Innholdsfortegnelse for October-November-December 2024 i Dance Australia

COMING from a versatile commercial background spanning contemporary dance, circus, film and fashion, 28-year-old dancer Matt Antonucci has landed the dream choreographic opportunity – working with the artistic team for the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics. . Sydney-born and raised dancer and choreographer Matt Antonucci is making his mark on the international dance scene, and his latest project saw him literally going for dance gold. The Paris-based dance artist, whose credits range from working with Cirque de Soleil, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and on Baz Lurhman’s Elvis, was offered the gig of a lifetime when, earlier this year, he was contacted by the Paris Olympics artistic direction to assist on choreography for the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games. It was a dream come true. Despite being the only non-French…

AWARD-WINNING English choreographer Drew McOnie mightn’t be well-known to dance audiences in this country – but that’s about to change. Our stages will host the 39-year-old’s work for the first time when the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar’s internationally-acclaimed revival premieres this November in Sydney, with Perth and Melbourne following in 2025. The show has taken a long journey to get here – geographically and chronologically. It won Best Musical at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards back in 2016, then the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival. It’s spent three years touring North America twice, played on the West End and travelled to audiences around the UK. For such accolades and continuing global demand to have sprung from an experimental five-week season at London’s Regents Park Open…

THE soft hum of the rehearsal studio fills the air, the echo of steps on the wooden floor blending harmoniously with the murmurs of creative minds at work. This is not just any studio; it’s the birthplace of countless artistic dreams and a sanctuary for emerging dance talent. Here, the future of dance is being meticulously sculpted, one creative idea at a time. As DirtyFeet celebrates the 10-year anniversary of our pioneering program, "Out of The Studio," I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude and reflection. This program has been at the heart of our mission to nurture and develop emerging dance artists, becoming a rite of passage for many and leaving an unforgettable mark on the Australian contemporary dance landscape. "Out of The Studio" was launched with…

THIS photo is one of many outstanding images we received of the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Solace, “dance to feed your soul”, which toured NZ throughout August. It was a triple bill which offered audiences a thought-provoking look at the approach of contemporary choreographers who work with ballet companies. The program comprised Infra, by UK choreographer Wayne McGregor, To Hold, by the company’s resident choreographer Sarah Foster-Sproull, and Australian choreographer Alice Topp’s High Tide. This image of To Hold is by Stephen A’Court. The company’s Artistic Director is Ky Ting-Wall, formerly a principal dancer with the Australian Ballet. See Michelle Potter’s review on our website.…

FROM an outsider’s perspective, Queensland Ballet’s first rehearsal of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s ballet – Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon – would have spoken of contrast. Outside the Thomas Dixon Centre’s (TDC) windows, it was a wintry, wet, Brisbane morning: good for sleeping in. Inside TDC’s studio one, dancers were busier than a possum on a hot tin roof. “Eso!” Annabelle gives her rehearsal stamp of approval in Spanish, one of four languages – along with Dutch, French and English – the Belgium/Columbian choreographer speaks. “Ok, let’s see the next couple.” As a choreographer of more than 100 works, with around 80 dance companies across the globe, Ochoa is a prolific creator. Not to mention versatile, having created dance for theatre, opera, musical theatre and film. All this…

Where to begin? Our invitation to enter our Regional Heroes feature prompted a huge response! WHERE to begin? as one reader wrote in describing the merits of the school she nominated. Having received hundreds of enthusiastic and at times quite moving nominations for our Regional Heroes feature, it was impossible to decide who to choose to include. As Michelle Dursun, Dance Australias' education writer, said: "Every year I am humbled and in awe of the sensational work these regional schools and teachers are doing, along with the difference that they are all making in their communities. "It seems to me that dance schools and teachers (particularly in regional areas) are not given the credit they deserve for the positive impact that they have, not only on their students, but on…

THE leotard. What a brilliant, incredibly practical garment it is, ideal for dance. It allows freedom of movement. It holds things in place and stays in place, it smooths the body's curves, it doesn't ride up or fall down, it is great for pas de deux grip, it doesn't flap around and get tangled up in your own or other people’s limbs. It allows the teacher to see all the muscles engaging and the lines of the body. No wonder it is the essential piece of a dancer's wardrobe, and often compulsory wear for class. But what makes the leotard great also makes it revealing in a way that is not always welcome to every wearer. For many, having to expose themselves in such a garment can be plain embarrassing,…

EGAN Connelly had only been in her new role for four weeks at the time of our interview. Her spacious office at The Australian Ballet School headquarters in Melbourne was neat and uncluttered, though the view not so – just below was the clamorous building site that is to be the city's grand new arts precinct. The noise, however, did not diminish her excitement and energy. She positively radiated enthusiasm – but also calm. During the course of our discussion she mentioned two life highlights amid a career that has boasted many. One is the Churchill Fellowship she received in 2014, a seven-week tour of the top international ballet schools and companies. “It was life-changing,” she enthused. “It filled me with so much confidence. Australians often think that everything overseas…