Dance News

In late November, one of The Australian Ballet’s most exciting young stars, Chengwu Guo, was promoted to the company’s highest rank of principal artist. Artistic Director David McAllister made the surprise announcement onstage during the curtain call of the closing performance of La Sylphide at the Sydney Opera House. At only 24 years old, Guo became the youngest of the company's 11 principal artists. He can be seen in action during the company’s 2014 season.

Dance teachers, get a step ahead in the New Year! Ausdance VIC is offering a two-day summer dance teaching workshop on January 16 and 17. The workshop will allow teachers to participate in the Australian pilot for the Healthy Dance Practice Certificate, endorsed by the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science.

Queensland Ballet has announced that four new dancers will join the company in 2014: Tara Schaufuss, Jack Lister, Mia Heathcote and Zhi Fang. In addition, the company recently announced the launch of its Jette Parker Young Artist Program, a new apprenticeship program that will foster talented young dancers at the start of their professional career.

The international smash-hit that tested the boundaries of magic returns with a brand new line-up. The Illusionists 2.0 will sweep Australia this summer, set the stage alight in Adelaide, materialise in Sydney and appear in a puff of smoke in Brisbane.

Opera Australia is casting children for the award-winning production The King and I, playing in the Lyric Theatre at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in Brisbane from 15 April to 1 June 2014. The children’s auditions will take place on Sunday 5 January at 10 a.m. at QPAC.

The Australian Dance Theatre will offer its KickStart program once again in 2014, giving elite dance students the chance to be mentored by some of the country’s top contemporary dancers through intensive professional training. Lasting three weeks, the program even incorporates choreographic mentorship with the company’s Artistic Director, Garry Stewart.

The Australian Dance Theatre recently announced that it is searching for male and female dancers aged 14-18 to join its new Youth Ensemble, which launched in July. An audition will be held Wednesday 22 January from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Australian Dance Theatre facilities, located at 126 Belair Road in Hawthorn, South Australia.

Indigenous performing arts company Bangarra Dance Theatre has announced that it will perform in the Netherlands for the very first time at the 2014 Holland Dance Festival. Dutch audiences will experience a performance of Indigenous contemporary dance theatre as well as have the opportunity to participate in two workshops presented by the dancers of the company.

Lovers of classical technique are in for a treat when The Australian Ballet kicks off its 2014 season in Brisbane in February. The company is bringing two programs: Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s masterpiece Manon and the double bill Imperial Suite, which pairs George Balanchine’s Ballet Imperial with Serge Lifar’s Suite en blanc.

Just in time for Christmas, Sharmill Films will present encore screenings of the Bolshoi Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty at select Australian cinemas from December 21. Originally screened in 2012, the ballet tells the classic fairytale story of Princess Aurora, who was cursed at birth by evil fairy Carabosse.

Ausdance has announced that you can now nominate for the Australian Dance Awards all year round - so nominations are open! Nominate an outstanding performance or achievement by a professional dancer, company, choreographer, teacher, writer or designer working in the Australian dance industry.

This summer, Shakespeare’s beloved story of Romeo and Juliet will meet Radiohead in West Australian Ballet’s sensational Australian premiere of choreographer Edward Clug’s Radio and Juliet. Along with this premiere, the annual PIAF season of Ballet at the Quarry will also include works by leading Israeli choreographer Itzik Galili and talented young Australian Lucas Jervies.