Ausdance ACT's Youth Dance Festival

Opening Piece 2018_Choreographed by Jamie Winbank
Opening of 2018 Youth Dance Festival. Choreography: Jamie Winbank.

Youth Dance Festival (affectionately known as Dance Fest) is a remarkable Canberra success story and has been proudly presented by Ausdance ACT, and held at the Canberra Theatre Centre since 1985. A long-term feature on the Canberra arts and education calendar and now in its 35th year, Dance Fest boasts a second generation of participants, a proud alumnus and a strong legacy. Celebration… Innovation… Motivation… GENERATION NEXT! Encompassing all the ideas from the next generation of dancers and young artists coming through our Dance Fest stage doors; this years Youth Dance Festival is essentially how the young people of Canberra can have the capacity to be beacons of change through their own opinions, their own thoughts, ideas, and values expressed through dance! Dance Fest is a non-competitive celebration of dance that embraces differences, creativity, team work and building relationships. Students are provided with a safe and supportive environment to be creative, self-express and partake in a rich artistic process.

Upcoming Events Submit an Event

September

The newest work from Raewyn Hill, in collaboration with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, is a poignant exploration of aging, resilience, and the unseen forces that shape our lives.

DirtyFeet’s Out of the Studio 2025 provides a platform for two emerging choreographers: Cassidy McDermott Smith and Shyamla.

October

How do they do it? Many of our favourite ballerinas have returned to dance after having beautiful babies!

FORM Dance and Places and Spaces Productions are looking for six performers for the first stage creative development of Vanessa Marian and Stefan Hunt’s “Yeah The Boys” as they prepare to bring the seminal film to the live stage.

Bangarra’s The Bogong’s Song invites young audiences on a journey of dance, puppetry and storytelling, sharing the wisdom of Country through the wings of the Bogong moth.

Join us on 18 Oct for the launch of Petal Miller Ashmole’s book with David McAllister, champagne on arrival, afternoon tea, and signed copies supporting The Australian Ballet School.

This October Sydney Dance Company presents 'Continuum', a monumental triple bill that brings together three visionary choreographers–Stephen Page, Rafael Bonachela and Tra Mi Dinh