The 2010 Australian Dance Awards
The 2010 Australian Dance Awards took place in front of a full-house of Australia’s top dance creators and performers at Melbourne’s Arts Centre, State Theatre on 20th June.
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.
Ten awards were presented on the evening, of which four went to NSW based artists and companies:
Stephen Page, Artistic Director for Bangarra Dance Theatre received the ‘Services to Dance’ award and Bangarra Dance Theatre won ‘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’.
Bangarra Dance Theatre: Fire: A Retrospective
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’.
Photo: Meryl Tankard and Paul White by Brad Hick, Six 6 Photography
Performances from Bangarra Dance Theatre (Black), Buzz Dance Theatre (Shortbursts), Lucy Guerin Inc (Untrained), The Australian Ballet (Copelia), Tracks Dance Company (Milpirri), Ludwig (Soul Searching) and a finale from Michael Bennett’s A Chorus Line choreographed by Jason Coleman and Troy Phillips entertained the audience.
Photo: Performance by Bangarra, by Brad Hick, Six 6 Photography
The Australian Dance Awards are decided by a panel of dance professionals who this year were 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.
The full list of the 2010 Australian Dance Award winners is as follows:
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
William (Bill) Akers AM
SERVICES TO DANCE
Stephen Page
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE EDUCATION
Maggi Phillips
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUTH OR COMMUNITY DANCE
Restless Dance Theatre for Bedroom Dancing
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHOREOGRAPHY
Meryl Tankard & Paul White, The Oracle
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A COMPANY
Bangarra Dance Theatre, Fire - A Retrospective
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN INDEPENDENT DANCE
Sue Peacock, Questions Without Notice
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE DANCER
Lana Jones in Firebird [The Australian Ballet]
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE DANCER
Paul White in The Oracle [Meryl Tankard and Paul White]
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A STAGE MUSICAL
Caroline O'Connor, Chicago
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