Sydney Dance Company
Encyclopedia
The Sydney Dance Company is one of Australia
's most successful and well-known contemporary
dance companies
. The company was founded in 1969 as the dance-in-education group Ballet in a Nutshell by Suzanne Musitz (Davidson), later changing its name to Athletes and Dancers, and Dance Company (NSW). In 1979 the company was renamed the Sydney Dance Company by its new artistic director Graeme Murphy
, who had joined the Dance Company (NSW) in 1976.
The success of Murphy's tenure as artistic director, with fellow dancer, collaborator and wife Janet Vernon, has been compared to the dancer and choreographer Jerome Robbins
because of the way he and his company has marketed dance to a wider audience, and brought contemporary dance into a more commercial arena.
Part of Murphy's success has been his wide-ranging taste in music and the eclectic choices of musical accompaniment he has made for his dance works. The breakthrough work Some Rooms, which received enormous acclaim, featured a selection of existing music by composers Keith Jarrett
, Joseph Canteloube
, Francis Poulenc
, Benjamin Britten
and Samuel Barber
, whereas other works featured newly-commissioned original music. Hate (1982) had a score by noted Australian composer Carl Vine
, and his successful 1985 production Boxes featured original music by composer and musician Iva Davies
, who was then the lead singer with popular Australian rock band Icehouse
.
In May 2007, the company announced that Tanja Liedtke
would be its new artistic director; however on 17 August of that year Liedtke was accidentally killed after being struck by a garbage collection truck in an inner northern suburb of Sydney
.
In December 2007, Executive Director Noel Staunton launched the company's 2008 season, announcing three guest choreographers, Meryl Tankard
, Rafael Bonachela and Aszure Barton
, to create new works for the company. Bonachela was subsequently appointed the Company's new Artistic Director.
On 15 December 2008, it was announced that Foxtel
has signed a three year sponsorship of the Sydney Dance Company which will see it broadcast specials as well as incorporating the company into subscription television programs Australia's Next Top Model
and Project Runway Australia
.
In December 2009 Anne Dunn was appointed Executive Director of the Company.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's most successful and well-known contemporary
Contemporary dance
Contemporary dance is a genre of concert dance that employs compositional philosophy, rather than choreography, to guide unchoreographed movement...
dance companies
Dance company
A dance troupe or dance company is a group of dancers and associated personnel who work together to perform dances as a spectacle or entertainment.-Members:*Artistic Director*Choreographers*Dancers*Board of Directors*Education administrator...
. The company was founded in 1969 as the dance-in-education group Ballet in a Nutshell by Suzanne Musitz (Davidson), later changing its name to Athletes and Dancers, and Dance Company (NSW). In 1979 the company was renamed the Sydney Dance Company by its new artistic director Graeme Murphy
Graeme Murphy
Graeme Murphy is an Australian dance choreographer. Together with his fellow dancer Janet Vernon, he has guided Sydney Dance Company to become one of Australia's most successful and well-known dance companies....
, who had joined the Dance Company (NSW) in 1976.
The success of Murphy's tenure as artistic director, with fellow dancer, collaborator and wife Janet Vernon, has been compared to the dancer and choreographer Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins was an American theater producer, director, and choreographer known primarily for Broadway Theater and Ballet/Dance, but who also occasionally directed films and directed/produced for television. His work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater...
because of the way he and his company has marketed dance to a wider audience, and brought contemporary dance into a more commercial arena.
Part of Murphy's success has been his wide-ranging taste in music and the eclectic choices of musical accompaniment he has made for his dance works. The breakthrough work Some Rooms, which received enormous acclaim, featured a selection of existing music by composers Keith Jarrett
Keith Jarrett
Keith Jarrett is an American pianist and composer who performs both jazz and classical music.Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey, moving on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s he has enjoyed a great deal of success in jazz, jazz fusion, and classical music; as...
, Joseph Canteloube
Joseph Canteloube
Marie-Joseph Canteloube de Malaret was a French composer, musicologist, and author best known for his collections of orchestrated folksongs from the Auvergne region.-Biography:...
, Francis Poulenc
Francis Poulenc
Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc was a French composer and a member of the French group Les six. He composed solo piano music, chamber music, oratorio, choral music, opera, ballet music, and orchestral music...
, Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
and Samuel Barber
Samuel Barber
Samuel Osborne Barber II was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. His Adagio for Strings is his most popular composition and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music...
, whereas other works featured newly-commissioned original music. Hate (1982) had a score by noted Australian composer Carl Vine
Carl Vine
Carl Vine is an Australian composer of contemporary classical music.-Career:Vine was born in Perth, Western Australia. When he was ten years old, he took up the piano. An adolescent encounter with Karlheinz Stockhausen inspired a period as a teenage modernist, a direction which he abandoned in 1985...
, and his successful 1985 production Boxes featured original music by composer and musician Iva Davies
Iva Davies
Iva Davies , is the frontman for Australian electro/new wave/rock band Icehouse.-Biography:...
, who was then the lead singer with popular Australian rock band Icehouse
Icehouse (band)
Icehouse is an Australian rock band, formed as Flowers in 1977 in Sydney. Initially known in Australia for their pub rock style, they later achieved mainstream success playing new wave and synthpop style music and attained Top Ten singles chart success in both Europe and the U.S...
.
In May 2007, the company announced that Tanja Liedtke
Tanja Liedtke
Tanja Liedtke was a German-born professional dancer. She was most noted as a dancer, choreographer and director of contemporary dance in Australia.- Biography :...
would be its new artistic director; however on 17 August of that year Liedtke was accidentally killed after being struck by a garbage collection truck in an inner northern suburb of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
In December 2007, Executive Director Noel Staunton launched the company's 2008 season, announcing three guest choreographers, Meryl Tankard
Meryl Tankard
Meryl Tankard is an Australian dancer and choreographer who has a wide national and international reputation....
, Rafael Bonachela and Aszure Barton
Aszure Barton
- Career :Barton was raised in Canada where she studied dance from a young age. After training at the Edmonton School of Ballet, Alberta School of Ballet, John Cranko Schule in Germany and Royal Winnipeg Ballet she left home at age fourteen to study at the National Ballet School in Toronto...
, to create new works for the company. Bonachela was subsequently appointed the Company's new Artistic Director.
On 15 December 2008, it was announced that Foxtel
Foxtel
Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....
has signed a three year sponsorship of the Sydney Dance Company which will see it broadcast specials as well as incorporating the company into subscription television programs Australia's Next Top Model
Australia's Next Top Model
Australia's Next Top Model is an Australian reality television series, based on a franchise that was created by Tyra Banks with America's Next Top Model...
and Project Runway Australia
Project Runway Australia
Project Runway Australia is a reality television show based on Project Runway wherein fashion Designers compete by making specific garments for specific challenges. All contestants appearing on the show are designers residing in Australia. The show features Megan Gale as the host, and Kirrily...
.
In December 2009 Anne Dunn was appointed Executive Director of the Company.
Dancers and choreographers
Sydney Dance Company has launched the careers of several highly successful Australian dancers and choreographers, including- Gideon ObarzanekGideon ObarzanekGideon Obarzanek is an Australian choreographer and the Artistic Director of Melbourne, Australia based contemporary dance company Chunky Move which he formed in 1995, in collaboration with Garry Stewart....
, now director of MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
dance company Chunky MoveChunky MoveChunky Move is an Australian contemporary dance company from Southbank, VictoriaIt was founded in 1995 and debuted at the Melbourne International Arts Festival with artistic director Gideon Obarzanek.... - Paul MercurioPaul MercurioPaul Joseph Mercurio is an Australian actor, dancer and TV presenter. Mercurio is well-known for his lead role in Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom . His father was the character actor Gus Mercurio.- Biography :...
who has gone on to make several movies including Strictly BallroomStrictly BallroomStrictly Ballroom is a 1992 Australian romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Baz Luhrmann and produced by M&A Productions. The film is the first installment in The Red Curtain Trilogy, Luhrmann's trilogy of theatre-motif-related films; the follow-ups were Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
which was directed by Baz LuhrmannBaz LuhrmannMark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
. - Stephen PageStephen PageBorn in Brisbane in 1965, Stephen Page is a descendant from the Nunukul people and the Munaldjali clan of the Yugambeh tribe from southeast Queensland...
, now choreographer and director of Bangarra Dance TheatreBangarra Dance TheatreBangarra Dance Theatre is an Indigenous Australian contemporary dance company founded in 1989 by Carole Johnson, an African-American and founding director of National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association . Bangarra is the Wiradjuri word meaning "to make fire".Stephen Page has been the... - Kim Walker, who spent ten years as Artistic Director of The Flying Fruit Fly Circus based in Albury, and took up the position of Executive Director at the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA)in 2007.
- Joseph Brown, who has been playing the lead character Johnny Castle in the stage version of Dirty DancingDirty DancingDirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach...
since it opened in Sydney in 2004
External links
- Sydney Dance Company website
- Sydney Dance Company Collection at the Performing Arts CollectionPerforming Arts CollectionThe Performing Arts Collection at the Arts Centre, Melbourne is the largest specialist performing arts collection in Australia, with over 450,000 items relating to the history of circus, dance, music, opera and theatre in Australia and of Australian performers overseas.- Highlights of the...
, Arts Centre, MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... - Sydney Dance Company, Australia Dancing entry