YOUTH DANCE FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHTS FRESH TALENT!
The best and brightest dancers and choreographers in NSW strut their stuff when Form Dance Projects and Riverside present the fifth annual Fast+Fresh Dance Festival this month.
More than a hundred young artists from inner Sydney to the North, the Hills District, Liverpool, Sutherland Shire, Penrith, Campbelltown, the Central Coast and beyond will perform 30 short dance pieces in two heats on Wed 14 and Thurs 15 Nov. The best that impress the panel of top industry judges will win their way to the gala awards final on Sat Nov 17!
Returning stars include Sophie Wighton (Eastwood), Kei Ishii (Jannali) and Cameron Beard (Pennant Hills – pictured below) – all with exciting new work. Great photos available of these choreographers…
Debuting dancers include Westmead’s Listy Sunarto (pictured right), Maria Esquival and her dance partner Brett Hartnett (from Linden) (pictured left). Listy, who studies at UNSW, will dance a beautiful contemporary solo titled Ribbon sparked by a childhood memory. Maria and Brett study at St Columba’s High School and together dance in a duet titled I’m Not Yours, which tells the story of an insecure girl who resists the support of her friend.
Other entrants include Lucy Riechelmann (Kirrawee) from MLC Burwood with a lyrical tribute to the victims of 9/11 and Laura Jackson (St Andrews), studying dance at the Wesley Institute, with a contemporary ensemble of five exploring different aspects of a dysfunctional relationship.
Dancers and choreographers alike take inspiration from other artists and art forms, like East Maitland’s Isabelle Leonard’s work titled Silk, which was inspired by Daniel Wurtzel’s installation Magic Carpet. Kirralee Mulley of Bonnyrigg, studying at UNSW, presents a work inspired by Picasso’s Les Demoiselles D’Avignon.
The youngest participant, Joe ‘Lil Joe’ Dufty from Thornton will dance an awesome hip hop solo, proving to audiences that great movers come in all shapes and sizes. Incredible young ballet dancer 13-year-old Harrison Lee who has already appeared in works by the Australian Ballet, will dance Lachlan Monaghan’s ballet solo Seasons, choreographed to “Drigo” from Le Corsaire.
William Keohavong of Green Valley, who studies dance at Ev & Bow in Kirrawee, was recently accepted to the New Zealand School of Dance. William will perform a beautiful contemporary solo titled Ben, inspired by the story of the ugly duckling. Like many of the dances in this year’s Fast+Fresh Dance, William’s choreography stands out as innovative and unique, fusing styles and techniques from a range of different genres. There are massive dance ensembles too from Mackellar Girls Campus and Turramurra High.
All participants in Fast+Fresh Dance are eligible for awards such as Best Male Dancer, Best Female Dancer, Most Outstanding Choreography, Best New Talent and the Audience Choice Award. Sponsored prizes include dance summer camp, classes, show tickets and season passes, dance company placements, dance wear, filming sessions and cash prizes. Judges include Marko Panzic (from So You Think You Can Dance and Everybody Dance Now) and Jason Winters of Brent Street Studios as well as award-winning choreographer Martin del Amo.
Fast+Fresh Dance 2012 season dates: Heats 14 & 15 November, Final 17 November 7.30pm
Tickets $15/$12 conc (heats) and $20 (final) Full festival line-up and schedule: www.form.org.au
Bookings www.riversideparramatta.com.au or 8839 3399
