Phillip Adams
Phillip is the Artistic director of BalletLab and is regarded as one of the most inventive choreographic visionary artists working in Australia today. Phillip is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts and lived and worked in New York for a decade. He has been commissioned by several leading Theatre and Dance Companies including The Australia Ballet, Chunky Move, Dance Works Rotterdam, CCDC Hong Kong among others . His company BalletLab tours international and has performed in the USA, China, Scotland, Germany, England, Korea, Mongolia, Romania and Bulgaria.
Kristy Ayre
Since 2002, Kristy Ayre has performed regularly with Chunky Move in numerous works including Singularity, Tense Dave, I Want to Dance Better at Parties, and the solo GLOW in which she later took on the role of Rehearsal Director. As well as working with Gideon Obarzanek and Chunky Move, Kristy has performed in works for Lucy Guerin Inc, Prue Lang, Kim Itoh, Shelley Lasica, and Luke George.
In 2008, Kristy choreographed and performed her first solo work Rabbeat as part of Lucy Guerin Inc’s Pieces for Small Spaces and was alsonchoreographic assistant on Eddie Perfect’s Shane Warne the Musical. She teaches workshops and master classes on a regular basis both within Melbourne and around the world. Most recently Kristy performed in Luke George’s Now Now Now and showcased a short film as part of Private Dances at the Next Wave Festival in Melbourne.
Deanne Butterworth
Studied at Western Australian Academy for Performing Arts. Dancer, choreographer, teacher since 1994. Her performance work in Australia and abroad includes: - dancer in Shelley Lasica’s work since 1996; Danceworks Company & Sandra Parker Dance, (2001-2007); Balletlab (development 2006); Jo Lloyd (1999, 2001). Film projects- Fiona McDonald (2001); David Rosetzky (2008); Collaborative works: - with Jo Lloyd (2003, 2007); with Tim Harvey (2006-2007); Solo works supported by Australia Council, Arts Victoria, Dancehouse. Project Blah Blah development with Jo Lloyd January 2009 and a Residency at Bundanon Arts Centre planned for July 2009. Deanne has taught at Chunky Move, Dancehouse, Deakin University and Melbourne University Union Arts.
Jade Dewi Tyas Tunggal
Independent dance artist, choreographer and teacher. In 1996 an Australian Students Prize for her studies at NHSPA preceded a BA Dance scholarship at NWSA Florida University Miami USA - with additional training at ADF, Bates, Jacob’s Pillow and in NYC. In 2004 she studied traditional Indonesian dance and music at Yogyakarta Arts University and in 2006 fulfilled a danceWEB Europe scholarship engagement at ImpulsTanz Vienna. Jade Dewi recently realised her MA Choreography research, ‘being alert in dance and life’, at VCA Melbourne University. The solo outcome, 6/7empty, utilises her training in classical ballet, modern dance, traditional Indonesian dance, somatic practice, contact improvisation and Japanese martial arts, and has been presented at the World Dance Global Alliance Summit(Ausdance)08 and Indonesia Calling(Asialink)o8.
In addition to performing with independent choreographers and directors – including Jason Pitt(AUS), Bernadette Warlong(AUS), Stephen Page(AUS), Ana Vitoria(BRA), Sophie Maslow(USA), Sandra Kaufman(USA), Doug Varone(USA), Ronald K Brown(USA), Bebe Miller(USA), Vivienne Rogis(AUS), Margie Mackay(AUS), Jon Rose(AUS) and Antony Hamilton(AUS) - Jade Dewi has worked with culturally diverse companies - such as Mirramu Dance Company, Houlihan & Dancers, The BodyCartography Project, Chunky Move, Gong Tronic and Victorian Opera - her choreography has been presented in Australia, USA, Taiwan, NZ and Indonesia. Most recently she has choreographed for Diaspora (Spark Mentorship)05, Gongtronic (Sydney Opera House) 06, Dis-ease (Australia/Indonesia GANG)06/08, Navigators (VCA & DASARTS, MIFA)06, Midnight Marauders(John Cage Musicircus)07 and Longing Belonging Land at Birrarung Marr (MIFA)08.
Luke George
Luke began dancing with Stompin, trained at the VCA and has been fortunate to have danced for Gideon Obarzanek and Chunky Move, Phillip Adams’ BalletLab, Jo Lloyd, Stephanie Lake, Frances d’Ath, Shelley Lassica, ITOH Kim (Tokyo), Miguel Gutierrez (New York) and Deborah
Hay.
As a choreographer Luke has created LIFESIZE, Here - not now, Special Mention (with Bec Reid), and the Trike dance project (with Stephanie Lake and Frances d’Ath). Luke has been commission by Sydney Opera House and the Australian Regional Arts festival and
choreographed for the acclaimed Malthouse Theatre, Back to Back and Arena theatre companies.
Luke was Artistic Director of Stompin (2002-2008), during which he directed and choreographed 6 new works with hundreds of young dancers. His practice as performer, choreographer, teacher and curator has taken him throughout Australia, Europe, Asia and North America. Recognitions include Asialink Performing Arts Residency to Tokyo, Arts House CultureLAB Residency, Russell Page Fellowship for Contemporary Dance,
and Melbourne Festival Choice Award and Fringe Movement Award.
Antony Hamilton
Antony trained in dance in Sydney, Perth and New York. Since 1999 he has performed with the Australian Dance Theatre (Garry Stewart), Kage Physical Theatre (Kate Denborough), Chunky Move (Gideon Obarzanek) and Lucy Guerin inc. (Lucy Guerin) extensively throughout Australia and overseas.
As choreographer, he has created works for Lyon Opera Ballet, Chunky Move, Dancenorth, The Victorian College of the Arts, Stompin and Rogue. He has also created short works for ADT’s Ignition seasons and Lucy Guerin Inc’s Pieces for Small Spaces seasons. In 2008 Antony directed and choreographed two full-length works Blazeblue Oneline and the Chunky Move commission I Like This co-directed by Byron Perry. In 2009 Blazeblue Oneline received two greenroom awards; Set and/or costume design, and Concept/Realisation.
Antony was the inaugural recipient of both the Russell Page Fellowship in 2004, and the Tanja Liedtke Fellowship in 2009. He was also winner of the Greenroom Award for Best Male Dancer in 2005, and the Helpmann Award for Best Male Dancer in 2009.
Most recently Antony began development for a new work Black Project l while in residence at RadialsystemV in Berlin, and was commissioned to create 'Black Project IIl' for the Lyon Opera Ballet in December 2009.
Martin Hansen
Martin Hansen has studied at the Victorian College of the Arts and the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance. Martin has worked with Chunky Move, Not Yet Its Difficult, LaborGras, Matej Kejzar (Rosas) and developed his own work in a number of locations, with as many very special people in some lovely settings... notably the Sophiensaele (Berlin), Tanzhaus Dusseldorf and Palacy Kultury (Warsaw).
Rebecca Hilton
Rebecca Hilton worked for thirteen years in New York (eight of them in the Stephen Petronio Company) and has performed, choreographed and taught in various capacities in many different countries over several decades.
She has contributed to the work of Russell Dumas, Lucy Guerin, Tere O'Connor, Michael Clark, Mathew Barney and many others. Recently she has been performing in Europe with the John Jasperse Company, creating Danza Para Todos a large scale community event in Rosario (Argentina) teaching for VCAM, Sasha Waltz and Guests, Dancehouse, Chunky Move and curating the artistic program for Stompin in Launceston. Rebecca is the recipient of a Australia Council Dance Fellowship for 2010/11.
Kyle Kremerskothen
Kyle began dancing in 1997 with Stompin’ Youth Dance Company. In 1998 Kyle relocated to Melbourne to undertake a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts at Deakin University. Kyle has also studied at the Victorian College of the Arts attaining a Graduate Diploma of Dramatic Arts.
In 2001 Kyle worked with Phillip Adams' BalletLab in Upholster. He has continued his relationship with BalletLab in Adams’ Brindabella and in 2009 Fermata.
Kyle has also worked with Lucy Guerin Inc from 2002 in Melt, Love Me, Aether, Structure and Sadness and Corridor. Kyle is currently curating With the Lot for LGI, a chain-curated dance and art event.
In 2006 Kyle spent time working with TasDance on the season The Earth Beneath our Feet, working with Nanette Hassall, Tanya Liedtke and Byron Perry.
He has also worked independently as a dancer with Shelley Lasica on Play in a Room and David Rozetsky, Margaret Cameron and Lucy Guerin on Think of Yourself as Plural.
Jo Lloyd - Contemporary
Jo has been performing, choreographing and teaching throughout Australia and overseas since graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts in 1995. Jo has presented work in Japan, Hong Kong, Adelaide, the Next Wave Festival and the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Jo has performed extensively in the works of Shelley Lasica, was a member of Danceworks (1998-2006) performing in many works by director Sandra Parker. Jo was a member of Chunky Move from 2003-2008, performing in Gideon Obarzanek’s work and with Prue Lang. In 2004 and 2005 Jo created and performed two works in Japan, as part of an Asialink residency and the Neon Rising Program. In 2008 Jo presented Apparently That's What Happened at the Meat Market, which was nominated for three Green Room Awards and an Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance. In 2009 she presented Melbourne Spawned a Monster in Dance Massive, the outcome of her Housemate Residency at Dancehouse and performed in Shelley Lasica's works Vianne and Full Colour. In 2010 Jo curated 24 Hours at Dancehouse and developed a new work Future Perfect. Jo has also worked with Frances, Natalie Cursio, video artist David Rosetzky and Back to Back Theatre. Recently Jo presented Project Blah Blah in Hong Kong, a duet created with Deanne Butterworth. Each fortnight Jo joins Gerard Van Gyck on Triple R for Dancing on The Radio, as part of Richard Watts’ program Smart Arts. Jo teaches regularly for Chunky Move, KAGE Physical Theatre and Dancehouse.
Alisdair Macindoe - Contemporary
Alisdair Macindoe is a Melbourne based dancer who trained in dance at The Victorian Collage of the Arts University.
Alisdair has performed in work by Lucy Guerin Inc (Structure and Sadness and Human Interest Story by Lucy Guerin), Chunky Move (I Like This By Antony Hamilton and Byron
Perry and Black Marrow By Erna Omarsdottir & Damien Jalet), Leigh Warren and Dancers (Seven), Nat Cursio Inc (short works by Nat Cursio, Jo Lloyd and Gerard Van Dyke), Katrina Lazarof , Lina Limosani (development showing), Underpass, Bare Bones Collective, Balletlab
(development showing) and Coby Orger.
Gabrielle Nankivell
Gabrielle belongs to a generation of International artists that are creating work across multiple countries. Her goal is to ignite the imagination of audiences and create continuing avenues of dialogue on the topic of performance.
Gabrielle has directed numerous performances that have been presented in Australia, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, UK, Croatia, Armenia and Portugal.
She has been performing worldwide since 2000 with companies and artists including Ultima Vez/Wim Vandekeybus (Belgium), OX/Gabrielle Nankivell & Jurij Konjar (Australia/Slovenia), Alexander Baervoets (Belgium), Aaben Dans/Thomas Eisenhardt (Denmark), Ballet Braunschweig (Germany), Australian Dance Theatre/Garry Stewart (Australia), Thomas Steyaert (Belgium), Luke Smiles (Australia) and Raul Maia (Portugal) amongst others.
Gabrielle is currently creating a solo work titled Witch/Red at Dancehouse assisted by their Housemate residency program. She is also undertaking post-graduate studies in Writing and touring of raving gods and the dogs who made them supported by Ulti’mates/Ultima Vez. Gabrielle is a SCOPE recipient, has twice held a scholarship to the Impulstanz Festival in Vienna and has been awarded a Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship by Arts Management Australia.
She completed formal training with Jaqueline Tucker in Adelaide and the Victorian College of the Arts and is mentored daily by the world around her.
Phoebe Robinson
Phoebe Robinson studied dance at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Since graduating she has performed in Australia, New York, Berlin and Japan, in works by Sandra Parker, Lucy Guerin, Neil Adams, Francis D’ath and Kota Yamazaki. In 2008 she was Housemate Resident at Dancehouse for three months, during this time she choreographed and performed a new solo work, Only Leone, subsequently nominated for an Australian Dance Award. Her other works include The Futurist, Emperor’s New Guns, and in collaboration with Julia Robinson Quiet Listening Exercises and Half Finished World.
Lee Serle
Lee graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2003. Since then Lee has
performed nationally and internationally in works by Chunky Move (Gideon Obarzanek, Antony Hamilton and Byron Perry), Lucy Guerin Inc, Shelley Lasica, Kota Yamasaki, Neil Adams, Luke George and Dani-Ela Kayler. Lee has performed in three works for the Pieces for Small Spaces seasons curated by Lucy Guerin including his own work A Little Murky in 2007. He has also choreographed I'm In Love for the Next Wave Festival's Nightclub Project at the Mens Gallery.
Vishal - Yoga
Douglas Brook – Spiritual name Vishal – started practicing yoga in 1994 with Eugenie Knox at The Dance of Life Studio. He found that through yoga he felt awake, alive and connected to the truth of life. His daily practice led to an apprenticeship with Eugenie and to teaching at the studio. He has been to India 7 times and is a devotee of spiritual teacher and humanitarian Amma. He studied Ashtanga Yoga with Greg and Tracy Cooper, Graham Northfield, Mathew Sweeney and Deena Kingsberg. He currently teaches beginners to advanced students at The Ashtanga Yoga Centre of Melbourne and Fitness First Health Clubs. He has instructed on many Yoga retreats with the Dance of Life, at Yoga Fest, with Ashtanga Yoga in Queensland and has worked on Amma’s Australian and Indian Tours. Vishal also teaches at Lucy Guerin Inc and has been teaching at Geelong Grammar via the Chunky Move and Geelong Grammar School program to promote positive thinking
Jo White
Joanne trained at the Graduate College of Dance in Perth, John Neumeier Hamburg Ballet School and the Victorian College of the Arts. She was a member of the Hamburg Ballet for several years and performed in all productions in Hamburg and abroad. Over the last 8 years she has been a member of Balletlab, performing and touring with the company. Most recently she was involved in the first development of the Balletlab/ Australian Ballet project entitled Aviary. Joanne has also worked with Buzz Dance Theatre, Tasdance, The West Australian Ballet, Opera Australia and several other independent companies and artists in Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Tokyo. For the past 10 years Joanne has also been investigating and sharing body alignment and movement principles through the disciplines of pilates, yoga and dance. She is a regular teacher of contemporary dance at Chunky Move and also teaches ballet at the Victorian College of the Arts.
Adam Wheeler
Adam is the Artistic Associate of Stompin and in 2008 was the inaugural recipient of the Stompin Fellowship having made three works for the company 23 (2009) Uncover This (2008) and Bone Dry and Green (2006).
Adam is also the Artistic Director of 2ndToe Dance Collective, which provides young and emerging artists the opportunity to make dance work with professional artists. The collective have made several works together including Adam Turns 26 and Something Blew Stage 1. Recently the Collective have taken over the dance program at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar.
Adam is a graduate of the Victorian College of the arts and in his final year of study joined Chunky Move. From 2004-2009 he performed and taught for the company nationally, across the USA, Canada and New Zealand. He has also danced for Circa Nica and Jo Lloyd.
Adam’s passion for the development of dance with young people has seen him work with the Australian Ballet on their Out There Program (2006), work as choreographer and workshop leader at The Australian Youth Dance Festival (2009), choreograph for the AC Arts Graduation Showcase Season (2008) and was the Artistic Director of the Dance Fusion Program, St Michaels Grammar School (2003-2008). In 2010 Adam will make work with Steps Youth Dance Company, Qantum and Fling Physical Theatre.
Adam was shortlisted for two Australian Dance Awards in 2009 (Uncover This) and in 2003 he was the winner of the Most Outstanding Movement award, Melbourne Fringe Festival for 3 Day Growth. Other highlights include choreographing That Beep film clip for Architecture in Helsinki (2008).
He regularly teaches for Chunky Move, Youth Australian Ballet Inc., Dance World and schools across Victoria and Tasmania.
Tim Darbyshire
Tim studied Dance at Queensland University of Technology and had his first independent performance creation Room Service in Space 39 (Melbourne).
He has recently been working in France, Portugal and Norway within the collaborative framework of Sweet and Tender Collaborations. He has been developing a solo work Buckets and Other Things (due to be Maximised by Chunky Move in October) as well as working as a performer for David Wampach’s Battement and Meg Stuarts Re-Run. In 2008 he performed in two pieces created by Marianne Baillot and António Júlio for Portuguese dance company Companhia Instável (Unstable Company). In 2009 he performed for Eszter Salamon and Christine De Smedt’s Transformers project at Impulstanz. Since returning to Melbourne he has completed a Housemate Residency at Dancehouse and a Lucy Guerin Space Residency. He has also contributed to the development of Karen Berger and Kate Neal’s Semaphore project as a dancer and collaborator.
Victoria Chiu
Sydney born Victoria Chiu trained at VCA Melbourne. She has performed and toured internationally with European companies including Companie Nomades, Cie Gilles Jobin, Micha Purucker and Jane Turner. In Australia she has performed with Fiona Malone, Bernadette Walong and Australian Dance Theatre for the TV show Superstars of Dance. She has choreographed three works all presented in Switzerland and has just premiered a new work StarStruck in Sydney working in a Sydney/Geneva collaboration with Jozsef Trefeli. In Sydney Victoria has taught for many dancing institutions. Dance film Don’t Look Back evolved from work with students at EvandBow. StarStruck has completed a summer tour of Europe and will tour to Switzerland in November 2010.
Stephanie Lake
Stephanie graduated from the Victorian College of the arts in 2000 and has spent the past ten years dancing for some of Australia’s foremost companies including Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin Inc and Balletlab. She has toured Australia, Europe, Canada, Asia, the UK and USA. Stephanie won the green room award for Best Emerging Dancer in 2000 and the Melbourne Festival Choice award for Trike, which she co-directed in the same year. She has been nominated for an Australian Dance Award and Green Room Award. Stephanie has also had acclaim as a choreographer with many commissions for short works from various organisations including Chunky Move, the VCA, Stompin and Lucy Guerin Inc. More recently she created a large participatory dance work for 100 people that was performed in Federation Square in 2009, and a City of Melbourne mob dance for 400 dancers performed in Bourke Street mall in January this year. Most recently Stephanie created Mix Tape as part of Chunky Move's The Next Move series.
Kirsty Martin
Kirsty Martin trained for three years at the Australian Ballet School, under the direction of Gailene Stock before graduating in 1995. She then joined the Australian Ballet company in 1996 where she performed a wide range of classical and contemporary works before being promoted to soloist in 1998 and to senior artist in 1999. In 2000, Kirsty joined Nederlands Dans Theater where she worked with choreographers Jiri Kylian, Johan Inger, William Forsythe and Paul Lightfoot and performed an extensive range of contemporary ballets
Kirsty returned to The Australian Ballet in 2002 to perform in The world Premier season of Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake and the following year was promoted to Principal Artist. Kirsty has perfomed many of the traditional classical ballets, as well as new works throughout her time as a dancer. She was awarded the prestigious Benois de la Danse award in 2009, and was invited to perform in Moscow at The Bolshoi Theatre. Kirsty retired in 2011 after having a successful and fulfilling career on the stage.
Some repertoire highlights include; The Merry Widow 2011, Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly 2011, Peter Wrights The Nutcracker 2010, 2008, Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake 2002-2008.
Jason Dietz Marchant
Dance artist, Jason Dietz Marchant, is a teacher, choreographer and dancer who recently re-located to Melbourne from New York City. His work with collaborator Lindsey Dietz Marchant has been presented in New York City by Danspace Project, Dance Theater Workshop, La MaMa E.T.C., Dixon Place, DanceNOW [NYC], Music-Theatre Group, 92 Street Y Harkness Dance Center among many others. During his time in New York he performed for over 25 choreographers and prior to moving to Melbourne he taught regularly at Dance New Amsterdam as part of their 'Guest Artist Series' and at universities and festivals around the world.
Jessie Thompson - Ballet
Born in Perth, Western Australia Jessica Thompson began ballet lessons at the age of five under the guidance of Terri Charlesworth. After completing her training at The Australian Ballet School in 2003 she joined the Australian Ballet Company. She danced with the company for four years, touring nationally throughout Australia and internationally to London, Cardiff, Shanghai, Auckland and Tokyo. In 2009 she joined The Royal New Zealand Ballet Company and following this returned to Melbourne to dance with the Melbourne Ballet Company. In 2010 Jessica was awarded an Ian Potter Cultural Trust grant to undertake professional artistic development in Europe and India. She is currently a member of the dance staff at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and performs regularly as a guest artist and in project based works.