The Tertiary Dance Council of Australia
The Tertiary Dance Council of Australia (TDCA) was formed in 1985 to
consider ways in which the directors of emerging tertiary dance courses
might better connect with dance practitioners, share information, review
policy and plan for the future. Planning for the future was a major focus,
with directors keen to develop networks for their students through an
annual festival of performance, forums and workshops.
By 1985 there were tertiary dance courses in most States of Australia,
and the Rusden course had been producing graduates for more than five
years. As a result, graduates were forming small dance companies and
performance groups, and grants from the Australia Council and State funding
bodies were beginning to support this growth.
The current
chair is Australian choreographer Nanette Hassall, who also heads the
Dance Department at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
at Edith Cowan University. The Deputy Chair is Dr Kim Vincs, lecturer
in dance at Deakin University.
Members of the TDCA
Current courses
Courses focus on performance and choreographic development,
teaching, administration and research. Many are headed
by former artistic directors of dance companies and/or professional dancers.
Cross-cultural studies are available at some universities, and there
is a special interest in these courses in developing links with Asia-Pacific
dance courses through cultural exchanges. Most Australian dance courses
offer performance and choreographic opportunities with major choreographers
and directors, and students can choose from a range of postgraduate
research opportunities and exchanges.
Options Tertiary Dance Festival
Every two years final
year students from tertiary dance courses meet to consider
their
career options
at a special festival which offers opportunities to share
performances, workshops, panel discussions and showings
of work. Lectures
and master classes are given by senior members of the
dance profession,
former
graduates and faculty members from other universities.
The networking opportunities
are unique, and many exciting projects have grown out
of these initial meetings between the students. The festival
rotates
every two years,
and in 2004 will coincide with the Adelaide International
Festival to enable students to take master classes and
attend forums
with some
of
the world’s leading dance companies.
Opportunities for international students
Studying dance
in the Australian tertiary environment is exciting and
challenging. There are superb
learning spaces, teaching standards are high and there
is an
emphasis on choreographic
development, cultural exchange and research. Although
the country is geographically and culturally diverse,
there
is excellent
communication between course directors, and with the
dance profession
as a whole.
Ausdance provides a unique link to advocacy processes
with governments and their
bureaucracies, as well as with all sectors of the Australian
dance community. It also provides an information infrastructure
through
its
professional
staff, its databases and its publications. Students’ interests
are well represented by both student union activities
on campus and Ausdance as the national service organisation.
Check links
to each
institution.
Media Release (July 2003)
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