Fresh crop of Australian dance talent tackles the Big Apple

The Australia Council for the Arts' Dance Down Under 2007 is promoting new directions in Australian contemporary dance at the world’s leading performing arts showcase.The Association of Performing Arts Presenters' (APAP) 50th Annual Members Conference, held between 19 and 23 January in New York City, is expected to attract around 4000 presenters and performing arts professionals.

An outstanding crop of seven Australian contemporary dance companies and artists will present at this year's APAP conference, under the Dance Down Under 2007 banner.

The Australian contingent will include up and coming talent Natalie Cursio (VIC), Clare Dyson (QLD), KAGE (VIC), Tanja Liedtke (SA) and Shaun Parker (NSW).

Highlights will include the showcasing of Shelley Lasica's (Vic) Play in a Room and Sandra Parker Dance's (Vic) The View From Here at the Joyce SoHo venue.

Australia Council director of dance, Jennifer McLachlan, said that much of the work on show highlighted the depth and diversity of Australia’s contemporary dance.

'Australian dancers and choreographers are very much in demand internationally for their high calibre of training, high production values and unique stories. We are also at the cutting edge of incorporating new media and distribution practices into performances,' she said.

'The talents on display highlight the incredible diversity of our contemporary dance culture - some use text-based elements, others are character driven, and others are more abstract and experiential. All of these works are set to wow the presenters with their uniquely Australian style.'

Since 2004, the Australia Council has promoted many contemporary dance artists and companies with export-ready work to popular acclaim through its Dance Down Under program.

Outstanding successes from previous years' conferences have included sell-out performances at leading New York dance venues of BalletLab’s award-winning Amplification, Helen Herbertson and Ben Cobham's Strike 1, and Ros Warby's Swift.

'Dance Down Under has provided outstanding Australian companies such as Australian Dance Theatre, Chunky Move and Lucy Guerin Inc a real leg up in the international market,' Ms McLachlan said.

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