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25.01.2022 From behind the lens
23.01.2022 I have decided that as I had to make the decision to close the Dance Review before the opportunity arose to publish some of the articles i had already received ...on the Australian Championships that over the coming week i will endeavour to post the critiques i have received plus any other articles that were waiting to be published to achknowledge and thank the writers for sending in their reports and give the competitors the reports on the events. this first post is on the Australian Adult Open 10 Dance written by Jack Johnson & Joanne de Jager Please enjoy - "2019 brought the Australian Championships to a new home at the Margaret Court Arena and with it a new and fresh feeling for this storied and hallowed event. An intimate and atmospheric setting, this change certainly presented new opportunities and challenges for Australia’s best exponents of Ballroom Dancing to display their craft. We have been asked to share our thoughts on the Adult Open 10 Dance event, held on the first evening of the Championship. A fantastic kick-off event to the weekend, it was commendable, the effort that the organisers went to in terms and lighting and programming to highlight the efforts of these couples and it really gave the event a sense of prestige. It is, of course, regrettable that we do not have more couples entering into this dual-style competition but hopefully the performances of the couples that did compete will inspire others to also take up the mantle. 1st Brodie Barden & Lana Skrgic-de Fonseka WA Once again Australian 10 Dance Champions, Brodie and Lana; the performance that they produce and the results they have achieved are a reflection of the sacrifice and dedication that they each have made to dance in their lives. Never resting on their laurels, Brodie and Lana took nothing for granted on this evening and gave a performance that left no doubt who would walk away with the trophy. For us, their dancing in the Latin-American section was a real highlight of the entire competition - the combination of beautifully synchronised feet, full and earthy hip action and attractive choreography made for quite the package. Lana, in particular, moved from foot to foot with an ease and grace that can only be achieved through a meticulous understanding of the structure of the body and the path it must take in order to interpret the Latin-American rhythms. By contrast, their performance in the Ballroom section did not possess the same finesse and clarity. Where in the Latin they demonstrated a connection of body, mind and soul, in the Ballroom we were often struck by periods of mistimed weight and feet, the result of which would make its way up the partnership and give the upper body a sense of rigidity that was not apparent in the Latin. Of course, even the greatest champions are always a work in progress and in the quest for maximum output sometimes finesse and subtly is left on the back seat but it is this quest for maximum, for better, that make Brodie and Lana the great champions that they are and left no doubt that they would once again be crowned Australian Champions. 2nd Nicholas Mountain & Stefania Olivieri NSW While the champions sailed to victory on the winds of their years of work a true battle for the ages was brewing on the floor for the runner-up position. On this occasion it was Nicholas and Stefania who emerged from the maelstrom as the victor, besting Lucien and Sabrina for second place, taking seven dances to their rival’s three. When watching Nicholas and Stefania what immediately strikes you is this young man’s fabulous vertical posture, unyielding and unwavering, and in the Ballroom section he is able to use this weapon to great effect; turning, swaying and rotating through a myriad of complex figures whilst maintaining the elegance and simplicity of that gorgeous straight line through the body. Stefania displays a tremendous shift of weight across the floor however sometimes gives off the impression of being slightly passive, especially in figures that are faster or with large amounts of turn. We would just like to also remark on what a pleasure it was to watch the full, voluminous swing actions that they were able to create in their Quickstep, forgetting about the ‘Rat-race’ that most couples enter into in this dance and letting qualities of swing and sway really shine through. Their Latin performance was not of the same standout quality as their Ballroom, everything for sure was neat, accurate and delivered convincingly but their movements lacked a depth of range through the middle section of their bodies to be able to achieve the impact that they are able to do create in their Ballroom. The epic struggle between the 2nd and 3rd couples is one that we hope continues for many years to come as it will surely result in some fantastic dancing across both styles. 3rd Lucien Maart & Sabrina Serra WA Lucien and Sabrina, another quality 10 dance couple, made an impression in this event as the most rhythmically expressive and sophisticated couple in the field. And in no better place was this realised than in their fantastic Three Step in the Foxtrot. For us, one of the best Three Steps of the entire competition, with an almost ethereal quality, Lucien and Sabrina’s ability to time the transfer of their weight through their feet, in such perfect harmony with the music, gives to life a real-world example of the idea of ‘musicality’. Their skills in the Ballroom style are really quite sophisticated however we think that their introduction dance Tango may have been their undoing. For whatever reason, they both appeared unsettled and nervous in this demonstration dance and as a consequence, there were a few moments of unbalance where there were not for any other part of the competition. As this dance is not judged it this would not be of that great a consequence but when two couples are as close as 2nd and 3rd were on this occasion a bad moment or impression in the minds of the adjudicators could make all the difference. While Lucien and Sabrina possess the same rhymical expression in the Latin that they do in the Ballroom they are let down by their ability to move their weight efficiently in these rhythms. Too often we saw them both very unorganised in the lower half of the body, legs and feet being placed on the floor almost as an afterthought, and to deliver these fabulous rhythms with a greater effect and impact perhaps an examination on how rhythm is interpreted through the lower half of the body would go a long way. Balancing all of these points we think that Lucien and Sabrina had the winning hand in the battle for runner-up; just. However, it is one thing to pontificate over a voice recorder, it is another to actually put the marks down on a pad. If nothing else this event was a lesson in just how cut-throat this game can be and there can be no quarter drawn or no stone left unturned - lest you be overtaken by someone who did turn it over. 4th Samuel Brown & Berkley Wood Vic Almost being left in a competition of their own were Samuel and Berkley. Well ahead of those couples behind them but not yet producing dancing of a quality that is ready to challenge those ahead. Samuel and Berkley get full marks for the level of their presentation with costuming, grooming and conviction all aspects of competing with which they excelled at. There just appears to be a stiffness and rigidity in both styles of their dancing which is holding them back from reaching new heights, starting from even the toes and feet, which look to make contact with the floor with so much unnecessary tension that their weights bounce straight back off the floor rather than roll through the length of the foot. Their Tango and Quickstep are dances that stood out to us for being particularly good, Samuel maintaining a positive line and sense of calm through very difficult choreography. The world of dancing is truly one of endless possibilities for such a determined, talented and humble young couple - they maybe just need a bit more time to discover what some of them are. 5th Isaiah Calestani & Sarah Calestani Vic We have had quite a close look at this couple over the past few years - having featured in other finals that we have previously written about. It is commendable to see a partnership with some longevity and rewards of that trust that they have in each other is now being realised in their position in this Australian Open Final. However, the comments that we have made over the past couple of years persist and we really think that in order to progress much further this couple need to take a good look at how they structure their posture. In both styles, they both dance with such an arched, exaggerated backline that we would imagine it makes transferring weight from foot to foot, not to mention in harmony with a partner, a particularly challenging prospect. That being said we think that they deliver a well-rehearsed, convincing performance, particularly Sarah who moves with expression and meaning throughout her dancing. 6th Daniel Guthrie & Georgia Kerton Vic Rounding out this final was another home state duo, Daniel and Georgia. For us, their strength was in the Ballroom section, with Daniel’s clean and clear silhouette in this style going a long way to secure their position in this final. In both styles, a cleaner transfer of weight through the feet will allow for a much more weighted and connected performance and work towards addressing some of the timing issues we picked up on, especially in the Latin. There were also sometimes we caught Georgia in some very strange foot and leg positions in her Latin dances and maybe a bit of an examination of your choreography is needed to ensure that the work you are doing presents you in the best way possible, from every angle. In our eyes what separated 5th and 6th place and the other couples in the Semi Final was the delivery of their performance on the night, on the competition floor. The adjudicators can only mark what they have in front of them and these two couples presented the most consistent, rehearsed and clear dancing. So, for all those looking to jump ahead into the final, we would say get back into the studio and practice, practice, practice. Photos of Brodie & Lana by: dancesportphoto.net
20.01.2022 From behind the lens it’s all coming back in a rush#australiandancesportchampionships
19.01.2022 Some Shots From The 2019 Australian Dancesport Championships at the weekend bought to you Australian Dance Review
19.01.2022 Nearly Finished Saturdays Edit here are some shots fro that day hope you enjoy
19.01.2022 Here Is the Last from saturdays events i have finished the edit and hope to have Saturdays photos up shortly
13.01.2022 Some more to get you excited #adsaustraliandancesportchampionship #adsaustralian2019 @ Margaret Court Arena
08.01.2022 I would like to thank everyone for all the kind messages and comments that have been posted on social media and the many emails and personal messages received r...egarding my decision to close the Australian Dance Review. It is truly humbling to read how much the magazine has meant to so many people over the past 37 years. Thank you all.
07.01.2022 Some shots to get you excited for what’s to come #adsaustralian2019 #ads @ Margaret Court Arena
02.01.2022 From behind the lens last couple now to bed and will start the photos Monday
