Tasdance turning 30 in 2011

Tasdance is celebrating it’s 30th year with ‘Tasdancing’ – a photomedia exhibition by Jen Brown in the new Gallery at UTAS’ Newnham Campus. The exhibition consists of around 25 prints created from photos taken of the 2010 and 2011 Tasdance seasons and will be on show at the NEW Gallery, UTAS Newnham Campus between Thursday 31 March (opening 6pm) and Wed 13 May.

Each image is constructed using a range of digital techniques to laminate together photos of a particular dance sequence within the one frame – cutting & collaging, merging, applying filters, adjusting lighting and colour. The results sometimes resemble paintings more than documentary photos.

Tasdance was established in 1981 as Australia’s first dance in-education company, under the artistic direction of Jenny Kinder. After the first decade Tasdance broadened its role to include significantly more activity in the areas of theatre based performance, dancer development and community work. From its beginnings as a dance-in-education company, Tasdance has experienced a significant growth in stature and has earned a national reputation for the strength, diversity, innovation and accessibility of its repertoire of contemporary Australian work.

Tasdance is a vital force in Tasmania and is a valuable player in the Australian dance landscape, playing an important role as a proving ground for dancers and choreographers and a leader in audience development. The company has a national profile, receiving a Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award in 2008, and nominations for Outstanding Achievement by a Company at both the 2005 and 2006 Australian Dance Awards.