Why The Australian Choreographic Centre?

OUR VISION FOR DANCE

Dance in Australia will be justly recognised as a powerful art form, which contributes to our identity both nationally and internationally.

OUR VISION FOR THE CENTRE

We will grow as an influential and effective centre for the development of choreographic practice in Australia.

The Australian Choreographic Centre in Canberra has an 8-year history of success in supporting the development of the art, craft and science of choreography ? enhancing the contribution which dance makes to cultural life. Through a nationally competitive program of fellowships, residencies and commissions plus educational and advocacy activities, it has become a centre for choreographic research, development of choreographers, and new choreographic works. It is growing towards a purpose-built complex to house an enhanced vision, by 2010.

DANCE AND CHOREOGRAPHY

The arts and other cultural activities provide an expressive and reflective platform for people to examine who they are: their sense of place, beliefs, relationships and aspirations. Dance can explore and communicate across many domains of knowledge, using many modalities. It uses time, space, shape, energy, imagery and metaphor; and its most powerful tool ? the human visceral experience of moving. Dance is a heightened form of non-verbal communication ? rich in gesture, meaning, expression and affect. It is one of the major vehicles through which Australian stories and cultural diversity are communicated to the world.

Choreographers are the creators of dance, dealing with form, structure and style ? as playwrights are to theatre, architects to building, and composers to music. Dancers, on the other hand, are the creative medium for dance: akin to actors, builders, or musicians. However, choreographers are also responsible for the mounting of a dance production, perhaps analogous to directors and conductors. They cannot create in isolation, instead needing bodies, space and time.

DEVELOPMENT OF CHOREOGRAPHERS

We focus on choreographers: the dancemakers at the core of the dance profession. We provide them with professional development opportunities aimed at both their research and their choreographic skills. We not only provide resources, but also customised and intensive mentorship to choreographers desiring it, to maximise learning opportunities, particularly in awareness of process. We encourage and assist choreo?graphers in making transitions: from the use of composition and basic principles to choreographic craft, and ultimately to viable integrated practice as a professional choreographer.

CHOREOGRAPHIC RESEARCH

Choreographic research develops the practice of choreography, producing new ideas, new expressions, new ways of seeing, intellectual frameworks, choreographic processes, methodologies, systems ? and new dance works.

Choreographic research may be academic and publishable: relatively little is known about the processes that underpin the creation and performance of dance works, and less still is documented about the processes and stylistic influences that are present and possibly unique to the Australian art form. The results of research may also be located within the choreographer: the invention of ideas, images, movement, performances and artefacts, through acts of creative imagination and intelligence.

NEW CHOREOGRAPHIC WORKS

Dance works are developed at the Centre primarily as a mode of choreographic research or vehicle for the development of a choreographer. In some cases, audience and critical response is an important measure of success. For others, the artistic and aesthetic qualities of the work are part of the self-evaluation by the artist, and in others they are incidental to the activity.

WHICH CHOREOGRAPHERS?

The Centre primarily targets choreographers with an ?emerging practice? ? not tied to their years in the profession ? as this gap is most crucial. We also support mid-career and established choreographers when they embarking on new directions.

Mission Statement (Purpose. Business. Values. Beneficiaries.)

“We will develop the breadth, depth, understanding and appreciation

of choreographic practice in Australia, providing

• an effective and influential centre for choreographic development and research;

• a centre for intensive, immersive development opportunities to selected professional choreographers around Australia, primarily in the first years of choreographic practice;

• a centre supporting research into choreographic practice;

• a centre for choreographers to invest their work in young people, giving rich choreographic development opportunities to both; and

• a centre for public engagement with choreography and choreographers through presentation and critical discussion.

We will provide a rich environment for choreographic development and research, through:

• intensive immersion: choreographers focus entirely on their choreographic practice;

• collaboration: choreographers engage with other artists;

• mentoring: choreographers are challenged and supported;

• intensive processes: choreographers take time for experiment and reflection;

• craft: choreographers hone core skills;

• performance: choreographers actively engage with audiences; and

• background research: choreographers access national cultural institutions.

We value:

• Repeated support of a choreographer over several years, in different programs.

• Choreographic awareness in young people — future choreographers and audiences.

• Audiences: we build bridges between choreographers and audiences.

We are responsible to:

• The Australian dance profession: we show national leadership for choreographic development and research nationally.

• Choreographers: we constantly search for best ways to support choreographers.

• National as well as local constituencies: through national programs, we deliver value for our home region.