In 2015, Australia’s oldest contemporary dance company, Australian Dance Theatre, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. This huge milestone is a fantastic achievement, with the company surviving many decades of different arts views. To commemorate the milestone, Australian Dance Theatre will present a “50th Anniversary Gala” at the Dunstan Playhouse down under in July: through the gala the company will pay tribute to its history, which is both vast and varied. The celebrations will honour its current and former artistic directors, and will also present a new work created by Garry Stewart, co-choreographed with former dancer, Larissa McGowan.
In it’s 50th anniversary year, Australian Dance Theatre will also tour nationally and internationally. Garry Stewart’s work Be Yourself will be presented in three parts of Australia, including New South Wales. In addition, his dance film Collision Course will be presented in Melbourne’s Federation Square in February as part of the Recharge: Experimental Biennial of Media Art. Two European tours of the company’s newest work – Multiverse – will take place in March and June, taken to French and Spanish theatres, including the Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris. Australian Dance Theatre will also tour to South America, which is a first for the company and a new market to play to.
Other 50th anniversary celebratory events for Australian Dance Theatre include a Founders’ Celebration held in the Adelaide Arcade which was the first home of the dance company, a commemorative book which will be launched in November and involvement with the 2015 Australian Dance Awards which will be held in Adelaide in September.
For more information about Australian Dance Theatre’s plans for 2015, including the above performances, education activities and events, and research projects, visit the company’s website.