Training the Future “It’s an edgy picture … invigorating to watch because of the vitality, commitment and skill of the dancers.” The Sydney Morning Herald
Orfeo ed Euridice, Leah Marojevic’s Homage, The Consumerist Spectacle by Vicki Van Hout and an excerpt from Rafael Bonachela’s Lux Tenebris. PPY19 Revealed was generously supported by Hermès Australia.
2019 marked the sixth year of Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year program and the “It has been a delight to be involved in the strength, skill and maturity of the graduating ensemble creative growth of these amazing dancers was a testament to the way the course has developed over the past year and I am overjoyed to see and flourished since its inception. It has become a them performing an excerpt from my own critical element of the advanced training and education work, Lux Tenebris; they really have brought it programs at Sydney Dance Company and a unique, yet integral part of the dance training ecology in Australia. to life!” Rafael Bonachela. The 2019 PPY ensemble consisted of 26 dancers, who worked with 29 Australian-based Earlier in the year PPY participated in the guest teachers and choreographers, as well as seven creation of Sydney Dance Company commissioned international guest choreographers from across the globe: dance-film project On The Edge, directed by Greece, Israel, U.K, Canada, Spain and Belgium. Four choreographer and film-maker Sue Healey. The weekof the 2019 cohort were supported in their studies by long dance film project concluded with a shoot day scholarships from Stephen and Julie Fitzgerald, the Doug at Leura, in the Blue Mountains, where the dancers Hall Foundation, the Wales Family Foundation and Mary interacted with the breath-taking landscapes. Zuber. The Hepzibah Artist Development Program, which The well-established relationship with supports the next generation of Australian artists, helped NAISDA Dance College continued in 2019, with two to ensure that professional development opportunities days of workshops and a mock audition experience for were afforded to both emerging, visiting choreographers the students. Force Majeure Artistic Director Danielle and creatives and the PPY dancers themselves. Micich and independent choreographer Victoria Hunt PPY19 dancers studied for Advanced led the workshops. The collaboration concluded with Diplomas and Diplomas of Dance. Key body practices PPY students traveling to NAISDA in Wyong where they exercised by the young dancers included Yoga and learned dances unique to indigenous culture with the mindfulness with Jolie Brook; Pilates with Ingrid Shaw; NAISDA cohort. Ballet mechanics and functionally efficient movement In a step away from the physical, the dancers with Head of Training Linda Gamblin and Company were taught by former Company Dancer and renowned Exercise Physiologist Annie Jefferies; injury prevention educator Shane Carroll in the skills required for project and safe practice with Company Physiotherapist proposals for fundraising and grant applications. The Ashley-Mary Cohen; resilience and self-care lectures dancers created their own mock funding project which and workshops with ‘Balance’ EAP psychologist Sallie they presented and discussed in the studio in front of Grey; and conscious and safe movement with Course industry guests in order to simulate the experience. Coordinator Omer Backley-Astrachan. Overall, the calibre of dancers emerging Through the course ethos of collaborating in from PPY continues to rise and their post-training career a co-creative environment, the dancers navigated their trajectories continue to impress. Telea Jensen graduated way through 2019 with curiosity and intrigue, culminating from PPY 2019 in the knowledge that she would be in a successful PPY19 Revealed season; a quadruple-bill joining the Sydney Dance Company ensemble as the performed over three performances at Carriageworks in company trainee for 2020. December. The season included Idan Cohen’s
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2019 Impact Report
