The Riverina dance ensembles in Albury held early Term 1 auditions for their selective program catering to NSW public school students. The ensembles are a rare opportunity for regional and rural students to access a professional dance program that might not be offered at their local school.

Weekly rehearsals foster students' talents and skills, and students showcase at local and regional festivals, allowing them to grow as performers and experience the rewards of hard work and dedication. The Riverina dance ensembles are an excellent example of the NSW Department of Education's commitment to supporting the arts in public schools and providing students with opportunities to pursue their passions and talents.

Pulse Far West was created to provide high-quality arts experiences for public school students in rural and remote areas who, due to distance, don’t always have the same access as metropolitan students to arts programs. The program was held in 2 separate areas, Broken Hill and Sunraysia, in the last 2 weeks of Term 1.

Students worked with expert staff from the NSW Department of Education as well as tutors from the entertainment industry and participated in dance, music and drama workshops across four days. The workshop program culminated in 2 rousing evening showcase performances at the Civic Centre in Broken Hill and the Arts Centre in Mildura for Sunraysia schools. 

Secondary dance students from across the state honed their skills at the newly renovated Sydney Dance Company professional studios. Led by industry professional teaching artists, students explored a variety of dance styles across the contemporary and commercial dance industries in a fun and engaging environment. Our teaching artists supported individuals to work within their own capabilities and encouraged all students to experience dance in a positive and inclusive environment.

Listen @ The Arts Unit podcasts showcase dance this term. Listen out for the release of episodes introducing our inspiring ensemble tutors and a wide range of topics aimed at dance teachers and students. 

The Secondary dance workshops cater for students in Years 7 to 12 and are delivered at the newly renovated professional studios at Sydney Dance Company. Students are exposed to a variety of dance styles across the contemporary and commercial dance industries and develop their dance technique, creativity and performance quality in a fun and engaging environment led by industry professional teaching artists. 

All of the workshops are tailored to meet the learning needs of students from diverse backgrounds, including those with different skill levels and prior dance experience. The teaching artists support individuals to work within their own capabilities and encourage all students to experience dance in a positive and inclusive environment. Students attended these workshops from across the state and were exposed to challenging choreographic content from all tutors.

In 2023, the teaching artists included;

Years 9 and 10

Dean Vince | musical theatre
Natalie Cunzolo | composition
Evie Morris | contemporary
Brad Green | jazz
Lee Johnston | contemporary 
Mitchell Christie | composition

Years 7 and 8

Evie Morris | contemporary 
Natalie Cunzolo | composition
Dean Vince | musical theatre
Maddie Owen | jazz
Pete Evans | contemporary 
Lee Johnston | contemporary 

Callback 2022 was presented by The Arts Unit, NSW Department of Education, in association with the NSW Education Standards Authority. The event was held across 4 shows on February 9 and 10 in the Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre.

The event was an outstanding demonstration of the talent of the 2022 HSC dance cohort and the 30 nominated works represented students from all education sectors. The components of Core Performance, Core Composition and Major Study Performance were demonstrated and through observation and a Q&A session held at the start of the show, students could reflect and evaluate on their own dance works and apply the learned content in their own study of dance as an artform. 

To view a copy of the Thursday and Friday programs, please select each document below. 

Dance Train magazine also published a feature about Callback 2022.

In association with the Callback performance, The Arts Unit hosted a series of workshops for Years 10, 11 and 12 students to deepen their knowledge of the practical core and major study components of the dance course. Participants were led through an all day series of workshops focusing on Core Performance, Core Composition and their selected Major Study Performance, Composition or Film session. Students were then able to attend the evening show to apply their learned knowledge whilst observing the nominated works in the show.

Thank you to our experienced HSC dance tutors:

Emma Bathgate-Petersen – Newtown High School of the Performing Arts
Alison McKellar – Newtown High School of the Performing Arts
Rebecca Fishburn – Westfield Sports High School
Kirsty Mcrae – Kincumber High School