The 2010 Australian Dance Awards were announced last night in front of a full-house of Australia’s top dance creators and performers, at Melbourne’s Arts Centre, State Theatre.
Ten awards were presented with Stephen Page, Artistic Director for Bangarra Dance Theatre winning the ‘Services to Dance’ award and Bangarra Dance Theatre winning ‘Outstanding Performance by a Company’ for
Fire: A Retrospective, which was described by the judges as ‘a captivating and moving performance by dancers with wonderful integrity, intense dramatic power and great physical aplomb’.
Lana Jones from The Australian Ballet was awarded ‘Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer’ for her commanding performance in
Firebird and Paul White won ‘Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer’ for his role in
The Oracle. Paul, along with Meryl Tankard, was also awarded ‘Outstanding Achievement in Choreography’ for
The Oracle. Their work was described as ‘articulate and intricate...distinctly individual and always entrancing’.
Adelaide company, Restless Dance Theatre who work with young people with and without disabilities, won the Award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Youth or Community Dance’ for
Bedroom Dancing, a performance installation where the audience were invited to walk through different bedroom spaces.
Caroline O’Connor won ‘Outstanding Performance in a Stage Musical’ for her role in
Chicago; Sue Peacock won ‘Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance’ for
Questions Without Notice, ‘a work at once comic, tragic and thought-provoking with an innovative blend of dance, theatre, improvisation, film and sound, and seamless, seductive choreography’.
The award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Dance Education’ went to Dr Maggi Philiips ‘for ‘being a great teacher; a lateral and imaginative thinker in the classroom; a much-loved mentor for many graduate students; an assiduous researcher, and for shaping many successful careers in dance’.
William (Bill) Akers AM was awarded the prestigious ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, honouring his achievements as an outstanding figure in the Australian and international dance community.
The Awards identify Australian dance professionals, both in Australia and overseas, who have distinguished themselves in performance, choreography, design, dance writing, and teaching. Over 450 nominations were received for works presented during 2009.
The Australian Dance Awards are decided by a panel of dance professionals including Robina Beard, Margaret Jolley, Rita Clarke, Margrete Helgeby, Deborah Jones, Patrick Harding-Irmer, Chris Boyd, David McAllister AM, Shaaron Boughen, Marilyn Miller, Annie Greig, Jeff Meiners, Dr Alan Brissenden AM, and Sarah Calver with advisors Valda Craig, Keith Bain OAM and Lee Christofis
Full list of the 2010 Australian Dance Award winners:
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDWilliam (Bill) Akers AM
SERVICES TO DANCEStephen Page
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE EDUCATIONMaggi Phillips
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUTH OR COMMUNITY DANCERestless Dance Theatre for
Bedroom DancingOUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHOREOGRAPHYMeryl Tankard & Paul White,
The Oracle OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A COMPANYBangarra Dance Theatre,
Fire - A RetrospectiveOUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN INDEPENDENT DANCESue Peacock,
Questions Without Notice OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE DANCERLana Jones in
Firebird (The Australian Ballet)
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE DANCERPaul White in
The Oracle (Meryl Tankard and Paul White)
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A STAGE MUSICAL Caroline O'Connor,
Chicago Visit:
www.australiandanceawards.net.au