‘We value everyone equally, but you know, of course each person has a role to play in the team that's been created, but no one is, you know, less valuable than another.’
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Daniel Riley, Artistic Director Australian Dance Theatre (ADT). Image Credit: © Jonathan VDK
Daniel Riley
‘My daughter Billie, she was in rehearsal today. My son Archie grew up the first two or three years of his life, like, on tour with me when I was with Bangarra Dance Theatre and just being in the artistic environment and being surrounded by people is such a beautiful gift, I think, that I can give to them as well.’
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Antony Hamilton, Artistic Director Chunky Move. Image Credit: Peter Rosetzky
Antony Hamilton
‘When I'm making dance and when I think about choreography or art, I often relate my early childhood experiences to the things that I make now as well.’
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Alice Topp
‘I guess for a lot of people, ballet is still very much an evolving, developing language. I think people think it was probably stuck in a time and hasn't progressed. But modern ballet is very challenging and arresting and it's finding new ways of working with an old structure.’
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Photo credit: Willy Jordan Pardo
On a Dancing*
Do you prefer clarity to nuance?
Are clarity and dynamism mutually exclusive?
Yvette Lee photo by Elly Ford
Samuel Gaskin speaks with Yvette Lee and Sophia Laryea
Samuel Gaskin speaks with Yvette Lee and Sophia Laryea delving into being a person of colour making your mark in the Australian dance and entertainment community. They talked about inclusion inspiration and appreciation.
Both Yvette Lee and Sophia Laryea were 2020 panelists for the Artists of Colour Initiative (AOC), scholarship program.
Sophia Laryea
Yvette Lee
Yvette Lee has worked for over a decade as a Choreographer, creative and performance producer. Covering all aspects from television, film, theatre & live events her versatility has seen her choreograph in all arenas of the entertainment industry.
Yvette’s television credits include Dancing with Stars 2015 & 2016 (FREMANTLE MEDIA), The big Music Quiz (ENDAMOL SHINE), Dance Hero Japan (DANCE ALIVE TV), Asia’s Got Talent (FREMANTLE ASIA- Asst to the Squared Division), So You Think You Can Dance(FREMANTLE MEDIA), China’s Next Top Model (STAR WORLD), Ja’mie Private School Girl (PRINCESS PICTURES), Jonah from Tonga (PRINCESS PICTURES), Australian Idol (FREMANTLE MEDIA), Neighbours (FREMANTLE MEDIA), The Pacific (HBO), Cosentino - The Grand Illusionist, Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, , ARIA Awards, The Taiwanese Wiggles (THE DISNEY CHANNEL).
Yvette has choreographed musical theatre productions such as ‘In the Heights’ (STAGE ART), Moonshadow (SUE FARRELLY PRODUCTIONS - world premiere), Rock of Ages (NEW THEATRICALS - Resident Chor & Dir), Song Contest (GLYNN NICHOLAS), Refer Madness (RL PRODUCTIONS), The Carnival of Lost Souls (MELBA SPIEGELTENT) The Little Matchgirl (MALTHOUSE), Shout - The Legend of the Wild One (TIM LAWSON PRODUCTIONS - Asst Chor) Dusty - The Original Pop Diva (Asst Chor), Sweet Charity (Asst Chor), Managing Carmen, and Just the Ticket.
Her music industry credits include choreography for major music labels Sony, Universal & Warner for artists such as Aston Merrygold, Guy Sebastian, Zara Larsson, Samantha Jade, Cyrus, Illy & Vera Blue, Bonnie Anderson, Dylan Joel, Josh Groban, Ricki Lee, Tim Campbell and Bobby Fox.
Yvette has provided opportunities for dancers of all ages and is much respected across the industry, for her passion. Yvette is the Artistic Director of the Victorian Dance Festival (VDF).
Sophia Laryea
Sophia Laryea is a stand out Artist who is in constant demand as an actress, dancer, model and musical theatre performer.
Sophia’s journey began with training in all styles of dance and performance at Patricks Studios in Melbourne, followed by a summer intensive course in New York City at the renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. After graduating at the age of 18, Sophia made her musical theatre debut touring Australia in Disney’s The Lion King.
She has also performed as a dancer with ‘Cabaret de Paris’ in Sydney and on The Gold Coast, worked with recording Artists including PNAU and Jessica Mauboy and danced on screen on Channel 7’s Australia’s Got Talent.
In the fashion world, Sophia is constantly booking shoots and appearances, modelling for international labels including Puma, Running Bare, Myer, Bendon, Havaianas and Seafolly.
However, it is Sophia’s on screen presence and acting ability that now sets her apart from the crowd. Sophia has featured in television and cinema advertising campaigns for Bonds, TKMaxx, Westpac, Virgin Mobile, Uber, Jay Jays and Kmart, with a lead speaking role in the 2017 L’Oreal ‘True Match’ TVC.
2017 was also the year that Sophia shot her first feature film playing one of the “Sakaarian Girlfriends” in Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok.
Samuel Gaskin
Samuel Gaskin
Samuel Gaskin is commercial dancer and successful singer/songwriter. Hailing from African, New Zealand and European roots, Samuel has always been one to stand out in a crowd.
Samuel is passionate about uplifting and inspiring the next generation of performers and facilitates Masterclasses & workshops for Ausdance & Chunky Move he also helped roll out the “Diversity in Theatre” program for the VCA & Melbourne University. He is proud to sit on the National Performers committee for MEAA as the Victorian Vice President and also works as a speaker for Beyond Blue sharing his journey with mental health and well being. Sam is the Managing Director of Beat Entertainment.
Find more about Samuel’s work here and you can read a text that he wrote for Delving into Dance in March 2020 here.
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Elizabeth Cameron Dalman
‘In my hibernation my creativity turned to writing. I spent hours happily at my computer with my writing, which sometimes feels like choreography. The results of these writing hours are some rough chapters recounting special experiences of my life, and in particular, my life here at Mirramu.’
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Painting by Kathryn Farrawell for Archibald Prize.
Lillian Crombie
‘Now your got this time work on your dreams’
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Gregory Vuyani Maqoma
‘So I've been refusing the temptation to put work on online to put work on platforms where they eliminate that very core function of connecting people’
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Image credit Brian Carr.
Edna Reinhardt
Edna Reinhardt, a passionate creative dance and yoga educator with decades of experience in the field.
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Lloyd Newson
I used to say for a long time that I thought the dance was the Prozac of the art forms. […] there is an aesthetic that dominates our work, often complex or ugly or difficult issues are glossed over because people are pointing their feet and look very lovely.
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Image by Jacob Jonas
Juliet Burnett part two
I'm really looking forward to finding more lightness and more joy and looking forward to exploring some of my ideas.
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Akram Khan’s Giselle, image by Nicha Rodboon
Juliet Burnett part one
I think now I am really sort of hungry to do more things that are really outside of my preconceived box of what I can do or what kind of dancer, I identify as or think of myself as.
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Image by Amy Gardner
James Vu Anh Pham
“What I love about the dance world is that it has the possibility of bringing together so many different cultures, so many different people, beliefs, ways of thinking, ways of being in a space … we always find a common ground and a way to exist and support one another and to create something really beautiful”
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"Beast Martha" image by Zoe Manders
Dan Daw
"[Dance] It gave me an outlet and a way to express myself, and to be in a space where I could see myself represented."
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Cadi McCarthy
“every human has a body and bodies tell stories”
Read MoreAdam Rutherford
“Dance, it has a tribal background, everyone does dance, initially, as kids, and we will do it socially. So I think there's a very powerful message there that can be utilised by choreographers when they're creating their works.”
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Aparna Nagesh
‘you have to make everyone go at their own pace’
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Anna Kenrick
"In term of my career, I've spent most of it - if not all of it - in youth dance."
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Isabella Stone (Photo by Emma Fishwick)
Isabella Stone
“Dance can provide a space for people to have a kinesthetic response to something and to be given a place to meet their body in watching another body move.”
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