Leg up for dance at 2008 Sydney Festival

More Australian dance will be presented to more people at the 2008 Sydney Festival with support from a major initiative of the Australia Council for the Arts.

An allocation of $200,000 will help the Sydney Festival to further build on its already strong commitment to Australian dance.

The Sydney Festival’s 2007 program includes three major works by outstanding Australian dance companies - Australian Dance Theatre Devolution, Meryl Tankard and Taikoz Kaidan and Lucy Guerin Inc Structure and Sadness.

The initiative will mean that Australian dance will feature even more prominently in 2008.

'The Sydney Festival has developed a smart concept that will provide an ideal platform to showcase Australian dance to a broad cross-section of the Australian community,' said Jennifer McLachlan, director of dance at the Australia Council.

'This initiative aims to build audiences and awareness of the stunning quality of contemporary Australian dance, by working with an arts festival of national profile.'