Dance in Australia: graceegirl

What is Dancehouse?

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 06:30:00 +0000

This year marks Dancehouse’s first full year with Artistic Director, Angela Conquet at the helm; it also marks the institution’s twentieth anniversary. 2012 thus brings with it an opportunity to reflect on Dancehouse’s long and outstanding role within the dance community.

Established in 1992 by a group of independent dance practitioners, Dancehouse remains the only presenter in Australia dedicated solely to contemporary dance. Its programmes fall under three broad headings: Research, Training and Performance, and among these activities are curated seasons, community out-reach programs, curated programs with partner venues or interstate artists, meetings and seminars, dance on screen events, and much more. The most high profile activity at Dancehouse, however, remains the Housemate residency, the only national residency developed solely for independent dance practitioners.

Both former Housemate Ashley Dyer and current Housemate Alex Harrison happily acknowledge the value of the residency, which offers recipients space, time and money for research and performance. Dyer, who explored the motion of smoke and its related iconography as part of his Housemate project, enjoyed the greater sense of control that came with a pay cheque and a studio. “The difficult thing about being in Australia is that you often take contracts that are short term and intense, like a month, and then you have to drop jobs. Whereas with this project, I thought right from the beginning, ‘well, it can go three months, so what if I just do it as much as I can around a schedule and then have more intense periods?’ That, and being able to use the [Dancehouse] office as an actual office, was a real advantage for me.”

Angela Conquet. Photo by Alfred Mrozicki

Through his residency, which ended in December, Dyer’s relationship with Dancehouse is ongoing. “We’re totally interested in where Ashley’s research project is going to go, because one day it will be a performance,” says Conquet.

Current Housemate, Harrison, who has only just begun her performance stream residency, will, like Dyer, receive a pro-rata salary for the duration of her project as well as free studio space. As part of the performance stream, Harrison will also present a short season of her work to the general public in one of the two Dancehouse theatres at the conclusion of her residency. Harrison’s project, currently entitled ‘What’s Coming – A Futures Festival’, stems from her desire to attempt to “read the shape of movement to come and predict dance futures.”

Harrison stresses that apart from the obvious benefits of the residency, the Dancehouse environment offers dance practitioners much more. “There’s actually a difference between offering materially and offering your interest and enthusiasm with a great generosity and a sense of abundance,” she explains. “That’s something quite distinct that I’ve noticed here, that there is an abundance of that.”

“It’s the distinction between a house and a home, really,” adds Dyer. “It’s about trying to create a warm environment that nurtures projects in the best possible way and once the artists ‘grow up’ and do their own thing it gives them a home to come back to if they need to.”

For Conquet, it is the combination of resources and the centre’s genuine enthusiasm for risk-taking that makes Dancehouse such a valuable institution for dance artists. “I think that’s why the relationship with the artists is so solid, because we’re sharing the same risk. We’re walking down the same path as the artists, even though we don’t know where they are taking us!”

Indeed, it is this fearless attitude to experimentation that allows Dancehouse to act as an incubator for creative minds. “We create the space because we want to have people who bring the right feedback, the people who can take things further in terms of critical discourse, and it’s also a network because we’re part of the bigger network of contemporary dance in Australia,” says Conquet.

“We live in a world which goes far too fast in any case, and I don’t think you can create art using those models. You still need to allow for space and protect that for the artist so he/she feels he/she can have that liberty. That’s very important. You can’t make art like you make sandwiches.”

The theatre at Dancehouse

Ultimately, Dancehouse’s activities are all designed with two simple ends in mind – to help contemporary dance and its practitioners to reach the broader community and to sustain it by developing future audiences, whether that involves fostering a healthy environment for artists or offering public programmes, such as weekly contemporary dance classes for beginners. As the sound of children’s laughter echoes around the studio, Conquet motions towards the upstairs studio. “It starts with those kids who are having a class. If we do our jobs correctly, those kids will come back as audience members to be inspired by what they see.”

This year sees Dancehouse expand its vision in three ways – focusing on new ways to develop relationships with artists, generating greater artistic circulation and increasing local and international mobility and development. Simone’s Boudoir, a thematically curated range of informal discussions focused on the contemporary dance sector, is but one of many new initiatives designed to galvanise the community and make these goals happen in 2012. Dance Informa wishes Dancehouse all the best in this endeavour.

Congratulations Dancehouse on twenty years of services to dance. We look forward to watching the Dancehouse team’s vision unfold over the next twenty!

Published in Dance Informa

Review: The Peony Pavilion

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:12:00 +0000

The Peony Pavilion, presented by the National Ballet of China with the National Ballet of China Symphony Orchestra

State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, 15-18 March 2012.

Approximately 2 hours with one interval

The Peony Pavilion is a love story that takes place within a dream. Du Liniang, a beautiful woman from a wealthy family, falls asleep by a peony pavilion and dreams of a handsome scholar whom she has never met. Unable to find him in the real world, she dies of a broken heart and ends up in the Underworld. Her story moves the Infernal Judge to release her ghost back into the land of the living to find and marry the elusive scholar. The ballet ends with an unusual wedding ceremony fitting for the union of phantom and mortal.

The performers are a joy to watch and the strength of the corps de ballet is noteworthy. The principal dancers demonstrate their fine-tuned technical and dramatic abilities admirably, and the fluid execution of the first act pas de deux between Liniang (Zhu Yan) and her lover (Li Jun) captures beautifully the artless passion of first-time love.

Some aspects of the production are inevitably lost in translation. The sexual metaphor of taking off shoes in Chinese culture, for instance, comprises one of the most enduring images of the production, and these sexual connotations are underlined by the use of Debussy’s L’apres-midi d’un Faune, bringing to mind the daring and erotic Ballets Russes production of the same name choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky in 1912. However, it is unlikely that the majority of audiences will make the connection between these two elements.

Similarly, the concept of using three dancers to portray one character is potentially confusing for the uninitiated. The role of Kunqu, the operatic vocalist, who represents the heroine’s moral restraint, is particularly difficult to place without referring back to the programme. Unlike the Flower Goddess, who represents the heroine’s passion, Kunqu’s movements do not explicitly link her to the heroine and her unfamiliar lyrics, sung in Chinese, are of no help to western audiences in making such leaps of imagination.

The second act, including both the Underworld and wedding scenes, is structurally far clearer than the first, which possesses a quality of sameness that does not match the drama of the plot. Despite the size of the State Theatre, the stage feels crowded with dancers in several scenes of the first act; whilst the principal dancers manoeuvre past each other admirably, one unfortunate corps de ballet member proved the victim of circumstance on the opening night and fell during one of the ensemble’s opening sequences in the first act. The production, however, is evidently very well-rehearsed and no doubt greater familiarity with the stage will prevent such a mishap in future performances. The second act, meanwhile, proved lucid and engaging.

The final wedding scene is the show’s stunning highlight; taking place in front of the translucent, grey-white backdrop – a liminal space somewhere between Heaven and Hell – figures from the two realms circle the young lovers performing repetitive gestures in a bizarre ritual. The pace and volume of the ceremony intensifies until finally, red peony petals fall from the sky in a rousing climax. The sustained and streamlined build-up of this scene in terms of orchestral and ensemble strength and pace is at the heart of its effectiveness.

Ballet clichés were somewhat overused throughout; whilst this may have been a result of an attempt to incorporate the essentialism of Chinese operatic convention – for instance, in emphasising demure nature of the heroine characteristic of the zhengdan (tragic or serious heroine) – it nonetheless detracted from a full realisation of the choreographic potential of the storyline. Though choreographer, Fei Bo, possesses a background in contemporary dance, there is little evidence of this in the ballet, which is fairly traditional in its movement vocabulary.

Overall, however, The Peony Pavilion is an enjoyable, high-standard production and a unique showcase for the world-class talents of the National Ballet of China. As a Chinese love story in the vein of Romeo and Juliet, it has a broad appeal despite the unfamiliarity of various elements related to operatic convention and Chinese metaphor used throughout, and ballet-lovers will find this production well worth their patronage.

To book tickets and for more information, visit http://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au

Review written for Dance Informa Magazine

Book Review: Every Step You Take by Jock Soto with Leslie Marshall

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:40:00 +0000

1st ed., USA $24.99, 271 pp.
SBN-978-0-06-173238-6
Publisher: HarperCollins, NY, 2011

Every Step You Take: A Memoir by Jock Soto is a book soon to find its way on to many a book shelf. In it, Soto recounts his childhood, life as a student dancer, his career with the New York City Ballet and his rise through the ranks, retirement from the ballet profession and his post-retirement lifestyle.Unlike many other dancer memoirs, this book is less about the making of a star dancer than it is a kind of life review; Soto has paused to consider aspects of his life not previously acknowledged and to journey back through his family history.

Memories of Soto's mother, who was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in 2008, permeate this book. Collectively, they provide it with a sort of 'living past' – Soto's palpable grief and reverence of Mama Jo's memory, though very much in the present, act as a natural gateway to reflections on his past as he relates his very first memory of dancing on the reserve with her in his childhood. Whilst at times, the memoir threatens to become more about Mama Jo than about Soto, I personally found these passages moving and thoroughly enriching to the whole.

Other aspects of Soto's life treated in the book include his complicated relationship with his father, his mother's Navajo family and his numerous romantic relationships. Raw and honest, even occasionally unflattering, Soto's account of his life is in many ways nonetheless a classic rags-to-riches story (I use the word 'riches' in its broadest sense) about a talented dancer overcoming great personal, cultural and financial hurdles to achieve success. From amongst the chaos, dance consistently emerges from as one of the least complicated aspects of Soto's life, providing him the stability and purpose at times lacking in other areas of his life.

The flip side of this focus on the intensely personal, however, is that there is rather little about the everyday struggles of becoming a dancer; though we learn of Soto's insecurities about his looks and physique, there is little about the difficulties of mastering technique, the teaching styles of his mentors, the discipline of the classroom, the mantras that kept him going when it all seemed to hard – in short, the sorts of aspects of Soto's life that might appeal to young and aspiring dancers eager to see reflections of themselves in Soto's memoir.

An engaging feature of the book is its many recipes. These are included at the end of each chapter and are connected with either a particular anecdote or theme contained within it. I have yet to try the recipes out, but some of them look quite appetising and it is only a matter of time. My particular favourite at the moment is the tiramisu, included thanks to a hilarious story involving a tiramisu filled with gorgonzola (a smelly blue cheese) instead of marscapone. The recipes reflect the growing importance of food in Soto's life since his retirement, a facet augmented his post-retirement culinary studies and his long-term relationship with sommelier Luis Fuentes, who shares this passion.

Every Step You Take is a highly readable, personal take on a remarkable life. I recommend it not only to aspiring dancers and artists, but also to the general reader for whom Soto's memoir will prove both relatable and inspiring.

Biography of Jock Soto (from the book cover):

"Jock Soto joined the New York City Ballet in 1981. He was promoted to soloist in 1984 and to principal dancer in 1985. He has danced featured roles in countless ballets, many of which were created specifically for him. He has been a permanent member of the faculty at the School of American Ballet since 1996, and in 2007 he was the subject of the critically acclaimed documentary Water Flowing Together. He lives in New York City with his partner, Luis Fuentes, a sommelier."

Queensland Ballet - Fit For A King

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:29:00 +0000

Creating a new ballet is never easy, but when that ballet is King Arthur and the Tales of Camelot, the pressure is on. Inspired by the popular novel, The Mists of Avalon, the Queensland Ballet’s latest work is the result of Artistic Director François Klaus’ ongoing fascination with the Arthurian legend— a passion he discovered whilst creating the lead role of King Arthur in John Neumeier’s King Arthur’s Saga during his time working with the Hamburg Ballet. Klaus let Dance Informa’s Grace Edwards in on the preparations behind staging such an iconic story.

In this production, both choreography and poetic text are used to make the epic plot easier to follow. “Dance is very adept at showing emotions, so with that you can build quite a lot,” says Klaus. “The problem in dance, however, is that you cannot say, you know, ‘This man is my brother.’ Ultimately, the majority of people respond better to dance if they understand the context in which it happens, and that is the key to trying to make ballet mean something.”

A ballet means nothing, of course, without its dancers. Upcoming performances will feature Rachel Walsh as Queen Guinevere and Keian Langdon as King Arthur. The role of King Arthur’s half-sister, pivotal in Klaus’ version, will be performed by Claire Morehan. Responsible for delivering the text in his role as Merlin is former Expressions Dance Company member Dan Crestani, whose dramatic portrayals of characters such as Richard III brought him to Klaus’ attention.

Klaus admits to a fairly personal casting process, with strong ideas about who will perform which roles from the beginning. “Not that you should put the dancers in a box”, he warns. “But when you have your own company you tend to shape it over the years, to a large extent, to your taste. You know how you like people to dance and when you are the chief choreographer, you tend to associate characters with some of the people you already have in the company because you know that they fit those roles very well.”

Other aspects of the creative process, nonetheless, require teamwork. “We work quite closely together really,” reflects Klaus. “There’s David Walters, our lighting designer. David is extremely good at working out the reasons and motivations of the plot. I know he is technically there for the lighting design, but he is really good dramatically as well. And my wife Robyn – we make a trio that work really closely together right from the beginning. And then of course the designer for the set will be present, not as intensively, but of course he is the one who has to realise optically how the ballet is going to be presented.”

“Musically, I work quite closely with Greg Young, who is there to conduct, but at the same time we have a relatively small orchestra so he arranges the music for that ensemble. He’s a very good pianist as well. He even has to compose for some parts or elements of the ballets sometimes. So yes, that’s how you assemble the puzzle!”

With so many parts of the jigsaw to juggle, it becomes difficult to measure the time commitment involved in creating a ballet. “In the studio with the dancers I usually work quickly – it is easier for me because I’m more aware of what I’m doing. If I hesitate too much, I find it difficult to keep inspired. So on a good day I work quickly. But the preparation period before you enter the studio with dancers, is what takes a long time.”

“Like right now I’m reading material for something I’m going to do in a year and a half. But that’s not really like work, you just read books and have things in the back of your mind. It’s not intensive work, but it’s background and once you have that you can get more practical and see what you want to do with it.”

So how does one know when a ballet is complete? For Klaus, the answer is never. “I will always modify my ballets. Some you are really happy with right away and you may hardly touch, though others you may feel you have to work at again and again as you feel you can do better. You know, sometimes a very small change can make quite a difference, because a lot of it has to do with timing and speed.”

King Arthur, Klaus admits, falls into the latter category. “I think it is one I have had to work on quite a lot,” he says. “I did an attempt a few years ago and I just feel that now, I have the company capable of doing it.” Soon enough, the Queensland Ballet will have the opportunity to prove it.

Queensland Ballet presents King Arthur and the Tales of Camelot at the Playhouse, QPAC, 15 – 29 October. For more information on the production, visit queenslandballet.com.au.
Bookings qtix 136 246 or qpac.com.au

Published in Dance Informa

Dancesport in Victoria: An Inside Look

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 03:58:00 +0000

Thanks to the popular television shows Dancing with The Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, the profile of Dancesport in Victoria is currently stronger than ever. Officially recognised as a sport by the state’s Department of Sport and Recreation in 1986, Dancesport, also known as competitive ballroom dancing, is now a highly organised activity with its own set of institutions, competitions and army of dedicated individuals.Neville Parry and Siobhan Power

Strictly speaking, “Dancesport” refers only to the competitive aspect of ballroom dancing. At this level, couples in Australia can specialise in one or all of the three main dance styles – Standard (Waltz; Tango; Slow Foxtrot; Quickstep; Viennese Waltz), Latin (Rumba; Cha Cha Cha; Samba; Paso Doble and Jive) and New Vogue (described as “Traditional Australian Style”). There are also “medal” levels spanning from Bronze to Gold for dancers who like charting their progress through formal examinations.

Typically, however, beginners take up ballroom as a social activity. Julie Jones, a former professional competitor and Director of Just Rhythm Dance Academy located in Thornbury notes that most of her students are adult beginners; those with additional tap or jazz experience from their youth, meanwhile, often choose to choose to take up Ballroom dance in adulthood as a social outlet and fitness regime.

Daryl Lee, president of the University of Melbourne Dancesport Club says the sport is popular with students from overseas; “Most of our dancers are Asian and a vast majority come from the international student population.” Whilst most are looking for a change from their studies, Daryl adds that “there are also experienced dancers in the club who have come from different styles such as contemporary, and who are looking to further their experience.” Whilst the Melbourne University club focuses on the social side of ballroom dance, Daryl points out that “we do have a few members who move on to private lessons and compete after experiencing Dancesport and finding an affinity for it.”

Serious competitors such as Victoria’s current top-ranked couple Zalie Merritt and Jacob Grech, however, usually start young.Julie Jones “After my mum took me to see Strictly Ballroom for my birthday, I was inspired to take up Latin American dancing,” says Jacob. “I started with medals, then moved into competition, and went through a range of partners travelling around Australia and overseas.” He then found a surprising kindred spirit in Zalie. “I found Zalie through a mutual dance teacher. It was quite funny, as we had been fierce rivals during our respective competitive careers!”

Dancesport Victoria’s Executive Officer Andrew Howlett says competitors usually train anywhere from ten hours to upwards of twenty hours per week. For Zalie and Jacob, practice involves twelve hours a week of dance lessons with a mentor coach and various interstate and international coaches. Victorian competitor Timothy Earl and his partner, meanwhile, train for three nights a week and a day on the weekend for an average of fourteen hours per week. “During the course of a week we have a lesson for each of the three ballroom dancing styles with the rest of the time devoted to practice.” Cross-training is also important element of the weekly routine. “We walk, jog and run most days, attend a gym and take pilates lessons,” says Zalie. “I also undertook ballet classes when dancing competitively in the Latin style, and studied dance as a Year Twelve extra subject to allow me a better knowledge of the art form.”

Ambitious Australian competitors aim to take home the title at three main championships: The Australian Championships (Melbourne, December), The National Capital of Dancesport Championships (Canberra, June) and The South Pacific Dancesport Championships (Sydney, September). Female competitors arrive at the competitions with fake tan applied, and their hair and make up done before meeting up with their partners. After enquiring about the start time of the first round of their particular event, the dancers then settle, focus and talk through such aspects of performance as floor craft with their partners. Finally, it’s show time.

But the dreams of the most gifted ballroom dancers can be found overseas, says Zalie. “To dance overseas is also a dream of ballroom dancers. The pathway is very different though [compared to other forms of dance such as ballet] in that there are not companies, but individual studios. Those who have a passion to remain in the scene all their lives work hard to earn Australian titles then gain recognition overseas, returning home to coach and adjudicate here in Australia. Uni of Melbourne Dance Sport Depending on titles gained overseas coaches can demand up $200 per hour for lessons.”

Geography and expense, however, makes it difficult for Australian competitors to compete on an equal footing at the international level. “Travelling around Europe is, after all, much easier than getting to Europe from Australia,” says Dancesport Victoria’s Andrew Howlett. None the less, there are many who believe the trouble is worth it. “Unfortunately it is an expensive sport, but I don't know any top dancers who wouldn't live under the kitchen sink just to dance,” says Just Rhythm Dance Academy’s Julie Jones. “The advantage for Australian couples is that our Australian lifestyle in general allows us to be dancers and still live comfortable lives. In other countries, you’re working to survive, not to dance.”

At the state level, organizations such as Dancesport Victoria help to lessen the burden on regional dancers. “We [at Dancesport Victoria] are looking at ways to assist with travel subsidies for competitors moving to Melbourne for competitions and are also looking at different ways to send some of our better coaches from Melbourne out towards the regional areas,” says Andrew.

With a number of major international championships being held in Melbourne in the next couple of years and the continuing popularity of shows like Dancing with the Stars, participation numbers would seem set to rise. Andrew is cautiously optimistic about the coming years. “There are positives and negatives to everything. The main positive [of the greater television publicity] is that the activity has become more visible to the public eye. However, so far it has actually had little to no impact on participation numbers, as it has also made the activity appear more elite.”

If early predictions of exponential increases in Dancesport participation levels were somewhat premature, however, Dancesport remains one of the most high profile dance forms in Victoria and enthusiasm for the sport doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

“I enjoy how Dancesport gives university students the opportunity to spend time outside of studies in the world of dance,” remarks student Daryl Lee. “It makes uni life more enjoyable as a whole.”

“Dancing has taught me confidence. This has helped me not only in dancing, but in all other aspects of life,” says competitor Timothy Earl.

“You have to love it”, insists Julie Jones. “In Dancesport, you will always lose more than you win and those who keep coming back are the ones who achieve.”

“The harder you work, the luckier you get.”

Neville Parry and Siobhan Power

Published in Kinesis Magazine (Ausdance Vic)

Ballet Masters Frederic Jahn & Patricia Ruanne

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 03:51:00 +0000

Ballet duo Frederic Jahn and Patricia Ruanne share a formidable reputation. Among the companies for which they have worked are the Paris Opera, the Royal Ballet, La Scala, the London Festival Ballet and the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam, with job titles ranging from dancer to acting director. New Zealand dancers will have the opportunity to benefit from the pair’s accumulated experience when they present their week-long winter workshop in Christchurch at the end of July. Having recently finished re-staging Rudolph Nureyev’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ for the Paris Opera, Frederic and Patricia have kindly let Dance Informa’s Grace Edwards steal a few pearls of wisdom to share with our readers.

What memories do you have of your time as a student and a dancer?

Patricia
I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the Royal Ballet School at the age of thirteen, and have lovely memories of my years at White Lodge. Having been convent-educated up to that moment (and my passion for dance strongly disapproved of by the nuns), it was a huge pleasure for me to be in an environment where everyone considered this passion to be entirely normal. By the age of seventeen I was dancing in the Royal Ballet and starting to understand that however much you assimilate, there is always more to learn.

Frederic
I have very few memories of being a student dancer as I was only a student for three weeks before joining the New Zealand Ballet Company. Before that time I was still at King Edward Technical College in Dunedin doing ballet classes twice a week with my stepfather, Ludwig Werner.

I joined the company as a student dancer with another boy, but we were given roles right from the beginning. Although I greatly enjoyed the dance training and performance aspects, not all my memories are pleasant ones. Having been uneducated in the protocol and hierarchy of a dance company, I made many mistakes and was frequently put into my place regarding how things worked, and required considerable chastisement from established members of the company and staff, until I got the message.

Who were your favourite coaches and what did they impart to you?

Frederic
I’ve had the fortune to work with the greatest dance personalities in the world. Some were teachers, some coaches, but all of them were theatrical personalities.The personalities that have influenced me the most were and are Russell Kerr and Jon Trimmer when I was in the New Zealand Ballet. Russell Kerr was director of the company, and his passion and energy remain firmly in my memories.

The Australian Ballet was also an enriching experience. Sir Robert Helpmann, Sir Frederick Ashton, Dame Peggy van Praagh, Ray Powell, Brian Ashbridge, Vera Volkova, Anthony Tudor and Rudolf Nureyev were all artists with whom I had personal contact and who helped me to develop the roles with which I was entrusted during my period with the company. It was Nureyev who advised me to go to Europe to widen my experience.

In Europe I had the good fortune to work with great choreographers such as Glen Tetley, Rudi van Dantzig, Ronald Hynd, Hans van Manen, and under the direction of Dame Beryl Grey, John Field and Peter Darrel. Those people had a tremendous influence on me as a dancer.

Patricia
My leading light in the Royal Ballet was the director of the touring company, John Field. He had great theatrical input to give us, and was not afraid to give young, inexperienced dancers an early opportunity in roles that one would not expect to tackle so soon. He considered that time spent discussing the development of a role was of equal value to the time spent actively rehearsing the steps, and encouraged us to read the literature related to any interpretative role, to see the play and to never sit back ‘in safety’ with a role, but constantly try to see it with fresh eyes.

I was surrounded by some of last century’s greatest dancers, all of whom I tried to learn from, and danced roles in ballets by Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, John Cranko, Anthony Tudor, Ronald Hynd, Hans van Manen, Barry Moreland and Rudolf Nureyev to name but a few. All these great creative minds gave me invaluable information and inspiration, which I try to transmit to the dancers I work with today.

What was it like working with Nureyev?

Frederic
Rudolph was like another dancer, a chum to me, and that was the only way you could work with him. If you placed him on a pedestal he would treat you accordingly and wipe the floor with you. He was like a chameleon; grovel up to him and your life would not be worth a penny, act the snob and he soon put you in your place. He treated you as you treated him. He had his moods. His mind worked so quickly that he expected us to learn by osmosis. We could not guess what he wanted all the time, and this caused frustration. These moods passed quickly, however. We learned over time that we could always get him to laugh again with a few scatological jokes. There are so many anecdotes, but you’d need a book for those.

You also had the pleasure of working as étoile coach and ballet master with the Paris Opera under Nureyev. How does the experience of coaching at such an elite level compare to that of coaching students?

Frederic
Working as Maestro with illustrious companies has broadened the canvas in terms of application to the younger generation. Being a Maestro seldom has anything to do with how much you know, it’s more about how to handle an individual dancer. It’s a psychological challenge until the ‘trust factor’ kicks in, at which point you can release all the information the dancer requires with impunity.

Patricia, you have worked as ballet mistress for the Festival Ballet and the Paris Opera. What were your particular responsibilities and has that informed your teaching style?

Patricia
My initial responsibility in both cases was to coach young dancers in preparation for assuming principal roles. As I had already danced the full repertoire, it is helpful to a ‘debutante’ to know that you are aware of the difficulties and that you can help them to avoid the pitfalls through personal experience.

At the Paris Opera, as an English speaker, I was generally assigned to take care of all visiting choreographers coming from overseas, and thus became responsible for the works of Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Rudi van Dantzig, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, George Balanchine, Jiri

Kylian, and of course, the ballets of Rudolf Nureyev. Needless to say, working with such varied talents and requirements provides a wealth of information, not least the realisation that nothing is ever immovable. All these choreographers use the same base vocabulary of dance, but in totally different styles, and one can witness how they themselves are evolving over a period of years. This provides a constant reminder that without change, things become stagnant and we as teachers and coaches must always keep our minds open.

You were both involved behind the scenes of the current production of Nureyev’s Romeo and Juliet for the Paris Opera. What is involved in ‘teaching’ a ballet?

Frederic
Teaching a ballet involves everything; the steps, the dramatic intention, the working of the steps (in Romeo and Juliet, the fight scenes), the extras, the costumes, the tempi with the conductor, the sets, the lighting and lighting cues, the mechanical operations of the sets, the close relationship with stage manager, the control of over 75 dancers, and 65 extras, and the application of human resources to the limits. With all this in control, the transmission of the ballet as a theatrical experience, and how Nureyev would have wanted it, becomes feasible.

Patricia
I echo all that Frederic has said. I would also add that it is important to both of us to encourage the dancers to discover the roles within themselves. We had the good fortune to create this ballet with Nureyev, but although we must remain true to his intentions dramatically, it’s vital that today’s dancers are not mere clones of the original cast, but able to do their own research and offer something of their own personalities to the production. This is what keeps it fresh and alive to both dancers and the public.

Having worked overseas and locally, how do you feel Australasian dancers compare to those working abroad?

Frederic
There are a great many uncut diamonds in New Zealand, but maybe not enough diamond polishers. By that I mean that New Zealand students we have seen working for their professional vocation are of an excellent standard, but not brilliant. Brilliance and quality at the highest level can only be transmitted by people that have touched or worked on those levels themselves. It’s the experience that defines the quality. It can’t be read out of a book or taught from a film. What makes overseas dancers different is that they have a greater choice of teachers to learn from and absorb on a regular basis. Even Australia has a better advantage simply because of its larger population, and secondly because of its geographical situation. New Zealand dancers have got the icing on the cake – the only thing that is missing is the edible glitter and sparklers.

Patricia
One of their greatest strengths is their enthusiasm when young, but one of their weaknesses is that it becomes ‘un-cool’ to demonstrate this passion as they get older. There is no shame in wanting to be good at something.

What advice would you give to your sixteen year old self?

Frederic
Never type yourself as a dancer, listen and work to your limits. Never assume dance owes you anything, or that it’s fair. Respect others.

Patricia
Watch, listen, and never assume that someone else’s corrections don’t apply to you. Don’t confuse a correction with a criticism. Try everything and refuse to accept the things that you can’t do yet – it will happen one day if you don’t walk away from it. Never be afraid to ask for help from someone whose opinion you respect. Never forget how lucky you are to be doing something you love, and always remember that you cannot dance forever, so don’t waste time.

You are both coaching at the New Zealand Dance Masters International Winter Workshop at the end of July, held in the earthquake-devastated city of Christchurch. How has the quake affected plans for this year’s workshop?

Frederic and Patricia
We were in Christchurch during the earthquake and witnessed first-hand the tragedy and trauma created by this event. Naturally, we wish to contribute in any way we can to re-establishing some normality, and we feel that it could be helpful for young aspiring dancers and their parents to realise that despite the possible logistical difficulties, these workshops can continue to take place. It can only be a positive sign that this type of activity can provide stimulation and encouragement to young people. Christchurch is recovering from a terrible setback, but is rebuilding for the future and we would like to help young dancers do the same.

The 2011 Dance Masters International Winter Workshop (July 24th-30th) will be held at 35 Archeron Drive, off Blenhiem Rd, Christchurch

Enquiries can be directed to dancemasters.international@gmail.com or Call +64 (0)226702971.

Published in Dance Informa magazine

On Side with Craig Bary and Lisa Griffiths

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 03:48:00 +0000

Adelaide-born contemporary dance artist Lisa Griffiths and New Zealand-born contemporary performing artist and guest teacher Craig Bary collaborate with multi-media designer Adam Synott in their long-awaited work, Side To One. This new work features as part of the Adelaide Festival Centre’s inSPACE program, to be held in late July. Dance Informa’s Grace Edwards discusses dance, friendship and the existence of soul mates with the choreographers.

Tell us about your work, Side To One

Lisa
The work is about two people destined to connect. Some people call this love or chemistry, and would call them soul mates. Side To One explores the vital human need for connection and is a true story inspired by our friendship and dancing together.

Do you believe in the concept of soul mates?

Craig
I do believe in connections that go deeper; I also believe you can have this connection with more than one person, but in different ways. With Lisa, I feel we have always been destined to come together in this creative way. We feel very much like family now too. We have an unspoken understanding of each other.

Lisa
I certainly believe in soul mates but they can come and go. In our case, Craig and I have had a long journey together.

How do you work together in the studio?

Lisa
We are peers who share a great deal of skill and experience, so when we choreograph, we sometimes create phrases separately in the studio before coming together to learn each other’s sections. Then together, we extend the material further. When making duet work we simply experiment and see where a movement idea may move us – sometimes into a dance lift, or one supporting the other suspended. We find these places by trusting and listening to each other, always keeping our connection and an awareness of each other’s bodies. If we fall, we fall together, again finding a new choreographic outcome.

Craig
We have also spent many a night with our heads near computer screens writing and rewriting concepts, ideas and grant applications, and refining what we discover in the studio. It has been a long and sporadic process of development spanning a few years. Each time we come back together we see what still inspires us and we develop those ideas, or throw them out and find new ones.

Many dance artists see choreography as a form of movement-based research. How do you view choreographic practice?

Lisa
Choreography has no rules in regards to process, but it is always about using movement as a medium. I have learnt that it is important to question why you use a movement. You need to question your motivation and be honest about what you want to say. Then let go and trust your instinct.

Craig
I think we take what we are and what we experience and put it into an art form that resonates with ourselves. For Lisa and me, that art form is dance, and also music and imagery.

How has the process of creating this work differed to that of other works?

Craig
I have made a few works now, but when we started this process this was my first work in development. As dancers both performing and creating our own work, the process is very exhausting but also extremely true and instinctive. It is not the same as looking into a work and seeing the whole picture and being able to manipulate it externally. You need to trust how it is feeling and how that will read to an audience.

Lisa
I have really been able to take risks in our partner work, as Craig and I have much experience and trust. Since the movements come from our own bodies, the process is not delayed by transferring the movement onto other dancers’ bodies.

How difficult has it been juggling your time between choreography and performance as independent artists?

Lisa
It has been tricky for both Craig and me to juggle work. As we are both still performers for other companies we have had to find time here and there to work. We have also had to keep in mind the availability of our collaborators and studio space. Side to One has only been made possible through our friendship, respect and patience for each other’s life and busy careers. I do, however, hope to create a new work next year with Craig dancing in it to experience the perspective of creating from outside the work.

Craig
It has been difficult to juggle our dance careers as well as make this work. I think that is why it has been a longer process than normal, but the experiences that we have outside of our work further serve to inform the work we make together. Side to One has gone through many transformations as we have grown as artists. It’s very rare to see a work take the time to develop like this and really grow alongside the artists. It will be interesting to see if an audience can feel this.

What inspires you to create and perform?

Craig
Both Lisa and I are inspired by artists and collaborators around us, and the simplicities and complexities of life. The ability to share with an audience that which I see and which affects me as a person and artist is what constantly drives me to dance and make work.

Lisa
I love the challenge of combining other mediums such as projection and set design to support the story and complement the dance. I think this comes from the fact that the people around me are gifted with particular skills and I feel compelled to utilise these.

Performing and creating is about sharing an experience. The older I become the more I want to understand people and why we behave the way we do. My art form keeps me physically active and hearing your heart beat whilst dancing makes you feel alive. My performances make me strive for perfection; it does not exist, of course, but in the process I feel I do become mentally stronger. Creating work keeps me questioning life; it keeps me switched on to what some people may find mundane but what I see as daily miracles and achievements.

Side to One will run from July 27th-30th at the Adelaide Festival Centre’s Space Theatre.

Photos: Chris Herzfield

Published in Dance Informa magazine

Telstra Dancer Award Nominee Karen Nanasca

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 03:43:00 +0000

Many local ballet students dream of becoming a nominee for the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award. For 22-year-old New Zealand-born corps de ballet member Karen Nanasca the dream has come true. “The announcement was made after our daily class one morning back in February. I was sitting on the floor at the back of the studio amongst my fellow dancers wondering who the last nominee was going to be. I couldn’t believe it when my name was called!”

Karen, who joined the Australian Ballet in 2009 upon graduating from the Australian Ballet School, will compete alongside colleagues Rudy Hawkes, Robyn Hendricks, Luke Marchant, Brett Chynoweth and Chengwu Guo for a cash prize of $20,000. The winner is to be chosen by an industry judging panel, who will assess the dancers on the quality of their dancing, personal development and potential for the future. Australian Ballet fans will also get their say, deciding by popular vote the winner of the equally coveted $5,000 People’s Choice Award.

As part of her nominee duties, Karen has already appeared in a mini-documentary about the Award and can look forward to the usual variety of photo shoots and interviews. To equip her for the task she has received some publicity coaching, including training in some rather less traditional areas: “I’ve had “twitter training” to teach me how to tweet about my TBDA nominee experiences!” The Awards are also an opportunity to look inwards. “The past TBDA winners have always commented on how much they have discovered about themselves during their time as a nominee,” explains Karen. “I’m excited to find out what I learn about myself!”

TBDA nominees Luke Marchant, Robyn Hendricks, Rudy Hawkes, Brett Chynoweth, Karen Nanasca & Chengwu Guo. Photo: C. L'Estrange

In addition, Karen and the other contestants will also have to submit a written piece to convince the judges why they should win. The process culminates in September when she and the other contestants will be interviewed by the judging panel. The winner will be announced in December. Last year the contest ended in an unprecedented tie, with winners Ty King-Wall and Dana Stephensen receiving $20,000 each.

Having made the transition to company life quite recently compared to the other nominees, Karen is more than ready for the journey. “There were only seven girls in my final year at The Australian Ballet School, and there are 35 girls in The Australian Ballet,” she recalls. “It was quite a change to work with a much larger group of dancers and subsequently receive less individual attention from ballet staff than I was used to at the school. But I’ve learnt now to work more independently and how to navigate my way around in such a big ballet class.”

Already she has had to cope with one of the art form’s biggest downsides. “I had a stress fracture in my second metatarsal going into my first year at The Australian Ballet School, and I re-fractured the bone after my initial recovery a few months later into that year,” says Karen. “Any dancer who has had an injury knows how frustrating it can be when you can’t dance. It was tough for me for all the months I was off. But I came out of it a stronger and smarter dancer. I think it’s important to stay positive, have family and friends around to support you, and always have a goal to work towards. The injury really put into perspective how important our bodies are for dance, and how important it is to look after them properly!”

We here at Dance Informa wish Karen the best of luck for her TBDA campaign and look forward to following her promising career. Her secret for success is simple:“’Ballet is hard, so always remember why you do it.’ My ballet teacher in New Zealand wrote this in a card she gave me before I left for The Australian Ballet School.”

Karen Nanasca. Photo: James Braund

Whilst it might be easy to focus on such potential pitfalls, Karen insists that the joy of dancing is worth the pain. She is quite clear about her favourite aspect of dancing with the Australian Ballet: “getting to do what I love everyday – and getting paid for it! I love the feeling of being on stage, the adrenaline rush and the emotion of it all. It’s also rewarding to hear the positive response from the audience.” This is fortunate, as the company’s hectic schedule doesn’t leave much time or energy for other interests. “After a performance and once I’m home, I usually have something to eat and watch TV or read until I start to get sleepy. This doesn’t normally take very long…”

A few fun facts about Karen

When I am not dancing I am…sleeping!
I have a personal weakness for…Chanel nail polish.
One day I’d like to…win the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award!
My idol is..Tamara Rojo, principal, the Royal Ballet.
A memorable stage moment…Last year I danced in Principal Artist Daniel Gaudiello’s South of Eden, as part of the Bodytorque.a.la.mode season. In the piece there was one lift where John-Paul Idaszak, the tallest male dancer in the company, lifted and tossed me over his head, and I was caught on the other side by dancer Matthew Donnelly. It felt like I was flying!

Vote for Karen or any of the other talented dancers in the TBDA People’s Choice Award by visiting
www.beinvolved.com.au
Top photo: Karen Nanasca and Jacob Sofer by Jeff Busby

Published in Dance Informa

Keeping Kids in Ballet

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Sun, 15 May 2011 09:17:00 +0000

How can teachers keep kids interested in ballet? Aware of the benefits of a strong classical foundation, many teachers are dismayed to watch their young jazz/commercial dance students avoid ballet at all costs. So what works? What doesn’t? And does skipping ballet really matter in the long run? Dance Informa goes in search for answers from renowned dance teachers working in Australia and the United States.

Growing up, did you ever relate to the kids who hated ballet classes and gave up?

Julie Brown, Director, Urban Dance Centre, Sydney: I think you are very influenced by the people who teach you and how you are taught. I was very fortunate to have John Field as a teacher — a truly inspirational person who taught with so much love, it was easy to be inspired.

Rebecca Brown, Co-Director, Perimeter Academy of the Arts Ballet, Atlanta: I had one year as a young child when I begged my mother to let me quit. She made me stick with it until the recital, and after being on stage and wearing lipstick, I was hooked! Kids today often want to quit because of the discipline, structure, and hard work required. They often find activities more fun that are fast-paced with quick results and that involve social time, when they are allowed to talk in class.

Barbara Everson, Director, Australian Dance Performance Institute, Brisbane: Because I started late (ten yrs old), I really don’t remember people dropping out of class. We were very committed to achieving. I know that in my first year I sat Grade Two, then in the second, Grade Five, and the third, Elementary. This was expected of us and we certainly didn’t question the decision or the number of classes that we did. I personally could not wait to get to dance classes.

In your own experience, have you found it difficult to get kids to sign up for ballet classes?

Julie: At Urban Dance Centre we don’t insist that the children do ballet (unless they are in the performances groups) and we have noticed that because of this a lot of children choose to do ballet. Also, our faculty cross-references their work to other styles of dance, thus providing continuity in teaching. For example, the jazz faculty will discuss posture, placement, alignment and how classical training helps to achieve these things. Similarly, the classical faculty will talk about pirouettes and adage, and how they relate to jazz and musical theatre.

Nicole Bunnell, Director, The Edge Performers School, Melbourne: Often it is difficult to fill positions in ballet classes and the reasons for this are — children find it boring; the music is not of a high and exciting tempo, and children prefer bright and stimulating expression. The exercises are repetitive and slow to develop correct placement and control, and it can be hard for children to maintain focus and appreciate the benefits of the techniques being taught.

Liza Pollok, Co-Director, Excelsior School of Dance, Houston: We have a very strong classical school and we use a syllabus. The kids that sign up for ballet with us have a goal to work towards and exams to do each year, so they are challenged and they love it. Most of the students we get are very serious little dancers right from the beginning.

Many teachers and dancers believe that it is nearly impossible to attain a professional standard of technique without a classical background. Do you believe this is true?

Rebecca: Definitely! Classical ballet is the foundation and basic building-block for all popular dance styles. A well-trained classical ballet dancer can typically transition to jazz or hip hop relatively easily given a little time, but this process does not seem to work in reverse.

Julie: I think it is extremely difficult to achieve a professional level as a dancer without classical training, although obviously not impossible. It really depends on the individual dancer, his or her focus and the quality of the teaching. I do think it’s wonderful to see hip hop dancers performing perfect pirouettes in the middle of a routine.

Nicole: Many teachers believe this, but I agree in part only. Strong technical training in jazz is often based on ballet exercises, so students with strong technical training in jazz are indeed capable of achieving employment in the professional dance industry. However, my own students are encouraged to attend ballet classes as a foundation and also as an extension of technical training when pursuing jazz classes. I do find that ballet assists greatly in technical development.

Barbara: We do have students who audition for our full time courses in musical theatre and commercial dance without having done classical ballet. On discussing this with them, they have said that their teachers told them that classical ballet was not necessary. They do not realise how wrong they are. For students who wish to go into commercial dance, it is totally essential. All Disney auditions commence with a ballet class; if they get cut at this stage, then it really doesn’t matter how good they are at the other genre. It is interesting to listen to the adjudicators at the City of Sydney Jazz Finals at the Opera House who nearly always comment on the importance of classical training to a dancer. They believe that it is imperative for any student who wishes to gain employment.

What, in your opinion, is the ideal ratio of ballet classes to popular dance classes for career-track kids more inclined towards popular dance styles?

Ashley Killar, Director, Ecole Ballet and Dance Theatre, Sydney: 50/50.

Julie: At Urban Dance Centre our full-time students do three hours of ballet per week, but they also have a technique class every day, i.e. jazz, kicks/turns/jumps, contemporary etc.

Nicole: For students under ten years of age we recommend 1½ hours per week of ballet. After ten years of age, the minimum is set at 2½ hrs per week and the recommendation is three hours per week, but we do not have a set ratio that we expect students to adhere to when selecting classes.

Barbara: They should have at least two ballet classes per week, because without it their career-track will be very limited.

Of course, technique is not only the domain of ballet. Do you think that there is enough of a focus on technique in popular dance classes?

Nicole: Our jazz classes have a very strong technical base. As most ballet is set to a syllabus, there are minimum expectations for each class. Unfortunately, not all schools uphold the same level of training or are monitored for teacher development and training in styles other than the ballet syllabus they are implementing.

Rebecca: My observation is that it all depends on the teacher. A teacher who has a strong background in ballet technique is much more likely to focus on and understand the importance of technique in popular dance classes.

Keeping kids in ballet class is only one part of the equation. How do you keep your students motivated to do their very best in ballet class? What works for you?

Ashley: We use different methods for different character types. One has to treat each student as an individual, not expect them to conform like peas in a pod.

Julie: I teach ballet to our full time students and find that constantly cross-referencing the work keeps the students engaged, as this allows them to fully understand and appreciate WHY they are doing the work they do. The speed of a frappé, for instance, can be related to isolations, dynamic quality, and core strength, whilst the correct placement in an arabesque is extremely important when we are working on a variety of lifts, as the boys need to know that the girl can hold her alignment herself.

We can work through the whole class in this manner and if the students are focused on a career in commercial dance it is easy for them to understand the WHY. I recently overheard one of our new Certificate IV in Performing Arts students say, “I never thought I’d actually enjoy ballet, but it’s really good”!

Nicole: To keep our children motivated in ballet, we encourage students to take ballet exams so that they may see a reward for their hard work in the classes. We also make sure that at least one class per week involves learning a concert routine for our end-of-year performance. Children are further motivated to take the ballet classes as a way of being able to take the troupe performance class, as this is a set pre-requisite.

Barbara: All students have to have goals, and we encourage them to achieve these. With continual positive reinforcement and nurturing we find that our students respond well. I use a lot of imagery in my teaching that stimulates them. I encourage them to research solos on YouTube and discuss what they find with them. I always include an anatomical approach explaining the use of the body during exercises in every class no matter how young the students are.

I work to weave dance history in as well so that they understand where dance comes from. It is heart-breaking when teenage students have no idea who Nureyev, Fonteyn and Baryshnikov are. This is when the old VCR comes out and movies such as “Turning Point” and “I am A Dancer” are shown.

Rebecca: This is definitely an ongoing challenge! I believe that personal encouragement and one-on-one contact with each student is critical to make them feel valued and good about themselves. Careful class planning is also very valuable for the teacher. Students seem to be most motivated when the teacher is confident and energetic, moves at a consistent pace, has a structured format, and requires students to discover the joy and rewards of hard work and self-discipline. Always with passion, love, and a smile!

First published in Dance Informa

Dance Massive (March 15-27th, 2011)

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:08:00 +0000

One of the sad aspects of having just begun my PhD is I don’t always get to update this website with everything that deserves to be here, but there are no excuses for not having mentioned Dance Massive!

A quote from the official website, which pretty much sums up Dance Massive:

“This March, Melbourne will be electrified by over 200 artists in 22 performances and events over 14 days across our 3 host venues. Many of these artists are pushing the aesthetic envelope and blurring the boundaries between forms. From world premieres to a re-vamped cult classic, intimate solo works, dance on film, participatory events and ensemble productions, Dance Massive will take you places you hadn’t even imagined.

Alongside our performance program we are proud to be associated with the inaugural National Dance Forum – a lively gathering of Australian and international presenters and practitioners over two days and nights – as well as the Ausdance Victoria Dance Your Heart Out class and workshop series and the Tanja Liedtke Fellow in residence.”

Want to check it out? You should (!) – to head on over to the Dance Massive website, click here

To check out my review of In Glass, click here

Go on, do it!

Suite Synergy - opening night, Wednesday 23rd March

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:01:00 +0000

This week, the brand-new Mod Dance Company opens its debut tour in Melbourne:

23-26th March
State Theatre, the Arts Centre.
To buy tickets, click here

You can read my interview with Associate Artistic Director, Teagan Lowe, on Trespass Magazine here.

Also, my interview with Mod Dance Company's Managing Directors, Michelle Grace Hunder, Linda Alescio and Nadasha Zhang on Trespass can be found here.

And finally, here's my interview with company dancer, Jessica Franke, exclusively for Graceegirl.

Check them out and see that you think...

Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing what this company has to offer. Offering works by Graeme Murphy is a safe bet and always sure to draw in the crowds, so there's nothing to stop this tour being a huge success!

Review: Narelle Benjamin's In Glass - Dance Massive 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 08:05:00 +0000

Narelle Benjamin’s In Glass is a study of the mystery of reflection, a consideration of our relationship with that thin barrier keeping us and the rest of the world separate from the reflective world beyond. At times beautiful, at times confronting, this is a work that deserves a serious viewing and in turn, offers genuine intellectual reward for the viewer.

The dance partnership of performers Paul White and Kristina Chan and the concept of the mirror comprise the central elements of this work. Mirrors, after all, come in many forms; they may be fashioned from glass or water, or discovered in the eyes of a soul mate. Whilst states of liminality or ‘in-between’ often elude apt description in the form of words, the abstracted and more subjective world of dance provides the perfect medium for this kind of exploration.

On a stark and sparsely-lit stage, with only a few carefully-arranged mirrors as backdrop, the agile bodies of Chan and White move through an exceptional range of spatial planes; twisting, lifting, twirling, rolling and writhing, the duo frequently cast diagonal lines and curves with their movements, literally embodying states of transition and transformation. References to myth and fantasy are alluded to through the developed use of intricate hand and finger movements, as well as through surreal images projected on to the mirrors in the background.

The soundtrack to In Glass is reminiscent of reverb. The concept of delay and echo as a type of distorted mirror appear to be reinforced by the slow, smooth canonical movement sequences between Chan and White. These sequences also serve to draw attention to the striking dance chemistry between the pair, the original inspiration for this work. The boundary between Chan and White is blurred, metaphorically through dance, and literally in a memorable image imprinted on the back mirrors.

The role of light in shaping our reflected images and in turn, our sense of self is not overlooked; it is carefully handled through the artful play of light on water through images projected on to the backdrop, and taken further through both the choreographed reflection of studio lights by the performers and Chan’s costume transformation from a black to a semi-transparent, shimmering silver dress.

The studied and intellectual nature of this piece will suit veterans of contemporary dance viewing; the sheer variety of perspectives from which the concept of reflection is observed by Benjamin is dizzying. Newer initiates to the world of dance, however, may find themselves out of their depth, due to the abstracted nature of both the subject matter and its study in this work. Though certainly not offensive or aggressive, In Glass does contain images of partial nudity which may ward off more conservative viewers. But for those with the desire and maturity to engage with and be engaged by the puzzlements of human psychology through movement, this will prove to be a performance work of the highest calibre.

The Malthouse Theatre presents In Glass, March 15-20 (Beckett Theatre), dates, times and tickets available from www.malthousetheatre.com.au. For times, dates, programmes, and bookings for In Glass and other Dance Massive events, please also see www.dancemassive.com.au

Originally published in Dance Informa Magazine

Trespassing with...Mod Dance Company

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 07:16:00 +0000

Following on the heels of my recent Trespassing with….Teagan Lowe (Associate Artistic Director of Mod Dance Company), I finally caught up with the three glamorous young women behind-the-scenes of Mod — Nadasha Zhang, Linda Alescio and Michelle Grace Hunder. Together, in what makes for a rather unique job brief, the trio manage the three faces of Mod: Mod, the dance company; Mod, the talent casting agency and Mod, the marketing and events firm. The partners are currently in the midst of preparations for Suite Synergy, the debut tour of Mod Dance Company, which comprises a fusion of works by Australian choreographer, Graeme Murphy. And you thought you were busy…

Names: Nadasha Zhang, Linda Alescio, Michelle Grace Hunder
Occupation: Managing Directors, Mod Dance Company and Management Agency

What are your respective personal and professional backgrounds?

Nadasha: I’m a lawyer by profession and classically-trained musician in piano and cello. I’ve always been creative and pursued a life in the arts, which lead me to extensive work in the fashion and entertainment industries.

Linda: My background…professionally, I’m an accountant by trade. On a personal level, I use to dance. I actually danced with Teagan Lowe back at Classics School of Dance.

Michelle: My background is…well, where do I start! I have a background in event management, film and television logistics, which has come in quite handy.

How did you three meet each other?

Nadasha: The common denominator with us all meeting is probably me. I met Linda about five years ago on the Melbourne media and social scene through a mutual friend and we clicked right away.

I met Michelle back in the days when we were both modelling. We worked with a few of the same photographers and struck up a casual friendship through industry networking events. The friendship grew when Michelle came to me about 18 months ago to hire some models through our casting agency, Mod Management, for an event she was managing. She became really interested in what Linda and I were doing, so in a strategic move on our behalf, knowing how brilliant Michelle is at what she does, we invited her to join the team….and we’ve never looked back, have we girls?!

Michelle: Nope, never looked back!

Linda: Agreed! These girls are like my sisters from other mothers.

How did the idea for a dance company come about?

Linda: We set up Mod Management first, which is a casting agency/marketing and events company. The agency has a very strong dance division, which caught the eye of Brett Morgan, now the Artistic Director of Mod Dance Company. Brett wanted to put on productions through Mod Management, but we soon realised that the productions were beasts of their own and needed their own entity.

Then last year, my close personal friend Teagan Lowe lost her contract with Sydney Dance Company under the incoming artistic director Rafael Bonachela and was wondering what to do next with her career. It appeared only natural with the impending productions and Teagan’s fresh situation that forming a new dance company was the way to go.

Few others have attempted the task of running a dance company and an agency/marketing and events company. What made you believe the idea was viable?

Linda: With Mod Dance Company, admittedly we have luxuries to which most start-up dance companies don’t have immediate access. We have a very strong production with the best in the industry mentoring us on how to execute both the creative and production management aspects of the tour.

Michelle: The other thing is that the two productions upon which Suite Synergy is based, Synergy with Synergy and Free Radicals, are very successful previous productions, which as Graeme Murphy always says, never realised their full commercial potential. I mean, on its previous tours, the show has boasted reviews that it should have been on Broadway!

Nadasha: In regards to Mod Management, we started the agency with a unique point of difference which received a really positive market response. We offered clients a turn key solution to their marketing, events and productions through integrating the creative, talent sourcing, management and execution processes all under one roof, which inevitably saves clients costs and time.

How do you divide your time between Mod Dance Company and Mod Management?

Nadasha: We all have very, very long days! Having staff working for us definitely helps with time management and we have different top level responsibilities allocated to each of us on a weekly basis to make sure time and attention is divided in accordance to need. At the moment, the majority of the time is devoted to Mod Dance Company, given that we are getting ready for the 2011 tour.

Have you found your age and gender an advantage or disadvantage in securing sponsorship, connections and respect. Why?

Linda: We are three women who are breaking new ground so yes, there are challenges. In securing sponsorship, we’re fortunate to have engaged sponsorship management company Coruscade, and they have been very helpful in their area of expertise. We find that the respect we may have lacked due to our age is made up for by the respect the comes from the association we have with the industry veterans we’re working with who are backing this production and us.

Michelle: There are boundaries in regards to our age and gender and we’ll always be against it a little bit, but we are into pushing boundaries in the industry. Hopefully, this will pave the way for other young people to do something similar.

Nadasha: If anything, being young, we have a fresh eye and approach to things, and we want to inspire other women and young people to rise up and achieve what they set their mind to regardless of age and industry stereotyping.

What are the particular challenges you have come across so far?

Michelle: Where do we start! Everything is a learning curve and everyday is a challenge, but in turn that has made us stronger. It’s a rollercoaster because we’re treading our own path, but we don’t see the challenges as anything negative because we’ve grown from them.

How do your personalities and backgrounds compliment each other in your work?

Michelle: We are a good mix! Our three professional backgrounds compliment each other well. We bring different skill sets and therefore different points of view, which are all relevant to what we are doing.

Linda: Yeah, we understand each other, we are friends, we bring out the best in each other, have the same work ethic, and we respect each other.

Nadasha: …brought together by the same passion!

How do you relax?

Michelle: I like to exercise. I think it’s really important to keep up an exercise and fitness regime. It has always been an important part of my life. I do personal training couple of times a week and it’s extremely good for releasing stress. It also makes sure I get a little bit of down time.

Nadasha: I spend time with my 5 month old daughter. Time stops when I’m with her.

Linda: I try and take a few days break here and there. Although it can still get hard to relax completely.

What sort of training do you feel is useful in the kinds of projects you are undertaking?

Michelle: I think it’s almost impossible to do any one course that will train you to do what we are doing. Perhaps a course in production would have been helpful but a large part would definitely need to come from life and work experience and intuition. However, you definitely need good project management and time management skills.

What advice or philosophy sustains you?

Linda: It’s cliché, but never give up! Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do anything.

Michelle: Another important thing is to take advice from others that are more experienced, but also don’t be afraid to push boundaries when you believe in them, you need to be able to back yourself. Also, stay positive and don’t let the challenges phase you. Having a great support network like great friends to work with also does wonders.

Nadasha: Very true… and also don’t be afraid to believe in yourself and that you can achieve that to which you set your mind. Most importantly, pursue something you are passionate about!

Tickets to Mod Dance Company’s Suite Synergy (Graeme Murphy) are on sale now.

Melbourne: 23-26 March 2011, the Arts Centre, State Theatre, Wed – Saturday 8pm, Thursday & Saturday 2pm, show duration: 1 hour 40 minutes including 20 minute interval (Act 1 45 mins, Act 2 35 mins). To book, go to theartscentre.com.au (transaction fee applies), 1300 182 183 (transaction fee applies) or the Arts Centre Box Office.

Following Melbourne, SUITE SYNERGY will be performed in Sydney, Perth, Darwin, Gold Coast and Adelaide.

Visit www.suitesynergy.com.au for full tour information

Trespassing with...Mod Dance Company's Teagan Lowe

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 04:50:00 +0000

Best-known for her performances with Graeme Murphy’s Sydney Dance Company (2005-2009) and as one of the stunning faces of Energetiks Dancewear, Melbourne-born dancer Teagan Lowe is about to add another string to her bow. As Associate Artistic Director of the brand new Mod Dance Company alongside Acting Artistic Director Brett Morgan, Teagan and the company’s dedicated personnel are getting ready to present their first production, Suite Synergy, in March 2011 — a fusion of two existing works by Murphy.

Name: Teagan Lowe
Occupation: Dancer and Associate Artistic Director, Mod Dance Company

Mod Dance Company has described itself as a “contemporary dance and entertainment company.” What does that mean in terms of your vision for the company?

We always wanted to be visionary as a brand new company and have thought outside the realm of “Arts” and “Commercial” as two separate entities. We have fused them together instead to form Australia’s first “Entertainment” company.
MDC wants to provide our audiences with the best from all aspects of “Entertainment”. For example, with our premiere show, Suite Synergy [featuring a synthesis of Graeme Murphy’s works Free Radicals and Synergy with Synergy], we are uniting contemporary dance with live percussion. This is a trend we would like to continue to use for all future productions to always keep our audiences excited and stimulated.

Tell us about the inspiration for Mod Dance Company?

As a dancer I have always felt that Australia has been so isolated from the rest of the world and very limited with its contracts in dance. We have an endless amount of rich, unexplored talent right here in our own backyard and it upsets me to see our extraordinary talent flee overseas simply because that’s where the contracts are.

When I was approached by Linda Alescio (Director of MDC) and presented with this once-in-a-lifetime prospect to enrich Australian dance, I jumped at the opportunity and haven’t looked back since.

Blending different dance styles can be exciting, but it can also be risky. What would you say to those who would consider ballet, contemporary and commercial dance as incompatible?

I appreciate that there will be always lines that need to be distinct when it comes to certain forms of art and performance. However, in these changing times and with so much now at our finger tips, we would be crazy not to take some risks.
There will always be beautiful ballets, exciting contemporary dance pieces and high-energy commercial productions, so we needed to find the niche that was void, and have done so by crossing the “arts” with the “commercial”. To some people this will seem a very bold move, others may see it as a smart progression. I guess everyone will have to come along and judge for him or herself!

Mod Dance Company is up against some stiff competition. How do you envision MDC will fit into this picture?

Mod Dance Company management is based in Melbourne, but our rehearsal space is in Sydney (Alexandria). Wherever we are, I don’t see the other companies in competition with us. We are all here to support and nurture Australian dance and Australian dancers. MDC would be honoured to hold ourselves up against established companies that have done wonders for our dancers and artists.

It makes me immeasurably proud to be part of the Australian dance and live performance scene as I know how supportive the companies are of one another. It is truly something that Australia should be very, very proud of.

It is mentioned on the company’s website that MDC has attracted considerable attention from sponsors. Could you tell us a little about more about your partnerships?

Being a fresh, new, young, exciting company, we have got people, especially sponsors, buzzing. We have a wonderful sponsorship team, Coruscade, whose constant dedication and drive has been vital to securing such amazing sponsorships.

We want to make our sponsors immensely proud that they are part of our Mod Dance Company family and we are always making sure that their needs are being met and exciting things are happening.

We have been very fortunate to associate with companies for sponsorship that are in direct alignment with our goals, visions and aspirations; so together we possess a flawless “Synergy”.

Suite Synergy

How are preparations going for Suite Synergy?

Excellent! From all the management, sponsorship and production teams, it is all guns blazing. As the artistic team, we’ve enjoyed getting into the studio with our wonderful dancers and Graeme to start creating the colossal beast that is Suite Synergy and we cannot wait to share it with everyone!

Suite Synergy is to be musically directed by percussionist and composer Michael Askill. Tell us more about Suite Synergy’s unusually strong foregrounding of the relationship between music and dance.

Brett Morgan felt that these two amazing works by Graeme still had so much life. We sat down with the footage and selected the pre-eminent pieces from each work and melded them together to form the commercial contemporary piece, Suite Synergy.

From early discussions on the topic of MDC being an “Entertainment” company, we knew we would always want to push boundaries and wanted more facets to the show, which is when we decided to draw on the extraordinary musical talent of Michael Askill to add an element of live percussion.

Having this relationship between the two forms of live performance will engage our audiences at a deeper level and will hopefully leave them wanting more of what we have to offer as a company in future productions.

Where do you see Mod Dance Company five years from now?

Still exciting our audiences by pushing all the boundaries, be they physical, staging, or otherwise. Also, maintaining our exciting and impressive ground-breaking status and combining new visions to produce imaginative works for not only Australia but for the world to see.

I see our repertoire growing and flourishing as the years continue, and our collaborations with new exciting and legendary choreographers expand. Our determination to work with our country’s greatest musicians, performers and dancers will ensure our engaging theatrical expression.

Mod Dance Company presents Graeme Murphy’s Suite Synergy 23-26 March 2011 at the Arts Centre, State Theatre; Wed – Saturday 8pm, Thursday & Saturday 2pm.
For tickets, visit theartscentre.com.au, 1300 182 183 or the Arts Centre Box Office. Following Melbourne, SUITE SYNERGY will be performed in Sydney, Perth, Darwin, Gold Coast and Adelaide.
Visit www.suitesynergy.com.au for full tour information

This interview was first published at Trespass Magazine

Mod Dance Company's Jessica Franke

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:50:00 +0000

Today, as part of the Mod Dance Company series of Q&As featured here this week, let me introduce you to dancer Jessica Franke.

In 2007, aged just 16, Jess began her full-time studies at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), working alongside such choreographers as Nanette Hassall, Alice Lee Holland, and Vicki Van Hout. Since completing her Bachelor of Arts in Dance, Jess has performed in Sue Peacock’s The Tipping Point and Lucy Guerin’s remount of Zero, and has also previously taken on secondments at Sydney Dance Company and Carte Blanche in Bergen, Norway.

Following a short-term contract with Sydney Dance Company in March 2010 for the company’s 'New Creations' season, her first venture into the world of professional dance, Jess is delighted to hold a contract with Mod Dance Company for the 2011 'Suite Synergy' tour.

Dance styles: Classical, Contemporary, Jazz, Tap, Hip hop (have tried just about everything).

How were you inspired into the world of dance?
Mother's intuition, she saw me bopping to music as a baby and felt she had no choice!

How would you describe daily working routine?
I could write a list with times and events but I thought I would answer this in a more rounded way. The day varies depending on what's required, how tired or energised I am, how my body is feeling, or how close a performance is. Though I begin every day with a massive breakfast, a much needed cup of tea, and then take things from there...

How do you enjoy your time away from dancing?
I love to relax and spend time with those I care about. I love having dinners and a sneaky wine with my boyfriend Daniel, or having a girls' night watching movies and indulging on a tad too much chocolate with my mum. I'm a big food buff, and love to cook new things as much as I can.

Favourite dance work:
Coincidentally, it's actually Director's Cut by Graeme Murphy. I saw it live when I had just decided that dance was something I wanted to do as a career, and the work really got my imagination flying. I'm so excited to be working with the man himself.

Favourite dancers/choreographers:
Sue Peacock, Lucy Guerin, Rafael Bonachela, Akram Khan, Jiri Kylian, Graeme Murphy, Bruno Heynderickx, the list goes on...

What do you love most about dance?
The precision, the never ending work and drive for perfection, and the odd way that when you do perform something the way you envisioned it should be in a perfect world, its like you're flying...

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Work with what God gave you, you are the way you are for a reason. Don't waste your gifts wishing for someone else's.

My dream dancer would be... a dancer who draws the audience's attention even if they are behind the curtain...

Most challenging dance experience? Six Breaths, by Rafael Bonachela.

Happiest moment? When my Dad got to see me perform professionally for the first time:)

If I wasn’t a dancer, I’d be a..... Still figuring that one out!

Something people might not know about me is that.... I can't put a kettle down after using it without refilling it.

Mod Dance Company presents Graeme Murphy’s Suite Synergy 23-26 March 2011 at the Arts Centre, State Theatre; Wed – Saturday 8pm, Thursday & Saturday 2pm.

For tickets, visit theartscentre.com.au, 1300 182 183 or the Arts Centre Box Office. Following Melbourne, SUITE SYNERGY will be performed in Sydney, Perth, Darwin, Gold Coast and Adelaide.
Visit www.suitesynergy.com.au for full tour information

Mod Dance Company

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:35:00 +0000

Over the next week, I'll be featuring Q&As with dancers from the newly-established Mod Dance Company in Sydney, who are gearing up for their world debut, Suite Synergy, in March 2011 at Melbourne's Arts Centre. Today, I introduce to you company member Laura Trevors.

Born in Cairns, Laura was invited to study on a scholarship at the Sheila Laing Dance Centre in Adelaide before graduating from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts with an Advanced Diploma in Dance in 2004. Her first professional engagement was as a principal dancer with the Tasmanian Classical Ballet Company, with whom she toured as part of the company's productions of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.

Laura has worked extensively with Event Theatre Australia, performing in Australia, India and Hong Kong and has held contracts with Leigh Warren & Dancers, the West Australian Ballet Company, and Opera Australia. The talented dancer has also featured in the Australian film Beautiful, released by Kojo Pictures and the South Australian Film corporation.

How were you enter the world of dance?

My first dancing teacher Kathy Harris was super inspiring and made learning to dance such a fabulous experience. I made a decision in my early teens that it was what I wanted to do and Kathy put everything into making my dream happen. I’ve been lucky enough to have been encouraged and to have been given plenty of opportunities from everyone I’ve worked with throughout my training and career. The list of people who have inspired me is endless.

How would you describe your daily working routine?

It’s an enjoyable one! I guess I thrive a little off having a routine, so I start each day with my own personal warm up of a ‘floor barre’ prior to a company class and day in and out of rehearsals.

How do you enjoy your time away from dancing?
Everyone enjoys their time away from ‘work’, so to speak. I’m lucky enough to have a job doing what I love, but it’s healthy to have some down time. I like to spend it with friends – not talking about dancing! I actually love entertaining, so any chance to put up a cheese platter, drink wine and play Jenga (I have a secret love of board games) with friends is ideal. That or any time spent in the SUNSHINE!

Favourite dance work:
I’m going to say Swan Lake. The music, the dancing and the story. It’s a true classic, I love the original and have loved the many adaptations and modern choreographic interpretations of it. Love Matthew Bourne’s version.

Favourite dancers/choreographers:

I’m a fan of Natalie Weir’s work. I was lucky enough to work with her during the Genee Awards that were held in Sydney and then perform a few roles in one of her works Proof Sheets 1-8 that she had choreographed on Expressions Dance Company but that was remounted by Justin Rutzou in my graduating year at WAAPA.

I also love Graeme Murphy’s work – I have been privileged to have performed his choreography in two opera works he created for Opera Australia, Turnadot and Aida. I’m very much looking forward to learning and performing Suite Synergy with Mod, I do believe it’s going to be my most challenging yet rewarding dance experience!

What do you love most about dance?

The way I can be completely absorbed in it.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

To not ‘think’ so much!

What has been the happiest moment in your dance career so far?

Having my family surprise me by turning up in Tasmania in my second year dancing with the Tasmanian Classical Ballet. I was performing as Clara/Sugar Plum in The Nutcracker and they hadn’t seen me dance in years, it was so excited to have them there.

My other happiest moment – being offered a contract with Mod!! I’ve spent a long time chasing dance jobs here, there and everywhere, and to finally have someone come to me with an offer was a very proud moment indeed.

If I wasn’t a dancer, I’d be a....

Florist – I love giving flowers and having fresh flowers in my home. I guess flowers are similar to dancing. They’re living art!

Mod Dance Company presents Graeme Murphy’s Suite Synergy 23-26 March 2011 at the Arts Centre, State Theatre; Wed – Saturday 8pm, Thursday & Saturday 2pm.

For tickets, visit theartscentre.com.au, 1300 182 183 or the Arts Centre Box Office. Following Melbourne, SUITE SYNERGY will be performed in Sydney, Perth, Darwin, Gold Coast and Adelaide.
Visit www.suitesynergy.com.au for full tour information

Review: Sydney Dance Company's We Unfold

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 04:21:00 +0000

Sydney Dance Company’s We Unfold references many different themes: the ebb and flow of life, the nostalgia of leaving one’s home for a new land and the waves of the ocean. In reality, however, this work is about whatever you want it to be; imaginative and expansive, We Unfold defies description in the best sense.

Set to composer Ezio Bosso’s lyrically expressive Symphony No.1, Oceans, We Unfold possesses a point of difference in a field in which sound engineering and experimentation are the norm. Rafael Bonachela’s choreography also draws far more explicitly on classical dance vocabulary than that of his peers. Nonetheless, the spirit with which Bonachela infuses the work and his attention to detail make We Unfold recognisably contemporary.

Bonachela’s engagement with the music is masterful; the solo strains of a cello are reflected in the smooth, undulating motions of a single dancer. As the musical texture is fleshed out, so is the dancing onstage. Mirroring the melodic lines of a symphony, the dancers perform in arrangements in the foreground, background and centre of the stage whilst remaining part of a larger choreographic picture. If somewhere there are dancers being lifted towards the sky, others are motioning and bending towards the floor. If a dancer is reaching for the theatre wings, another is pulling back towards the centre of the stage. The timing is not enslaved by the music but often naturalistic, transforming the audience’s sense of time. A single sustained note in Bosso’s score is often matched by a tapestry of beautiful movements.

The dancers command the audience’s attention by channeling different levels of intensity into the rippling wave-like gestures and lifts that infuse the five dance sections (corresponding to the five movements of Bosso’s symphony). Daniel Askill’s simple-but-striking video art illuminates the different moods of these scenes whilst Jordan Askill’s minimalist, flesh-coloured costume designs show off the dancer’s bodies magnificently and allow the dancers maximum freedom of movement. Bonachela’s use of different partnering combinations is commendable; male dancers lift and manipulate the bodies of their female partners, but female dancers also lift and guide their male partners; male dancers also dance together at times, as do the female dancers.

The most heart-breaking moment of the opening night performance occurred near the beginning of the work. After a brilliant opening section, the music and video art suddenly froze, resulting in an apology and a curtain close. Ten minutes later, the dancing recommenced from the point at which it had stopped. Needless to say, some of the magic was lost. Indeed this had happened at least once before at last year’s Australian Dance Awards, also held at the Arts Centre. This is a serious problem that the Sydney Dance Company needs to resolve if they want to safely restage this work for Melbourne audiences in the future. Ultimately, it was the sheer brilliance of the work that saved the evening.

Technical difficulties notwithstanding, this work is an outstanding contribution to dance. Achingly beautiful and memorable, We Unfold is as close as one gets to poetry in motion.

We Unfold is showing at Melbourne’s Arts Centre November 9th – 13th

We Unfold is showing at Brisbane’s QPAC November 18th – 27th

For more information on We Unfold, visit: http://www.sydneydancecompany.com/

Related article: Read Grace Edwards’ interview with Rafael Bonachela here.

First published in Trespass Magazine

Rafael Bonachela's WE UNFOLD (music Ezio Bosso)

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 09:44:00 +0000

I can't wait until I get the chance to review this for Melbourne audiences!

The season runs from November 9th to November 13th at the Arts Centre so get your tickets, I have a feeling it is going to be AMAZING......in the meantime, check out this interview I conducted earlier in the year with Bonachela about We Unfold published in Trespass Magazine.

Bejart Ballet's Paul Knobloch

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 04:38:00 +0000

One of Béjart Ballet Lausanne’s leading artists, former Australian Ballet dancer Paul Knobloch returned home to Australia last month to remount his work Valetta on the students of the Australian Ballet School. Dance Informa’s Grace Edwards caught up with the dancer and budding choreographer, snatching a glimpse of a rehearsal in the process.

On the fifth floor of the spacious Australian Ballet building on Melbourne’s Kavanagh Street, the ABS’s senior students are scattered across the floor of a dance studio warming up, laughing and chatting in their various shades of purple and pink. They are here to rehearse guest choreographer Paul Knobloch’s work, Valetta.

Valetta, named after Knobloch’s grandmother, was first commissioned by the Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director David McAllister three years ago and is now part of the Australian Ballet School’s permanent repertoire. As a guest choreographer, Knobloch clearly savours the task at hand. A former student of the Australia Ballet School himself, Knobloch graduated with honours in 1997. Upon graduation, he joined the West Australian and the English National Ballet, and was subsequently invited to join The Australian Ballet in 2002. Knobloch stayed with the Australian Ballet for eight years before joining Béjart Ballet Lausanne.

“It was a very hard decision for me to leave the Australian Ballet,” he tells me, “but I think, looking back, that it’s been the right one for me. To experience the opportunities that I have…I feel like within a year I’ve achieved so many milestones, ones that at times I didn’t think were attainable. I look back at this year and go ‘Wow, what I’ve achieved in one year is incredible with the Béjart Ballet Lausanne.'”

I ask him if he sees a future for himself as a choreographer. “Definitely,” replies Knobloch. “I really enjoy being part of the creative process as a dancer, so having the chance to step on to the other side and create dances myself is something that I really enjoy doing. It’s something that I hope will keep me in the field of dance for a long time. I’ve already done four works for the Australian Ballet, and now that I’m dancing with the Béjart Ballet Lausanne, I have more of an opportunity to get out there in Europe, which I’m hoping to do within the next year or so.”

For the moment though, Knobloch’s main focus is his dancing. Among the many iconic ballets in which he has performed are The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Les Sylphides, La Bayadere, Le Corsaire, Suite en Blanc, Romeo and Juliet, and Raymonda.

“I was so fortunate to dance La Sylphide not only with the AB, but also as a guest with the Dancers Company of the Australian Ballet School. I performed that with one of my best friends, [Australian Ballet soloist] Gina Brescanini, and it’s one of the most memorable moments of my career. It’s a beautiful ballet, a beautiful score, and something that I hold really close to me in that realm. I had the fortunate opportunity to dance the Prince with Lucinda Dunn in Graeme Murphy’s Nutcracker as well, and that’s a role that I really enjoyed doing.”

Though his own training both at the Canberra Dance Development Centre and at the ABS has been overwhelmingly classical, Knobloch is reluctant to categorise himself as a purely classical dancer. “I consider myself quite versatile, or I hope to be anyway [laugh]. I think I’m considered, in the Béjart Ballet, one of the ‘ballet men’ of the company, so I tend to take on those roles, but I get contemporary roles as well, which is exciting for me. I like exploring different facets of dance.”

There are few companies better positioned to give Knobloch that opportunity than the Béjart Ballet, home of the nearly 250 works created by renowned twentieth century choreographer Maurice Béjart. “Since joining the Béjart Ballet Lausanne, I’ve had the opportunity to dance Webern Opus 5, a piece that Maurice Béjart choreographed back in the 1970s, which I performed at the Paris Opera Garnier on opening night. That was an incredible milestone for me, and a ballet that I love performing. Also, I loved dancing to the music of Queen in Béjart’s Le Presbytère. The costumes are by Versace, and it’s a very contemporary piece. I’ve danced in so many works, but I love them all.”

“It’s a great company and it’s a very hard working company,” says Knobloch. “We tour so much and you’re always a bit like a gypsy living out of a suitcase, but at the same time it’s an incredible experience. One day we’re in the South of France and the next in Spain, so you get to experience so much, and you get to work on the world’s renowned stages. Though of course it’s also hard to travel out of a suit case for most of the year.”

I ask Knobloch what he believes has been the most important factor in his successful career. “Dance is such a big part of my life, and I have a great network of support behind me with my family, my mother, my former teacher, and my friends. That’s something that I really hold close – having that support network to encourage you on your journey and to believe in you.”

In return, Knobloch has shown his support for the next generation of Australian dancers, taking contemporary dance and ballet workshops at his old school, the Canberra Dance Development Centre. “I’ve always had a strong connection with the Canberra Dance Development Centre. Each time I come home, I always dabble there in some way, whether it be in choreography or teaching. I have a strong connection there with the director, Jackie Hallahan, so it’s been nice to be able to always come back and see the growth of the studio and of the Centre itself. It was really good to see the standard of dancers in Canberra, and I think there’s a great future for them.”

An inspiration to all, Knobloch’s parting words of advice to aspiring dancers are simple. “Something that I always try to instill upon an audience is the sheer enjoyment of movement, to touch the people who are watching your performance in some way. In the end, it is important to go beyond steps, and really dance from the heart.”

Published by www.danceinforma.com

Cuban National Ballet's Sadaise Arencibia

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 04:26:00 +0000

Queensland balletomanes will find a familiar face in Cuban National Ballet principal dancer Sadaise Arencibia, who performed the role of Kitri in the company’s recent production of Don Quixote at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

Originally trained at the provincial ballet school “Alejo Carpentier” in Havana, Arencibia won numerous awards in Cuba before joining the the national company in 1999. In 2002, Arencibia was awarded the “Villanueva” Critic’s Prize, granted by the Performing Artists Association of the Cuban Union of Artists and Writers (UNEAC) for her performance in the Agon pas de deux by Balanchine.

Though Arencibia has been much praised for her ethereal softness and sensitivity, the role of Kitri, she insists, requires something else entirely. “The most important thing is to give the role the ‘Spanish touch’ that it deserves,” Arencibia informs me. “That means vivacity, expressivity and happiness. Oh yes, and lightness!”

Choreographed by company founder and ballet icon Alicia Alonso, and based on the original by Marius Petipa, the Cuban version of Don Quixote reclaims the spotlight for the title character, who is often minimised in other productions. “This version of Don Quixote definitely treats the Quixote with more seriousness and more relevance,” says Arencibia. “The most important differences concern the relationship between Don Quixote and Kitri, and the character of Dulcinea from the novel. The dream-like nature of their relationship is quite important in this version.”

Such careful attention to detail is indeed one of the hallmarks of the Cuban National Ballet, which is recognised as one of the world’s leading ballet companies. Arencibia attributes the success of the company directly to the influence of Alonso, who founded the Cuban National Ballet with her husband and brother-in-law in 1948.

“Alicia Alonso has put her own indelible mark on ballet in Cuba and has a firm belief in the development of a very strong technique,” says Arencibia. “I have always tried to follow Alicia’s example myself. In terms of the interpretation of characters and detail, Alicia’s memory is quite important, and this is fundamental for any dancer to be able to do a good job.”

Thanks both to Alonso and Cuba’s free system of public education and training, ballet has been an accessible and important part of Cuba’s rich cultural life for decades. Like many children in Cuba, Arencibia was exposed to ballet regularly as a young child. “Since I was very little, I watched a lot of ballet on Cuban television, and that excited me. Equally importantly, my family used to take me to the theatre quite often, and I developed a curiosity for ballet and started dancing.”

Arencibia’s idol, Alicia Alonso, is by far the most important ballet icon in the history of Cuba. Extraordinarily, despite being 89 years old and partially blind since the age of nineteen, Alonso continues to personally direct the Cuban Ballet. “Although I’ve only had interactions with Alicia in a professional way, as a person I’ve been inspired by her perseverance,” says Arencibia.

When asked of her favourite roles to dance, Arencibia expresses a love for the classics. “There are so many – Giselle, Odile/Odette in Swan Lake, Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty and many, many others. They’re my favourites because they are the roles that all principal dancers aspire to dance, some of which I have already preformed.”

Returning to Havana immediately after her time in Queensland, Arencibia will perform at the International Festival from the 28th of October to the 7th of November, taking full advantage of every opportunity – something which she encourages all dancers to do. For the time being, however, Arencibia is content to enjoy her time in Australia as Kitri in this acclaimed production by Cuba’s dynamic dance hero, Alicia Alonso.

Top photo: Sadaise Arencibia. Photo: Jacques Moatti

Published by www.danceinforma.com
Published in Dance Informa Magazine.

Trespassing with....Chunky Move's Sara Black

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 04:15:00 +0000

“Beneath the glow of a sophisticated video tracking system, a lone organic being mutates in and out of human form into unfamiliar, sensual and grotesque creature states.”

- Glow, chunkymove.com.au

Melbourne’s acclaimed contemporary dance company Chunky Move is busy performing a remount of the award-winning solo work, Glow for some very lucky Sydney audiences. Taking turns in the lead role are the talented performers Harriet Ritchie and Sara Black. Sara is no stranger to this work; in 2007 she was nominated for a Green Room award in 2007 and won a Helpmann award in 2008 for her performances of Glow.

Name: Sara Black
Occupation: Contemporary dance performer

1. How did you first enter into the world of contemporary dance? I was watching my aunt, Narelle Benjamin, being amazing.

2. Australian contemporary dance artists are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is dance. What is ‘dance’ to you? Dancing is breathing, and dance always has drama. Sometimes we choose to enhance our stories with lights and music; for instance, my fingers are dancing over the keyboard listening to Jose by the keyboard’s light.

3. Glow is a ‘live’ show in the most profound sense, as it involves working with a video tracking system. How does that experience of working differ from with working in a traditional environment with fixed lighting and sound? It becomes a duet; you are dancing with the light around you. No counts, no glow tape; you have the freedom to just truly perform.

4. How does Glow change each time you perform it? It evolves and becomes a part of you. You come to understand every movement and, over time, it is like it just oozes out of you instead of you having to think about the movements should be.

5. You won the award for Best Female Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production at the 2008 Helpmann Awards for your performances of Glow. What is it like reprising a role for which you have received such an honour? The same as if I were reprising any show. You always want to continue to evolve, to always find something new. But you also want to hold on to the integrity of the original concept.

6. An extraordinary number of dancers working in Australia, like you, are graduates of the Victorian College of the Arts. What is it like to bump into your classmates at work? The VCA is a strong part of the arts scene in Victoria and it encourages its students to make their own work. It’s really nice to have a working relationship with people that you have also studied with, and you also begin to make work for each other!

7. Unlike less established dancers, you have a strong working relationship with the Melbourne’s major dance companies. How has being able to find relatively constant work affected you as an artist? I feel so lucky, because since I left uni I have been able to work many different outstanding performers. I learn so much from the people I work with and I feel like every project has made me evolve ever more into the performer I am.

8. On a final note, what do you do on your days off, and how do you keep fit for the job? I lie in bed and recover!!!!!!

Chunky Move will perform Glow at the Seymour Centre in Sydney on October 13 – October 16

To purchase tickets visit: www.seymour.usyd.edu.au

For more information on Chunky Move, visit: www.chunkymove.com.au.

Meanwhile, check out the amazing video preview of Glow from stagenoise.com below:

Article published in its original form at Trespass Magazine

Published: Young Duncan Lyle to dance with Boston Ballet

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:03:00 +0000

The hard work has paid off for Australian dancer Duncan Lyle, who recently scored a contract as a corps de ballet member of Boston Ballet. It’s not the first time he has received great news. Three years ago, at just seventeen years old, Duncan successfully auditioned for a place at the Royal Ballet School in London, where he moved after having spent his entire life in the Melbourne suburb of Kew. Dance Informa’s Grace Edwards speaks to Duncan about his exciting journey into some of the highest spheres in the realm of ballet.

What was it about Boston Ballet that made you audition in the first place?

I’ve always wanted to dance overseas and especially in America because it’s such an exciting place, full of so many opportunities!

Boston Ballet has a great reputation and it was easy to audition for them as they held auditions throughout Europe. I think it’s going to open up many doors for me, and dancing in the US is going to push me to become a better dancer.

What was the audition process like?

The Boston Ballet was holding open auditions throughout Europe, and I attended the audition in Amsterdam. I think there were three classes throughout the day, and I was in the second class.

We just did a class for the director, but he cut a fair few people after centre work and I was lucky enough to be the only boy to make it to Allegro. We then had to speak to Mr Nissinen, and he offered me a contract with Boston Ballet II [a pre-professional programme in residence at Boston Ballet]. I was ecstatic! I had an audition with Dutch National Ballet the next day but all that was on my mind was going to Boston Ballet II.

A couple of weeks later, I got a phone call telling me a place had opened up in the corps de ballet of the Boston Ballet, and they offered me the place!

Wow, how exciting to be living your dream! But it will not be your first move overseas. How did you end up in London at the Royal Ballet School?

A lady who was taking one of my ballet exams suggested to me that I should audition for the Royal Ballet School and arranged for me to go over to London and take class in January. I was lucky enough to be accepted and started in September!

You had lived in Kew your whole life before you moved to London at just seventeen. Was the transition hard?

It was actually a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I was scared of the fact that I was going into a situation I didn’t know and wasn’t comfortable with. Once I got there and got into the swing of things it was fine and I made some really great friends with the people in my year.

What is the most difficult aspect of life as a ballet dancer?

As a dancer you’re always getting scrutinised as it’s the only way you can improve. So it’s always a great feeling when you get the rare compliment or score a good role. It’s only through perseverance that you get the rewards.

What do you think is the most important piece of advice you’ve ever been given with regards to your dance career?

“Perspective”. David Peden [former soloist of the Royal Ballet and teacher at the Royal Ballet School] always says this when he can tell someone is down. Think about the rest of the world – there are starving children in Africa, so there’s no point getting frustrated over your pirouettes.

Outside of ballet, do you have any other passions? What career do you think you might have ended up in, if not ballet?

I really love music. I spend a fair bit of my spare time arranging and composing music so I think I would probably follow that path if it I hadn’t had ballet.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Working hard!

Congratulations Duncan! All of us here at Dance Informa wish you the best with your career. No doubt we will be hearing more about you in the years to come.

Published in Dance Informa Magazine.
Photo credit: Johan Persson

Musicals in Melbourne: Behind the Scenes

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Just published in Ausdance Victoria's Kinesis Magazine, check out my article on musicals in Melbourne - take a look behind the scenes of West Side Story, Mary Poppins and Hairspray. Here's the first paragraph to tempt you to follow the link....

Musical fever is running high in Melbourne; Mary Poppins is delighting audiences at Her Majesty’s Theatre, West Side Story is burning up the Regent Theatre on Collins Street, and Hairspray is set to do the same in early October. Onstage it may look like fun and games, but backstage it’s another story — one that involves its fair share of blood, sweat, and tears.

Almost 1,000 adults and over 300 children auditioned for the lead roles alone in Mary Poppins. The panel had to know exactly what they were looking for. “We needed people who could be quite inventive,” resident choreographer Lisa O’Dea explains. “For instance, one of our biggest numbers Step in Time required a very androgynous energy from the chimney sweeps, whereas Jolly Holiday, another big production number, needed the females to be quite feminine, like the Edwardian women of the period in which the show is set. So we required people who could do that cross-over.”

Over at the Regent, co-dance captain Brendan Yeates remembers his audition for West Side Story well. “It was short, but very intense. I was auditioning as a Jet, and we learnt the major dance breaks from the number “Cool”, which has to be one of the hardest numbers in the entire show.” After the first cut was made, Brendan and the other dancers had to do a ballet combination and sing a song from the show. Then came the wait to hear if he had been called back for the final day of auditions.

.....

Find the rest of the article here

Cheers,
Grace

Review: Carmen - Royal New Zealand Ballet

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 02:50:00 +0000

So...this was a review I did some time back now, but as I rarely get the chance to review shows in Auckland these days, I thought I'd post it anyway! Grace x

Aotea Centre at THE EDGE, Auckland
July 8th

Set to Georges Bizet’s energetic score, The RNZB’s latest production of Carmen is a contemporary adaptation of the opera, which was premiered in 1875. This version is set in the heat of Rio de Janeiro, but the plot is essentially that of the original: Carmen, a sexy and rebellious cigarette factory worker, exercises her powers of seduction upon the hapless José, whose life is forever changed for the worse. The tragic ending is played out in the seedy Bar Pastia.

Orchestrator John Longstaff compensates for the absence of singers with solo instruments that capture the vocal qualities of the operatic arias, among them the well-known Habanera and Sequidilla. Thanks to the impeccable timing of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, who make light work of some tricky but crucial transitions, even love rival Escamillo’s rock star turn in this adaptation makes musical sense.

Didy Veldman’s choreography does not replicate nor ignore the score; instead it engages it in a musically intelligent and dramatically satisfying dialogue. Inventive lifts and seductive gestures are married with classical vocabulary and comic timing in a sound alliance, which the dancers embrace with admirable gusto and dramatic flair.

The pas de deux scenes between José and his forsaken fiancée Micaela are beautifully handled, and the love-making scene between Carmen and José proves the highlight of he evening. The sexualised masculinity of Escamillo’s rock persona proves an intriguing match to Carmen’s own heightened sexuality, though Carmen remains the true power-broker in their relationship. Though some of the male corps de ballet scenes, in which the men play gangsters clad in leather jackets with shades and mobile phones, are somewhat cliché, the dancers’ sense of fun partially rescues them.

It is with regret, that due to my time constraints, it was not possible to view the opening cast, which featured dancer Abigail Boyle in the lead role. Guest artist Pieter Symonds captured Carmen’s aloofness well and there was good chemistry between the two leads, which is to be expected in a dancer of Symonds’ calibre. Referring specifically to the portrayal of Carmen, however, a greater articulation of the limbs and freedom of movement would have lifted the interpretation to an even higher level.

Overall, the RNZB’s Carmen is a production of which the company can be proud. Whilst it is not as cutting-edge as some would like, it does maintain an invigoratingly contemporary aesthetic without sacrificing the essence of the original or indeed the appeal of classicism. The RNZB should be applauded for offering its audiences the chance to experience works beyond the classical canon.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Meridian season of Carmen has now finished. However, the company will be crossing the ditch in August to present Romeo and Juliet. The dates and venues are:

Canberra – Canberra Theatre Centre
Tuesday August 10th – Saturday August 14th

Wollongong – IPAC
Tuesday August 17th – Sunday August 22nd.

For more information visit: www.nzballet.org.nz

First published in Dance Informa Magazine.

Audition: Free Piano Materclass with Elyane Laussade

noreply@blogger.com (Grace Edwards) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:20:00 +0000

Call for Auditions:

3MBS will host a piano masterclass to be given by Elyane Laussade before an invited audience in the Marigold Southey performance studio, Abbotsford, on Sunday afternoon, 1 August 2010. The masterclass will be recorded for subsequent broadcast on 3MBS.

Elyane will audition prospective participants between 8 and 18 July.Three pianists will be selected to take part in the masterclass. Each will perform a piece of their choice which should be between 7 and 15 minutes in length.

If you would like to audition to take part as a pupil and have achieved at least Grade 8 piano you are encouraged to apply. Apply to Peter Gardner on peter.gcim@gmail.com giving details of the work you would like to perform. Applications close on Tuesday 6 July. There will not be a charge for taking part but a donation to 3MBS would be appreciated.