Each year Dance Australia compiles a list of critics' picks from around the country. Here is a sneak peek of Melbourne critic Susan Bendall's choices. See the remaining 18 critics' choices in the February/March issue. Buy your copy from your favourite outlet or purchase online via our app, available for download here.
Highlight of the year "Next Move" program for Chunky Move for an ingenious balance of works. Stanton Welch's La Bayadere for the Australian Ballet.
Most significant dance event Another year of significant birthdays -- Australian Ballet School celebrated its 50th Anniversary, SDC is 45 years old and Bangarra Dance Theatre turned 25.
Most interesting Australian group or artist Shaun Parker & Company (I'd never seen them before and now I want to see a lot more of them).
Most interesting overseas group or artist Trisha Brown Company [Melbourne Festival] -- still vital and dynamic, fresh, playful and complex. It was especially good to see a survey of work from this significant choreographer.
Most outstanding choreography Shaun Parker for Am I -- a wonderfully complex, subtle and beautifully integrated multi-modal work. Nils Christe's Short Dialogues for QB's Flourish program -- a 2011 work for three couples -- just perfect. Tony Yap and Yumi Umiumare Zero Zero (2013). A collaboration that allowed an unfolding of two concurrent dance narratives -- meditative, nuanced, and striking.
Best new work The lines of birds by Paea Leach -- (part of Chunky Move's Next Move program "It Cannot be Stopped", performed outdoors at Chunky Move Studios) – a great conversation between site, dancers, musicians and audience.
Most outstanding dancer Naughty, I know, but I insist on nominating the Australian Ballet Company for outstanding performances in La Bayadere with the stunning guests Elisa Badenes and Daniel Camargo. I fell in love with the company all over again watching them rise to Stanton Welch's choreography and especially enjoyed seeing the men able to show the extent of their prowess with robust and diverse choreographic challenges.
Dancer to watch Julian Wong -- really captivating and skilful in Shaun Parker's Am I. Janette Hoe (independent dancer/choreographer) for Moths are Calling at Fort Delta Gallery, Melbourne. Hoe has a mesmerising fragility and this solo, Butoh-influenced work has depth, beauty and intent. It combines dance with haunting use of installation elements and vocals by Ria Soemardjo.
Lowlight It is painful to say this but one of the lowlights was also a highlight. The Keir choreographic Award offered a remarkable opportunity for an emerging choreographer -- development time and national exposure for eight finalists and a 30,000 cash prize for the winner -- but a very narrow field of largely unambitious work which for the most part did little to develop the artform beyond individual practice.
Clare Morehen and Keian Landon in Nils Christe's Short Dialogues.
