World Superstars of Ballet Gala. Bravissimo Productions
…re was also some student work including a lovely opening sequence, a short Etudes-style work, choreographed by Daniel Convery. Adiarys Almeida as Kitri in Don Quixote. Photo supplied This gala was an exceptional initiative by Bravissimo Productions and we can only hope that there will be more. But there were one or two issues that shouldn’t go unmentioned. The stage lighting left something to be desired—there were occasions when the dancers were a…
Igor Schwezoff. The Australian interlude, 1939–1940
…ursor to the English Everyman and Schwezoff’s ballet, danced to Schumann’s Etudes symphoniques, was, according to a contemporary review, concerned with ‘mental struggle and the triumph of will’. Just how close Lutte eternelle was to Elkerlyc is a matter for conjecture but Lutte eternelle certainly followed a similar vein of exploration and used the same music as the earlier piece. It was an allegorical examination of man’s struggle against the tem…
New Zealand School of Dance. Graduation 2021
…sliding and gliding footwork delivered at speed. I see echoes of Lander’s Etudes, which suits the theme of dancers presenting the movement elements of their art form. In that sense it makes a suitable finale to a Graduation program, though it is the vibes of Parmenter’s work that are still hanging in the air as we dash through the rain to the car park. It’s raining—who cares? We’re dancing. Jennifer Shennan, 22 November 2021 Featured image: Cont…
Dance diary. November 2011
…production of Billy Elliot—‘quite a challenge’ she says! Canberra Critics’ Circle Awards: Dance 2011 In November the Canberra Critics’ Circle met to discuss nominations for its annual awards, which were presented on 29 November. Two dance awards were made. Liz Lea received an award for her creative use of archival material from Canberra collecting institutions in her solo production of 120 Birds. Lea showed 120 Birds as a work for a small company…
Dance diary. April 2013
…Dress Circle a program hosted by local arts identity Bill Stephens. Dress Circle is broadcast on Sundays at 5 pm and repeated on Tuesdays at 11 pm and my segment will focus on dance in Canberra and surrounding regions. Michelle Potter … on dancing, as the segment will be called, will be a feature of Dress Circle on the first Sunday of each month. In the first program, which will go to air on 5 May, I will be talking about the Australian Ballet’s…
Dyad 1929. The Australian Ballet. 2020 Digital Season
…cGregor. Then there was the moment—gone in a flash—when Scott made a small circle with thumb and index finger and held it up to her eye like a monocle. It echoed the large black circle on her costume and also the rows of black dots we see on the back- and floorcloth. The duet was eventually interrupted by the appearance of other dancers and the work continued. But I loved seeing Scott and Bull together and I loved having the luxury of noticing tin…
Dance diary. November 2023
Canberra Critics’ Circle Awards 2023: Dance In November the Canberra Critics’ Circle announced its awards for 2023. This year five dance awards were presented: Ruth Osborne, outgoing director of QL2 Dance, which Osborne has led since 1999. Osborne’s award recognised in particular her outstanding input into James Batchelor’s production Shortcuts to Familiar Places, which was presented at Canberra’s Playhouse in April 2023. My review of Shortcuts i…
Dance diary. December 2020
…using the lakeside for exercise. Lake March won Plevey a Canberra Critics’ Circle award in December. The citation read: For courageously working within the restrictive conditions generated by COVID-19 to bring an innovative and entertaining production of dance and live music, presented in several outdoor venues, to an audience of dance goers and the wider Canberra community. Alison Plevey for Lake March. Australian Dance Party in a moment from Lak…
Dance diary. November 2019
Canberra Critics’ Circle Awards (Dance) The Canberra Critics’ Circle Awards for 2019 were announced on 19 November at the Canberra Museum and Gallery. Four dance awards were given, as follows: Australian Dance Party for the company’s production of From the Vault, choreographed and directed by Alison Plevey in collaboration with dancers, Olivia Fyfe, Stephen Gow, Eliza Sanders, Alana Stenning, and Ryan Stone. With live music and sound by Alex Voor…
Dance diary. November 2018
…1793 Available from Dance Books Ltd and other retailers. Canberra Critics’ Circle Awards, 2018 (Dance) Canberra Critics’ Circle, now almost 30 years old, held its annual awards in November. This years dance awards went to: Liz Lea: For the multi-media production RED, which drew together the work of four choreographers, including Lea, in a moving, courageous and dramatically coherent exploration of the medical condition of endometriosis. My review…