- A meeting with Dr Katrina Rank - Education and Training manager for Ausdance Victoria.
This great 3 hour meeting about Dance! Yes! Started with Howard Gardner and how his Theory of Multiple Intelligences instigated a reform in Education in Australia and finished with Katrina talking about her own vision for Dance in Education in Australia in the future. Ausdance Victoria (not sure about other offices) are instigating a new programme called 'Skills Set' whereby as a Registered training Organisation (RTO) they can lead a course that will provide relevant training and developing of skills for dance artists, graduates and practitioners who wish to go into schools and teach. I guess a little similar to 'Dance Links' in the UK whereby the discussion and facilitation of connecting dance artists to schools and organisations is being established.
By 2011 Dance will hopefully have become part of the curriculum in NSW and so this training and the idea of some sort of registration will no doubt become inevitable as demand for different skilled dance teachers increases. Again like the UK the discussions of who says what is acceptable? and how does the training be maintained or monitored? are questions coming up here too.
Discussion moved to the facilitation of professional dance company input to schools and their dance education. This is something every dance teacher wants to offer to their students more - the outside influence, professional company aura and development of students and teachers skills is invaluable but again it comes at a costs (both in money and time and staffing).
Something which Ausdance Victoria do is facilitate Industry Days for schools and students studying Dance for their VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) and VET (Vocational Education Training). An example are Industry days with Dance company Chunky Moves.
Chunky Moves Industry Days, facilitated by Ausdance for Secondary VET and VCE Dance students are repertoire workshops developed to enable students to work with leading industry professionals, immerse students in a day to day company giving them a taste of the repertoire work and the development of compositional skills. Invaluable but students are charged a small contributing fee.
- A visit to Chunky Moves - discussion and intermediate contemporary class
A quick discussion with the staff of Chunky Moves on how they contribute to Dance Education highlighted that they act more as a reaction service to schools and organisations like Ausdance. They don't provide an education programme as such but will eagerly support on demand. Also when on tour they provide workshops if wanted for Universities and schools. Industry Days, like those for Katrina are based on Ausdance specifications - the company will respond to the needs of the students/course etc.
The Chunky Moves studios are like honeycomb pods set in an area of strong Arts activity and interest. Whilst there I attended a class run by one of the companies male dancers. It was a great, high energy, floor based class with a challenging finishing routine to dub beats. It was fantastic class - I have the bruises to prove I was going for it but they may be evidence that I just need more practice too!
- Finally Les Ballet Trocadero de Monte Carlo
On the walk home from the fantastic class with Chunky Moves on Thursday night I went past the Arts Centre or should I say centre's - so many different theatre's and productions taking place. I noticed that The Trocks were performing and only until Saturday. Having heard many great things about them I thought I would try to get a ticket for my final night in Melbourne.
Thankfully I was in luck and I was not disappointed - it truly is a very entertaining performance of humour and cleverly choreographed dance. 'The Dying Swan' brought tears of laughter to my eyes and the Merce Cunningham 'Points in Space' reconstruction was an unexpected response more to the composer John Cage than to Merce Cunningham's movement material. It is a company I recommend all to see, which I am sure many of you have. I am so grateful for the opportunities this trip has already allowed me - to meet like minded people in a different country, have the time to attend classes and see professional works!
From Melbourne I headed to Adelaide on a 9hour train journey - emphasising just how expansive this country is! Beautifully vast!
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