet and Spanish dance. Dance Australia: Describe your pathway to becoming a teacher. Hilary Kaplan: From a young age…

BACK in the February/March ’16 edition of Dance Australia, we ran a story entitled “The acro invasion” by editor Karen van Ulzen, raising concerns about the rise of acrobatic and contortionist content in amateur dance competitions. The argument against this trend, says van Ulzen, is two-fold. She points to a reported rise in injuries normally associated with tumbling or overstretching as one concern. The othe issue, she says, is that teachers are replacing choreography with acrobatic stunts. She argues that while dance is an art form, gymnastics and acrobatics are “displays of physical strength and flexibility”. The article, which was also published online in May, drew a lot of feedback from readers. While some wrote that they agreed wholeheartedly with the concern that dance competitions are becoming a display of…