DanceLife Blog

The 2010 Light the Night fundraising concert for leukaemia research and Cancer patient resources will be held on Monday October 11 at 7.30pm at the City Recital Hall, Angel Place. Tickets are now on sale.

Light the Night has become a "must see" on the Sydney Entertainment Calendar. After five years, funds raised at this event have exceeded $200,000 with all proceeds going towards funding leukaemia research. This year, money raised will go to the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation to fund leukaemia research and to the Leukaemia Foundation to fund a courtesy transport vehicle supporting families and carers of those in need.

The 2010 concert will feature a spectacular range of Australia's talented artists, who give freely of their time to help raise money for this worthy cause. Performing this year will be multi-award winning Australian songstress Katie Noonan, the writer and star of Shane Warne the Musical currently in Channel 10's Offspring Eddie Perfect, Wicked star Rob Mills, the inspiring and natural talents of Old Man River, Australia's upcoming Classical Collective Aston, unique singer and songwriter Brian Campeau, acclaimed singer songwriter Emma Dean and three of Australia's popular musical theatre performers John O'Hara, Sheridan Harbridge and iOTA, with more performers to be announced in coming weeks.

Light the Night is inspired by Matthew Rennie, a brave young man who fought a three year battle against leukaemia. Unfortunately Matthew passed away shortly before the 2007 concert. Light the Night was created by Matthew's two brothers, musical theatre performers Shaun Rennie and Adam Rennie, and friends Monica Smith and Greg Smith.

Wicked star Lucy Durack, a regular Light the Night performer, is looking forward to this year's concert. "Light the Night never fails to be one of the most special nights of my year. It's such a treat to be in the presence of such eclectic and legendary performers all giving their time generously and with such heart. It is always so well organised and the vibe backstage reflects that, everyone is able to just enjoy the evening. Most of us head out to the auditorium to watch each other's numbers in between our own, so while it is obviously an evening of the highest profile performing artists you're likely to find around Australia, it also has this lovely feeling of community, cohesiveness and there's a bit of magic about it too."

www.lightthenight.com.au

VENUE: City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney
DATE: Monday 11 October 2010
TIME: 7.30pm
PRICES: Premium $110 A Reserve $67.50 B Reserve $55.00
BOOKINGS: City Recital Hall box office 02 8256 2222 or www.cityrecitalhall.com

The people have spoken and no-one has a clue what they're banging on about.

After a decade of delivering world's-best-practice satire, the ever-popular Wharf Revue returns in 2010, serving up Sydney's tastiest smorgasbord of irreverent humour with Not Quite Out of the Woods.

Performances are at Riverside Theatres from September 27 to October 2. In an orgy of pointless recrimination and hilariously ill-informed party-political punditry, The Wharf Revue team including Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe, Phillip Scott and Amanda Bishop present a parade of pompous, opinionated pedants practiced in peurile partisan point-scoring. And alliteration.

Watch in startling 1-D as the heroic Abbottar infiltrates the marginal electorates and becomes one with the Mar'gi, a forgotten race of fringe dwellers who fight to stop the boats and strip-mine the magical forests. Follow Red Riding Hood as she tries to navigate through the factional deadwood, aided by Bob Brown - the woodcutter who can't cut down anything.

Stumble upon a forest glade, where proud Kristina and her Unpopular Mechanicals rehearse their next charade for the long-suffering citizens of NSW. Follow the Japanese wha - sorry, scientists - as they hunt for the fish John West rejects, when Moby Dick meets the Iron Chef!

Join Sarah Palin for a mad tea party, vote for your favourite dysfunctional economy in the Eurodivision Sovereign-Debt Song Contest or quietly die inside as Mark Latham hosts "Hey, Hey, It's Yesterday!" Who said fairy tales can't come true?

Wharf Revue at Riverside Theatres, cnr of Church and Market Streets Parramatta
DATES: September 9 & 10
TIMES: Thurs 9 & Fri 10at 10am & 12.30pm
TICKETS: $13 per student/ additional teacher
BOOKINGS: Riverside Theatres Box Office on 8839 3399 or www.riversideparramatta.com.au

As part of the Sydney Fringe Festival, comes the new and quirky musical, In a Pink Tutu playing at the Seymour Centre from September 20 to 25. Best described as South Park meets Spelling Bee with a touch of Into the Woods thrown in, this hilarious black comedy tells the tale of what happens when a chaotic group of ballet students murder their ballet teacher.

It's dawn at Ms. Travelle's Ballet School and a class of keen, yet unskilled, students arrive to face their strict tutor. Ms. Travelle, played by Chloe Dallimore, can at times be mean, victimising and aggressive but she is completely unaware that her misdeeds may have horrifying consequences. Underneath the pink tutus of the students lies not innocence but a hatred for authority and a madness that leads them to commit unthinkable acts.

"Musical Director Christopher Harley has composed a superb contemporary score for In a Pink Tutu. Christopher writes songs that are very actor-driven, in the same way Jason Robert Brown does, and the result of watching this material in the hands of great performers is dynamite. I'm so excited to work with this wonderful material and such a talented cast," said Director, Peter Ross.

In a Pink Tutu's stellar cast of Australian musical stars includes Chloe Dallimore, Brad Carroll, Amelia Cormack, Chrystal De Grussa, Luke Joslin, Giverny Lewis, Tyran Parke, Brett O'Neill, Rohan Seinor and Kathryn Sgroi.

Director, Peter Ross is one of Australia's leading directors. His directorial credits include Resident Director for Boy from Oz, which starred Hugh Jackman, Debbie Does Dallas, Tell Me on a Sunday, which starred Jolene Anderson.

Musical Director, Christopher Harley is a Newcastle-based composer, writer, musical director and performer. In a Pink Tutu marks his first musical.

Choreographer, Cameron Mitchell has worked as a guest choreographer on Channel Ten's So You Think You Can Dance. His dance credits include Moulin Rouge and appearances on Hey, Hey it's Saturday. Mitchell has worked with Australian musical theatre star, Caroline O'Connor and children's entertainment sensation High-5.

In a Pink Tutu at Seymour Centre, Corner of City Rd and Cleveland St, Chippendale
Dates: September 20 -25
Times: Mon 20, Thurs 23, Sat 25 at 8.45pm; Wed 22 & Fri 24 at 6pm
Ticket Prices: Adults $28; Conc $24 (plus booking fee of $2)
Bookings: http://thesydneyfringe.com.au or www.seymourcentre.com

If you are a professional dancer who is available to travel the country as a XXXX Brand Ambassador for 12 months then please register your interest by emailing your CV and photo to kath.gourley@xxxxangels.com.au

Check out the website to view photos and video of the current tour and the William A Forsythe Choreography. www.xxxxangels.com.au

Gold Coast Audition:
Tuesday 21st September
10am
Sheridan's Studio 1.
Unit 18 "Behind Spotlight"
359 Southport - Nerang Road,
Ashmore Qld 4214

Sydney Audition:
Thursday 23rd September
10am
ED5 International studios
Bakehouse Lane
9 George Street
North Strathfield NSW 2137

The 2010 Helpmann Awards® Ceremony will be held next Monday 6 September at 6.30pm at Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House, whilst the After Party will be held at The Argyle in The Rocks. Acclaimed performer David Campbell will Host the Awards Ceremony. The Ceremony will include performances by the casts of Jersey Boys, Avenue Q, The Wizard Of Oz, The Drowsy Chaperone, West Side Story, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Smoke & Mirrors featuring iOTA, The Australia String Quartet, The Man In Black and the cast of Mary Poppins.

Live Performance Australia (LPA) today announced the names of Award Presenters for the 42 categories for the 2010 Helpmann Awards®. These include Kelley Abbey, David Atkins, Sandra Bates, John Bell, Cate Blanchett, Bille Brown, Mitchell Butel, David Campbell, Zoe Carides, Peter Carroll, Kate Champion, Tim Chappel, Adrian Collette, Chloe Dallimore, Marta Dusseldorp, Peter England, John Gaden, Lizzy Gardiner, Lisa Gasteen, Darren Gilshenan, Robert Grubb, Burhan Güner, Jane Harders, Amanda Harrison, Nancye Hayes, Steven Heathcote, Lindy Hume, iOTA, Shane Jacobson, Lana Jones, The Honorable Virginia Judge, Elena Kats-Chernin, Ewen Leslie, Julie Lynch, Danielle Matthews, Emma Matthews, David McAllister, Belinda McClory, Donald McDonald , Todd McKenney, Sharon Millerchip, Richard Mills, Amanda Muggleton, David Page, Stephen Page, Marion Potts, Hannie Rayson, Nick Schlieper, Terry Serio, Garry Stewart, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, David Williamson, Ben Winspear, The Umbilical Brothers and Ursula Yovich.

Tony Gould AM and Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD will each be presented with the prestigious JC Williamson AwardTM, recognising their outstanding contribution to the Australian live performance industry.

The Helpmann Awards® will be broadcast live and exclusively on STVDIO, channel 132 on FOXTEL.

This will be the 10th presentation of the Helpmann Awards®, the pinnacle industry event for Australia's live performance industry, which annually attracts over 15.5 million people to shows across the nation with revenues of over $A1 billion.

Tickets are available to the General Public from $69 (plus transaction fee) for a spectacular event.

Bookings - Sydney Opera House, (02) 9250 7777 or sydneyoperahouse.com

A FULL LIST OF NOMINATIONS IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE.

www.helpmannawards.com.au

FAME THE MUSICAL Producer John Frost announced today that the role of Miss Sherman in the Sydney season of FAME will be played by Tony award winning actress Lillias White. Ms White has been recognized on Broadway with the Tony Award®, Drama Desk Award®, People's Choice® Award and The Outer Critics Award® for Best Actress in a Musical - Broadway's Prestigious Quadruple Crown - for her 1997 role as Sonja in The Life. In 1990 she won The Obie Award® for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Hennie in Romance in Hard Times. In addition, she won The Drama Logue Award® for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the national tour of Dreamgirls. Other Broadway credits include How to Succeed in Business, Once on This Island, Rock n' Roll: The First 5,000 Years ( Aretha Franklin ), Barnum, Carrie and Dreamgirls, and she has performed in US and international tours of Ain't Misbehavin', Tintypes and The Wiz. Ms White's TV and film credits include featured roles in the films Pieces of April, The Grinch That Stole Christmas, North and Disney's Hercules. In 1992, Ms White won an Emmy Award® for her role as Sesame Street's Lillian Edwards.

John Frost said, "I'm overjoyed that Lillias had a gap in her busy performing schedule to join my production of FAME. She is an extraordinary performer, and now Sydney audiences can see why Lillias has won just about every theatre and television award there is in the US. Sydney, prepare for The Voice!"

This new multi-million dollar high-energy production of FAME THE MUSICAL, featuring some of the most dynamic choreography you'll ever see in the theatre, opens at the Capitol Theatre from October 9 for a strictly limited season.

FAME is, almost uniquely, a classic of cinema, television and music theatre. The movie, released in 1980, won an Academy Award and swept the world. The TV show ran for six seasons, won numerous Emmy Awards and was broadcast in over 70 countries. FAME THE MUSICAL ran for a decade on London's West End and has been seen by over ten million people worldwide. It follows the story of a diverse group of students at New York City's celebrated High School of the Performing Arts who inspired a generation.

FAME THE MUSICAL is directed and choreographed by Kelley Abbey, and also stars Andrew McFarlane, Brian Wenzel, Timomatic and Talia Fowler. Darlene Love, who performed the role of Miss Sherman in the Melbourne and Brisbane season, returned to the US for commitments on a movie about her life.

After a successful stint in Sydney West Side has moved to Melbourne to give them a bit of ‘America'.

The cast took to the streets to really get their heads in the characters in a recent photoshoot. They are all about keeping the show authentic although audience members have commented that it's hard to picture the show as it use to be due to the young casting of the ensemble.

For more info on the show check out the website http://www.westsidestorythemusical.com.au

On a very happy note DanceLife would like to congratulate cast member Nigel Turner-Carroll and his wife Monique on the birth of their daughter Ruby June!

The Oracle is making a trip to Brisbane's Powerhouse Theatre in Brisbane this September and DanceLife has a Double Pass to give away!!

This sensual and intense dance work by celebrated choreographer Meryl Tankard, featuring dancer Paul White, explores the conflicting forces of nature and man, masculinity and femininity, violence and nurturing, strength and vulnerability.

Inspired by the sometimes disturbing human forms in Scandinavian artist Odd Nerdrum's work, The Oracle is set to Stravinsky's seminal composition for the infamous 1913 ballet The Rite of Spring, which caused riots at its Paris premiere.

The intensity of the subject, the power of the complex, rhythmic musical score and the stark and brooding aesthetic, created by visual and set designer Regis Lansac, deliver an atmosphere of coiled-spring emotions and conflict in this haunting and critically acclaimed work.

Meryl Tankard is an eminent Australian dancer and choreographer with a lengthy career, which has included dancing for the Australian Ballet and the legendary Pina Bausch. Meryl Tankard has created works for several European and USA companies and has returned to Australia to take on a number of company directorship roles before becoming a much sought-after freelance choreographer.
Paul White is one of Australia's most impressive dance talents and won the 2008 Helpmann Award for Best Male Dancer. Regis Lansac is a freelance international visual artist and set designer who has worked with Meryl Tankard for 25 years.

This performance contains nudity and adult themes. Recommended for ages 16+.

WHEN
Wednesday, 22 September -
Saturday, 25 September

WIN TICKETS
To win a double pass to the show on Friday 24th September please email your name, phone number and suburb to win@dancelife.com.au before Friday 3rd September.

Click here for more information on the show.

In collaboration with YouTube, Sydney Opera House is once again staging the online dance competition, MyMutation.

Last year the MyMutation competition website was visited by 283,000 people across the globe. So if you want to show off your dance moves to the world MyMutation is the place to be seen.

This year the choreographic challenge is being set by Kate Champion, Artistic Director of one of Australia's leading dance companies Force Majeure.

PERFORM LIVE AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
As part of the prize the winner will be flown to Sydney from wherever they are in the world to work with Kate Champion on a performance that will be performed live on the forecourt at Sydney Opera House on Sunday 26 September.

Entries closed on August 10 and you need to vote for your favourite before this SUNDAY!.

Click HERE to vote!

Original Aussie and word wide iconic choreographer Wade Robson has been in Australia recently for a ‘Secret Project' shhhh.

Hip hop choreography prodigy Wade Robson began dancing in Australia at age five by winning a dance contest while dancing to Micheal Jackson's Thriller
. By the age of nine he and his mother decided to move to Los Angeles so he could pursue his dancing career. Born in 1982, Wade wasted no time climbing to the top of the hip hop - pop dance scene. The rest is history!

While wade was down under he did an invitation only class for some Sydney based commercial dancers and choreographers including Grace Stewart, Jess Stokes, Leanne Cherny, Phillipe Witana, Michelle Hopper, Kane Bonke, Matthew Geronimi, Lauren Seymour, Natasha Crane, Kaylie Yee, Joel Rasmussen, Ryan Gonzalez, Kate Wormald-Leopold, Antony Ginandjar and Simon Lind.

What an inspiration class that would have been for both the ‘students' and Wade.