2021 AUSTRALIAN DANCE WEEK
Love, in all its forms, took centre stage at the National Portrait Gallery's 'Australian Love Stories' exhibition during Australian Dance Week. Romance through dance with ‘Love Dance’! The exhibition experience was enhanced with pop-up performances that filled gallery spaces (and hearts) in surprising and delightful ways. Featuring performances by Australian Dance Party,
Debora Di Centa, Canberra Dance Theatre, Dance Development Centre and Tap Kix from Bom Funk Dance Studio.
Photos by Art Atelier Photography
Video by Ryan Telfer Media
Australian Dance Week 2021 was officially launched on International Dance Day by Minister for the Arts Tara Cheyne MLA at Belconnen Arts Centre. Featuring performances by Wiradjuri Echoes, Chip Lo, Divyusha Polepalli and Jazida.
Read more here Celebrating a diverse dance community | Canberra CityNews
The 2021 International Dance Day Message was shared at the launch by Ausdance ACT Director Dr Cathy Adamek.
The intention of the International Dance Day message is to celebrate dance, to revel in the universality of this art form, to cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers and bring people together with a common language - DANCE.
Every year, a message from an outstanding choreographer or dancer is circulated throughout the world. This year principal dancer from Das Stuttgarter Ballett, Friedemann Vogel was selected by the International Theatre Institute to deliver the 2021 International Dance Day message.
Photos by Art Atelier Photography
MUNDAGUDDAH (THE RAINBOW SERPENT)
First Nation dancer and choreographer Tammi Gissell presented her new work 'Mundaguddah' during Australian Dance Week.
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A dance and music commission responding to The Rainbow Serpent (1982) by Australian modernist composer Brian Howard and performed with Ensemble Offspring.
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In Mundaguddah (The Spirit of the Rainbow Serpent) Tammi explores the notion of premonition as an expression of past-presence on country. A flooding of personal and cultural histories in tribute to the great Murruwarri spirit who demands we look, listen and keep moving in the right direction.
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Ausdance ACT co-presented this dynamic cross collaboration during Australian Dance Week with the Canberra International Music Festival.
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Two performances took place on Sunday 9 May, at The Fairfax Theatre National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
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More here: Tammi Gissell – Rainbow Serpent – Living Arts Canberra
Photos by Peter Hislop
A-LOVE-DANCE
BY AUSTRALIAN DANCE PARTY
An Ausdance ACT commission, Australian Dance Party's ‘a-love-dance’ choreographed by Alana Stenning, premiered at Ausdance ACT's 'Love Dance' at the National Portrait Gallery during 2021 Australian Dance Week.
'Well slap them on a Versailles ceiling and call me Charles Le Brun, it’s a dance about love and obsession! Soft sultry, ‘a-love-dance’ uses Renaissance and Baroque imagery to evoke a feeling of sensuality and take us players to the theatre of love.'
Created by Alana Stenning and Alison Plevey in collaboration with artists Levente Szabo, Olivia Fyfe, Patricia Hayes Cavanagh and Ryan Stone.
Video by Ryan Telfer Media