Our 2014 Australian Dance Awards partners were selected because they each offer outstanding professional dance products, services and resources.
They are also creating and sharing quite a bit of free advice and research. Here's a collection of their articles & videos covering injury prevention and rehabilitation, insurance suggestions, guides for specifying dance floors, fitting your first pair of pointe shoes and dance teaching skill sets.
Harlequin Floors
Experts in the design and manufacture of floors for all kinds of dance, performing arts & entertainment, Harlequin believes it’s possible to avoid injuries. Their dance floors are designed in close collaboration with the artistic, technical and medical world. Harlequin sprung floors offer a guarantee for better protection from injuries for dancers providing them with a feeling of optimum safety.
For a taste of Harlequin's articles and videos...
- Building a dance floor?
- Need advice to give your architect?
- Curious about why sports floors are not suited to dance?
- Harlequin has done the research—get the free guides from Harlequin's website.
If you’re looking for professional advice for keeping dancers physically healthy, avoiding injury and eating well, Harlequin’s YouTube channel shares research from Australian and international dance specialists.
Interview with Dr Luke Hopper from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
Dr Luke Hopper from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts specialises in biomechanics of dance and dancer requirements for floors. In this interview Dr Hopper talks about his research into the relationship between dance floors and dancer injury, how dancers interact with the floors, dancer preferences and the potential risks associated with dancing on different floors.
Dance Injuries—interview with orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Boni Rietveld
From the Medical Centre for Dancers & Musicians (based in The Hague), Dr Boni Rietveld gives advice to young dancers on how to prevent injury, how to prevent injuries getting worse and encouragement to dancers who are recovering from injury.
Supplements for dancers: are they always necessary?
Jasmine Challis' presentation 'Nutrition research should drive advice and practice: which nutrients should the dancer be updated on and why?' was given on the final day of the 2013 IADMS Annual Meeting in Seattle.
Aon Australia
In most cases it’s not possible, and certainly not wise, to be a practicing dance professional without insurance. Aon Australia is so dedicated to dance-specific insurance that they have their own Ausdance service team to help you get the right insurance to cover your activities.
We’ve been working on this for over 20 years—continually evolving and updating the products—and Aon has listened and responded to our requests for dancer and studio–specific insurance.
They were the first to create personal accident insurance tailored for dancers—accidents and dancing often go hand-in-hand—supporting dancers in cases of accident or injury (e.g. broken bones, tissue damage) on or off stage.
There are over 1,000 dancers and dance studios currently insured through Aon and their comprehensive cover options include public liability, professional indemnity, products liability and property owners’ liability.
For a taste of Aon's resources and special offers...
Aon knows why public liability insurance is a must-have for dance teachers and studios—they hear about all too often about business owners who’ve been accused of negligence by a third party and are seeking compensation for costs incurred after an accident. You can read more about this in
- How does public liability insurance protect me?
- Business insurance: protecting the important assets you need to stay in business—insurance for your professional flooring
If you’re an Ausdance member, Aon currently has a special offer on public & products liability insurance. You can 15 months cover for the price of 12 buying online.
Bloch
Yes, Bloch are Australia's leading supplier and manufacturer of dance wear, costumes and shoes—and it’s all gorgeous!
But did you know that Bloch are active in safe dance education? Because Bloch pointe shoes support the feet of The Australian Ballet, they know the importance of not only providing the best shoes but also giving good advice about how to use those shoes safely.
For a taste of Bloch's articles and videos...
- The Australian Ballet Pointe Shoe Workshop
- Professional Pointers—What's on the Feet of The Australian Ballet? (members of the company reveal what they're wearing on their feet and share how they keep on their toes)
- Maintenance of Pointe Shoes
- Fitting your First Pair of Pointe Shoes
In the Spotlight with Juliet Burnett
Innovation and Business Skills Australia
IBSA developed national dance qualifications in consultation with industry and dance teaching institutions around the country. The qualifications cover dance teaching and management as well as dance performance, and they are part of the Live Performance Training Package.
IBSA recognised that an increase in demand for dance and movement skills in the community recreation, cultural heritage, fitness and health industries has led to a wider range of employment opportunities for dancers. National qualifications need to reflect these employment opportunities: national qualifications help lift standards across the profession and set clear national benchmarks which promote consistency while maintaining flexibility.’ (p.2, CUA11 Live Performance Training Package)
For a taste of IBSA's articles and videos...
- CUA11 Live Performance Training Package User Guide
- Dancing Teaching Skill Set—a guide to RPL for assessors.
- Dance Teaching Skill Set: Experience counts!—A guide to recognition for dance teachers
DanceInforma
The industry's online dance magazine and news service, DanceInforma is always up to date and shares news, auditions, events, a dance directory and resources.
For a taste of DanceInforma's articles and videos...
Check out Dance Informa’s Australian Dance Awards news page.
Equity Foundation
Equity continues to improve wages and conditions for performers every single day. They have won residuals, rehearsal pay, overtime, annual leave and so much more.
They campaign and lobby for an industry that treats performers with respect, values local content and embraces diversity; one in which culture thrives and art is celebrated for art’s sake.
Equity hosts major industry events, awards excellence, provides professional development opportunities and conducts world-first research.
Equity negotiated the appropriate minimum payment for dancers working with Kylie Minogue. They met with the production lawyers who agreed to pay the correct legal rates and pay back-pay. Equity negotiated the Sydney Dance Company's Dancers' Collective Agreement.
At Vivid Sydney 2014, Equity co-hosted a panel about how artists are circumventing traditional funding models to get their projects off the ground.