BalletLab Association Inc

You are invited to join a dynamic network of people who support the work of BalletLab and the artistic vision of choreographer and performance maker, Phillip Adams. We aim to shift perceptions of what dance and art making can be by creating powerful experiences about life, its transitions and our corporeal existence. We create unforgettable performance that defies expectation. We are an idiosyncratic company, operating in many different forums and collaborating across art forms. We aim to create groundbreaking contemporary dance-based works that stimulate and engage audiences, that develop choreographic practice, that propose new national and international presentation models, and also provide educational opportunities for the next generation of Australian dance artists. Phillip Adams BalletLab has been a seminal influence in contemporary dance, nurturing younger generations through teaching, by providing internships on all new work developments and by making DVDs of works freely available to students to learn for their study programs. Since 2010, we have offered an annual Masterclass program, a formal and formative experience for emerging and professional dancers and choreographers. Collaborating with significant artistic partners on each project, BalletLab works are proudly made in Melbourne for a global market. Since its inception in 1999, BalletLab has toured nationally and internationally, performing in USA, China, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, England, Korea, Mongolia, Romania and Bulgaria at many festivals and venues to critical acclaim.

Address

2/170 Southbank Blvd
Southbank 3006
Victoria

Website: http://www.balletlab.com

Contact

Name: General Manager / Producer Amelia Bartak

Phone: + 613 9645 9937

Fax: n/a

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Mission / Objective

Phillip Adams BalletLab aims to shift perceptions of what dance and art making can be by creating powerful experiences about life, its transitions and our corporeal existence.

Phillip Adams BalletLab creates unforgettable performance that defies expectation. We are an idiosyncratic company, operating in many different forums and collaborating across art forms. We aim to create groundbreaking contemporary dance-based works that stimulate and engage audiences, that develop choreographic practice, that propose new national and international presentation models, and also provide educational opportunities for the next generation of Australian dance artists.

Everything we do is driven by our values of INVENTION, ENGAGEMENT and LEADERSHIP.

We have defined a model and psychological environment for working in which collaborators including dancers can freely experiment and enquire into the limitless possibilities of the form, and how it intersects with other art forms, artists and audiences. We are responsive to our audiences, aware of their level of critical engagement and need to connect with new art forms. Therefore we endeavour to continually extend the parameters of dance-based performance to produce bold artistic statements that resonate, inspire and entertain. Adams through Phillip Adams BalletLab taps into areas of art making that always feels new: arriving at a combination of sequences and images drawn from popular culture and real-life experiences within works that are of their time, pinpointing moments, distilling images and a mood that is utterly contemporary. Believing that art changes us forever in ways that we can’t always measure or understand, BalletLab’s works come rushing at audiences, a torrent of images and information and leaves us thinking about it days and months later. Fragments that refer to the whole—an odd set of relationships between form, object, idea and movement that acts as a thread, that binds all elements into a specific narrative. In the process, we defy expectations of what contemporary dance-based performance is, of what it can be, and will continue to do so. BalletLab amplifies what is latent, creating dance works that reflects the collective consciousness. It is an engagement and critique for our times, of our era and ultimately, of ourselves as individuals.

Services

Creation of new dance works and choreography
Education - Masterclasses, lectures, workshops and specialist programs in contemporary dance and choreography; internship to emerging dancers and arts managers
Arts Industry panellists and commentary

Beneficiary Group

BalletLab proudly makes its works in Melbourne for national and international audiences. We provide stimulating educational experiences to practitioners in Melbourne and internationally through invitation and specialist programs at universities and in association with other events including festivals, conferences and performances. We now run our own formal educational program, Masterclass.

We employ up to 20 artists per year across our projects. This is the major beneficiary of the additional support we can achieve through donations. But it flows further than the artists we employ. We are a seminal influence on younger generations because of the unique educational benefits we provide including 1-5 internships on every development. Additionally, we create time and space for tertiary students to visit during the studio process, and we freely provide our DVDs for students to learn key sequences from our works for their studies. Over the years, hundreds of students have had an opportunity to engage with Phillip Adams and BalletLab, providing formative experiences and valuable exposure to professional practice. We believe this is vital to the development of the industry as a whole. It is a significant and collateral benefit, adding value to every work developed.

Projects in Progress

Aviary - A new exciting dance work for the caged bird inspired by French composer Olivier Messiaen's Catalogue d'Oiseaux (1958) featuring 7 performers and commissions from sound artist David Franzke, painter Gavin Brown, fashion designer Toni Maticevski, milliner Richard Nylon. Aviary supports emerging and experienced dancers and contributes to art-form development through its choreography which draws on contemporary and classical dance languages. Aviary will premiere in late 2011 and tour nationally and internationally 2012-2014.

BalletLab Masterclass - An innovative and intensive education program held annually for emerging dancers and choreographers that provides a formative and stimulating dance experience.

Coming up in 2012-2014: Adams/Stamp - a double bill that includes the commission of an Emerging Choreographer (Brooke Stamp); Kingdom (7 male dancers/choreographers); Hilton - commission of Rebecca Hilton.

Donated funds go directly to support our major projects including education. Nearly 60% of our costs are artist salaries and we need to raise 16% of our costs through donations. Please consider supporting us.

CEO

Phillip Adams, Artistic Director

Having spent a decade performing and working in New York and throughout Europe, Phillip Adams returned to Australia in 1998 and established BalletLab. Adams has created an artistic repertoire that includes some of Australia’s most provocative choreography, encompassing a diversity of artistic forms, themes and new media. Adams has been commissioned by national and international dance companies including: The Australia Ballet, Chunky Move, Guongdong Modern Dance Company China, Dance Works Rotterdam, City Contemporary Dance Company in Hong Kong, Tasdance, One Extra Co and most recently, Lux Boreal (Mexico) which premiered in the Festival of Mexico in 2011. He regularly teaches at the Victorian College of the Arts as well as internationally.

Visit Phillip's page here.

Board Members

Professor Gary Anderson PHD (Chair), Associate Professor Karen Webster (Vice Chairs), Andrew Neilson (Treasurer), Andrew Chalet, LLB (Secretary), Tamara Jungwirth, Jeff Busby, Brett Phillips, Patrizia Torelli, Darien Sticklen.

Number of Employees

Number of Volunteers

ABN

99 228 219 459

Year Established

1999

Tax Deductible

Yes

Wills and Bequests

We are actively seeking people to be our patrons and advocates, who wish to support an incredible art that has something to say, that challenges the norm, the orthodoxy and offers a unique perspective on our world. We can't achieve all that we want through government and related grants or earned income - we need the support of like-minded individuals that wish to support our vision and what we do. This may be through active giving now or for the future.

We are very interested to hear from people who wish to support what we do through forward planning their estate.

BalletLab has a long-term vision surrounding the creation of new works, artform and industry development through our works that ultimately contributes to the long-term benefit of society by these actions. We would be happy to discuss how your support can work with us to achieve our vision.

General Donations

BalletLab warmly welcomes all donations over $2 towards its projects.

Aviary is the focus of our presentation efforts in 2011-2012 and will premiere in the Melbourne Festival in October. We are looking to take this nationally in 2012 and internationally in 2013 onwards. Aviary is the major articulation of the vision for BalletLab as Australia's seminal, experiential and experimental contemporary dance and performance producer, proudly making works for the global market.

We have a number of new projects from 2012 in the pipeline that also need your support. Please call us to discuss what we are planning.

Donations are also welcomed towards our Education programs which sees BalletLab working to expand industry skills and audiences for contemporary dance.

Volunteering

We welcome expressions of interest from volunteers to support our ongoing development, management and marketing of contemporary dance to ever-growing audiences for stimulating artistic experiences.

Please call us to discuss how you would like to help.