Keir Choreographic Award enters 2nd edition

In April, Dancehouse, Carriageworks and the Keir Foundation present the premieres of eight works by outstanding commissioned artists for the 2016 Keir Choreographic Award (KCA), Australia’s first major choreographic award.

Performing in two programs over five days (April 26-30) at Melbourne’s Dancehouse, the eight choreographers compete for the prestigious award and a $30,000 first-place cash prize, with four finalists to be announced on the final evening. The Semi-Finals Season is complemented by the Dancehouse Public Program, a celebration and interrogation of contemporary choreography, welcoming the vanguard of dance thinkers and practitioners, such as legendary American critic Deborah Jowitt, for a series of discussions. 

Launched in 2014 and now in its second edition, KCA is a national biennial award dedicated to commissioning original Australian choreographic short works and promoting innovative, experimental and cross-art form practices across Australia and internationally. KCA celebrates the cream of Australian choreography and expands the debate around contemporary choreographic practice.

The eight commissioned artists hail from across Australia, and include 2014 KCA finalist Sarah Aiken; Canberra-born, award-winning choreographer and performer James Batchelor; emerging choreographer and recent DanceWEB scholarship recipient Chloe Chignell; Sydney-based choreographer and performer from the Torres Strait Islands, Ghenoa Gela; Berlin-based Australian choreographer and performer Martin Hansen; Alice Heyward, seen recently in Maria Hassabi’s Intermission (ACCA) and Xavier Le Roy’s Temporary Title (Carriageworks); New Zealander Rebecca Jensen, who presented at Next Wave 2014 and Dance Massive 2015; and Paea Leach who has performed and collaborated across Australia and Europe and was commissioned by Chunky Move’s Next Move 2014 season.

Dancehouse Artistic Director/CEO Angela Conquet said, “Dancehouse is delighted to present the second iteration of the Keir Choreographic Award. Choreography is about framing the relationship our bodies have to politics, ethics, space and time and this award opens up a site for that interesting inter-connectedness. We’re excited to see how this diverse line-up of young talents will interrogate and challenge choreographic territories.  We’re also very proud to announce the rich public program, which brings to Melbourne some of the finest minds of dance thinking and making and aims to expand our understanding of choreography today.”

Special guest Deborah Jowitt (USA), possibly the most world-renowned dance critic and author, joins the Dancehouse Public Program for two events: speaking on “Writing Critically on Dance” and leading a critical writing workshop, offering insights from her incredible six-decade career as a dance critic, choreographer and teacher.

The 2016 KCA Jury consists of Brussels-based performance theorist and performance-maker Bojana Cvejić, Documenta 14 curator and independent art critic Pierre Bal-Blanc, USA-based choreographer Sarah Michelson, Perth International Arts Festival Artistic Director Wendy Martin and Keir Foundation Founder Phillip Keir, all of whom will also participate in the Dancehouse Public Program. During the Closing Ceremony, the judges will announce four finalists. Their works will be presented by Carriageworks as part of the Sydney season on May 5-7.

The eight commissioned artists will compete for the accolade of the award, including a cash prize of $30,000 for first prize and $10,000 for an audience choice prize that will be voted by Sydney audiences. For further information or to book tickets, visit www.dancehouse.com.au.

Photo: Atlanta Eke in Body of Work. Photo by Gregory Lorenzutti for Dancehouse.