Dancenorth is a contemporary dance company based in Townsville, North Queensland, Australia. It began as the North Queensland Ballet Company in 1969 and receives Australia Council triennial funding (from 2006) as one of "Australia's outstanding arts organisations". Dancenorth perform for regional, national and international audiences. Since 2002, they have toured to a multitude of regional centres and internationally, including to London's Barbican Theatre in 2007. It is one of only a handful of regional dance companies in Australia.
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The company
Dancenorth is a not-for-profit organisation and is managed by a board of directors. The company's home is the historically significant School of Arts building located in the Townsville City Centre which is Dancenorth's own dedicated rehearsal space and 190 seat theatre with full production facilities.
Dancenorth provides an important cultural and dance presence in Townsville whilst contributing to dance on an international level through the company's national and international presence.
ONE COMPANY MANY VOICES In 2015 Dancenorth embarked on a bold new phase of artistic direction.
Designed to support a broad range of artistic programs, revitalise cultural engagement activities and diversify performances, the company has formally adopted a strategy that will see work presented from a diverse range of creators.
Led by Artistic Director Kyle Page, this new structure sees the appointment of two eminent and nationally renowned Artistic Advisors, Cheryl Stock and Bradley Chatfield, who work closely with the company in guiding its artistic pathway.
By inviting a selection of choreographers and artists to collaborate and work with the company, Dancenorth emerges as a creative hub for a broad range of artistic voices. This is a bold innovation for the company and we look forward to presenting work by some of Australia’s most exciting dance theatre creators. During 2015 we celebrate 30 years since Dancenorth opened its doors, and our 2015 program celebrates dancers, choreographers and former artistic directors who have contributed so much to the history of the company.
Increased cultural engagement activities are also underway, providing enriching opportunities for a broad range of community members. Artistic Director Kyle Page is delighted to be at the helm of this dynamic contemporary dance company at such a vibrant time in its history.
Based on significant scientific developments over the last 15 years Artistic Director Kyle Page has established a daily practice for the company dancers, which incorporates several mind / body techniques designed to develop the cognitive processes associated with creativity. Kyle seeks to involve the dancers in a much more thinking capacity within the creation of new work whilst simultaneously nurturing technical virtuosity. He is currently working with mentor Dr. Scott de la Hunta, exploring the dance / science nexus.
Artistic Directors and General Managers
{DANCE NORTH (1985 – PRESENT )
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS 2014 – present Kyle Page 2010 – 2014 Raewyn Hill 2005 – 2008 Gavin Webber 1997 – 2005 Jane Pirani 1996 – 1997 Graeme Watson 1995 – 1996 Wendy Wallace 1985 – 1994 Cheryl Stock (first director of professional company)
GENERAL MANAGERS 2012 -2015 Trevor Keeling 2011 -2012 Peter Helft 2007-2010 Jo Fisher 2005 – 2006 Trevor Keeling 2000 – 2004 Henry Laska 1997 – 1999 Joanne Keune 1996 – 1997 Leanne Gunnelson/Alex Rhodes 1985 – 1995 Lorna Hempstead (first general manager of professional company)
Artistic Director
Kyle began his professional career at Dancenorth in 2004 and in 2014 was appointed Artistic Director of the company. Over the last 11 years he has performed in 17 countries around the world. Kyle has collaborated with internationally renowned choreographers including Meryl Tankard, Garry Stewart, Lucy Guerin, Gavin Webber, Ikuyo Kuroda, Antony Hamilton, Jo Stone and Paulo Castro, Larissa McGowan and Stephanie Lake. In 2013 Kyle was offered an Asialink residency and spent three months in Varanasi, India, in the same year he was selected as a finalist in the Australian Arts in Asia Award. He was recently invited to take part in the prestigious Arctic Circle Residency with his wife and long-time collaborator, Amber Haines. Research into cognitive processes and neuroscience regularly inform Kyle’s creative developments and he is currently working with mentor Scott de la Hunta, exploring the dance / science nexus. In 2015 Kyle was awarded a position in the coveted AIM30. In September 2015 Kyle was recognised as one of North Queensland’s top 50 most influential people.
North Queensland Ballet Company
Ann Roberts, Principle of the Ann Roberts School of Dancing and parents in Townsville were concerned by the lack of opportunities for young ballet dancers in North Queensland, organised a public meeting to assess public interest in forming a North Queensland ballet company.
The North Queensland Ballet and Dance Company was established 17 July 1969. From the first audition 41 students were accepted including one from Ayr, five from Cairns and one from Mount Isa.
Between 1970 and 1982, the North Queensland Ballet Company presented:
From 1983 to 1984, 16 new works were created for the new profession/amateur company.
Dance North
In 1985 the Company became fully professional and changed its name to Dance North becoming a contemporary dance institute with "a policy of all new Australian works" which primarily trains and performs in Townsville region but tours extensively both nationally and internationally.
1998 saw the première of Luuli, a unique and rich collaboration between Dancenorth and Woomera Aboriginal Corporation which fused traditional Aboriginal dance with contemporary western dance and was seen by over 30,000 people nationally and internationally over several years.
dancenorth-australia
Dance North became dancenorth-australia in 2006 and has become a vital part of North Queensland's artistic and theatric culture. In 2007, dancenorth took to the streets in between productions to raise awareness of dance through their participation in local Townsville community events. On 15 February 2007, Her Excellency the then Governor of Queensland, Quentin Bryce AC kindly accepted dancenorth's invitation to become the company's patron for the duration of her appointment as Governor, further solidifying dancenorth as an integral part of Queensland's arts culture.
Dancenorth
In 2008, Dancenorth-Australia changed its name to Dancenorth in preparation for becoming a Major Performing Arts group of the Australia Council for the Arts. This change in approach has also served to refresh and consolidate their image to accurately reflect the company's revitalised perspective whilst creatively reflecting their ambitions, artistic direction and philosophy. In 2008, Her Excellency Penelope Wensley AO kindly accepted the invitation to continue Dancenorth's patronage as the Governor of Queensland.
Also in 2008, the company completed their first national tour with thanks to Mobile States and Playing Australia. Dancenorth will complete a further three national tours in 2009.
2009
The company started 2009 with two national tours of the acclaimed Dancenorth & Brisbane Powerhouse co-productions roadkill and lawn. These works were performed at the inaugural Dance Massive Festival during 3–15 March 2009 at Arts House and Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne respectively.
Nowhere Fast was Dancenorth's new production for 2009, choreographed by Helpmann Award winner Ross McCormack, former dancer with Les Ballets C dela B:
In an environment that indicates to the everywhere but reveals nowhere specific, we are confronted with a group of individuals that appear new and alien in their own world. Quick to claim this common ground we watch as they watch others deal with isolation and emptiness. Struggling to communicate but desperate they attempt to come together even if it is only doomed to form a brief sense of artificial harmony. In this undefinable zone and its bleak appearance we watch as they layer this indoor/outdoor world with a collision of interactions that fail and succeed leaving the behind the stains of their existence.In Townsville, as part of the company's embrace the extraordinary approach to develop new audiences, Dancenorth also launched public dance and fitness classes to be held in their studio under the brand Sweatshops and also Art for Art Sake events which are designed to connect audiences to art through social events.
Dancenorth's first short dance film was created in August: Re-elDance, International Dance on Screen.
2008
2008 added another significant production to Dancenorth's repertoire: Remember Me which was choreographed by Gavin Webber and combines live music, theatre and dance to create a work of great nostalgia and tenderness. Remember Me made its world premiere on 8 July as part of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, this production will likely tour in the future.
Dancenorth undertook an extensive national tour of Underground, spanning over 14,000 km across five Australian states, from September — late November.
2007
Underground was the first production of 2007 and opened in Townsville on 11 April 2007. Choreographed by Gavin Webber and the Dancenorth dancers, it explores a world full of the paranoias and fear of people who utilise public transport. Underground was remounted from the 2006 show Gravity Feed.
Co-produced by Dancenorth and Brisbane Powerhouse, choreographed by Splintergroup and toured by Performing Lines, roadkill premiered in July and explores misconceptions about the heart of Australia.
Dancenorth's guest choreographic season for 2007 involved a double bill, Outros and dis-integration, created by guest choreographers Jo Stone and Paulo Castro and a piece by Dancenorth's Kate Harman and Alice Hinde. Outros was a further reworking of the 2006 crowd pleaser This You Made of Me, of which the Townsville Bulletin commented:
...the dancers... have an enviable range of motion, control, grace and agility... a piece of dance theatre magic.
The final production for 2007 was nightcafe 07, which was brought back by popular demand. A new set of characters brought audiences with fresh entertainment and intrigue, nightcafe 07 created anarchic evenings of dance and live music. Choreographed by Webber and the Dancenorth dancers, the event rocked the Bombay Rock nightclub in September 2007. Doch Gypsy Orchestra, accompanied by Townsville's 1RAR Band, provided the fuel for the many evenings of mayhem as the music's rawness, passion and lyricism got feet moving.
2006
Underneath was a cross cultural production combining contemporary Australian and Japanese dance. Originally devised for the Australia-Japan Dance Exchange 2006.
Gravity Feed premiered in what was the start of the work which is now known as Underground. The production was the first full-length piece created by Gavin Webber and the dancers at Dancenorth.
nightcafe 06 was the final production for 2006, a lively dance party which focused on live music and audience participation with a "rock band jazz feel".
Seulle was a production in partnership with the Australian Festival of Chamber Music choreographed by world-renowned Meryl Tankard. Using rear projection lighting together with transparent screens on stage, allowed for combined real and silhouetted dance expressions to commissioned harp music. Peter Garrett was quoted as saying Dancenorth's Seulle "was the best dance performance I have ever seen".
Accolades & Nominations
In a period of high growth for the company, the last three years have heralded a significant increase in accolades, press coverage and subsequently award nominations.
In 2009, Dancenorth have thus far been nominated for Australian Dance Awards and four Green Room Awards associated with the production and touring of Underground.