DanceLife Blog

It has been an amazing past 5 months since DanceLife launched on 1 July 2008. We can't thank everyone enough for your support and encouragement to make DanceLife what it is today. There is HEAPS planned for 2009 so make sure you keep your eye on this space in the New Year. We are now taking small holiday to regroup for next year. We will be back in full force on Monday 12 January. Have a safe and happy Christmas and an exciting New Year. Clint & Team DanceLife :)

The hit musical Avenue Q will be opening in June 2009 at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre. The cast has been announced and we're happy to tell you that DanceLife Blogger and all round entertainment extraordinaire Leah Howard is one of the ensemble members. Congrats Leah! Michala Banas will play Kate Monster/Lucy T Slut and Mitchell Butel will play Princeton/Rod. For all the details on the show check out www.avenueqthemusical.com.au. 

DanceLife received a letter from a mother whos daughter had just had a full knee reconstruction due to an injury in an acrobatics class. Donna explained in the letter that Aimee lives to dance so this news was obviously shattering for the poor girl. Although we couldn't fix her knee we wanted to make her feel a little better so on Wednesday night we sent Aimee, her mother and two friends to go and see High School Musical Live on Stage. A great night was had by all. We wish Aimee all the best on her road to recovery.

Jack is back in the country and performing with energetic tap group Raw Metal. Check out the video above from a Christmas Show the other night. Like most of the Top 20 contestants from SYTYCD 2008 Jack is dancing on the corporate scene and making some nice $$ to help his dream to be on Broadway come true. All the best Jack!

DanceLife caught up with the amazingly talent and equally as beautiful Lisa Stevens on the weekend hours before the cast of High School Musical Live On Stage performed their first preview show. Lisa is the choreographer of the show and brings years of experience as a performer and choreographer to this highly energetic production. Watch our interview with Lisa above and don't forget to catch HSM Live On Stage when it comes to your city. Check out www.hsmliveonstage.com.au for all the details. For more info on Lisa check out her website www.lisastevens.biz

In a landmark deal for both partners, Foxtel and the Sydney Dance Company announced a new partnership yesterday which will see Foxtel support the SDC for the next three years as principal sponsor. The deal means the iconic SDC will get access to a wider audience both through televised performance specials and through Foxtel TV programs. The first performance for the SDC will premiere on the Bio. channel in 2009 and the paynet is also looking to include Sydney Dance Company and its dancers in top rating shows like Project Runway and Australia's Next Top Model, "where we see opportunities for the Company's high artistic standards, physical discipline and sense of fun to create and enhance great television viewing," according to executive director of TV and marketing Brian Walsh. "We look forward to working with Sydney Dance Company to further heighten awareness of its programs amongst our wide viewer base, and to thereby help it continue to build audiences nationally," Walsh said. Sydney Dance Company Chair Julian Knights added "as the company enters a new era with Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela, this is a creative media partnership which will enhance both organisations."

SOURCE: Media Day

Hi Guys

I know, I know ........a long time between blogs!!

The end of the year has been manic to say the least. After finishing up with the fabulous Michael Falzon on "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," I went on the audition tour for "So You Think You Can Dance." In every city I took the callback audition and was witness to some great dancers strutting their stuff and some dancers falling in a heap overwhelmed by nerves! I was also involved with the top 100 week and put the dancers through a Broadway Jazz challenge.

I also choreographed the idol grand final with 20 dancers, 200 choir, 12 contestants and pyrotechnics! It was terrible rainy weather that day, and I was on my hands and knees mopping the stage seconds before they went on.

I also choreographed a special tribute concert for the famous TV producer Reg Grundy (see picture to the left). He produced shows like Neighbours, Prisoner, Son's and Daughters, Sale of The Century, Wheel of Fortune...to name a few. I used 10 dancers and Nick Twiney of ‘Billy Elliot' fame to celebrate the story of Reg's career in dance and music.

My most exciting news is I am the Australian Judge on Nigel Lythgoe's and Simon Fuller's new series called ‘Superstars of Dance.' It is a professional dance competition with 9 countries from around the world competing. Like a Dance Olympics!! I am leaving for the US tomorrow and am so excited to see the world dance!! Will keep you updated on the dance of the world!!!

In January 2009 I am teaching at the Musical Theatre Workshop being run by Leslie Bell down at Sydney Dance Company. There are two workshops, one for students and one for professionals. So if you get bored and want to work off that xmas pudding, come and see us!!

Merry xmas to you all.............

Love and peace
Kelley x

To celebrate the release of Rhys' debut single, Hot Summer, young dance fans can win the chance to get a lunchtime dance lesson for you and your friends with this Summer's hottest star - Rhys!

But you've got to prove you've got what it takes to keep up...

Rhys wants you and your friends to choreograph your own dance to his new track Hot Summer. Grab a video camera, film it, put it up on YouTube labelled as ‘(your full name) Hot Summer Dance' and email the link to carissa@scorpiomusic.com.au for your chance to win.

Rhys will be judging the entries so do it with style, do it with flair and do something original!

Rhys will come to the winner's school - we'll check it with your teachers first! - at lunchtime to hold a private dance workshop for you and some friends. During this workshop, you and Rhys will work through your original Hot Summer dance, and at the end we'll film it and give you a copy to keep! Channel Ten will head down to your school to capture your workshop, and it could even end up on TV!

But don't worry, if you're not the winner Channel Ten will still be featuring your clips on their So You Think You Can Dance channel on YouTube, and you will go in the draw for loads of other prizes!

Check out Rhys' MySpace - www.myspace.com/rhys - listen to track, and watch his Hot new film clip for inspiration!

Entries close on January 31st so get together with your friends and music teachers, and get dancing because it's going to be a Hot Summer with RHYS! Then get ready for So You Think You Can Dance, back on your screens in February on Channel Ten!

The New South Wales State Opposition may claim the Government needs to do more to attract shows to Sydney, but no matter what happens, producers of major musicals are starting to see Melbourne as a more viable option no matter what.

And while the Victorian Government is certainly ahead of its New South Wales counterpart in assisting with commercial musicals, it is the people of Melbourne who have won producers over.

Put simply, shows are doing better business in Melbourne than Sydney as residents of the Harbour city continue to tighten their belts.

Priscilla recently announced it will end its Sydney return season a month early, while Kookaburra was last week forced to offer $2 tickets to Little Women in an effort to fill seats. It was a welcome gesture and wonderful news for theatre-goers, but the company would have preferred to have full paying customers in the seats.

It's a different story in Melbourne, where Wicked continues to pocket over a million dollars a week at the Regent Theatre and The Rocky Horror Show remains solid at the Comedy Theatre box office.

This week, Billy Elliot opens in Melbourne and according to a production spokesperson, it has sold better in its lead-up than it did in Sydney at the Capitol Theatre despite all the pre-show hype.

Wicked producer John Frost is adamant his show will not be moving to Sydney any time soon and if it does, it'll still be a risk given the uncertainty of the market.

"I can't see it moving from Melbourne inside the next 12 to 18 months," he said.

"At the moment we are purely focused on reaching our first anniversary in July next year."

Sydney is about to welcome High School Musical and Guys And Dolls and it will be interesting to see what kind of success the two shows have at the box office, particularly the latter which was well received in Melbourne.

For whatever reason, shows in Melbourne earn much more wider appeal than in Sydney, it seems. For example, the cast of Wicked have performed at countless events including the Myer Christmas Parade and the AFL Grand Final.

It goes on: The cast of Billy Elliot has been given the honour of opening Channel Nine's prestigious Carols By Candlelight, and have also been involved with several major events in recent weeks.

Logging onto the "Visit Victoria" website sees a Billy Elliot promotion straight away, and an easy link to a theatre and musicals section where Wicked, The Rocky Horror Show and Jersey Boys are all mentioned.

The "Visit New South Wales" site is a poor imitation - no mention of any of the major shows playing in town and no clear links that suggests the city has a vibrant theatrical culture.

Perhaps $2 tickets and early closings could be prevented by more forward thinking from the industry, and Governments, as a whole.

Written By: Troy Dodds - Aussie Theatre

Hi Guys,

I took some time out at the Melbourne International Tap Festival recently to check in with Bill Simpson, the Director of Red Hot Rhythm and see how he found the festival. As a professional tap dancer, based in Queensland and a performer with his own tap group it was interesting to hear his take on what the Festival had to offer him as a choreographer, performer and student!

Here is what he had to say!

1. What do you think are the benefits of doing class with visiting dancers of such calibre as Jason Samuel-Smith and Chloe Arnold?
The benefits are just endless! The opportunity to be thrown right out of our comfort zone is one that as dancers, we should all embrace. They have such a different style to what we in Australia are used to, and while we should always hold on our to our own style, there's an incredible amount we can learn from them. Whether it's new types of steps, new ideas, or just observing their incredible passion for the art-form, everyone can gain something from their classes.

2. What did you find to be the biggest contrast in how you tap to how Jason and Chloe tap?

To me, the biggest contrast is in their attitude towards tap. Just looking at them you can tell that every single day of their life they live, breathe, eat, sleep tap dance. They live to tap, and to always keep improving. Of course, that's not to say that we in Australia aren't passionate about tap - quite the opposite in fact - but sometimes it's easy to think you're at the top of your game, when you could always be working to get better - embracing a new challenge.

3. What was the biggest thing you feel you took away from their classes - and the festival in general?

The biggest thing I took away from the festival was a deep sense of relief and happiness knowing that there were so many others who felt such passion and love for tap as I do. In the dance world, tap is often looked at in a completely different light to most other styles which, truth be told, I actually find a very positive thing. However for tappers, at times it does make for a slightly separated existence from the rest of the dance community. The experience of performing, jamming, learning, and just hanging out with such like-minded people was just amazing, and I'm already counting down days until the next festival.

4. How old were you when you first started tapping?

I was 16 when I started tapping.

5. How long has Red Hot Rhythm been working together? And what are you guys up to?

Red Hot Rhythm has been together since early 2007. I really wanted to start something new and exciting for Queensland, and since last year the group has been working to give something unique to our home cities of Brisbane and the Gold Coast. We're currently performing a range of gigs around Brisbane & the Gold Coast, and will be starting Red Hot Rhythm Classes and workshops early next year.

6. What was your favourite part of the Tap Festival?

My favourite part of the festival was the finale of the final performance at the National Theatre, in which after we'd performed the 'Shim-Sham' with the rest of the performers of the evening, a jam session spontaneously occurred on stage.

7. Would you encourage young tappers out there to attend the Festival next year? If so - why?

Yes. Absolutely. Without a doubt in my mind. If you're a tapper, why wouldn't you? If you're not a tapper, why wouldn't you? Grab some shoes and be apart of it!

8. What did having a festival like this in Australia mean to you?

Having the festival here really made me appreciate how lucky we are to be tap dancers, and how lucky we are that there are things happening for tap dance in Australia which we can all be apart of.

9. Who are you inspired by with your tapping - in Oz and overseas?

The list is endless. Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, The Nicholas Brothers, The Condos Brothers, Jimmy Slide, Arthur Duncan, 'Peg Leg' Bates, Jason Samuels Smith, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Chloe Arnold, Savion Glover, Ben Reid, Drew Kaluski, Christopher Horsey, Shane Preston, etc...........I could go on for a while.

10. Why did you start tap dancing?

Good question. Quite simply: I saw it, I had to do it.

11. What are Red Hot Rhythms plans for the future?

In the future, we hope to take tap dance to the next level - to push the boundaries. We aim to always stay innovative in what we do and to keep growing as a company, and of course, to continually provide great tap dance entertainment and tuition for people young and old throughout Australia.

12. How did you guys get together in the first place?

Basically, the realisation that there was a significant lack of tap dance in Queensland inspired the concept of Red Hot Rhythm. I put the word out to some good friends who were keen to get on board, and before long, Red Hot Rhythm was up and running.

13. Any words of advice for young tappers out there?

You're on the right track.

14. What did you learn at the festival that made the biggest impression on you?

The following words that Jason Samuels Smith used during a conversation to describe an awesome tap dancer: Superleviathonic, Rhythmaturgically Syncopated, Tapstimatitianismist.

So - you can see that the Melbourne International Tap Festival, presented by Grant Swift, was an incredibly inspirational place to be.
To get on their mailing list for next time email: enquiries@mitf.com.au

For more info on Bill Simpson and Red Hot Rhythm check out: www.redhotrhythm.com.au

And for some new steps, routines and rhythms for 2009 check out my DVDs: www.tapatakoz.com.au

There is so much info out there and tap is alive and well in Australia that is for sure. We have oodles of people all over the country who are doing their thing and inspiring us all!

And on the other side of the globe there is a whole other world of tap for us to explore - so grab a plane ticket, check out you tube, google or buy some DVDs. If you love tap then you are in for a treat!!

I encourage all you tappers out there to get on board and celebrate our very special genre of dance!
GO TAP!!
Christine