Artists Profiles

This is a small snapshot of some of the professional dance artists FORM has presented and worked with in recent years.

Established artists presented by FORM

Dean Walsh – Dance Bites 2012 Prime:Orderly; Walsh grew up in Western Sydney and has worked independently for more than 20 years. He was the Australia Council Dance Fellow (2011–12), has worked internationally with DV8 in London. Walsh is an integrated arts practitioner working with young people with disabilities as well as scientists and conservationists bridging the arts and environment.

Vicki Van Hout – FORM’s Resident Blogger; Vicki Van Hout is a Wiradjuri descendant. As an Indigenous choreographer, Van Hout studied at NAISDA and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York. On her return to Australia she worked with Bangarra Dance Theatre in the groundbreaking ballet, Ochres and The Edge of the Sacred. Wirad’journi was Van Hout’s first full-length work, inspired by Wiradjuri kinship laws. Van Hout has choreographed for ATYP, Pulse8, NAISDA, WAAPA, the Helpmann Awards and Quantum Leap.

Martin del Amo – Dance Bites 2011 Mountains Never Meet and Dance Bites 2013 The Little Black Dress Suite; independent choreographer has presented work internationally. Del Amo’s  celebrated solo, Anatomy of an Afternoon, performed by award winning dancer Paul White was presented by  Sydney Festival in  2012 to critical acclaim.  It will be presented in July 2013 at Southbank Centre, London.

Kristina Chan – Dance Bites 2012 (Anton’s Supermodern) and Little Black Dress Suite (Martin del Amo); Puncture – key dancer: Kristina has been awarded two Australian Dance Awards for ‘Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer’ for both of Tanja Liedtke’s full length works: 2006 for Twelfth Floor and 2008 for construct.  Performed with Australian Dance Theatre; Garry Stewart; Chunky Move; Sydney Theatre Company; Theatre of Image; West Australian Opera; Opera Queensland; State Opera South Australia; Tasdance; Stalker Theatre Company.

Frances Rings – Dance Bites 2011 Debrisforeseen; Frances Rings is a descendant of the Kokatha Tribe and is also of German descent. Frances joined Bangarra Dance Theatre in 1993 after graduating from NAISDA Dance College. In 1995 she studied at New York’s Alvin Ailey American Dance Centre, focusing on Martha Graham and Lester Horton techniques.  Rings work Terrain won a Helpmann Award for Best Ballet or Dance Theatre Work in 2012. Rings has choreographed works for major Australian dance companies, has been a mentor for young Indigenous artists from NAISDA.  Currently Frances Rings is Resident Choreographer for Bangarra Dance Theatre and sits on the Dance Board at the Australia Council for the Arts.

Early Career Artists supported by FORM

Miranda Wheen – Independent choreographer/dancer and FORM Board Member –From beginnings in rural NSW and secondary schooling at Penrith High School, Miranda went on to win the Dean’s Medal at University of Western Sydney, and achieve First Class Honours at Macquarie University. 2013 was a breakthrough year for Miranda Wheen in which she became recognised as one of the next generation of dance artists in NSW. As a founding member of Sydney-based Dance Makers Collective she premiered her solo work Yes I Can presented in Dance Bites 2013 by FORM at Riverside. She also performed Quest, a solo created for her by critically acclaimed NSW choreographer Martin Del Amo. RealTime Arts noted Miranda is “…fast being revealed to be one of Sydney’s most accomplished dance artists.” Touring and collaborating internationally has also dominated Miranda’s work. She has performed on tours of independent NSW choreographers, such as Shaun Parker and Company, Stalker Theatre Company and Mirramu Dance Company, to India, Europe, Africa, New Zealand and Taiwan.

Carl Sciberras – Dance Bites 2013 & 2014 (Dance Makers Collective, Big Dance in Small Chunks premiere & Flatline Sketch); grew up in Girraween, Western Sydney. Carl studied Dance at WAAPA – Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts – and returned to Western Sydney to continue to pursue his career in dance. As well as working for FORM, Carl is an independent artist, collaborating with visual artist Todd Fuller in a new collective Flatline. Together they have presented works in festivals across Australia, have been shortlisted for numerous art prizes and have taken up residencies at Blacktown Arts Centre, Parramatta Artists Studios and Bundanon Trust.   As a dancer, Carl has performed for La Fura dels Baus in the Perth International Arts Festival and worked with Force Majeure. Carl is an experienced teacher and acts as a mentor for Fast+Fresh participants.

Both Carl and Miranda are founding members of Dance Makers Collective.  Jill Sykes credited it as “Most significant dance event” in 2013, Dance Australia Critics Survey.

Aruna Gandhimathinathan – is a Western Sydney performing artist, choreographer and teacher, specialising in the classical Indian dance style of Bharatanatyam. Aruna trained under Prof. Sudharani Raghupathy in India since 1984, and holds a Masters in Communication from Madras University. In recognition of her outstanding artistic merit, Aruna has been granted permanent residency in Australia under the “Distinguished Talent Visa” program. Aruna is the Founder-Director of Silambam-Sydney School of Indian Traditional Dance, Liverpool. As a dance artist Aruna is currently engaged in creating new choreographic work, collaborating with Australian contemporary artists and diverse communities in Sydney.

Anna Healey – Anna Healey is a freelance independent dance artist.  Anna attended The McDonald College of Performing Arts, Strathfield and then graduated from the Victorian College of Arts, with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. Anna was a member of youMove Company (2009-2011) based in Western Sydney and has toured both nationally and internationally. Anna has worked with an array of established choreographers, including Kay Armstrong, Vicki Van Hout and Anton.

Jay Bailey – Jay is an independent dancer and performed in many works for Kay Armstrong’s  youMove Company including Thinking About Forever (Sydney Festival Parramatta 2011), Loungers (Sydney Festival Parramatta 2012), Human Meter (youMove 2012) and All That I Am (Campbelltown Arts Centre Solo Series 2012). In 2012 Jay worked with The Physical TV Company in the AFTRS Screen Dance Film Masterclass presented by FORM Dance Projects. Jay graduated from QUT with a BFA in Dance, 2006.

Travis De Vries – Travis De Vries is an Australian with Indigenous ancestry from the Gamilaroi Nation of NSW. Travis is a 2011 graduate of NAISDA Dance College (Diploma in Dance) and went on to perform in many works with Bangarra Dance Theatre as a participant in the Professional Class 2010-2012. In 2012 Travis performed Stephen Page’s Waramuk with Bangarra Dance Theatre for The Australian Ballet performed at The Lincoln Centre, New York.

Robert McCredie – Robert McCredie graduated from The McDonald College of the Performing Arts in Western Sydney, NSW in 2001 prior to graduating from tertiary studies in 2006 with a Bachelor of Dance from the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne. Rob has gone on to choreograph and perform in a number of dance works including: Who Knows What, (choreographer) a full length dance performance presented in the 2010 Next Wave Festival, Pieces for Small Spaces solo work Here We Go (Lucy Guerin Inc’s) 2007, and in 2012 Rob performed in Abrielle, (choreographer Fiona Bryant) presented at Dancehouse, as part of the season Your Way. Robert was a contemporary dance teacher at the National Institute of Circus Art (NICA) in 2008.

Sean Marcs – Sean Marcs is a NSW based independent dancer, emerging choreographer and graduate from Wesley Institute’s Bachelor Degree of Dance majoring in Contemporary Dance. Sean was a member of youMove Company (2009-2010) in Western Sydney. Sean has performed in the works of  many leading independent choreographers including Martin Del Amo (DirtyFeet’s Tipping Point and Short+Sweet Dance 2010), Sarah-Vyne Vassallo, Emma Saunders, Jodie McNeilly, Vicki Van Hout (Briwyant) , Kevin Privett, Anton and Kay Armstrong (youMove Company). Sean won Most Outstanding Choreography in Fast+Fresh Dance 2008.

Young People from Fast+Fresh Dance – 21 and Under

Kei Ishii – Most Outstanding Choreography, Fast+Fresh Dance 2013; has been selected from audition process to be one of the 10 FORM mentees working on Puncture. Kei was a finalist in FORM Dance Projects’ Fast+Fresh Dance 2012 with You, an outstanding duet he choreographed and performed with Demi-Jo Manalo. Kei performed with Sydney Youth Contemporary Company Twisted Elements in 2012 and the Australian Dance Festival at Sydney Oplympic Park, NSW, 2011. Kei began professional training in 2008, graduating from Ev & Bow’s full-time dance course in 2012.

Josh Denyer – Josh was awarded Best Male Dancer in FORM Dance Projects’ Fast+Fresh Dance 2010. Josh has attended many renowned dance training institutions including The McDonald College of the Performing Arts, Western Sydney, Victorian College of the Arts and tertiary courses at Brent Street Performing Arts. Josh was awarded the 2009 Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Performance in a Stage Musical, Billy Elliot the Musical.

Abuzar Abdelrahim – Best Male Dancer, Fast+Fresh Dance 2013; South-Sudanese performer mentored by established Western Sydney artist Annalouise Paul in 2013, and has since performed a solo for choreographer Martin del Amo. Abuzar runs a dance group in Western Sydney, the Afro Contemporary Youth Dance, an initiative of STARTTS (The NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors).