Dance in Australia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arts in Australia

Architecture
Cinema
Comic books
Cuisine
Dance
Literature
Music
Television
Theatre
Visual arts

A wide variety of dance occurs in Australia. Classical ballet companies include the Australian Ballet. Other ballet and contemporary dance companies include the Australian Dance Theatre, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Leigh Warren & Dancers, Chunky Move, Mirramu Dance Company and the Sydney Dance Company. The Australian Dance Council (or Ausdance) is the peak body for dance in Australia.

The 1992 film Strictly Ballroom was set in Sydney, New South Wales, this initiated Australian awareness of competitive dancing and the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars has led to increased awareness and popularity of dance and dancesport.

Bush dance has developed in Australia as a form of traditional dance, it draws on traditions from English, Irish, Scottish and other European dance. Favourite dances in the community include dances of European descent, such as the Irish Céilidh "Pride of Erin" and the quadrille "The Lancers". Locally originated dances include the "Waves of Bondi", the Melbourne Shuffle and New Vogue.

Many immigrant communities continue their own dance traditions on a professional or amateur basis. Traditional dances from a large number of ethnic backgrounds are danced in Australia, helped by the presence of enthusiastic immigrants and their Australian-born families. It is quite common to see dances from the Baltic region, as well as Indian, Indonesian or African dance being taught at community centres in Australia.

Still more dance groups in Australia employ dances from a variety of backgrounds, including reconstructed European Court dances and Medieval Dance, as well as fusions of traditional steps with modern music and style.

1 Indigenous Australian dance
2 Major dance companies
3 Post secondary dance education
4 List of operating dance companies
5 Defunct companies
6 See also
7 Notes
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Indigenous Australian dance

Traditional Indigenous Australian dance was closely associated with song and was understood and experienced as making present the reality of the Dreamtime. For the people in their own country it defined to roles, responsibilities and the place itself. These ritual performances gave them an understanding of themselves in the interplay of social, geographical and environmental forces. The performances were associated with specific places and dance grounds were often sacred places. Body decoration and specific gestures related to kin and other relationships (such as to Dreamtime beings with which individuals and groups). For a number of Indigenous Australian groups their dances were secret and or sacred, gender could also be an important factor in some ceremonies with men and women having separate ceremonial traditions.^[1]

The term Corroboree is commonly used in general Australian culture to refer to Australian Aboriginal dances, however this term has its origins among the people of the Sydney region. In a number of places Australian Aboriginal people will perform "corroborees" for tourists.

In the latter part of the 20th century the influence of Indigenous Australian dance traditions has been seen with the development of concert dance, particularly in contemporary dance with the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association providing training to Indigenous Australians in dance and the Bangarra Dance Theatre.

See also: Songlines