Dance legend Merce Cunningham passed away today in New York at the age of 90 from natural causes.

Recognised for his choreographic pieces with his company, The Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Merce revolutionised the world of modern dance. With such an extraordinary life played out on stage, this dance legend performed right through his 80s. His contribution to dance will continue through history with the forming of The Living Legacy Plan, in which his company will undertake a two year tour with a final performance in New York.

From all at Dance Informa we celebrate the works and talent of this artistic genius.

http://www.merce.org/ 

June 8^th
BMW Edge, Melbourne

By Deborah Searle

Melbourne’s BMW Edge had a busy weekend from June 6th to 8th, with the Australian Dance Awards Expo, plus the world premiere of Look Left’s first work, Petrouchka’s Nightmare.

Upon meeting the company’s directors Adrain Dimitrievitch and Robert Kelly at Dance Expo, I was invited to attend Look Left’s opening night, interested to see what this new dance and theatre company had to offer.

Always excited about the emergence of new companies providing work for Australian dancers, I took my seat with great expectation. I was not to know that I was going to laugh the night away. Petrouchka’s Nightmare is a very comical and quirky work, and not quite what I expected.

Look Left has brought together trained ballet dancers, circus performers, a hula-hooping contortionist, and a multi-talented live musician for the production. A narrative piece, Petrouchka’s Nightmare is a modern interpretation of the Michel Fokine classic ballet Petrouchka. The new work continues on from the original story, exploring Petrouchka the puppet’s life after he is abandoned by the ballet.

In a funny twist of fate, Petrouchka, played by clown and circus artist Skye Gellman, finds himself travelling from an antique market in France to Australia where the tale becomes a celebration of Melbourne’s culture, history and unique sights. A comical Brighton Beach scene unfolds, with a fun and energetic beach party dance. There is an AFL football game , the Melbourne Cup and even Ned Kelly!

The music throughout the work is varied, combining Stravinsky’s original scores written for Petrouchka with traditional Australian, French and gypsy music. Live performances by the company’s Musical Director Brian Cousins are a highlight, as he plays the piano, accordion, harmonium and even the bagpipes! Throughout the performance Cousins changes costume to fit the scenes, and is very entertaining. Cousins is not just the musician, but a character in the work with a great stage presence.

The dancers are all talented and quite strong. The choreography is a mix between musical theatre, ballet and jazz. It felt a strange combination at times, but a great deal of fun. The work seemed enjoyed by all and the dancers stayed true to their ever changing characters. I am sure these dancers never thought they would play footballers, beach babes, funeral mourners and outlaws in the same work! The dancers are all ballet trained, with the addition of Jacinta Rohan who joined in the dancing but is stronger as a circus performer, showing feats of flexibility and amazing hula hoop work. Dancers Rachel Decorte and Kate Fitzgerald were stand out performers. Rachel displayed very strong technique whilst Kate, a graduate of VCA and Dance World Studios showed striking dynamics and performance quality.

Entertainers Vaughan Curtis and Joshua Hoare joined the cast, playing an assortment of lead male roles. Vaughan is a strong acrobat and circus performer, and very comical. He committed to his characters and was enjoyable to watch. Joshua Hoare acted, danced and performed tricks as a multi-trained physical performer. Skye Gellmann, as Petrouchka, is a very convincing puppet and entertaining performer. He seemed a perfect fit for the role.

Petrouchka’s Nightmare has a crazy storyline, including several counts of murder, a horse race and military funeral. It is unique, to say the least. It was not what I expected but it was a fun mix of dance, theatre and the circus arts, all celebrating the city of Melbourne. I would definitely recommend the work to young audiences as the combination of acrobatics with dance and theatre would appeal to children greatly. As the work does not rely on backdrops, flashing lighting and staging, Petrouchka’s Nightmare would be a perfect work to tour to schools and regional communities and would be well embraced. An ambitious work, I congratulate Look Left on breaking the boundaries between dance, theatre and the circus arts and I hope to see them push the envelope further in the future.

See Petrouchka’s Nightmare in its second season

Date:July 25^th-27^th & 29^th
Time: 8pm
Venue:BMW Edge, Federation Square Melbourne
Tickets at the door!

Dear Dance Informa subscribers!

Well -since it is officially half way through the year already…..eek scary…where did it go?! I figured it was time I wrote to Dance Informa to get the word out about some of our forthcoming projects…

During August, we will be producing well-known Musical Theatre choreographer and performer Veronica Beattie for a cabaret season of WHAT IS JAZZ. Packed with high energy routines, the show will highlight the latest dance trends direct from Broadway and feature some Sydney’s hottest dancers including Veronica Beattie (Guys+Dolls, Candy Man, Moulin Rouge and The Boy from Oz) So You Think You Can Dance Top 100 star Sally Hare, Guys+Dolls star Jordan Pollard, Bootmen’s Shannon Rizzo and spunky Mashum Liberta; AND a live band with two dynamic vocalists Natalie Grace and Steve Hudson. What is Jazz will debut August 14 and 28 at Riverside Theatres, Parramatta and is performed cabaret style within the intimate setting of Rafferty’s Theatre. WHAT IS JAZZ celebrates the movement and music of the most iconic and popular jazz eras and will feature a multitude of dance genres including theatre jazz, tap, lyrical, adagio and cha-cha.

Hope to see some familiar faces in the audiences, as this will be a great way to stamp out the last of winter and support some of Sydney’s finest musical theatre talent! For tickets hit http://www.riversideparramatta.com.au

AND for all those budding young chorographers aged 21/under-it’s your turn to showcase your choreographic talent to the Sydney dance industry…

Western Sydney Dance Action and Riverside Theatres in association with Short +Sweet present

ENTRIES NOW OPEN!

CALLING ALL YOUNG CHOREOGRAPHERS!!!

READ BELOW FOR HOW TO APPLY……

FAST+FRESH DANCE is returning in November 2009 and Western Sydney Dance Action invites all young choreographers and dancer to get involved.

Western Sydney Dance Action and Riverside Theatres, in association with Short+Sweet are proud to present Sydney’s only youth dance festival aimed at showcasing the talent of young and emerging choreographers and dancers aged 21/under. The season will present over twenty dance works choreographed and performed by emerging young artists.

A recent edition to the Short + Sweet dynasty of festivals, FAST+FRESH DANCE presents short, new and innovative dance works, up to five minutes in length, by the dance industry’s upcoming talent. Each performance will go through one of four rounds of Heats, which will be judged nightly by a panel of industry professionals. The heat winners will present their works as part at the Gala Final on Saturday 20 November 2009.

For more information www.wsda.org.au.

 Perform! Choreograph! Get involved and start creating….Apply now!

See you at Riverside! J

Olivia

Western Sydney Dance Action

Director

Watch these videos for all the details and get dancing!

http://www.youtube.com/sydneyoperahouse

NACHO POP WORKSHOPS!

Hey Guys,

I’m doing one workshop today at Ikin Dance,
and another on Sunday (http://www.centrestagedance.net),
then another next Thursday (http://www.westdance.com.au/bios.aspx#Nate)

Be There,

Nacho Pop

Contemporary dance collective Zeta Dance Group returns to the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts for their second show, ‘in state’ on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 July.

‘in state’ is an abstract narrative telling the journey of two individuals from a mediocre society to a new world inspired by optimism, ambition and difference. For those striving for success, there will always be a challenge. Told through contemporary dance and incorporating aerial acrobatics, ‘in state’ is one show not to be missed.

At only 21 years of age the group’s founder, choreographer, manager and fundraiser Erin Tunbridge is creating her own opportunities and following her passion for dance, making her mark as an emerging choreographer and teacher.

“in state, developed out of an idea to present modern society as challenging and inspiring. The world does not present individuals with opportunities without searching for them. Through in state, I hope to provide the audience with questions evoking thoughts to their own life’s ambitions and dreams”, Erin commented.

“In Brazil, key, acclaimed teachers of Brazilian dance are recognising Brisbane as the leading centre for Brazilian dance outside of Brazil. Since the mid 1990s with the establishment of Rio Rhythmics Latin Dance Academy in Brisbane, the number of people participating in classes and the standard of professional performance has developed to an extraordinary level. Zeta Dance Group is an exciting new development in this thriving community, not only for its unique choreography which seamlessly blends Latin and contemporary dance styles, but in terms of bringing two dance communities together. Some of Zeta’s dancers are graduates of QUT’s Dance degrees, while others’ sole training has been in Latin dance. This is interesting and enjoyable choreography which has wide appeal. - Rachel Pedro (Lecturer in Dance Theory, Creative Industries Faculty, QUT)”

Erin’s creative talents with contemporary and Latin dancers will be on show to the Brisbane community this weekend at the Judith Wright Centre.

Zeta Dance Group – ‘in state’
Date: Fri July 17th & Sat 18th, 7:00pm. Sat July 18th ,1:00pm
Venue: Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, Fortitude Valley
Contact: 07 3872 9018 www.judithwrightcentre.com.au www.zetadancegroup.com

Dance Informa’s David Wyatt was there to capture the action in Melbourne….

David Wyatt davidwyatt75@gmail.com Copyright 2009

Topic: An introduction for dancers on achieving breakthrough results in dance and your life!

When: Wednesday 15th July Time: 2:00pm-5:00pm

Where: 235 Pyrmont Road, Pyrmont Sydney

Presented by: Madeline Lobsey, Landmark Education

Cost: Free

Calling all professional and pre-professional dancers! (18 and over)
Do you want to achieve breakthrough results in your dancing and in your professional career?
Take your dancing to the next level and gain the competitive edge! 
This Wednesday there will be one time opportunity for dancers to look at the areas of life that are important, and look at the barriers that hold us back, including examining the views we hold about ourselves and others.

Areas touched on will include confidence in auditions, confidence in approaching dance companies for work, seeking funding for dance projects, and any other area of dance or life in general that the participants wish to cover.

The event will be run by Landmark Education, and International Training and Development Organisation that hold courses in over 125 locations in over 20 countries all over the world. Recent dance graduates of Landmark Education include Travers Ross (SYTYCD), Anthony Ikin (SYTYCD) and Paul White (Sydney Dance Company, ADT, voted best male dancer 2008). These dancers all attribute Landmark Education as being a major influence on their success in dance today, including being able to secure work, having the clarity to make important career decisions, as well as being totally confident and fully self expressed in their dancing.

This free event will include an opportunity to learn about the Landmark Forum (the flagship program of Landmark Education) a 3 1/2 Day course held in Sydney approximately once a month. The cost of the training includes an optional 10 week seminar series that run on weeknights. See www.landmarkeducation.com.au for more.

For enquiries or to book your place in the dancers’ seminar please contact Andrew McQueen 0410 055 297.

By Nicole Saleh

Friends and family of Urban Dance Centre (UDC) braved the cold weather to come out and support the 2009 mid year fundraiser held at the Seymour Centre Sydney. Reminiscent of the dance movie Honey, where passionate students have fun putting on a benefit performance, the two shows gave the talented students the opportunity to not only perform ahead of their end of year Urban Jam showcase, but also raise money for costumes and for UDC which recently became a not for profit school.

Known for its Urban Hip Hop and street style, UDC showed it has more to offer with students performing jazz, lyrical and also singing. With access to some of Australia’s best choreographers, pieces were created by Rosa Aguis, Tiana Joubert, Graeme Isaako and UDC Director Juliette ‘JET’ Verne who have all featured on the TV show; So You Think You Can Dance.

The show opened with the hard raw energy of a packed stage of fulltime students who showed us the strong edgy Hip Hop moves which UDC is famous for. Later in the program in contrast to the opener, they showed their versatility performing a smooth jazz dance. There were also entertaining themed dances from the Urban Dance Project and Urban Youth Project which are the two UDC performance groups. The very young kids in the Youth Program made the audience smile as they showed us their moves in their oversized Hip Hop gear including locking and freezes like they were mini back up dancers for Missy Elliot! Highlights of the show included a heart felt duet of PINK’s song Family Portrait by fulltime students Ashleigh Leaf and Hannah Rannaste, and scholarship student Chloe Talens performed an impressive fluid yet hard hitting Hip Hop dance which she choreographed herself. Also showcased was a community initiative called “Chance to Dance” where UDC supports the South Sydney Youth Service offering young people the opportunity to channel their energy in learning how to dance through weekly classes. These kids came alive when performing a Hip Hop routine on stage and enjoyed every minute of it!

The total funds raised is yet to be announced, however  friends and family were generous in supporting the event through purchasing merchandise and raffle tickets with prizes donated by sponsors BLOCH and Broadway Gym.

For audition information on the UDC Scholarship programme, performance courses and 2010 Fulltime Certificate IV visit www.urbandancecentre.com

Represented by DDO Artists’ Agency in Los Angeles, Chonique Sneed is already an accomplished artist in her own right. Collaborating with highly respected industry professionals in the field, Chonique provides insight and knowledge to Dance Informa.

Having worked with Australian dancers as a choreographer, I asked Chonique how she considers the standard of dance in Australia to be. “ I have worked with a few Australian dancers as a choreographer, and have seen some students who have taken my class in their visit to the States. The standard of ability and work ethic are strong.”

 With regards to fostering the continuous improvement of standards of dance practice both in Australia and the United States, Chonique refers to reality television shows as a significant platform for inspiring today’s dancers. “ I think the dance shows out at the moment are inspiring dancers today to train and explore more. It is giving them reason to train and research some of the greats.”

An abundance of full-time tertiary courses have emerged within recent years as a method of keeping dancers up to date with the changing nature of the art form. Chonique encourages dancers whether they are engaged in a course or casual class setting to “stay up on your technique” and this will “keep you reaching and looking ahead.”

Taking the leap from a career in Australia to the States can appear a daunting task! Chonique recommends to Australian dancers to “train and come when you feel you’re ready.” And once you travel overseas, “train again! You will know when it is right to pursue your dreams.”

As a choreographer, Chonique requires her dancers to set a high standard. “It is very important for a dancer to be able to be responsible and have a mature mind-set. You must always conduct yourself as a professional.”

Guest master classes are considered a vital tool in keeping dancers on the cutting edge, as they bring exposure to different styles and forms of movement. As an international choreographer, Chonique describes versatility as key to success. “Versatility is key, the more you can do, the more you can be used!”

With Hip Hop described as an underground culture made from the streets and not for Hollywood movies, Chonique states, “everyone has a perception of what dance looks like or appears to be. I think everyone has a right to tell their story. It’s all interpretation.” Chonique considers an awareness of the origin of movies and genres to be important. “Through dance conventions such as Hollywood Connection and Monsters of Hip Hop, education is also provided along with dance.”

Dance literature including journals and periodicals may be valued as important to the professional development of dancers. With a greater emergence of street dance culture in the literature today, Chonique Sneed thanks Dance Informa Magazine for acting as a valuable outlet.