2011 AUSTRALIAN

DANCE AWARDS

8 JUNE 2011

2011 Australian Awards Presented by Ausdance in association with QPAC Honouring and showcasing the best Australian dance

shortlist of nominees announced for 2011 awards presented for the first time in

The final nominees for this year’s were announced today. Dance Company, and Expressions Dance Company stand shoulder to shoulder with multiple nominees.

Presented by Ausdance in association with Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), the dance industry’s premier national award event will be held in Queensland for the first time in its 14 year history in QPAC’s Playhouse on Sunday 24 July 2011.

The Awards cover nine categories as well as a Lifetime Achievement award and an induction into the Australian Dance Awards Hall of Fame.

Both Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) from and -based Expressions Dance Company (EDC) have been nominated for four major awards: Outstanding Achievement in by Garry Stewart (ADT) for Be Your Self and (EDC) for Where the Heart Is; Outstanding Performance by a Company for ADT’s Be Your Self and EDC’s Where the Heart Is; Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer for EDC’s Elise May and ADT’s Larissa McGowan and Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer for EDC’s Richard Causer and ADT’s Kimball Wong.

Sydney Dance Company has been nominated for three awards, Outstanding Achievement in Choreography by Rafael Bonachela for 6 Breaths, Outstanding Performance by a Company for We Unfold, and Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer for Amy Hollingsworth in Irony of Fate. was also nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Company for of earth & sky. Shaun Parker of Shaun Parker and Company was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for Happy as Larry.

The Awards nominees list for 2011 also features a significant contingent of independent dancers including Kristina Chan for Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer, Paul White for Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer and Narelle Benjamin for Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance for In Glass.

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Last year’s winner for Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance, Sue Peacock has been nominated again for the same category for Sprung. Sue shares this category with Tony Yap and Katrina Lazaroff.

In a wide-reaching group, Darwin’s Tracks, -based Steps Youth Dance Company, Canberra’s QL2 Dance, and Mornington Island’s Mirndiyan Gununa are the nominees for Outstanding Achievement in Youth or Community Dance.

The Cast of Hairspray, and Verity Hunt-Ballard both for Mary Poppins and Alinta Chidzey for West Side Story are the nominees for Outstanding Performance in a Stage Musical.

National President of Ausdance, Professor Susan Street said that the usual high calibre of nominees will be vying for the main awards again this year.

“We are delighted that the 2011 Australian Dance Awards are being presented in Queensland for the first time with generous support from Arts Queensland and QPAC. This will be a fabulous evening showcasing and honouring the nation’s best dancers and companies. I urge dance lovers -wide not to miss this dancers’ night of nights,” said Professor Street.

The 2011 Australian Dance Awards will feature performances by some Australia’s and Queensland’s best dance companies, including Queensland and Expressions Dance Company.

Initiated in 1986 by Keith Bain as a Dancers’ Picnic, the Awards have grown to become the major event in the national dance calendar bringing prestige to nominees and winners alike.

Full shortlist of nominees on following page.

Awards website: www.australiandanceawards.net.au

Ausdance in association with QPAC presents: 2011 Australian Dance Awards

Date: Sunday July 24 at 7.00pm Venue: The Playhouse QPAC South Bank Cultural Centre Tickets: $29 -$39 * Bookings: www.qpac.com.au or call 136 246 Discounts apply for groups and Ausdance Members. *Ticket price includes GST and Booking Fee. Please note transaction fees will apply

For media enquiries contact: Cindy Ullrich, Publicity Manager, QPAC ~ 07 3840 7589 ~ 0434 366-038 ~ [email protected] or Leanne Craig, Australian Dance Awards Nominations Coordinator, ~ 02 6248 8992 ~ [email protected]

"These are very prestigious; it's great for the company." , Artistic Director of Bangarra Dance Theatre as quoted in 'Top Honours for Bangarra' by Kylie Northover, The Age, 21 June 2010

www.australiandanceawards.net.au

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Australian Dance Awards 2011 Shortlisted nominees (in alphabetical order)

Services to Dance Gideon Obarzanek Ruth Osborne Lucinda Sharp Carl Vine

Services to Dance Education Valda Craig Marilyn Rowe (OBE) Paul Saliba Tasdance

Outstanding Achievement in Youth or Community Dance Mirndiyan Gununa Aboriginal Corporation for Mornington Island Gulf Festival QL2 Dance for Hard Yards Steps Youth Dance Company for Phoenix Tracks for The Cook, The Queen & the Kelly

Outstanding Achievement in Choreography Rafael Bonachela for 6 Breaths [] Shaun Parker for Happy As Larry [Shaun Parker & Company] Garry Stewart for Be Your Self [Australian Dance Theatre] Natalie Weir for Where the Heart Is [Expressions Dance Company]

Outstanding Performance by a Company Australian Dance Theatre for Be Your Self Bangarra Dance Theatre for of earth & sky Expressions Dance Company for Where the Heart Is Sydney Dance Company for We Unfold

Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance Narelle Benjamin for In Glass Katrina Lazaroff for Pomona Road Sue Peacock for Sprung Tony Yap with Madeleine Flynn, Tim Humphrey, Naomi Ota and Ben Rogan for Rasa Sayang

Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer Kristina Chan for In Glass [Narelle Benjamin] Amy Hollingsworth for Irony of Fate [Sydney Dance Company] Elise May for Where the Heart Is [Expressions Dance Company] Larissa McGowan for Be Your Self [Australian Dance Theatre]

Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer Richard Causer for Where the Heart Is [Expressions Dance Company] Daniel Gaudiello for Coppelia [] Paul White for In Glass [Narelle Benjamin] Kimball Wong for Be Yourself [Australian Dance Theatre]

Outstanding Performance in a Stage Musical The Cast of Hairspray Alinta Chidzey for West Side Story Verity Hunt-Ballard for Mary Poppins Matt Lee for Mary Poppins

www.australiandanceawards.net.au