Australian Youth Dance Festival

International Focus for Leading Youth Dance Festival’s 10th Year

Revolutions Per Minute | 7-12 July 2019

The biennial Australian Youth Dance Festival, now in its tenth year unites young dancers from across the world, from 7–12 July 2019, presented by Ausdance Victoria in partnership with Youth Dance Australia.

Titled REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE (rpm), the Festival will thrive on creation and collaboration. Dancers will dance, think, make and talk dance together, through daily sessions in contemporary dance, choreography, repertory and improvisation.

The Festival is the only one of its kind in Australia dedicated to developing young dancers as professional artists, focusing on creativity, imagination and curiosity, and in 2019 will welcome companies from Ghana, Denmark, India, Taiwan, Finland and the UK.

Directed by Alice Lee Holland, the 2019 Festival encourages cross-cultural collaboration to inspire the next generation of dancers and makers across the world. Thriving on creation and intercultural practice – dancers will dance, think, make and talk dance together, through daily sessions in contemporary dance, choreography, repertory and improvisation. The Festival will also host a professional development Think Tank for youth dance leaders, professional artists and arts leaders.

“It’s a thrill to be welcoming young dancers from around the world to Melbourne next year. The Festival program is designed to inspire a generous exchange of creative energy and physical ideas. Young people are our frontline for change, so the opportunity to bring them together creatively will not doubt yield revolutions small and large – not only for the future of dance but also, very necessarily, for the future of our world,” says Artistic Director, Alice Lee Holland.

The Festival program features an International Youth Showcase taking place at Melbourne’s iconic Meat Market performance venue on Wednesday 10 July and Thursday 11 July. Australian companies such as QL2 Dance and Wagana and the DUST Youth Dancers, with international companies including High Kicks (India), Ya-Zhi Art Dance Company (Taiwan) and Hurja Piruetti (Finland) will be presenting work.

Depaysement, a work that encourages youth to examine their own privileges and entitlement in order to become socially and politically aware, is presented by High Kicks – an all-girls dance theatre ensemble based in Chennai, India. The company specialises in contemporary dance theatre that is created using their unique vocabulary called Global Dance Fusion, which fuses real-world stories and movement with contemporary dance technique. QL2 Dance, based in Canberra, will perform Our Bodies in Space, exploring dance and its relationship to architecture – featuring spaces that resonate with young people in Canberra.

Festival Program Overview:

Opening Ceremony (7 July) – Free event, open to all, in celebration of youth dance
Week-long workshops, panels, keynotes and classes for young dancers
Think Tank program (8-10 July) – Running alongside the youth dancers’ program, AYDF will be hosting a professional development Think Tank for youth dance leaders, professional artists, educators and arts leaders interested in the area of youth dance/arts practice.
Industry Forum (10 July half day event) – ‘Why Youth Dance?’ – Panel members – Adam Wheeler (Tasdance), Anna Kenrick (YDance, Scotland), Aparnaa Nagesh (High Kicks, India) and Daniel Riley (Ilbijerri Theatre Company); Facilitated by Ruth Osborne (QL2), who will lead a series of provocations to the panel that will open to a discussion with the audience. The industry forum will be followed by a reception sponsored by Trybooking, and Revolutions per minute (rpm) – gala performances by youth dance companies.
International Exchange between Australian and international youth dance companies
Gala Performances (10 & 11 July) – The Australian Youth Dance Festival offers an opportunity to see incredible work by youth companies in the Revolutions Per Minute gala performances. Taking place over two days at Melbourne’s Meat Market, the exceptional and diverse line-up of 14 Australian and International companies performing includes: Austinmer Dance Theatre, Australia; QL2 Dance, Australia; Rutherford Dance Company Youth, UK; Dansebryggeriet, Stands&Dans Denmark in collaboration with Hurja Piruetti, Finland; The Flipside Project, Australia; and YDance (Scottish Youth Dance) – National Youth Dance Company of Scotland.

Revolutions per minute (rpm) – AYDF2019 Gala Perofrmances: 10 & 11 July @ 7pm features:

QL2 Dance (Australia)
Wagana and DUST Youth Dancers (Australia)
Austinmer Dance Theatre (Australia)
fLiNG Physical Theatre (Australia)
Stompin (Australia)
Yellow Wheel (Australia)
The Flipside Project – Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub (Australia)
ACE Youth (UK)
Rutherford Dance Company Youth / RDC Youth (UK)
Dansebryggeriet (Denmark)
YDance / Scottish Youth Dance (UK)
High Kicks – all girl dance ensemble (India)
Shoreditch Youth Dance / Smikle Dance Project (UK)
Ya-Zhi Art Dance Company (Taiwan)
Hurja Piruetti (Finland)
CSF Traditional Music/ Dance Ensemble (Ghana)

@AusYDF

@ausdance_victoria

Ticketing Information:

YOUNG DANCER PASS ($320) includes: Access to Opening and Closing events (light catering), full Young Dancers Program including all sessions, lunches, Festival t-shirt & complimentary ticket to International Showcase Dress Rehearsal.

LEADER PASS ($195) includes: Full Youth Dance Leader Think Tank Program (2 days) including lunches, Festival t-shirt & complimentary ticket to cocktail networking event and one International Showcase performance.