While the famous Australian cultural cringe may not be as pronounced as it was in times past, the fact remains that, for many dancers, moving overseas will provide many more work opportunities than are available in Australia. But leaving home comes at a price. Nina Levy asked six dancers to compare dancing overseas with back home in Australia.
Chloe Leong
Dancer, Sydney Dance Company
Chloe Leong left home in 2010 to train at London’s Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. She moved to Barcelona in 2012 to join junior contemporary company IT Dansa. In 2015 she joined Sydney Dance Company.
I left Australia for Europe at the age of seventeen. Before that I was at a full time ballet school in Sydney. Many of the students who attended that school went on to various vocational schools in Europe because if you go to a school that is well-recognised among the companies in Europe, it gives you a foot in the door … in Europe. I had every intention of staying in Europe because I knew there was so much more opportunity there than there is here.
Starting out in London felt like it was difficult at the time. Then I arrived in Barcelona and realised that London was super easy. London was hard because I was 17 and I had never lived out of home but my mother was able to come for a week to help me settle in. There was no language barrier and culturally England is quite similar to Australia. Whereas Barcelona: arriving there was like a sink-or-swim moment. I had no Spanish and no one in the company spoke English other than my rehearsal director. It’s a beautiful culture but it’s so different. But now, looking back, I feel like if I was able to adapt to that situation then anything is possible!
I was with IT Dansa in Barcelona for two years. Because it was only a two year contract, my visa ran out and I came home to Australia. I had the intention of going back to Europe, but I ended up taking classes at SDC and a spot became available and it all unfolded from there. I’ve always been in love with SDC as a company. The individual dancers are extraordinary. So I’ve always really wanted to work with the company. I also love Australia: I love Sydney. Being away from home taught me so much – and I wouldn’t change a thing – but I always missed home. There’s a different work ethic in Australia. In Europe that is what Australian dancers are known for, that really strong work ethic.
In Barcelona we started earlier in the day but then they have a siesta – a two-and-a-half hour break in middle of day. Everyone has big lunches, so you’re sleepy when you get back. At SDC the day is completely compact. You get an hour lunch and two 15 minute breaks but you are constantly active the rest of the time. Also, because SDC is a creation-based company, the dancers are so involved in [the creation of] Raf’s work. In Barcelona it was a repertoire company. We would do work from incredible choreographers but there was no individual input from us.
The advantage of living in Sydney is that it is the most gorgeous city. The weather affects your mood … as a country we’re happy. In terms of working, specifically in SDC, we’re fortunate that we get yearly contracts. At the time that I was in Barcelona, there wasn’t a lot of work and salaries were low. Being in IT Dansa I was fortunate, but other than that, in Barcelona there’s not much work. But in London and northern Europe – Sweden, Norway – there’s a lot of freelance dancing and, although it’s not as stable as a yearly contract, there’s a lot more variety, and a lot more opportunities to do different projects, and do a variety of things. In Australia there’s not that many options, unfortunately. Either you’re in a company or you’ve got some sort of short-term contract and maybe there’s a few freelance jobs going, and that’s it. In Europe there’s so much more going on.
Read the accounts of Alexandra Gray (Moulin Rouge), Joel Bray (Chunky Move), Dana Jolly (choreographer Fiddler on the Roof), Christopher Hill (WA Ballet) and Amanda McGuigan (Australian Ballet) in the current (April/May) issue of Dance Australia. Hurry into your favourite magazine retailer or subscribe here, or purchase an online copy via the Dance Australia app.