Dance in Australia
Encyclopedia
Dance in Australia includes a very broad variety of styles, from Indigenous Australian to the traditional Australian bush dance
and from classical ballet
, and ballroom dancing to contemporary dance
and multicultural dance traditions from the 200 national backgrounds represented in Australia.
Notable Australian dancers have included Edouard Borovansky
, Robert Helpmann
and Paul Mercurio
The Australian Dance Council
(or Ausdance) is the peak body for dance in Australia with the Australian Dance Awards
being offered since 1997.
The term Corroboree
is commonly used in general Australian culture to refer to Australian Aboriginal dances, however this term has its origins among the people of the Sydney region. In a number of places Australian Aboriginal people will perform "corroborees" for tourists.
In the latter part of the 20th century the influence of Indigenous Australian dance traditions has been seen with the development of concert dance, particularly in contemporary dance with the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association
providing training to Indigenous Australians in dance and the Bangarra Dance Theatre.
Bush dance
has developed in Australia as a form of traditional dance, it draws on traditions from English, Irish, Scottish and other European dance. Favourite dances in the community include dances of European descent, such as the Irish Céilidh
"Pride of Erin" and the quadrille
"The Lancers". Locally originated dances include the "Waves of Bondi", the Melbourne Shuffle
and New Vogue
.
Many immigrant communities continue their own dance traditions on a professional or amateur basis. Traditional dances from a large number of ethnic backgrounds are danced in Australia, helped by the presence of enthusiastic immigrants and their Australian-born families. It is quite common to see dances from the Baltic region, as well as Scottish, Irish, Indian, Indonesian or African dance being taught at community centres and dance schools in Australia.
Still more dance groups in Australia employ dances from a variety of backgrounds, including reconstructed European Court dances and Medieval Dance, as well as fusions of traditional steps with modern music and style.
The Australian Ballet is the foremost classical ballet
company in Australia. It was founded by the English ballerina Dame Peggy van Praagh
in 1962 and is today recognised as one of the world's major international ballet companies. It is based in Melbourne and performs works from the classical repertoire as well as contemporary works by major Australian and international choreographers. As of 2010, it was presenting approximately 200 performances in cities and regional areas around Australia each year as well as international tours. Regular venues include: the Melbourne Arts Centre, Sydney Opera House
, Sydney Theatre
, Adelaide Festival Centre
and Queensland Performing Arts Centre
. Robert Helpmann
is among Australia's best known ballerinos.
Baz Lurhmann's popular 1992 film Strictly Ballroom
, starring Paul Mercurio
contributed to an increased interest in dance competition in Australia, and a number of popular dance shows including So You Think You Can Dance have featured on television in recent years.
and from state arts agencies are:
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
D-M
O-Z
Bush dance
Bush dance is a style of dance from Australia, particularly where the music is provided by a bush band. The dances are mainly based on the traditional folk dances of the UK, Ireland and central Europe.- Eras of bush dance in Australia :...
and from classical ballet
Classical ballet
Classical Ballet is the most formal of the ballet styles, it adheres to traditional ballet technique. There are variations relating to area of origin, such as Russian ballet, French ballet, British ballet and Italian ballet...
, and ballroom dancing to contemporary dance
Contemporary dance
Contemporary dance is a genre of concert dance that employs compositional philosophy, rather than choreography, to guide unchoreographed movement...
and multicultural dance traditions from the 200 national backgrounds represented in Australia.
Notable Australian dancers have included Edouard Borovansky
Edouard Borovansky
Edouard Borovansky was a Czech- born Australian ballet dancer, choreographer and director. After touring with Anna Pavlova's company, he and his wife settled in Australia where they established the Borovansky Ballet company...
, Robert Helpmann
Robert Helpmann
Sir Robert Helpmann CBE was an Australian dancer, actor, theatre director and choreographer.-Early years:He was born Robert Murray Helpman in Mount Gambier, South Australia and also boarded at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide. From childhood, Helpman had a strong desire to be a dancer...
and Paul Mercurio
Paul Mercurio
Paul Joseph Mercurio is an Australian actor, dancer and TV presenter. Mercurio is well-known for his lead role in Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom . His father was the character actor Gus Mercurio.- Biography :...
The Australian Dance Council
Australian Dance Council
The Australian Dance Council is a national dance advocacy organisation for dancers, choreographers, directors and educators. It has offices in the states and territory...
(or Ausdance) is the peak body for dance in Australia with the Australian Dance Awards
Australian Dance Awards
The Australian Dance Awards recognise excellence in dance in Australia, they are awarded under the auspice of the Australian Dance Council for performance, choreography, design, dance writing, teaching and related professions....
being offered since 1997.
Indigenous Australian dance
Traditional Indigenous Australian dance was closely associated with song and was understood and experienced as making present the reality of the Dreamtime. In some instances, they would imitate the actions of a particular animal in the process of telling a story. For the people in their own country it defined to roles, responsibilities and the place itself. These ritual performances gave them an understanding of themselves in the interplay of social, geographical and environmental forces. The performances were associated with specific places and dance grounds were often sacred places. Body decoration and specific gestures related to kin and other relationships (such as to Dreamtime beings with which individuals and groups). For a number of Indigenous Australian groups their dances were secret and or sacred, gender could also be an important factor in some ceremonies with men and women having separate ceremonial traditions.The term Corroboree
Corroboree
A corroboree is a ceremonial meeting of Australian Aborigines. The word was coined by the European settlers of Australia in imitation of the Aboriginal word caribberie. At a corroboree Aborigines interact with the Dreamtime through dance, music and costume. Many ceremonies act out events from the...
is commonly used in general Australian culture to refer to Australian Aboriginal dances, however this term has its origins among the people of the Sydney region. In a number of places Australian Aboriginal people will perform "corroborees" for tourists.
In the latter part of the 20th century the influence of Indigenous Australian dance traditions has been seen with the development of concert dance, particularly in contemporary dance with the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association
National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association
The National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association Dance College was established in 1975 to train Indigenous Australians in dance....
providing training to Indigenous Australians in dance and the Bangarra Dance Theatre.
Other varieties of dance
Bush dance
Bush dance is a style of dance from Australia, particularly where the music is provided by a bush band. The dances are mainly based on the traditional folk dances of the UK, Ireland and central Europe.- Eras of bush dance in Australia :...
has developed in Australia as a form of traditional dance, it draws on traditions from English, Irish, Scottish and other European dance. Favourite dances in the community include dances of European descent, such as the Irish Céilidh
Céilidh
In modern usage, a céilidh or ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing. It originated in Ireland, but is now common throughout the Irish and Scottish diasporas...
"Pride of Erin" and the quadrille
Quadrille
Quadrille is a historic dance performed by four couples in a square formation, a precursor to traditional square dancing. It is also a style of music...
"The Lancers". Locally originated dances include the "Waves of Bondi", the Melbourne Shuffle
Melbourne Shuffle
The Melbourne Shuffle is a rave and club dance that originated in the late 1980s in the underground rave music scene in Melbourne, Australia. The basic movements in the dance are a fast heel-and-toe action with a style suitable for various types of electronic music. Some variants incorporate arm...
and New Vogue
New Vogue (dance)
The New Vogue dance style is an Australian form of sequence dancing that originated in the 1930s. Since then it has become an important part in the Australian ballroom scene, holding as much importance in social and competition dancing as Latin or International Standard dances.- The Dances :There...
.
Many immigrant communities continue their own dance traditions on a professional or amateur basis. Traditional dances from a large number of ethnic backgrounds are danced in Australia, helped by the presence of enthusiastic immigrants and their Australian-born families. It is quite common to see dances from the Baltic region, as well as Scottish, Irish, Indian, Indonesian or African dance being taught at community centres and dance schools in Australia.
Still more dance groups in Australia employ dances from a variety of backgrounds, including reconstructed European Court dances and Medieval Dance, as well as fusions of traditional steps with modern music and style.
The Australian Ballet is the foremost classical ballet
Classical ballet
Classical Ballet is the most formal of the ballet styles, it adheres to traditional ballet technique. There are variations relating to area of origin, such as Russian ballet, French ballet, British ballet and Italian ballet...
company in Australia. It was founded by the English ballerina Dame Peggy van Praagh
Peggy van Praagh
Dame Margaret "Peggy" van Praagh, DBE had a long and distinguished career in ballet as a dancer, choreographer, teacher, producer, advocate and director.-Dancing:...
in 1962 and is today recognised as one of the world's major international ballet companies. It is based in Melbourne and performs works from the classical repertoire as well as contemporary works by major Australian and international choreographers. As of 2010, it was presenting approximately 200 performances in cities and regional areas around Australia each year as well as international tours. Regular venues include: the Melbourne Arts Centre, Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
, Sydney Theatre
Sydney Theatre
Sydney Theatre is a theatre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Sydney Theatre seats up to 896 people and is part of the Sydney Theatre Company....
, Adelaide Festival Centre
Adelaide Festival Centre
The Adelaide Festival Centre, Australia's first multi-purpose arts centre, was built in 1973 and opened three months before the Sydney Opera House. The Festival Centre is located approximately 50 metres north of the corner of North Terrace and King William Street, lying near the banks of the River...
and Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Queensland Performing Arts Centre
The Queensland Performing Arts Centre is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre and is located on the corner of Melbourne Street and Grey Street in Brisbane's South Bank precinct....
. Robert Helpmann
Robert Helpmann
Sir Robert Helpmann CBE was an Australian dancer, actor, theatre director and choreographer.-Early years:He was born Robert Murray Helpman in Mount Gambier, South Australia and also boarded at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide. From childhood, Helpman had a strong desire to be a dancer...
is among Australia's best known ballerinos.
Baz Lurhmann's popular 1992 film Strictly Ballroom
Strictly Ballroom
Strictly Ballroom is a 1992 Australian romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Baz Luhrmann and produced by M&A Productions. The film is the first installment in The Red Curtain Trilogy, Luhrmann's trilogy of theatre-motif-related films; the follow-ups were Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
, starring Paul Mercurio
Paul Mercurio
Paul Joseph Mercurio is an Australian actor, dancer and TV presenter. Mercurio is well-known for his lead role in Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom . His father was the character actor Gus Mercurio.- Biography :...
contributed to an increased interest in dance competition in Australia, and a number of popular dance shows including So You Think You Can Dance have featured on television in recent years.
Major dance companies
Those dance companies funded by the Major Performing Arts Board of the Australia CouncilAustralia Council
The Australia Council, informally known as the Australia Council for the Arts, is the official arts council or arts funding body of the Government of Australia.-Function:...
and from state arts agencies are:
- Ballet companiesBallet companyA ballet company is a group of dancers who perform ballet, plus managerial and support staff. Most major ballet companies employ dancers on a year-round basis, except in the United States, where contracts for part of the year are the norm...
- The Australian BalletAustralian Ballet CompanyThe Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd. and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English ballerina Dame Peggy van Praagh as founding artistic director...
- The Queensland BalletQueensland BalletThe Queensland Ballet, founded in 1960 by Charles Lisner OBE, is the premier ballet company of Queensland, Australia, and is based in Brisbane.- About Queensland Ballet :...
- The West Australian BalletWest Australian BalletThe West Australian Ballet is the premier ballet dance company of Western Australia and is based in Perth at His Majesty's Theatre, Western Australia. The company was founded in 1952 by Madame Kira Bousloff and is one of the oldest ballet companies in Australia. Artistic directors have included...
- The Australian Ballet
- Contemporary danceAustralian contemporary danceContemporary dance in Australia is diverse with dance companies performing a broad range of what elsewhere may be termed contemporary and modern dance styles....
companies- Australian Dance TheatreAustralian Dance TheatreThe Australian Dance Theatre is a contemporary dance company based in Adelaide, South Australia established in 1965 by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman,...
(Garry StewartGarry StewartGarry Stewart has been the artistic director of the Australian Dance Theatre since 1999, following Meryl Tankard.Stewart studied at the Sydney City Ballet Academy and the Australian Ballet School... - BalletLab (Phillip AdamsPhillip AdamsPhillip Andrew Hedley Adams, AO is an Australian broadcaster, film producer, writer, social commentator, satirist and left-wing pundit. He currently hosts a radio program, Late Night Live, four nights a week on the ABC, and he also writes a weekly column for the News Limited-owned newspaper, The...
) - Bangarra Dance TheatreBangarra Dance TheatreBangarra Dance Theatre is an Indigenous Australian contemporary dance company founded in 1989 by Carole Johnson, an African-American and founding director of National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association . Bangarra is the Wiradjuri word meaning "to make fire".Stephen Page has been the...
(Stephen PageStephen PageBorn in Brisbane in 1965, Stephen Page is a descendant from the Nunukul people and the Munaldjali clan of the Yugambeh tribe from southeast Queensland...
) - Chunky MoveChunky MoveChunky Move is an Australian contemporary dance company from Southbank, VictoriaIt was founded in 1995 and debuted at the Melbourne International Arts Festival with artistic director Gideon Obarzanek....
- Company In Space
- Dancenorth
- DescendanceDescendanceDescendance , previous known as the Ngaru Dancers, is an Australian Aboriginal dance company formed in 1999....
- Expressions Dance CompanyExpressions Dance CompanyExpressions Dance Company is an Australian contemporary dance company based in the The Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, in Fortitude Valley. It was founded in 1984 by Maggi Sietsma, Artistic Director and Abel Valls, General Manager...
- Force Majeure (Kate ChampionKate ChampionKate Champion is a contemporary dance choreographer and the director of Force Majeure, a dance collective exploring strong physical performance.Champion began her dance training with Karen Kerkhoven and also studied in Munich...
) - Lucy Guerin Inc
- Mirramu Dance CompanyMirramu Dance CompanyMirramu Dance Company is an Australian contemporary dance company founded in early 2002 by Australian dance pioneer Elizabeth Cameron Dalman and dancer–choreographer Vivienne Rogis....
- Phunktional
- Sydney Dance CompanySydney Dance CompanyThe Sydney Dance Company is one of Australia's most successful and well-known contemporary dance companies. The company was founded in 1969 as the dance-in-education group Ballet in a Nutshell by Suzanne Musitz , later changing its name to Athletes and Dancers, and Dance Company ...
- TasDance
- Australian Dance Theatre
- Youth dance companies
Post secondary dance education
NSW:- Macquarie UniversityMacquarie UniversityMacquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
(North Ryde) - National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development AssociationNational Aboriginal Islander Skills Development AssociationThe National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association Dance College was established in 1975 to train Indigenous Australians in dance....
(NAISDA) - University of NSW (Kensington Campus)
- The Australian College of Physical Education*
- Wesley InstituteWesley InstituteWesley Institute is a tertiary education provider in Sydney, Australia offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in counselling, creative arts , education and theology.-History:...
Victoria
- Australian Ballet SchoolAustralian Ballet SchoolThe Australian Ballet School was founded in 1964 as the primary training facility for The Australian Ballet by Dame Margaret Scott. It is part of the Australian Ballet Centre, which is located in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, Southbank in Melbourne, Victoria...
(Senior School only) - Box Hill Institute (Centre for Performing Arts)
- Deakin UniversityDeakin UniversityDeakin University is an Australian public university with nearly 40,000 higher education students in 2010. It receives more than A$600 million in operating revenue annually, and controls more than A$1.3 billion in assets. It received more than A$35 million in research income in 2009 and had 835...
(Melbourne Campus, Burwood) - Victorian College of the ArtsVictorian College of the ArtsThe Faculty of the VCA and Music is a faculty of the University of Melbourne, in Victoria . VCAM is located near the Melbourne central business district, on two campuses, one - the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - on the Parkville campus of the University of Melbourne, and the other - the...
(University of MelbourneUniversity of MelbourneThe University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
) - Victoria University of Technology (Footscray Institute
- The Space Dance and Arts Centre (Prahran Melbourne)
Queensland
- Queensland University of TechnologyQueensland University of TechnologyQueensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
(Kelvin Grove Campus)
South Australia
- TAFE SA's Adelaide Centre for the ArtsAdelaide Centre for the ArtsThe Adelaide College of the Arts, , is a campus of TAFE South Australia that specialises in arts education...
a member of the Helpmann AcademyHelpmann AcademyThe Helpmann Academy was formed in 1994 as a partnership of the major tertiary arts training institutions in South Australia.It brings together the skills and resources of South Australia's universities and TAFE SA, with courses in music, dance, drama, directing, visual arts, technical theatre...
Western Australia
- Western Australian Academy of Performing ArtsWestern Australian Academy of Performing ArtsThe Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts , Edith Cowan University was established in 1980 to provide performing arts tuition comparable to the highest calibre of national and international training benchmarks to be able to meet industry needs around the globe.The school is located in the...
(Edith Cowan University) - Youth Ballet Centre of Western Australia
List of operating dance companies
A-C- Ambition School Of Dance
- Anything Is Valid Dance TheatreAnything Is Valid Dance TheatreAnything Is Valid Dance Theatre is a project based contemporary dance companies in Perth. The company was founded in 2006 by Serena Chalker and Quindell Orton, graduates of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and is unique as it specialises in improvisation for a found audience and...
- The Australian Ballet
- The Australian Choreographic Centre
- Australian Dance TheatreAustralian Dance TheatreThe Australian Dance Theatre is a contemporary dance company based in Adelaide, South Australia established in 1965 by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman,...
- BalletLab (Contemporary dance company - Artistic Director, Phillip Adams)
- Bangarra Dance TheatreBangarra Dance TheatreBangarra Dance Theatre is an Indigenous Australian contemporary dance company founded in 1989 by Carole Johnson, an African-American and founding director of National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association . Bangarra is the Wiradjuri word meaning "to make fire".Stephen Page has been the...
- Buzz Dance Theatre
- Canberra Dance Theatre
- Chunky MoveChunky MoveChunky Move is an Australian contemporary dance company from Southbank, VictoriaIt was founded in 1995 and debuted at the Melbourne International Arts Festival with artistic director Gideon Obarzanek....
D-M
- Dance Exchange
- Dancenorth
- Dance Works
- Dancehouse
- DescendanceDescendanceDescendance , previous known as the Ngaru Dancers, is an Australian Aboriginal dance company formed in 1999....
- Expressions Dance CompanyExpressions Dance CompanyExpressions Dance Company is an Australian contemporary dance company based in the The Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, in Fortitude Valley. It was founded in 1984 by Maggi Sietsma, Artistic Director and Abel Valls, General Manager...
- Force Majeure (dance company) led by Kate ChampionKate ChampionKate Champion is a contemporary dance choreographer and the director of Force Majeure, a dance collective exploring strong physical performance.Champion began her dance training with Karen Kerkhoven and also studied in Munich...
- Igneous
- Kage Physical TheatreKage Physical TheatreKage Physical Theatre is a physical theatre/contemporary dance company founded in 1996, by Kate Denborough and Gerard van Dyck. They perform at the intersection of dance, circus and theatre...
- Leigh Warren & DancersLeigh Warren & DancersLeigh Warren & Dancers is a contemporary dance company based in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Formed in 1993 by Leigh Warren , the company has toured internationally and won several awards....
- Mirramu Dance CompanyMirramu Dance CompanyMirramu Dance Company is an Australian contemporary dance company founded in early 2002 by Australian dance pioneer Elizabeth Cameron Dalman and dancer–choreographer Vivienne Rogis....
- Move Through Life Dance Company
O-Z
- One Extra Dance
- The Queensland BalletQueensland BalletThe Queensland Ballet, founded in 1960 by Charles Lisner OBE, is the premier ballet company of Queensland, Australia, and is based in Brisbane.- About Queensland Ballet :...
- Raw Metal Dance Company
- Restless Dance CompanyRestless Dance CompanyRestless Dance Theatre is a contemporary dance company based in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Founded in 1991, it comprises young performers with and without a disability. It conducts workshops and tours throughout Australia...
- Strange Fruit
- Sydney Dance CompanySydney Dance CompanyThe Sydney Dance Company is one of Australia's most successful and well-known contemporary dance companies. The company was founded in 1969 as the dance-in-education group Ballet in a Nutshell by Suzanne Musitz , later changing its name to Athletes and Dancers, and Dance Company ...
- TasDance
- Tracks Dance TheatreTracks Dance TheatreTracks is a dance theatre company based in Darwin, Northern Territory founded in 1994, although its beginnings lie in a community dance program in 1988. It is collocated with the Darwin Theatre Company, Corrugated Iron Youth Theatre and Brown’s Mart Community Arts...
- The Dance Collective
- Visible Dance
- West Australian BalletWest Australian BalletThe West Australian Ballet is the premier ballet dance company of Western Australia and is based in Perth at His Majesty's Theatre, Western Australia. The company was founded in 1952 by Madame Kira Bousloff and is one of the oldest ballet companies in Australia. Artistic directors have included...
- Wu Lin Dance Theatre
Defunct companies
- Australian Choreographic EnsembleAustralian Choreographic EnsembleThe Australian Choreographic Ensemble was an Australian contemporary dance company based in Sydney formed by Paul Mercurio in 1992. The company's founding dancers were Mercurio, Jan Pinkerton, David Prudham, Benedict Leslie, Brett Daffy, Katherine Arnold-Lindley and Paulina Quinteros...
(ACE) (1992 - 1998) founded by Paul MercurioPaul MercurioPaul Joseph Mercurio is an Australian actor, dancer and TV presenter. Mercurio is well-known for his lead role in Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom . His father was the character actor Gus Mercurio.- Biography :...
External links
- The Dance Collection, Performing Arts Collection, the Arts Centre
- Ausdance : the Australian Dance Council
- Australia Dancing, a directory of dance resources in the National Library of AustraliaNational Library of AustraliaThe National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the...
and National Film and Sound ArchiveNational Film and Sound ArchiveThe National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items... - Australian Performing and Media Arts magazine
- Artfilms: contemporary Australian dance on film