Revolutions Per Minute (RPM)

AYDF2019 Gala Performances

The Australian Youth Dance Festival offered an opportunity to see incredible work by youth companies in the Revolutions Per Minute gala performances.

Sold out audiences enjoyed a program of works by youth dance companies showcasing the culmination of an intense collaborative process of creating original ideas. Involving exploration, improvisation and interrogation; each individual work was created with the young dancers contributing to every aspect including thematic/ conceptual ideas to movement languages and physicalities and everything in between!

From political opinions to concerns about climate change and the state of our environment, youth today has a lot to say and they said it through dance at the RPM Gala Performances.

Reviews

All the works presented were strong and bore the imprint of much thoughtful input.
3MBS Radio

The performances were moody and frequently abstract and poetic in nature.
Stage Whispers

Each dance sequence was beautifully contextualised through lighting and costuming.
Stage Whispers

…the whole festival, is truly a celebration of the joy of movement.

Wednesday 10 July

En Trance, Austinmer Dance Theatre, Australia

NowHere, Stompin, Australia

Consider the Possibilities, Wagana and DUST Youth Dancers, Australia

IMMI, Rutherford Dance Company Youth, UK

Skin II, The Presence Project: Moving Bodies, Moving Minds, Singapore

Naturally Man-Made, QL2 Dance, Australia

For Those Who Wait, YDance (Scottish Youth Dance) – National Youth Dance Company of Scotland, Scotland

Thursday 11 July

Fragile Terrain, The Flipside Project (Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub), Australia

Static Equilibrium, Dansebryggeriet (Stands&Dans), Denmark in collaboration with Hurja Piruetti Western Uusimaa Dance Institute, Finland

Tide, Yellow Wheel, Australia

Windthrow, Origins Dance Company, Australia

Shifting, FLING Physical Theatre, Australia

For Those Who Wait, YDance (Scottish Youth Dance) – National Youth Dance Company of Scotland, Scotland

Michelle Silby

Executive Director

Michelle Silby has an extensive career in dance in both creative and administrative functions. She is the Executive Director of both Ausdance NSW and Ausdance Vic. This dual role leads the teams, through strategy, operational efficiencies and large-scale outcomes; the Director of Big Dance Australia (2014-), and the was the Co-convener of the Arts Industry Council Victoria (2017-2019). Currently Michelle sits on the following Industry and government committee’s; ACFIBS for NSW, Industry Advisory Group, Victorian Skills Commission (VIC), Independent Reference Committee, Arts & Culture related Industries, Vice Chair (National training and professional development) Previously Chair, Regional Arts NSW funding 2014-17, Several Arts NSW funding panels, Churchill Fellowship 2013-16.

Over the last 25 years, Michelle has worked across a variety of contexts as a dance performer, teacher, choreographer, educator and management roles: as a director, festival director, company manager and education consultant in the UK, Europe, and the last 14 years, in Australia. After successfully leading Ausdance NSW since Oct 2012, she was appointed Executive Director, Ausdance VIC in Nov 2015. She is inspired by the opportunities that leading both states will bring to the dance sector, wider communities and respective organisations. She has held roles as the Program Manager, Dance at the Australia Council for the Arts, where her responsibilities included; working with the board, policy and strategy, dance funding programs, key dance initiatives, such as Tasmanian Community Dance Project and Young Emerging opportunities for example, JUMP (2010-2012), Executive Producer for the 2014 Australian Dance Awards and is also an Independent Consultant for Arts and Dance with various clients across Australia.

As an arts leader, she is strategic, entrepreneurial and generous with her time and support of others. Michelle was born in the UK, where she studied dance at Arts Educational Schools London, followed by a post-graduate year at London Contemporary Dance School, The Place in 1992. Later in 2000-1, after moving into management and leadership roles, she undertook an intensive arts and business management course for arts leaders and was most recently awarded a subsidised place to attend short course in Australia for not-for-profit leaders by Harvard Business school.

During her 15 year professional dance career in the UK and Europe, Michelle worked across a variety of contexts as performer, touring Europe for over a decade, educator, choreographer, director, festival director, company manager and consultant. A particular highlight of her career in the UK included making a significant contribution to the dance infrastructure for the North East of England, through the formulation and delivery of a dance development plan with secured funding.

AYDF2019 Gala Performances

Reviews

Wednesday 10 July

Thursday 11 July

Ruby Howard

Christopher Wade

Natalie Cunzolo

Jacqui Maida

Kyall Shanks

Co-Artistic Director

Caitlin Comerford

Co-Artistic Director

Marty Hirst

Communications Officer

Gabrielle Bennet

Dance Development Officer

Sophie Conway

Sage Price

Julia Villaflor

Mihkayla Bartlett

Meghann Burton

MayaRae Navarrete

Jacqui Maida

Ebony Ryan-Miners

Curtis Thorpe

Arshiya Abhishree

Gillian Jordan

RTO Manager

Alisdair Macindoe

Kate Denborough

Amity Jarvis

Henen Haines

Treasurer

Amy Jennings

Secretary

Kelly Dickson

Chair

Alison McIntosh-Deszcz

Manager Marketing, Digital Media and Memberships

Shweta Kawatra

Marketing Communications Manager

Elise Brennan

Program Coordinator

Cathy Smith

RTO Operations Manager

Katrina Rank

Director of Education and Life Long Learning

Robbie Carmellotti

General Manager

Michelle Silby

Executive Director