Dancers, choreographers, teachers, students and history buffs were invited to attend the second Australian Dance Awards Industry Program in June of this year. The symposium looked at the history of modern dance in Australia in the 1970s and 1980s. At the end of the 1980s the Australian dance landscape looked radically different to what it did at the end of the 1960s. Through presentations, interviews, film and historical displays, this day explored these two rich decades, which saw the professionalisation of dance, the introduction of tertiary dance and the rise of small dance companies, the formation of AADE (later Ausdance), and much more.
In this edition of Kinesis you can re visit the symposium through the articles that have been adapted from an oral presentations given as part of the Ausdance 2009 Dance History Symposium ‘Changing Landscapes’.
Hilary Crampton, 1943—2009
It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Hilary Crampton.
An Honorary Life Member of Ausdance and past President of Ausdance Victoria, Hilary Crampton is a celebrated dance teacher, critic, advocate and practitioner. She was one of the country’s finest dance critics, writing for The Age newspaper until early this year. Hilary was a recipient of the 2007 Australian Dance Award for Services to Dance for her "extensive and rigorous attachment with local and international dance practice".
Hilary will be greatly missed by her Ausdance friends across Australia and by the dance community in which she contributed so much.
In the first article in this edition you will find tributes to Hilary written by Shirley McKechnie, Robin Grove and Meredith Blackburn. To read the tribute written by Ausdance National, Director Julie Dyson please visit www.ausdance.org.au/tributes/Hilary_Crampton.html
