Media releases
Tertiary Dance Council federal election statement
The Tertiary Dance Council of Australia (TDCA) is comprised of academic members from Australian higher educational institutions that offer programs in Dance and Dance Education. It is chaired by Associate Professor Peter Cook, Deputy Head of the School of Education at the University of Southern Queensland.
This national body has identified the absence of a national cultural policy that is inclusive of all art forms, their benefits and accessibility, and the impact of arts education and training on the lives of all Australians.
During the recent pandemic lockdowns, society turned to the arts which pivoted their practice for online audiences, and for aesthetic and well-being contingencies. The arts need to be recognised and celebrated for their capacity to nurture, develop and reinvigorate research for the benefit of the wider society.
The TDCA also has serious concerns about the Federal Government’s re-prioritisation of research funds resulting in ministerial intervention and the enacting of veto powers in relation to the Australia Research Council’s Discovery Grants and Linkage programs.
This narrowing of scope is taking place as we are facing, according to Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, “an unprecedented crisis in the cultural sector” (Reshaping policies for creativity). Although the arts and cultural sector is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world, it is also one of the most vulnerable and is often overlooked by public and private investment, including the distribution of public research funds.
Tertiary dance programs undertake practical academic explorations, often involving performance and choreography, that are completely aligned with research principles in their planning, execution and dissemination. They explore contemporary and cultural topics, develop theoretical positions, and engage methods and methodologies that work towards better understanding of, and knowledge about, the issues at hand.
Seeing the downturn of arts-based grants compounds already disenfranchised academics, many of whom are undertaking unfunded and in-kind research projects that benefit society.
Inclusion of arts research projects and their interdisciplinary approaches clearly fits the paradigms from which society benefits. Limiting arts research program funding endangers the unique contribution that arts research makes towards the aesthetic leadership and engagement of well-being, so required as we live through the pandemic world and its recovery.
The technologising of the field, together with its diversification and partnerships across science, health, humanities and ecology, evidences how dance enhances lives across generations and within communities.
We also note the following:
- Covid has had a major Impact on the sustainability of private dance schools, which are TDCA feeder schools.
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The extreme vulnerability of the arts in higher education.
Recommendations:
- Commitment by all political parties to the development of a National Cultural Policy that includes arts education and training, and developed in consultation with artists, arts educators, the community, industry and peak arts bodies.
- Allocation of ARC grants to a broader industry cohort to redress diminishing arts research in dance in particular. Ministerial interference in ARC decision-making processes must stop.
- Support for research into the vulnerability of the arts in higher education.
- Reversal of increased tertiary fees in the Creative Arts, made on the false premise that this area of study does not lead to employment.
- Enabling of research into the private dance studio sector to assess the impact of Covid-19 on the viability of this important ‘feeder’ sector in dance training and employment.
Academy of Music and Performing Arts, AC-Arts Adelaide, Australian Ballet School, Australian College of Physical Education, Deakin University, Monash University, NAISDA Dance College, Queensland University of Technology, University of South Australia, Victorian College of the Arts, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, University of Southern Queensland, University of Tasmania.
Ausdance calls for government stimulus to include arts workers
As we are all very aware, the arts and live performance have been devastated by the impact of COVID-19, along with the rest of the community.
Any businesses that practice in the arts sector, be they for-profit or not-for-profit, big, small or individual, must be included in the upcoming economic stimulus package. In the dance sector there are studios, performance companies and individuals who have had their work lost or diminished to the point of closing down. Any government stimulus for business must include arts workers, and take account of issues such as rent and mortgage assistance, freezing of utility bills, and rapid responses by Centrelink, including the abandonment of waiting times.
With so many independent practitioners in dance, we implore all governments to find ways to support individuals and sole traders through this crisis. Artists have always been extremely resourceful in sustaining their practice through normal times. Their opportunities for other work though, have now diminished to the point of non-existence and, despite their many creative resources, the financial and artistic consequences for them are dire.
Eventually the pandemic will pass. We don’t know when. When it does, the creative industries, and especially the arts, will be the leaders in reviving the spirits of the community and working with all Australians to restore society and the economy. Everything possible must be done to ensure that artists are actually around to do so.
If you want to contribute to Ausdance's knowledge of the impact of COVID-19 on your practice, please complete this survey.
For further information contact:
Paul Summers, Ausdance National President
Mobile 0417 925 292
Ausdance members vote to maintain Ausdance National, Australia’s dance advocacy organisation
Following the announcement by the National Council of the Australian Dance Council – Ausdance Incorporated (Ausdance National) that the organisation would be wound up, an alternative option to maintain the organisation was proposed to the board by members of the Association. The motion was accepted by the membership at a Special General Meeting on 4 December 2019.
The membership agreed that the incoming Board would:
- Maintain the Association as a legal entity, and its Register of Cultural Organisations status.
- Establish a permanent and culturally diverse Executive and Board at the next Annual General Meeting, and provide ongoing board mentoring.
- Establish a viable future for the Association with the support and cooperation of the Ausdance network, supporting but outsourcing core projects such as the Australian Dance Awards and the National Dance Forum.
- Ensure the financial security of the Association in support of its limited activities and identify any future opportunities for financial support.
- Build on Ausdance National’s advocacy role and its networking capabilities in collaboration with the Ausdance network, and with professional artists, companies, education and research communities.
- Maintain the Association’s unique website as an information, publishing and research platform.
- Continue to administer the Keith Bain and Peggy van Praagh bequests.
The interim board thanks the outgoing board for its endeavours in this difficult environment of arts funding and support, and notes its considerable achievements.
We thank the Ausdance network and its members for allowing us this opportunity to renew Ausdance National as an organisation that has supported dance for over four decades.
Ausdance WA’s Gabrielle Sullivan said: ‘There’s strength in the network that will support Ausdance National and continue the long history of collegiality that has existed since 1977.’
We acknowledge that the current health of the Australian dance ecology is in crisis and needs attention, and we will seek to identify and implement new and improved ways of realising our mission to ‘educate, inspire and support the dance community in reaching its potential as a dynamic force within local, national and international communities’.
The following interim board members were elected:
- President: Paul Summers (Vic)
- Vice President: Julie Dyson (ACT)
- Vice President: Lizzie Vilmanis (Qld)
- Treasurer: Tamara McKee (ACT)
- Director: Cathy Adamek (SA)
- Director: Sebastien Ananian-Cooper (SA)
Paul is an Honorary Life Member of the Association with decades of experience as an arts administrator and as a former office bearer for national and state Ausdances. He is especially well known in the small to medium and independent dance sector, and is looking forward to once again serving the Australian dance communitiy in his capacity as interim National President.
Please direct any media inquiries to:
Paul Summers
M. 0417925292
2019 Budget
2019 Budget - Small steps for the arts but we need big leaps.
Ausdance National welcomes the Morrison government’s new funding support for the live music sector ($30.9 million) and individual projects for the Bundanon Trust Art Centre, the Griffin Theatre and support for art installations in the Huon Valley. This represents significant investment but overall, the budget reflects a lack of understanding of the value of arts and culture and the contribution of the sector to Australia’s GDP.
We recognise the government is focused on supporting economic growth and opportunity, in addition to job creation. The budget reflects the ongoing lack of long term national cultural policy given that the arts sector generates significant primary and secondary employment. It ignores the research indicating that the future of work will be characterised by human creativity and innovation[1].
The new funding for live music creates opportunity for Australian artists and is a small step but not the significant leap needed for meaningful reform and investment to address key gaps and challenges across the whole sector.
Dance is a vital part of Australia’s performing arts ecology. It is valued by all cultures as a way of expressing feelings, thoughts, and storytelling through movement. Dance has capacity to be a valued part of every person’s education, offering creativity, healthy and stimulating experiences for all Australians throughout their lives. Arts engagement in education leads to enhanced learning outcomes and equips students with 21st Century skills for effectively managing the rapidly changing environment including the future world of work.
Ausdance and an alliance of performing arts peak organisations[2], have been advocating the following shared sector priorities including:
- Establish a National Indigenous Arts and Cultural Authority to provide leadership and representation for traditional knowledge and cultural expression and in recognition of the important links between art and culture and Closing the Gap outcomes.
- Support innovation through strategic seed investment in new ambitious works generating jobs growth and career development for leading creatives, new IP and extending creative skills.
- Position more multi-year funded companies for growth to deliver a stronger and more diverse performing arts sector.
- Increase Australia Council project funding to support individual artists and reduce the level of unfunded excellence
- Increase investment in regional performing arts engagement and touring.
- Remove the efficiency dividend on government arts and cultural organisations, including the Australia Council, which has had a perverse impact on funds available for investment in arts and culture.
The arts can assist us to respond to the 21st Century economic landscape and inspires innovation, new practices and services, and is a means of social engagement. Jobs requiring creativity, innovation, and social intelligence will be priorities across all industries – not just the arts.
More than ever before, Australia needs to foster and invest in creativity, arts and culture to respond to the challenges and opportunities ahead by embedding the arts in building better economic, education, and health and wellbeing outcomes for all Australians.
For enquires contact Kathy Bayktich, Executive Director, on M: 0414 698 228 or E: [email protected]
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[1]https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2018
[2]AMPAG (Australian Major Performing Arts Group), Ausdance National, BlakDance, Live Performance Australia, Music Australia, Performing Arts Connections Australia, Regional Arts Australia, Symphony Services Australia, Theatre Network Australia.
Helene George joins the Ausdance National Board
The Australian Dance Council, the national peak body for dance, is pleased to announce its new board member, Helene George—a recognised specialist in sustainable development and the strategic development of cultural and creative industries.
Board President Professor Gene Moyle announced the board appointment this week and said, ‘Ms George started out in dance and has had an extensive career across the arts, cultural and creative sectors. Her leadership in the creative economy and specialist skill set in assisting organisations to reshape and transform to achieve sustainability is a great and timely addition to the Board’.
Change of leadership at Ausdance National
MEDIA RELEASE 24 September 2018
Ausdance National is pleased to announce the appointment of Kathy Baykitch as Executive Director following the resignation of Kerry Comerford.
Ausdance National is Australia’s peak body for dance advocacy, delivering national projects including the Australian Dance Awards and the biannual National Dance Forum. It represents the Australian dance sector on national policy issues including immigration, education and health.
Dance Australia sponsor the 2018 Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography
Ausdance National is pleased to announce Dance Australia as a 2018 sponsor of the Australian Dance Awards.
Dance Australia magazine is the most respected dance journal in the country, with articles and reviews written by the cream of Australia’s dance journalists.
Foxtel Arts is a 2018 Australian Dance Awards sponsor!
Ausdance National is pleased to announce Foxtel Arts as a 2018 sponsor of the Australian Dance Awards.
Foxtel Arts (Channel 133 on Foxtel), a subscription television arts channel on the Foxtel platform, showcases arts performance and factual insights into art, artists and their creative achievements.
A first-time supporter of the Australian Dance Awards, Foxtel Arts has created an inspiring 30-second CTV for the Awards and has sponsored the award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance on Film or New Media.
AON sponsor the Australian Dance Award for Services to Dance
Ausdance National is pleased to announce the continued support of AON Australia as an Australian Dance Awards sponsor.
AON arrange insurance for thousands of dance studios, dance groups and dancers in Australia and are also proudly the approved insurance partner for Ausdance members.
MEAA sponsors Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer
Ausdance National is pleased to announce the continued support of Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) as an Australian Dance Awards sponsor.
MEAA is the largest and most established union and industry advocate for Australia’s creative professionals, and this year it has sponsored the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer.
Harlequin Floors continues to support the Australian dance community
Ausdance National is pleased to announce the continued support of Harlequin Floors as Principal Sponsor of the Australian Dance Awards (ADAs).
World leaders in advanced flooring technology for dance and the performing arts, Harlequin Floors supports (literally) thousands of Ausdance members on a daily basis.
Athol Willoughby OAM to receive the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award
The Australian Dance Awards committee has announced the Lifetime Achievement Award for 2018 will be presented to Athol Willoughby, OAM, in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the dance profession in Australia for over 65 years.
Congratulations to the shortlisted nominees of the 21st Australian Dance Awards
Celebrating 21 years, the Australian Dance Awards is one of the country’s most prestigious performing arts awards. The Awards acknowledge people working in the professional dance sector who have made innovative and exceptional work of national significance, or have made an outstanding and enduring contribution to the dance industry.
‘Arriving at the shortlist is a demanding job for the volunteer panel of 13 dance sector professionals representing all states and territories’, said Julie Dyson, nominations coordinator for the 2018 Australian Dance Awards.
‘Panel members include educators, independent artists, dance company directors, and writers/reviewers. We receive between 450 and 700 nominations each year. A thorough voting system is in place, with two, sometimes three rounds of voting.’
Presented by Ausdance National, the 2018 awards will take place on Saturday 8 September at the Brisbane Powerhouse, with tickets on sale from 9 July.
‘Ausdance National is honoured to present the 21st Australian Dance Awards in partnership with industry sponsors’, said Kerry Comerford, Executive Director of Ausdance National. ‘The Awards ceremony is the time we acknowledge and celebrate the dance profession’s depth and diversity, both on and off the stage.’
Presented in an afternoon of performances showcasing some of Australia’s best dance of the past year, the annual Australian Dance Awards rely on the generosity and goodwill of the dance sector. ‘It’s important that the event represents the excellence and diversity of dance in Australia’ said Sandi Woo, 2018 Award’s producer.
2018 Australian Dance Awards shortlist
Services to Dance
- Philippe Charluet
- Marilyn Miller
- Philip Piggin
- Hilary Trotter
Services to Dance Education
- Paige Gordon
- Raewyn Hill
- Sinsa Mansell
- Katrina Rank
Outstanding Achievement in Community Dance
- Annette Carmichael (choreography), James Gentle (sound design) for The Beauty Index
- Tracks Dance for Man Made
- QPAC, The Royal Ballet and Community Groups for We All Dance
- Sprung!! Integrated Dance Theatre for Share House
Outstanding Achievement in Youth Dance
- Austinmer Dance Theatre for UNREAL
- Co3 for Project next
- QL2 Dance for This Poisoned Sea
- Moorambilla Voices for Gundabooka
Outstanding Performance by a Company
- Co3 for The Zone
- Dancenorth Attractor
- STRUT Dance for William Forsythe's One Flat Thing, Reproduced
- Queensland Ballet for Raw (triple bill): No Man’s Land, Glass Concerto and Ghost Dances
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography
- Lucy Guerin and Gideon Obarzanek for Attractor (Dancenorth and Lucy Guerin Inc)
- Raewyn Hill for The Zone (Co3)
- Stephanie Lake for Pile of Bones (Stephanie Lake Company)
- Stephen Page for Bennelong (2017) (Bangarra Dance Theatre)
Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance
- Martin del Amo for CHAMPIONS
- Australian Dance Artists for Restraint(s)
- Michelle Heaven for In Plan
- Nick Power (choreography), Jack Prest (sound design) for Between Tiny Cities រវាងទីក្រុងតូច
Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer
- Jana Castillo for construct (Australian Dance Theatre)
- Amber Haines for Spectra (Dancenorth)
- Ako Kondo for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (The Australian Ballet)
- Charmene Yap for Ocho (Sydney Dance Company)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer
- Richard Causer for Behind Closed Doors (Expressions Dance Company)
- Nelson Earl for Ocho (Sydney Dance Company)
- Beau Dean Riley Smith for Bennelong (2017) (Bangarra Dance Theatre)
- Kimball Wong for construct (Australian Dance Theatre)
Outstanding Achievement in Commercial Dance, Musicals or Physical Theatre
- Gravity & Other Myths for BACKBONE
- Michael Ralph for SELF
- Andrew Hallsworth for Muriel’s Wedding (Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures)
- Nicola Gunn and Jo Lloyd for Piece for Person and Ghetto Blaster
Outstanding Achievement in Dance on Film or New Media
- Richard James Allen for Enchant
- Sophia Bender for Behind Barres
- Sue Healey for Eileen
- Catherine Moore & Jade Lowry for Unstilled
2018 Australian Dance Awards shortlist media release (50 KB PDF)
Kerry Comerford announced as Executive Director Ausdance National
The Australian Dance Council—Ausdance Inc, the national peak body for dance, is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Executive Director for Ausdance National.
Ausdance Queensland appoints Kate Usher as executive director
The Ausdance Queensland Management Committee has announced their new executive director, Kate Usher. Kate is a vibrant and tenacious leader who brings to Ausdance Queensland a wealth of international and national connections to continue the growth, diversity and outstanding reputation of dance in Queensland.
Arts educators call for a visionary approach to arts education and creative work
Media release 27 February 2018
In meetings in Canberra yesterday with advisers from all political parties and senior staff from the federal education and arts departments, the National Advocates for Arts Education called for a rethinking of all political parties’ commitment to various key aspects of arts education, and made specific recommendations.
A delegation of members of the NAAE asserted yesterday that arts skills are at least as important as literacy and numeracy and should be prioritised alongside STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths).
Dancenorth winners of a prestigious 2017 Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award
Photo: Amber HainesNorth Queensland based and nationally renowned dance company Dancenorth have been awarded the 2017 Sidney Myer Group Award
The winners of the prestigious 2017 Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards were announced by Carrillo Gantner AO, Chair of the Sidney Myer Fund at the Brisbane Powerhouse as part of the Australian Performing Arts Market on Wednesday 21 February 2018.
Fatigue identified as major contributor to injury in Australia’s professional dancers
The Safe Dance Report IV: Investigating injuries in Australia’s professional dancers, published today on the Ausdance National website, examines the Australian context and occurrence of injury in professional dancers and makes recommendations to support sustainable, healthy, and productive dancing careers.
A collaboration between The University of Sydney and Ausdance National, Safe Dance IV is the fourth in a series of Safe Dance research projects. It continues the important work started by Ausdance National almost 30 years ago.
The survey of 195 Australian professional dancers found 97% experienced at least one significant injury in their dance career, compared with 89% in 1999. And 73% of dancers reported experiencing a dance-related injury in the past 12 months.
Author and lead researcher Amy Jo Vassallo, a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Health Sciences at The University of Sydney, said the consequences of these injuries can be quite substantial and include missed performance opportunities and income, ongoing pain and disability, and expensive treatment including surgery. Serious injuries can even lead to early retirement from dance careers and lifelong disability.
‘The proportion of dancers reporting fatigue as a contributing factor to their injury has increased from 26% in 1990 and 33% in 1999 to 48% in 2017’ she said.
‘However, compared with previous Safe Dance survey results, fewer dancers reported poor technique or environment as a contributor to their injury. This demonstrates the benefits of education, policies and interventions regarding safe dancing practice for dancers and teachers at all stages of a dance career, including early teaching and pre-professional training’.
Ausdance National President, Professor Gene Moyle, said the Safe Dance Report IV continues an important lineage for the Australian dance community. Hearing the words “safe dance practice” being so much a part of our language and approach within the dance sector today is a testament to the impact and contribution of the collective Safe Dance reports within our industry.
Recommendations have outlined that access to dance-educated or dance-specialised healthcare services is essential; addressing the cultural aspects of injury reporting is critical; and that a better acknowledgement of the psychological and psychosocial aspects of injury is required.
Key findings
Survey respondents’ employment as a dance performer was most commonly with a dance company (66%) or as an independent dance artist (38%).
Injuries remain common in professional dance, with 73% of professional dancers reporting experiencing an injury in the past 12 months. The most common site of injury was the ankle (26%), followed by the knee (11%) and hip (10%).
The most common injury type was a strain (25%), followed by chronic inflammation (19%) and a sprain (18%).
There was one accidental or traumatic injury for every two overuse or gradual injuries. The most common responses regarding the self-reported contributor to injury were fatigue (48%), followed by new or difficult choreography (39%) and ignoring early warning signs (31%).
Despite 62% of respondents reporting belief that there is still stigma associated with sustaining injuries as a professional dancer, 75% of dancers did say they would seek professional opinion if they suspected an injury. However, only 50% stated they would tell someone within their dance employment and 49% said they would also take their own preventative steps to manage their injury.
Despite seeing a clinician for treatment of their injury, 40% of dancers whose injury was currently unresolved were unsure if their injury would resolve in the foreseeable future. This indicates that many dancers need to be provided with improved and realistic expectations of their injury, capacity to dance during their injury and likely return to full dance ability.
For interview contact:
Amy Vassallo | PhD Candidate
Faculty of Health Sciences
The University of Sydney
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 02 9351 9010 and 02 9351 9108
Ausdance National Council – Ausdance Inc.
Email: [email protected]
Download Safe Dance Report IV media release
Kristina Chan receives the Peggy van Praagh Choreographic Fellowship
Congratulations to Kristina Chan who received the Ausdance National Peggy van Praagh Choreographic Fellowship at the 2017 Australian Dance Awards on Sunday 24 September 2017.
National Dance Forum 2017: Dance in the Digital Domain
Tuesday 22 August 2017
For immediate release
Australia’s peak dance organisation, Ausdance National, will host a two-day forum next month bringing together dance makers, producers and presenters for a highly topical forum focusing on the future of dance within the digital domain. The National Dance Forum is Australia’s key platform for dance artists, industry professionals and educators in providing rich opportunities to discuss, debate and collaborate with some of the most influential individuals and organisations in the country.