Sharp Short Dance Winners

Work by Lukah Eveleigh. All photos Dom O’Donnell

Full Results of Sharp Short Dance 2019

17 Finalists Selected

Amari Leiva Urzua

The 12th annual Sharp Short Dance festival presented by FORM Dance Projects was held in western Sydney over November 12-16. The winners were announced on Saturday 16th November following an exciting final held at Riverside Theatres.

The event, which aims to encourage youth participation in all genres of dance, provides a platform for young dancers and choreographers to develop their choreographic and performance skills, meet like-minded artists, and network with peers and industry experts.

The judging panel consisted of respected members of the industry including Tara Robertson (former Bangarra Dance Theatre dancer), Omer Backley-Astrachan (choreographer and Sydney Dance Company Pre-Professional Year Course Coordinator), David Clarkson (Stalker Theatre Artistic Director), Claire Gammon (Manager of Artistic Strategy at Sydney Opera House), Cadi McCarthy (Catapult Dance Artistic Director), and Jane McKernan (Fondue Set co-founder and former lecturer at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, UK).

Isaac Clark

This year 46 works were presented during the heats, featuring 139 dancers and 60 choreographers. Of these works, 17 were selected to continue to the final. 

The 2019 Sharp Short Dance award winners are:

Best Young Choreographer Hannah Potts (Neglect)

Outstanding Female DancerAmari Leiva Urzua (Camelando)

Outstanding Male DancerKai Taylor (Resilience)

Outstanding Solo PerformanceOlivia Hadley (Uprooted)

Outstanding Duet PerformancePaul and Frank Barbara (Identically Different)

Paul and Frank Barbara

Outstanding Ensemble Performance – Choreographer Lukah Eveleigh and performers Maeve Smith, Lukah Eveleigh, Meghann Burton, Kasey Brown, Monique Sullivan and Billie-Ann Austin (4:18)

Audience Choice Award – Choreographer Brittney Webb  and performers Kayla Richards, Caeley Richards, Amelia Tu, Isabella Soria, Samya Kerde, Katherine Vu, Jade Do, Amelie Pritchard, Mia Pritchard and Trinity Brooke (Disquietude)

Sydney Dance Company, Pre-Professional Year SecondmentSaskia Ellis (Innervation) and Abigail Gasson (Claustrophobia)

Catapult Dance SecondmentIsaac Clark (Long Black Two) and Olivia Hadley (Uprooted)

Dance Makers Collective Secondment– Mahlia King (Meow)

Stalker Theatre SecondmentReina Takeuchi (Concrete Plastic Play)

Saskia Ellis

Seet Dance Intensive SponsorshipOpal Russell (Riffle of Rhapsody)

Teacher’s Recognition AwardRebekah Edge (Wiley Park Girls High School)