The national Australian Dance Awards will be held in Melbourne at the State Theatre, the Arts Centre on Sunday June 20, 2010.

The awards are a highlight of the winter cultural calendar in Melbourne and offer audiences a glittering evening gala featuring both an awards ceremony and performances by some of Australia’s best dancers and companies.
Awards are given in 10 categories including Outstanding Performance in a Stage Musical, Outstanding Performance by a Company, Outstanding Performance by a Male and Female Dancer, Award for Services to Dance and Lifetime Achievement.

Previous Award winners have included Tanja Liedtke, Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon, Lucette Aldous, the Australian Ballet, Sydney Dance Company, Bradley Chatfield, Patrick Thaiday, Lucinda Dunn, Todd McKenney and Hugh Jackman.

The Awards started as an intimate ‘dancer’s picnic’ in Sydney in the 1980s and has since grown to a one-night-only gala event attended by over 1800 dance lovers.

Dance audiences and members of the public have submitted a record-breaking number of nominations for this year’s Awards.

A panel of dance professionals will assess the nominations in the coming weeks.

The shortlisted nominees for the 2010 Australian Dance Awards were announced with the Australian Ballet, Bangarra Dance Company and Sydney Dance Company each receiving multiple nominations. West Australia had its strongest result to date, receiving six nominations across the nine categories.

The vibrancy of Australia’s independent dance scene was evident with the shortlisting of three first-time nominees in the ‘Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance’ category – Luke George, Martin del Amo and Sue
Peacock, alongside previous award winner Clare Dyson.

There were two nominees in the category ‘Outstanding Performance in a Stage Musical’ – Shane Jacobson for his performance in Guys & Dolls and
Caroline O’Connor for Chicago.

The Australian Dance Awards is a celebration of the excellence and variety
of the Australian professional dance sector. It is the one night of the year when dance creators, performers, educators and enthusiasts gather together to acknowledge and honour their peers. It is also a not-to-be-missed opportunity for dance lovers to sample some of the best works of the
last twelve months.

When: Sunday, June 20
Where: The Arts Centre, State Theatre
www.theartscentre.com.au
For more information visit
www.australiandanceawards.net.au