DanceLife Blog

The time has come for me to pack my bags and fly to Melbourne to work as the dance secondment to choreographer Geoffrey Garratt, on Disney's Australian Tour of Mary Poppins.

It was nearly three years ago that I found myself choreographing a production of CATS with Harvest Rain Theatre Company here in Queensland. This show was a very pivotal moment in my life because it is where I met my beautiful wife Jasmine, and it was the show that launched my career as a choreographer.

We had been running the show for about a month when renowned choreographer Geoffrey Garratt (also played Skimbleshanks in the film version of CATS!) turned up to see the show. Geoffrey was in town at the time making adjustments to the touring production of Miss Saigon and had decided to pop in to see our show on one of his nights off. After the show, he was kind enough to get a photo with the cast and let us know what he thought of the production.

There are a lot of very jaded choreographers and dancers in the musical theatre industry, so to meet such an encouraging and kind choreographer like Geoffrey was so refreshing.

He flew out of Australia soon after we met and continued choreographing around the world.

Last year, he approved my secondment to him for the Australian Tour of Mary Poppins and that brings me to why I am packing my bags to head for Melbourne.

Although I am not looking forward to the freezing cold weather Melbourne will be providing for the next 3 months, I am looking forward to the opportunity to be involved with this unique production and work underneath the wonderful Geoffrey Garratt.

The show opens in July, so come and see it!

Alright, enough blogging...it's time to step in time!
Logging off..

Callum

www.velcitydance.com.au

Coming from Sydney's west myself, I've always had a keen interest in what dancers out that way are achieving in dance. Let me tell you they are doing damn well. Gone are the days when there are only a very small amount of reputable dance studios where you can train, most of them being in the city.

Today we not only see a surge in people taking up dance but the quality of the dancer is increasing and at a very young age. I think back only a few weeks to DanceLife Unite where our judges were blown away by the ability of dancers as young as 6 years old, with quite a few of these dancers coming from dance studios from the west.

I received the below email yesterday.

"I am dancer from Rooty Hill, NSW and I recently won the major scholarship prize from the 'Global Dance Convention'. The scholarship consisted of paid flights and classes at the Edge performing arts centre, Hollywood, as well as $1500 spending money. In order for me to win this scholarship I had to impress 5 American, internationally renowned dancers and choreographers, in both the audition process and during classes that consisted of over 150 advanced dancers from all over Australia and NZ. I want to raise dancers awareness of opportunities like this and to encourage them to participate because I never believed that I was capable of winning such a big prize over such amazing dancers. My parents were never great supporters of my dance career [they still supported me] and like many others in the area, I was left to fight to keep dancing. I am from Dance Junction, a small school in Glendenning, surrounded by the suburbs of Plumpton, Doonside, Mount Druitt etc. and I have found that so many people are opting out of taking classes out in the Western suburbs because they believe that to achieve greatness you have to take class within the CBD area (which is not to say that the dancers that take class in the CBD aren't great). I believe that this is not the case. You can learn so much from being in a small school".

So at the end of the day it come back o the basics. If you have the right teachers, attitude, determination and passion for dance you can certainly have a career in this industry no matter where you come from.

ABC's new drama Dance Academy debuts on Monday night with a story line that was very similar to the film Center Stage. Country-girl Tara Webster travelled to Sydney to audition for the prestigious National Academy of Dance. It's a tumultuous week as she realises her dream of becoming a dancer is going to be a lot more difficult, and humiliating, than she ever anticipated. Last night Tara arrived at the Academy excited about the year ahead but soon discovered that she is the worst dancer in the class. As Tara struggles to fit in, she learns the hard way to respect her teachers, find true friends, and to watch her back around her roommate Abigail.

The Cast
XENIA GOODWIN - Tara Webster
TARA MORICE - Miss Raine
ALICIA BANIT - Katrina -Kat‖ Karamakov
ROBERT ALEXANDER - Mr Kennedy
DENA KAPLAN - Abigail Armstrong
JOSEF BROWN - Patrick TOM GREEN - Sammy Liberman
TIM POCOCK - Ethan Karamakov
JORDAN RODRIGUES - Christian Reed

I'm interested to keep watching the show to see where it will head. I know the whole cast and crew have put a huge amount of effort and $ into this production so wish it well. DanceLife will post some interviews with the cast over the coming weeks.

Check out Dance Academy on ABC 5.30pm weeknights. www.danceacademytheseries.com

Mornings with Kerri-Anne went to visit the cast of FAME rehearsing at Jason Coleman's Ministry of Dance. Check out the video HERE. FAME is set to be another hot for John Frost who has produced Chicago and Wicked which have all been massive hits!

During my break over Christmas and New Year I travelled to Peru and Ecuador in South America. If you haven't been it's definitely an experience, such a different way of life over there. The main reason for the trip was to yes, have a break but also to push myself out of my comfort zone and do things that back home I would never dream of doing. I'm happy to say that I'm back after putting on my brave face and did what I intended to do, challenge myself. The meaning of challenge is "a demanding or stimulating situation" I actually think it should a demanding and stimulating situation as you learn and grow from demanding situations and afterwards have a feeling of self achievement. After my trip I realised that I actually rarely "challenge" myself. Although I take risks in my business and personal life I don't like to feel uncomfortable or have that feeling called fear. While in the Amazon I climbed waterfalls and went whitewater rafting straight through the heart of the jungle, two things that made me feel uncomfortable and filled my body with fear. Today I type having completed both these adventurous activities and have overcome to a certain extent some fears but most of all recognising that you need to challenge yourself to grow. I can easily relate this back to being a dancer who has left their dance studio and/or completed full time. How often do we stay doing the same open classes each week because we know what to expect? We know the teacher, our friends who will be there, what the warm up will entail, how fast the teacher will move with the routine etc. Is taking the same class week in and week out adding to growing you as a dancer or person? Think about how you feel when you walk into a completely new class with a teacher you've never had before and the level is advanced.... nervous, unwilling to let go and let down your guard, thoughts about others in the class who might be better than you etc. You start to talk yourself out of doing this class before it's even happened. My small words of wisdom for you is to CHALLENGE yourself in 2010. Learn and grow everyday by pushing your boundaries, going to new classes with different teachers teaching different styles, go by yourself. While it's great to have a good time and enjoy yourself with a group of your friends if you want to make it time to feel uncomfortable and nervous. I promise you the feeling after talking on a challenge and completed it is awesome.

From everyone at DanceLife we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and awesome New Year! DanceLife will be closed from 23rd December to 24th January 2010. If you need to contact DanceLife during this time please email info@dancelife.com.au.

On our return we have a very exciting announcement for you all plus in May DanceLife Unite, Australia's Elite Dance Competition will explode on the stage in Sydney. For more information about DanceLife Unite visit www.dancelifeunite.com.au.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Clint & Team DanceLife

Nine is a movie musical about an Arrogant, self-centred movie director Guido Contini who finds himself struggling to find meaning, purpose, and a script for his latest film endeavour. With only a week left before shooting begins, he desperately searches for answers and inspiration from his wife, his mistress, his muse, and his mother. As his chaotic profession steadily destroys his personal life, Guido must find a balance between creating art and succumbing to its obsessive demands.

The film stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson and Sophia Loren. The film is released in Australia on 21 January 2010 and has already been nominated for 5 Golden Globe Awards.

"The film version of NINE is a complete re-invention. It is so wholly unique to the vision of Rob Marshall that it became its own journey creatively," says producer Marc Platt (WICKED), a veteran of both film and Broadway. "While it is true in essence to the Broadway musical, NINE the movie has become very much its own thing. It keeps in mind the essence of what made us all fall in love with the original material-its spirit and voice-but then Rob made it his own. His NINE is a wonderful fantasy that deals with real ideas and emotions."

Rob Marshall is no stranger to fusing Broadway classics with cinematic verve, which he did with CHICAGO. As a six-time Tony Award® nominee for such shows as CABARET and KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, his stage acumen is well known, but he is just as highly regarded as a filmmaker, most recently bringing Arthur Golden's bestseller MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA to life on screen, and garnering multiple Oscar® nominations.

Platt continues: "Rob has a unique background for this story in that he came from the world of the theatre as a dancer and choreographer, made the leap into directing for the theater and then became a film director. NINE is a film about a filmmaker, about the cinema and about creating, and Rob is a creator, so it was personal for him. He's a man who understands cinema, its history, its academics, the technical aspects of directing a film, and the aesthetics. He also comes from the world of musicals-he grew up in that world, he understands how music moves narrative along. He understands how to integrate seamlessly the elements of music and dance, storytelling and design. In, that sense the movie NINE is the perfect marriage of director to material."

Make sure you add Nine to your Summer Holiday movie list!

DanceLife is looking for a number of dance teachers to teach dance programs in Primary Schools during 2010.

We are looking for dance teachers that are:
• Passionate about teaching children
• Have experience in teaching jazz, modern, hip hop and/or musical theatre
• Have an enthusiastic and positive attitude
• Are available to teach from Monday to Friday, 9am - 3.30pm (times and days will vary)
• Own source of transport is a must

If you're interested in being considered for teaching dance programs in NSW Primary Schools during 2010 please email your CV and headshot to schools@dancelife.com.au.

Hi DanceLifers!

We are nearly at the end of 2009 which for us has been a great year thanks to all of you. DanceLife has been online for only 17 months and we are thrilled with the progress and uptake of the website.

A huge thank you has to go to the businesses that advertise in our directory plus everyone who has advertised in our fortnightly newsletter. Without these people there would be no DanceLife as we don't charge our members or subscribers. We cannot thank you enough for believing in the dream and helping it come true.

We are really excited about 2010. Firstly, DanceLife Unite (www.dancelifeunite.com.au) will be happening in May. An elite dance competition for studios and groups with experienced and passionate judges form the industry. There are a few other surprises in store but you will just have to wait for them!

This survey is to assist us to learn how we can make DanceLife the best website for you.

Please click on the below link to access the survey. There are only 10 questions and shouldn't take more than 5 minutes.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SURVEY!

Thank you very much and have a great week.

Kind regards
Clint & Team DanceLife

Students from NAISDA Dance College are preparing to launch "Beneath the Ancestors" with a Koori night on the 26th November followed by two performances for the general public. "Beneath the Ancestors" will open with a season at Laycock Street Theatre on the Central Coast before heading to Riverside Theatres in Parramatta for three shows in December.

The College, which relocated to Kariong on the Central Coast in 2006, has launched the careers of many successful artists and consistently presents an end of year performance that is both stunning and thought provoking. Critics raved over their 2008 performance "Tharramali", directed by graduate Tamara Pearson and the Company is now in high demand on the cultural arts scene. Students at NAISDA can expect performance opportunities as far afield as Paris or Beijing, cultural residences on Saibai and Elcho Island, as well as working with companies in Sydney, Melbourne and Darwin. This year, NAISDA was featured on ABC Television's Message Stick program, further establishing itself as a training organisation that integrates cultural studies into its professional dance courses. Juanita Duncan will complete a Diploma in Careers in Dance this year and features
prominently in the marketing campaign for "Beneath the Ancestors". Juanita comes from a large and respected clan from the Darkinjung area. It is this sense of belonging to the land that has inspired the show's Director and NAISDA Artistic Coordinator, Jasmine Gulash.

Gulash says "Beneath the Ancestors" will give the audience the experience of oneness that comes from being connected with the earth and its history. "The idea of the earth taking a breath at dusk was inspiring to me. I wanted to take the dancers to a place where they were in touch with the physical landscape and could draw from its strength", says Ms Gulash.

At "Beneath the Ancestors" you will see traditional indigenous dance, Saibai and Elcho Island traditional songs and dance, contemporary pieces by prominent choreographers and Developing Artist Eric Avery, and infusing story telling elements about the earth, its history and its links with people long gone but not forgotten. "That moment when we realise that we all stand on the shoulders of those who have walked this land before us, that we share this breath of life with them every day through our relationship with the living landscape of our beautiful country."

Gosford Season
Laycock Street Theatre, North Gosford
Koori Night - Thursday 26 November
Opening Night - Friday 27 November 7:30pm
Saturday 28 November at 7:30pm
TICKETS: Adult $25, Conc/Child $15
Bookings: 43 233 233

Parramatta Season
Riverside Theatres
Church Street, Parramatta
3rd December 7:30pm
4 December 11:00am and 7:30pm
TICKETS: Adult $20, Conc/Child $15
Bookings: 8839 3399