Ausdance ACT’S Youth Dance Festival – Celebrating 40 Years in 2024!
Celebrating its 40th Anniversary with a theme of ‘What do You Dream?’, Ausdance ACT presents Youth Dance Festival an exciting mix of live dance performance made by secondary schools from all over Canberra and regions for three nights at the Canberra Theatre Centre – 6th to 8th November 2024.
In drawing inspiration for the theme, Creative Director Dr Cathy Adamek asks us to be bold in our imagination about how life can be. What sort of world do you want to live in? How do you manifest your future?
In celebration of 40 Years of Youth Dance Festival Ausdance ACT has YDF alumni and star teachers and choreographers: KG from Passion & Purpose, Caroline Wall from Fresh Funk and Francis Owusu from Kulture Break working together with their creative team to make an opening piece to be performed each night. These artists dreamed of a life full of dance and music, fulfilled through their lives as performers, choreographers and now mentors and teachers of the next generation.
Youth Dance Festival encourages a student led approach to dance making, choreography, theatre and film making and provides a shared artistic experience. For some, it may be the very first time they step on a theatre stage and this magic moment could set the path for a future career in the arts. For others, it will become a cherished memory and a valuable experience.
Ausdance ACT is excited to host Black Mountain School and for the first time welcome The Woden School, continuing their long track record of supporting inclusive access to theatre performance and dance.
Youth Dance Festival is a remarkable Canberra success story. A long-term feature on the Canberra arts and education calendar since 1984 ‘Dance Fest’ boasts a second generation of participants, a proud alumni of over 50,000 plus students and a strong legacy.
Ausdance ACT ensures that every school has the support and resources needed to bring to life the diverse work that makes up Youth Dance Festival. The creative process involves professional dance artists visiting participating schools to provide support and guidance to students in the development of their own work. They encourage you to support the hard work and dedication of Canberra region students and witness their co-creative ability.
Tickets for this year’s Youth Dance Festival may be found here.
Support the future of the Youth Dance Festival through the Australian Cultural Fund here.
Ausdance ACT Youth Dance Festival, Image credit Ausdance ACT