8th Annual Sharp Short Dance Festival
Registrations Open June 6th
Dancers and choreographers aged 21 years and under are invited to take part in the eighth annual Sharp Short Dance, a dance festival presented by FORM Dance Projects, held from 15 – 19 November 2016.
Since its launch, Sharp Short Dance has received hundreds of entries from young performers, many returning each year, to strive for their own artistic excellence, develop their choreographic and performance skills, meet like-minded artists, and network with peers and industry experts.
A number of former Sharp Short Dance performers have continued on dance industry pathways since participating in the Festival including Lauren Seymour (2014 runner up on TV’s So You Think You Can Dance), Sean Marcs (dancer for DV8, London, 2015; Shaun Parker & Company, Sydney, 2014), Billy Keohavong (apprentice for T.H.E. Dance Company, Singapore; dancer in Puncture, Sydney Festival 2015) Emma Jarman (Soloist in Opera Australia and Gordon Frost Organisation’s The King and I), Brandon Atoui (dancer for Marko Panzic’s The Dream Dance Company), and Abuzar Abdelrahim and Susan Abau (Present and Vice-President of Afro-Contemporary Youth Dance).
The MC of this year’s Festival and 2011 Sharp Short Dance awards-winner, Joshua O’Grady, said, “Winning the Audience Choice and Best New Talent awards gave me the confidence I needed to move forward with my professional dance career. I am thrilled to return as MC and see what Sydney’s new generation of dancers have in store!”
This year Sharp Short Dance will include an impressive panel of judges including Jesse Rasmussen (The Tap Pack, TV’s So You Think You Can Dance), Juliette Verne (choreographer for Bonnie Lythgoe Productions’ The Lion King), Miranda Wheen (Dance Makers Collective), Will Sanches (Beat the Streets, TV’s Australia’s Got Talent), Marko Panzic (The Dream Dance Company Founder), and Tiana Canterbury (Your Hip Hop Class, TV’s So You Think You Can Dance).
“I am very excited to be appointed as one of the judges of Sharp Short Dance,” said Your Hip Hop Class Director, Tiana Canterbury. “The Festival is a unique opportunity for young dancers to push their limits with choreography, concepts and execution and have a lot of fun doing so!”
Applications: To download a 2016 application form, visit http://form.org.au/2015/12/sharp-short-dance-2016
Key Dates:
- Registration open: 6th June
- Registration close: 17th October
- Heat 1 – Jazz, Tap and Lyrical works: Tuesday 15th November
- Heat 2 – Classical and Contemporary works: Wednesday 16th November
- Heat 3 – Cultural, Hip Hop and Street dance works: Thursday 17th November
- Final: Saturday 19th November
Venue: Riverside Theatres – Corner of Church and Market Streets, Parramatta
About Sharp Short Dance:
Sharp Short Dance showcases short, new and innovative dance works from the industry’s finest young talent. The Festival encourages young artists to strive for their own artistic excellence and supports participation in all genres of dance.Artists can enter their work into one of three heats, separated by genre, before selected works will proceed to the final to be judged by a panel of industry professionals. From krumping to classical, jazz to contemporary, all participants in Sharp Short Dance are eligible for the Festival’s awards including Most Innovative Choreography, Outstanding Male Performer, Outstanding Female Performer, Outstanding Solo, Duet and Ensemble Performance and the Audience Choice Award.
In addition to the awards, Sharp Short Dance provides professional development opportunities for young artists to network with peers and industry experts and for those participating in the final heat, mentoring sessions.
Selected finalists are also eligible for industry placements with the prestigious Sydney Dance Company, Bangarra Dance Theatre, and Shaun Parker & Company as well as renowned choreographer Marko Panzic’s Dream Dance Company.
