Audio transcript

Pete Evans

JOANNE KING: The dance team at the Arts Unit of the NSW Department of Education have produced this podcast as part of the 'Listen @ The Arts Unit' series. This podcast is produced on Gadigal and Cadigal land of the Eora nation. We pay our respect to the Traditional Custodians of the land with further acknowledgment of the many lands this podcast will be listened to across Australia.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, storytelling, music and dance, along with the people, hold the memories of Australia's traditions, culture and hopes. Let us also acknowledge any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and people in our presence today who guide us with their wisdom.

[intro sting]

ANNOUNCER: Listen @ The Arts Unit.

[upbeat music playing]

JOANNE KING: My name is Joanne King, and I am the dance performance officer at The Arts Unit for the NSW Department of Education. This episode's hosts, Milla and Eloise, spoke with the NSW Public Schools Primary Dance Ensemble tutor, Pete Evans. Pete is in high demand as a teacher and choreographer across Australia due to his unique athletic style of dance.

Pete has worked extensively with world-renowned company Opera Australia, performing as a seasonal dancer and actor. Pete's commitment to being a dependable and well-rounded performer has helped him cultivate a career spanning many facets of the dance industry. He prides himself on the opportunities he has earned, as well as the creatives he has worked with.

This is a chance to learn more about Pete's experience in the dance industry and what it's like working with the NSW Public Schools Primary Dance Ensemble. Thanks for tuning in to this episode.

ELOISE: Hi, I'm Eloise from Byron Bay Public School.

MILLA: Hi, I'm Milla from Bondi Beach Public School. Welcome our guest, Pete.

PETE EVANS: Hi, guys. How you doing?

ELOISE: Good, thank you. How are you?

PETE EVANS: I'm doing very well. Thank you for having me. This is exciting.

ELOISE: How old were you when you decided to pursue dance as a career, and why?

PETE EVANS: Oh, good question. So I was, actually, a bit of a late bloomer. So I started dancing when I was 16. I trained with a dance school group, actually. It was through my high school. And we had an external choreographer similar to what I do with you guys now, actually, who owned a dance studio that was local to my house and invited me to join.

And then I began dancing when I was 16, which meant that I had to play the catch-up game a little bit with my training. But I'm really, really grateful for that. I feel like I had a bit more of a mature approach, I suppose, to it because I was older. And it also means that that passion didn't falter or die off after a while. I'm still very, very passionate about it because I think I had to fight for it a little bit more.

ELOISE: Yeah, that's good. What school did you go to?

PETE EVANS: I went to Springwood High School, which is in the Blue Mountains-- very proud.

MILLA: Was it cold?

PETE EVANS: Was it cold? Yes, it was freezing. Have you been to the Blue Mountains before? It's very cold up there.

ELOISE: Yeah.

MILLA: How long have you been working with the Arts Unit?

PETE EVANS: I started working with the Arts Unit, I believe, in 2018. So this is my sixth year now. So I began as a choreographer in Schools Spectacular and then, since then, have just been working on a lot of other smaller projects throughout the unit. It's my favourite job, so I'm holding on pretty tight. I'm hoping to be with the Arts Unit for a very long time.

MILLA: Who or what was your inspiration as a young dancer?

PETE EVANS: Who or what? Wow, OK. Well, I used to always look up to the older students at my studio. I remember those that were graduating a couple years ahead of me, I always really, really strived to be able to move like them and to, I don't know, have similar goals to them and things like that. I remember I was also exposed to a lot of the full-time schools around Sydney, so I was able to watch a lot of performances with those guys that were performing and then be able to aspire to be kind of like them.

I also grew up around the time that YouTube videos and things like that started to become really, really popular. So I was able to watch a lot of dancers in LA and London and things like that. So that was offering a lot of inspiration to me, as well. Definitely, in regards to dancing, it would have been them, those higher-profile choreographers and dancers from internationals.

ELOISE: Have you danced with any of them nowadays?

PETE EVANS: Such a good question. I have been very lucky in that I was able to travel overseas. I spent a little bit of time in Los Angeles and was able to take class with a lot of them. They teach regularly over there, and I was able to go over and take a few classes and participate and meet them and ask questions to them, similar to what you're doing to me now.

So yes, I guess, is the answer to that question. Yeah, I have been able to meet them and to collaborate and work with them. And I'm actually good friends with a lot of them now, which is really, really lovely.

ELOISE: Do you do a lot of dancing outside of teaching?

PETE EVANS: Oh, wow, good question. I do, yes. So I-- again, I don't get to do as much class as what I would love to do. But a lot of the time, gigs and jobs and things like that that I do outside of teaching often require me to rehearse dancing. So I use that as my training sometimes.

I would always love to do more. I think that it's really, really important for a dancer to continue training throughout any age, right up until the end, so whatever that end might be, not that there needs to be one. But I definitely think that, yeah, I would like to be doing more class. But I do definitely still get to dance a lot, which I'm very grateful for.

MILLA: How much training did you do when you were younger?

PETE EVANS: Ooh, OK. So I danced every night when I was-- like, Year 10 onwards. So I was doing all different types of dancing, all of the genres. And I was training at my studio every night for roughly, maybe, 3 to 4 hours.

MILLA: Wow.

PETE EVANS: Yeah, it was a lot. It was a lot. I never saw my parents. They just assumed that I was at home in the morning when they were leaving for work. I then decided to pursue it further and go to a full-time school. So once I graduated high school, I decided to do my certificate 4 in dance at Ev & Bow, which is a contemporary school in the Sutherland Shire.

And that was full time. So that was from 8 till 4 every day of the week, minus weekends. And that was-- there was a lot of class every day of all different types, as well. And then that was for 2 years. So once I graduated that, I had done a lot of training.

ELOISE: Wow, you did heaps.

PETE EVANS: A lot, yes-- a lot.

ELOISE: How many hours do you teach nowadays?

PETE EVANS: Again, I teach a lot of hours. I teach most nights and most days. I really, really love it, so it doesn't ever feel like work for me. So I always am, kind of, a sucker for saying yes to a new teaching opportunity, which is, I think, a really exciting thing. It means that I love my job.

I roughly teach, maybe, 3 to 4 hours every day. Sometimes that's at night at a night studio , or it's for the Arts Unit, like I take Monday nights with you guys. Or I'll teach during the day at different colleges around Sydney. So yeah, roughly between 3 to 4 hours, I would say, every day.

MILLA: Whoa.

PETE EVANS: Yeah. I love it, though. It doesn't feel like work.

ELOISE: That's good.

PETE EVANS: Yes.

MILLA: Did you always know that you wanted dance to be your future?

PETE EVANS: Oh, good question. No, I actually didn't. I grew up being a drama kid. So I was always set on being an actor-- always creative. I was always definitely involved in the performing arts. But I definitely had my eyes set more on acting, rather than dancing.

And then it was through a program called Rock Eisteddfod, which I don't believe runs anymore, but it was kind of a happy blend of both. And then, because I was acting in that, it kind of-- that transition very organically happened. And then I discovered dance. And then, I don't know, just fell in love with that.

But I feel like the 2 go hand in hand, anyway. So I think the minute that I had started training dance a bit more seriously, that was when I knew that that was definitely what I wanted to do.

ELOISE: Do you still do drama and acting now?

PETE EVANS: I do. I am employed currently with Opera Australia, so I'm actually an actor with them. So I started in the company as a dancer and have been working as an actor with them on different shows the past couple of years. So I'm still definitely doing the swapping between the 2. What about you guys? Have you ever been interested in acting, as well?

ELOISE: I want to start doing some acting.

PETE EVANS: You should. You definitely should. What about you?

MILLA: I want to, but I'm not the best at it, but I'm sure I'll get better.

PETE EVANS: Yeah, but that's-- you gotta train it. And that's why it's exciting. Give it a go.

MILLA: What has been your worst injury through dance, and how did you stay motivated through that time?

PETE EVANS: Well, I'm very lucky in that I haven't really been too seriously injured in the time that I've danced. I did have a very mild stress fracture in my back back when I danced at a night school when I was about 17, which put me on the sideline for, maybe, about 10 weeks.

MILLA: Oh, that's sad.

PETE EVANS: Yeah, it was hard-- hurt a lot. But that's really the only serious injury that I've ever had. The way to stay motivated-- well, I just-- I loved it so much that I would still attend all the classes, and I'd sit at the front, and I'd be marking everything, sitting down. And I think if you love something that much and you're so determined to always do it, I think you find that motivation. Do you agree?

MILLA: Yeah, I do.

PETE EVANS: Yeah. Have you guys ever been injured?

ELOISE: No.

MILLA: Oh, yeah, once, I hurt my back. And then I had to dance. So then my dance teacher had to change a few things--

PETE EVANS: Oh, that's a good dance teacher.

MILLA: --because we had it in a competition.

PETE EVANS: Right. That's a good dance teacher.

MILLA: Yeah.

ELOISE: Not really through dancing, but once I was jumping on the trampoline, and I did a back handspring. And I landed on my neck, and I had to go to hospital for a bit.

PETE EVANS: Oh, no. You're OK now, though?

ELOISE: Yeah.

PETE EVANS: OK. Thank goodness.

MILLA: That's good. If you were to have one dance goal, what would it be?

PETE EVANS: That's a really good question. I wouldn't say that I necessarily have a goal of a job. I don't necessarily have something that I'm aiming towards. I think now that I'm older and get to do so many different things within the dance industry, I just would really like to be someone who is dependable and who is looked up to by the younger generations, I would say.

Because I get to teach everybody so much, I think that would be definitely a goal. I would want to be known for being a good ambassador of what dance is and just be able to teach people how to do it properly and how to do it kindly. So that would definitely be a goal of mine, I would say.

MILLA: What is it that made you choose to work as a tutor at the NSW State Dance Ensemble?

PETE EVANS: Oh, wow. I am in love with the team at the Arts Unit. I think that everybody gets on really, really well, those that are permanent there and, also, those that are external. I think it's a really strong, tight-knit team who are working towards a very, very similar goal, which I think is really important.

Because I've been able to do so many different jobs and projects and things with the Arts Unit, I just am always very trusting to say yes to them because I know it's going to be of high quality and very beneficial to those students that are involved in it.

The idea of being able to teach weekly, I think, was also really, really exciting. I'd never got to be a part of any of the Arts Units projects at my high school, so I'm now experiencing them from a whole different perspective. And I'm learning just as much as you guys in that process. So I'm really, really enjoying being able to teach weekly, to meet all you guys, to connect with you guys. There's so many benefits and pros to this job, so I'm always going to say yes.

ELOISE: Was there ever a point in dance where you thought about stopping?

PETE EVANS: Oh, good question. No, I've never actually had that. Because I think, again, circling back, because I started later, I've never felt that burnout or that want to do something else because I've never experienced anything else, if that makes sense, so I've never wanted to not be doing what I'm doing.

I think that's why COVID was a tricky time for a lot of people. Because I think a lot of people were forced to reassess what they were doing and why they were doing it. And then, during that time, I found a lot of comfort in that, even in that time where I couldn't do what I loved to do, that's all I wanted to do.

So I wanted to dance, and I wanted to be back with all of the people that I love, doing what I love. And because I wasn't able to, that was solidifying that it was what I was meant to be doing. How did you guys find COVID? Did you struggle with it?

ELOISE: Yeah, I found it really hard.

PETE EVANS: Did you guys go onto Zoom with your studios?

MILLA: Yeah.

PETE EVANS: How did you find that?

MILLA: It was hard work trying to keep up.

PETE EVANS: It's hard work, isn't it? But did it make you want to dance in the room more?

ELOISE: Yeah, a lot more.

PETE EVANS: A lot more, right? And then you were really, really appreciated it when we all got to go back and connect again.

MILLA: Yeah, I loved it.

PETE EVANS: Yes. It was so different, wasn't it?

ELOISE: Yeah. When you dance and teach, how do you feel in the moment? Is it the same or different feeling?

PETE EVANS: In comparison to dancing and teaching?

MILLA: Yeah.

PETE EVANS: It's a very different feeling, I would say. I would say that teaching is a lot more collaborative, so I'm sharing that feeling with those people that I'm in the room with, whereas dancing, in a really lovely way, I can be quite selfish with it and that if I'm performing, that's for me.

And that's my experience in that moment by myself, which I really never take for granted, and I always make sure that I'm very, very aware of that moment, whereas with teaching, I'm really excited because I get to collaborate with those people that I'm in the room with. I get to meet new people. I'm feeling what they're feeling, and we're exchanging energy and all that sort of stuff. So I would say they're very, very different. But I'm always very happy in either space. I love them both equally.

MILLA: How do you come up with the choreography on the spot?

PETE EVANS: On the spot-- ooh-- again, collaboratively. So I really, really enjoy having a very candid conversation with the dancer that I'm working with, or dancers that I'm working with, and them being able to communicate to me what they can offer and what they can bring to the process.

And then, in turn, I can offer my expert-- expertise, sorry. And then we can, together, come up with something, a form of movement, that matches both of those things and both of us can be proud of, I would say. So I'm always very, very on board with collaborating with those people that I'm teaching.

ELOISE: What is the funniest experience or moment that you have had during your time performing?

PETE EVANS: One moment that's really, really stuck with me-- and it might not be funny, but, to me, it's hilarious-- was during one of our Rock Eisteddfod performances in high school. Our theme that we did for our piece was 'Where the Wild Things Are', that children's storybook.

And my part was I played a sea monster. That was my role in it. And I had to swim around and pretend to attack a boat. And during the performance, the sail came loose and wrapped around my head. And I had to, during that performance, unwrap that sail from my head, completely blind, all the while trying to still do the choreography.

And it wasn't as dramatic as I probably remember it, but in my head, it was just the funniest thing that had ever happened to me in that moment. And I'm sure you can picture big, tall, lanky Pete flailing about with a sail wrapped around his head.

So it's pretty-- it's pretty funny. What about you guys? What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you guys on stage?

MILLA: Probably when you go to a competition, and the stage is really small. And you just look at it and it's like, um.

PETE EVANS: 100%. That's always hilarious-- never for the dance teacher in the moment. They're always hating it. But when you get there and the stage is half the size, and you all have to just squish on stage like sardines, that's always very funny, especially remembering it back the week later.

ELOISE: To do with that, in our studio, we have a dance where the whole studio does it. There's about 130 people doing it. And we went to the Easter Show, and the stage was really small.

PETE EVANS: That is a very small stage.

ELOISE: So when we tried to fit everyone on, there was, I think, 30 people dancing.

PETE EVANS: And everybody else just in the wings, giving their best jazz hands.

ELOISE: Yeah.

PETE EVANS: That's what I picture, yeah-- hilarious. I love stuff like that.

ELOISE: If you could turn back in time to talk to your 12-year-old self, what would you tell him?

PETE EVANS: Ooh, getting deep, guys. What would I tell him? I would tell him to not worry what anybody else thinks or does. I think if you love something that much, like we love dance, you have to be really, really selfish in your approach in the way of doing it for you and making sure that you're happy, and you're doing it for the right reasons. If you enjoy it, then there's absolutely no reason or no-- yeah, no reason why you should stop.

So I would definitely just tell my younger self to always-- sorry, to never take anything for granted, to always live in that moment, to really, really enjoy what you're doing, take every single opportunity that presents itself because you get to learn so much. You get to meet all these different people.

I don't know about you guys, but every dancer that you meet, you're guaranteed an interesting conversation with them. They've always done something crazy or cool, or they've seen something incredible. So there's always something to talk about. So in taking all of those different opportunities, you're able to meet these amazing people and learn from them. And they're learning from you.

So yeah, it's always going to that audition or performing in that festival and all of those sort of things, I think, is really, really important. So yeah. Whoa, that was a long answer. But I would just say, take every opportunity, never take anything for granted, and don't worry about what everybody else thinks.

MILLA: What's the biggest thing you've learned off someone?

PETE EVANS: I would say the biggest thing that I've learned as a professional dancer and as a teacher and someone that has made this their career, I would say that there's always room for everybody within the dance world.

So I think that there's a really strange misconception that you will go to an audition, and they're only taking 1 or 2 people, and that's that, whereas I think it needs to be taught more that there is so much room for everybody, all different types of people, within the dance world. And they're able to-- there's always going to be a job that's suited to you and an experience, even, that's suited to you.

And I think that that's really, really important. And I learned that later in life, I would say, in my dance career. And once you do learn that and once you do accept that, it just becomes so much more exciting, I think. I would say that's probably the biggest thing that I've learned. Something that's that profound to me, I would say, would probably be that.

ELOISE: What has been a highlight or a memorable moment so far with the Arts Unit?

PETE EVANS: OK, I know how to answer this straight away. On my first year of Schools Spectacular, standing in Qudos Bank Arena with a tiny little headset microphone on, directing so many dancers on this giant arena floor, and feeling like an absolute rock star.

I think the fact that the Arts Unit were able to give me that opportunity, let alone all of these other dancers, to be a part of something so mammoth and something that's so internationally loved and viewed, not just in Australia but around the world, that was a real pinch-me moment for me, I would say.

I also remember growing up and watching Schools Spectacular every single Christmas with my parents and always being so jealous that I wasn't able to be a part of it. So I think being able to do that full-circle moment, to go back to be a part of it on the creative team, is unbeatable. That was absolutely my favourite moment so far with the Arts Unit.

ELOISE: Did you teach Schools Spec last year?

PETE EVANS: I did. I have taught Schools Spec every year since 2018, with the exception of the COVID years. But yes, I was lucky enough to be on the creative team last year. I was also lucky enough to be given a featured duo. So that was a whole different ballpark, again, in the creative process and things like that. I work really closely with Neale Whittaker on the hip-hops. I've been doing that the past couple of years, which has been super fun.

MILLA: That's cool.

PETE EVANS: Very cool. It's our favourite part of the year. And then to be able to do a lyrical on 2 very, very talented male dancers was also very, very special. So yeah, I did. I was there last year.

ELOISE AND MILLA: Can you tell us an interesting fact about yourself?

PETE EVANS: Does it have to be anything to do with dance, or can it be anything?

ELOISE AND MILLA: Anything.

PETE EVANS: Wow, you guys are very in sync.

[laughter]

OK, my go-to fun fact is when I was younger, in primary school, my parents used to rent lighthouses around Australia. So I used to travel around Australia staying, months at a time, at a lighthouse, just living there and hanging out with my brother. I got to stay in the 'Round the Twist' lighthouse, which was pretty cool.

That's kind of the-- my go-to fun fact. I just think it's something that no one else that I know of has been able to do. So I think that that's pretty cool. Mum and Dad always used to say that wherever there's a lighthouse, there's somewhere interesting and beautiful. So yeah, that was pretty cool. It was a fun way to spend my childhood.

ELOISE: Yeah.

MILLA: Do you like the ocean?

PETE EVANS: I love the ocean. I love the ocean. So I grew up in the Blue Mountains, so I was far away from the ocean. So the minute I could, I moved straight to the beach. And I have lived there ever since, and I don't see myself leaving. I love the water too much. Do you love it?

MILLA: When I go to Hawaii, I am always in the water, and my sister's shopping.

PETE EVANS: 100%-- 100%. Yeah, OK. You've got your priorities straight. That's good. Well done.

ELOISE AND MILLA: Thanks for being on our podcast, Pete.

PETE EVANS: So in sync, still. Thank you so much for having me, guys. It was a pleasure.

ELOISE: Thank you.

MILLA: Thank you.

PETE EVANS: Bye, guys.

ELOISE AND MILLA: Bye.

JOANNE KING: Thanks for tuning in to 'Listen @ The Arts Unit', our series introducing the 2023 NSW Public Schools Dance Ensemble tutors.

[upbeat music playing]

ANNOUNCER: For more information on our programs, explore our website at artsunit.nsw.edu.au.

Background music licensed by Envato Elements. Copyright, State of NSW Department of Education, 2023.