Aside from the Australian Ballet, Melbourne has not just one, but two professional ballet companies.
The first to emerge was Melbourne Ballet Company, which was founded in its present incarnation in 2007. Then along came Melbourne City Ballet, launched just two years ago, but fast making a mark. This has led to some confusion among audiences, especially given the similarity of the names. (Even more recently, Melbourne Dance Theatre has relaunched as the Victorian State Ballet, but more about that in the next issue.) In response, Karen van Ulzen has written an article in the December 15/January 16 issue of Dance Australia setting out each company, its staff, dancers and aims.
And there's so much more in the latest issue of Dance Australia, out now!
For a young child, landing a professional job in a musical can be a life-defining moment. With so many musicals presently requiring child performers, we thought it was a good idea to provide a guide to the audition process, so parent, teacher and child can all emerge happy, whether they land the role or not. The writer is our own Sally Clark, who runs her own production company and has trodden the boards a few times herself.
And still on the theme of young performers, Michelle Dursun has provided a thoughtful article on competing in international ballet competitions. There's little doubt about the benefits involved, but do they outweigh the cost?
That article is accompanied by a report on the recent RAD Genee competition, from our on-the-scene correspondent Amanda Jennings, who was granted exclusive access to classes and coaching as well as the finals.
Of course all this young talent requires teaching! In this issue we bring you our exclusive Syllabus Guide, a comprehensive listings of all the syllabus organisations in Australia, outlining their grading systems, exam processes, competitions, professional development and other benefits. We believe ours is the only such guide in Australia. Many parents have no idea what a syllabus is, let alone what each different one offers. If you are teacher, you can pass this Guide onto your parents and help clear the confusion. If you are teacher (or aspiring teacher) looking for a syllabus, this guide will help you make the right choice.
And of course we have so much more:
• an interview with choreographer of Cats, Joanne Robinson, and of Georgy Girl, Michael Ralph;
• a fabulous giveaway of legendary dance photographer Lois Greenfield's latest book;
• our annual Schools' Spotlight;
• Dancers without Borders
• and more!
Buy your copy of Dance Australia now from your favourite retail outlet or download our free app to purchase a copy HERE.