"There ate 4OO youth dance companies in the IJK,' said Dr Peter Brinson in one session at the Green Mill Dance Proiect. Jane Westbrook, Director of the Performing Afts Board of the Australia Council, who is very familiar with the UK scene, commented to me later that she was surprised how little support such companies received here, whereas youth drarr'ra and music groups appeared to be flourishing. Y'utfL Boff't Youth ID anGe e,o.to., Whatfs Up Dovvn Under? by Hilary Trotter .1991 Melissa Cox in Steps' Break Time To Bare The Soul season: Hayman Theatre, Curtin University. Choreography: James Berlyn. course groups, training companies, youth dance/theatre groups, recreational dance groups based on pop or folk styles). There is a sense in which ALL dance performance f have iust heard from Lorna Hempstead, chair of groups in Australia can be called youth dance Itn" pnS', dance committee, that an in-depth companies. The average age for retirement for examination of the whole youth dance area, including professional dancers in this country is between 25 dance in education, is about to be commissioned. and 30, while "The age of entry into the profession for Thinking about the UK's 400 companies in relation classical dancers is from as early as sixteen years up to the situation here raised all sorts of questions in my to the age of about twenty years" (Dancers' mind, starting with what lS a youth dance company? Transition Report, Beall 1989f. I am obviously What DO we have here in Australia? not going to be talking about professional dance in During my years with AADE (now Ausdance) my these articles, but it is as well to be aware that youth involvement with building its data base made me dance is not directly comparable with youth theatre or aware of the wide and varied range of activities which music in terms of age groups. could be brought under the heading of youth dance The organisations I have in mind cater for amateur (e.9., youth ballets, youth dance companies, tertiary dancers aged from about eight to about eighteen lowdown junel993 3 years old, some of whom will be my impression that youth dance of the kind of technical and artistic aiming at professional employment. companies have fewer problems in demands which will be made of This enquiry lor Lowdown was this respect. What is the difference them. Accompanying this practical originally intended to focus on between the two? approach is a desire to counter a youth ballets, but I will also talk For the purposes of these articles perceived former emphasis on about yor..rth dance companies I will define Youth Ballet to mean starkly-disciplined classical using other styles. I will also briefly companies which draw their main technique by instilling an cover the pre-professional training complement from selected serious appreciation of the art form which area, before mentioning some of dance students, giving defined will last children all their lives. the issues relating to the youth seasons of performances (ie, more Youth Dance Companies, on Ihe dance field. ln the next article I will ambitious than the single end-of- other hand, generally work in discuss these issues and cover in year school concert) and contemporary styles and draw their more depth some of the groups I performing mainly in classical or (mainly teenage, although junior have encountered. neo-classical choreography. The groups are often formed) performers from much more diverse sources. The movement skills demonstrated at auditions may have been acquired through private dance school training, but equally as well through high school sport or dance, social or recreational dance activities outside school. In this kind of group it is the process of familiarisation with high standard performance practice which is important. The aim is educational rather than vocational, although quite a number of participants do go on to professional careers in the and (Left to right). Shona Ersk ne Eden Lee Annabel Reid, Grayson lvli lwood and Rachel Wh tworth in lhe arts - not necessarily in dance Hosl. Playhouse, September. 1989 Natrona Capito Dancers. Choreagrapher:Nala|eWei not necessarily in performance. lndeed, there appears to be a TOUTH BALLET/YOUTH aims of this kind of company are strong desire on the part of ALL DANCE generally to do with a desire on the directors to emphasise encounters Some years ago youth ballets Director's part to prepare students with all aspects of the theatrical seemed to be multiplying. The for pre-professional training and experience, based on a growing example of such groups as Inara ultimately professional activity by perception of the breadth of career Svalbe's Australian Youth Ballet, making students thoroughly aware opportunities in the performing arts. (f ounded in 1978 and based in Brisbane, but at present in recess) may have motivated others to put their own ideas into practice. I have seen some floundering because the successful youth orchestra concept (selecting and combining exceptional talent from numerous tutors) does not seem to translate well to the ballet environment. lndeed, some studios have seen it as a threat, not an honour, to have their best students offered roles which meant being brought under another teacher's direction and training - often depriving the original teacher of the top students' time for end-of-year concerts. lt is 4 lowdown iune 1993 I began by contacting Ausdance branches. Mark Gordon, Victorian executive officer, commenled: "We have nothing in Victoria at the moment. Where is our youth dance culture? What I'm talking about is the art-form, performance work, not the night-club, warehouse party scene, which is booming. " Victoria has unfortunately lost the model formerly provided by the St Martin's Youth group, and Theatre dance Above and below: Australran Youth Ballet Early p ctures no details given Courtesy: inara Sva be also more recently the Ensemble u.. the comon factor to all leadership of a Founder special abilites, passion dedication. This is both a a weakness...rr Dance Theatre owing to the passing of David Ross-Smith. This State is well served, of course, with youth dance particular High Schools. ManY junror group. Yet a third is access performances from students in pre- training groups mount sPecial for the junior group to professional professional training, emanating performances at local events and teaching, technical and admin- from such institutions as the VCA travel to the Adelaide Come Out istrative advice, and the added and Victorla College (Rusden), and f estival, as well as representing stability - if such a quality exists in the is the home of the Australian Australia in Aberdeen and at the performing arts - of an established Ballet's junior group, The Dancers' Festival of Youth Dance formerlY organisation. Company. (While I do not propose held at the Hong Kong AcademY for Apart from Victoria, Ausdance to concentrate these articles on the Performing Arts on an annual officers in all States and Territories tertiary area, it is worth noting that basis. offered examples of youth the Ausdance annual publication The unique and highlY-regarded dance/youth ballet companies Further Studies in Dance lists 14 Aboriginal/lslander Skills Develop- which are independent entities, not undergraduate and nine graduate ment Scheme gives both secondarY connected with training institutions dance courses all over Australia. All and tertiary training in Sydney, with but having been originally nurtured of these provide performance and a carefully mapped series of by some other organisation - most occasional touring experience for opportunities for performance often a private studio, sometimes a their students and have just held (in through its own performing grouP professional company, sometimes a 1992) their f irst tertiary dance Aboriginal/lslander Dance Company, community group. The national festival, while the next is to take and strong links to the professional office of Ausdance has also place in Perth in 1994.) company, Bangarra. assisted considerably. (However ln a slightly different category are Having links with a professional my attempts at contacting three secondary training institutions, company, while not absolutelY individual groups have not always the MacDonald College (NSW), the essential to a youih dance grouP, been successful, and it remains a Oueensland Dance School of does appear to have several matter for conjecture whether some Excellence (Qld) and the VCA advantages, one of which is the of them still exist.) junior section, all of which provide clear demonstration to students of While several different youth what might be termed pre-pre- possible career paths and the performing group models are professional training integrated with commitment required to enter uPon discernible, the common factor to regular schooling. Some private them. Another is a mutuallY all is the leadership of a ballet schools also offer full time advantageous system for encour- Founder/Director with sPecial courses designed for this purpose, aging new choreographers from abilities, passion and dedication. having made individual arrangements within company ranks to try their This is both a strength and a with local education authorities and hands at making new works for the weakness. While the same lowdown june 1993 5 4. Based on selected students lsrsttErs from a variety of sources, either ln my next article I will be sustained by, or with strong discussing a number of issues connections to, a professional important to the success of a youth company or companies (examples: dance project. These will include Extensions, directed by Jane Pirani, topics brought forward by some of structurally associated with Dance the Directors with whom I have had North in Townsville, and Steps, discussions, for example: directed by Ruth Osborne and Finding suitable choreography; supported by three widely differing accessing the best talent; discipline professional companies in Perth - and commitment; structure; styles; Two Dance Plus, Chrissie Parrot obtaining support; dependence on Dance Collective and West the drive and flair of one person; Australian Ballet); finding performance venues.