Current projects

A biennial fellowship of $5,000 – $10,000 awarded to a mid-career choreographer.

The biennial Keith Bain Choreographic Travel Fellowship supports international travel and experiences by emerging choreographers (under 40 years) across any dance genre.

The NDF is the most significant platform for dialogue across the Australian contemporary dance sector. Dancers, makers, researchers, writers, directors, producers, advocates and educators participate in discussions about the inherent concerns and realities affecting current professional practice in Australia.

International arts appointments can contribute artistic excellence to the Australian dance and cultural sector. 

We are working to ensure the specific artistic expertise and knowledge contributed by international experience can continue to advance the Australian dance sector.

We are asking for dance occupations to be moved to the Medium and Long Term Strategic Skills List to support the long-term artistic commitments often required for international engagement of elite dance artists.

Ausdance National is working with the National Advocates for Arts Education to:

• reinstate professional dance courses on the VET Student Loans eligible course list
• make a case to redefine the methods used to assess courses eligible for student loans—recognising the cultural sector as one of Australia's major employers and arts graduates as key contributors to the creative economy in Australia.

Australia is at the forefront of dance injury epidemiology efforts; the Safe Dance Project Report on dance injury prevention and management in the Australian dance profession, known as Safe Dance®, was launched almost 30 years ago. It was the first study of its kind conducted in Australia and showed an alarming prevalence of both chronic and acute injuries in Australian dancers. These findings led to a variety of recommendations and initiatives, including a recommendation to repeat the Safe Dance study regularly to evaluate the effect of these initiatives and provide further insight into dancer health and wellbeing.

The Australian Dance Council—Ausdance has for over forty years led, inspired, supported and informed the Australian dance community.

Now we need your support to continue this work. All donations to Ausdance National above $2 are tax deductible.

As an entirely voluntary organisation, we invite you get behind us as we continue to represent, advocate for and support all sectors of the Australian dance industry. 

We are working to ensure that the new dance curriculum (now part of the Australian curriculum) is high quality, provides every Australian child with a sequential and developmental dance experience, and that teachers are well resourced to teach it. We will help dance educators and students by highlighting successful teaching models and best practice, and give teachers the support they need to run a successful dance program.