Australian Dance Theatre

Australian Dance Theatre

"Australia's pre-eminent contemporary dance company"
General information
Name Australian Dance Theatre
Year founded 1965
Founding artistic director Dr. Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM
Principal venue 126 Belair Road
Hawthorn
South Australia
5062
 Australia
34°58′15″S 138°36′30″E / 34.9709°S 138.6083°E / -34.9709; 138.6083Coordinates: 34°58′15″S 138°36′30″E / 34.9709°S 138.6083°E / -34.9709; 138.6083
Website adt.org.au
Artistic staff
Artistic Director
  • Garry Stewart
  • Shaun Comerford (Executive)
  • Elizabeth Old (Associate)

Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) is a contemporary dance company based in Adelaide, South Australia established in 1965 by Dr. Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM.[1][2] Dalman sought to "open the horizons for provocative contemporary and cutting edge dance".[1] The ADT was the first modern dance company in Australia and drew on the techniques of Martha Graham for its inspiration. Eleo Pomare was an early collaborator and the songs of Peter, Paul and Mary featured strongly in their early works, such as This Train.

The company has garnered 28 industry awards since 2002, was the first Australian company invited to the Edinburgh Festival and is the only Australian company to be invited to perform at Théâtre de la Ville in Paris. The company has toured performances extensively throughout Australia, Ireland, Korea, Canada, USA, UK, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco, Japan, Spain, Austria, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Norway.

History

Artistic Directors

Dalman led ADT from 1965 to 1975. After Dalman, Artistic Directors were: 1977-85 Jonathan Taylor (former dancer Ballet Rambert, UK),[3] 1986-87 jointly Anthony Steel of the Adelaide Festival of Arts and ADT dancer Lenny Westerdijk, 1987-93 Leigh Warren (now with Leigh Warren & Dancers), 1993-99 Meryl Tankard during which time the company was known as the "Meryl Tankard Australian Dance Theatre".[4] Meryl Tankard left after disputes with the Board, Bill Pengelly was interim Artistic Director until the current Artistic Director, Garry Stewart began in 1999.[5][6]

  • Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM 1965-75
  • Johnathan Taylor 1977-85
  • Anthony Steel & Lenny Westerdijk 1986-87
  • Leigh Warren 1987-93
  • Meryl Tankard 1993-99
  • Bill Pengelly (interim)
  • Garry Stewart 1999–present

Elizabeth Dalman School of Modern Dance

Established in 1967 the school offered the public an insight into the company through classes, workshops, pre and post show forums/discussions. It also helped to fund the dance theatre in its infancy.


Choreographed by Dr. Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM:

  • Hallucinations (1966)
  • This Train (1966)
  • Landscape (1967)
  • Sundown (1967)
  • Sun and Moon (1968)
  • Homage to Boticelli (1969)
  • Creation (1969),
  • Release of an Oath (1972)

Choreographed by Jonathan Taylor:

  • Wildstars
  • Transfigured Night

Choreographed by Anthony Steel & Lenny Westerdijk:

    Choreographed by Leigh Warren:

    Choreographed by Meryl Tankard:

    • Re-worked pieces:
      • Songs with Mara
      • Kikimora
    • New works:
      • Furioso (1993)
      • Aurora (1994)
      • Possessed (1995)
      • Rasa (1996), (in collaboration with Padma Menon)
      • Seulle (1997)
      • Inuk (1997).
      • 1998 (sub-titled A Sampler by Meryl Tankard)

    Choreographed by Bill Pengelly:

    • Split

    Choreographed by Garry Stewart:

    • Housedance (performed on the outside of the main sail of the Sydney Opera House on New Year's Eve 1999)
    • Birdbrain (the most performed contemporary dance work in the history of Australian dance)
    • The Age of Unbeauty (2002 Australian Dance Awards Outstanding Choreographic Achievement)[7]
    • HELD (a collaboration with U.S. dance photographer Lois Greenfield[8] - 2004 Adelaide Bank Festival – Helpmann Award for Best Choreography in a Ballet or Dance Work)
    • Nothing
    • Vocabulary (a collaboration with Kat Worth and Restless Dance Theatre, South Australia)
    • Devolution (premiered at the 2006 Adelaide Festival and a collaboration with Canadian robotics artist Louis-Philippe Demers[9] – 2006 Helpmann Awards Best New Australian Work & Best Lighting)
    • Worldhood (a collaboration with Visual Artist - Thomas Buchanan)
    • G "Giselle" (premiered at the 2008 Adelaide Festival) G is a reworked representation of the 1800s ballet Giselle, without the pretty dancing peasants.
    • Collision Course (a collaboration with CM Films - Carmelo Musca, Western Australia)
    • Be Your Self (a collaboration with Diller Scofidio + Renfro, USA)
    • Proximity (a collaboration with Video Artist/Engineer - Thomas Pachoud, France)

    References

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