Australasian Dance Collective's BLUE Celebrates 40 Years

Queensland's own Australasian Dance Collective (ADC) will mark its 40th anniversary with Blue, a triple bill that honours the past, embraces the present and looks boldly to the future. Presented in association with Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) within the Centre's own 40th anniversary year, Blue celebrates the marriage between legacy and the future of ADC with a triple bill showcasing something old, something new and something borrowed in the Playhouse from 14 to 17 May 2025.

ADC's Artistic Director and CEO Amy Hollingsworth said premiering this milestone season 40 years after the company's QPAC debut in 1985 was a wonderful echo of history.

 

Former Artistic Director, Natalie Weir's iconic When Time Stops will return to the QPAC stage as the first work in the triple bill representing ‘something old'.

 

“Capturing the fragility and beauty of life's pivotal moments, audiences will no doubt be thrilled to, once again, experience this special work, featuring Weir's signature choreography set to a soul-stirring score by Iain Grandage.

 

“We are also delighted that this excerpt of When Time Stops will be accompanied live by Camerata – Queensland's Chamber Orchestra as it was so magnificently in its original season,” Hollingsworth said.

 

“This performance by Camerata has been enabled by Arts Queensland and QPAC and we are deeply grateful. Their enduring support has been a backbone of strength for this company's artistic vision for 40 years.”

 

ADC's extraordinary dancers will be joined by original cast member Riannon McLean promising a truly haunting and poetic performance. McLean's guest appearance marks her much-anticipated return to the stage with the company for the first time in 12 years.

 

Commissioned to create ‘something new' for Blue, leading Australian/Javanese choreographer Melanie Lane, will bring her masterful blend of physicality and emotional nuance to a world premiere which explores the slippery realm of dream thought.

 

Lane's Glass Teeth draws on an ancient belief of dreaming as a supernatural means of divine intervention, dancing through the uncanny nightmares and fantasies that we as humans are transported to when we sleep.

 

“Lane's ambitious creations are in high demand, captivating audiences globally. This exhilarating experience brings together Lane's provocative choreography with a thrilling new soundscape by UK electronic music visionary, Clark,” said Hollingsworth.

 

“Continuing the Collective's commitment to artistic collaboration, we are delighted to announce that acclaimed Brisbane fashion icon Gail Sorronda will design the costumes for Glass Teeth, as she did for Weir's The Dinner Party in 2019,” she added.

 

Global superstar Hofesh Shechter's OBE seminal work In your rooms, will be the finale and the ‘something borrowed' for Blue.

“This groundbreaking work of scale will give audiences the chance to experience a major international dance work, right here in Brisbane.

 

“We are thrilled to stage this performance of extraordinary power and profundity. Schechter's visceral choreography brings together eight dancers in an electrifying performance, delving into the complexity of our collective existence with unflinching honesty,” said Ms Hollingsworth.

 

Hofesh Shechter is recognised as one of the most exciting contemporary choreographers today, creating award-winning works for his own company and for the likes of The Royal Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater 1 and Paris Opera Ballet.

 

In a nod to the company's remarkable history of all female artistic directors, ADC's celebratory program will extend to the Playhouse Foyer with imagery and footage paying homage to its visionary founder Maggi Sietsma AM.

 

Minister for the Arts John-Paul Langbroek congratulated Australasian Dance Collective on 40 years of delighting, inspiring and challenging audiences.

 

“ADC's 40th anniversary celebration is a chance to reflect on where the company has come from, while looking towards its exciting future,” Minister Langbroek said.

 

“The Crisafulli Government is proud to back this world-class Brisbane-based dance company and invest in its presentation of Blue, to enable Camerata to once again perform live within When Time Stops.”

 

“We are committed to ensuring local arts companies such as ADC, grow and push boundaries, expand collaborations, reach new audiences and markets, and build on their own legacy as we look to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

 

QPAC Chief Executive Rachel Healy said the Centre was delighted to partner with ADC to present Blue in celebration of both companies' 40th anniversaries.

 

“Our relationship with ADC is as old as QPAC itself and we acknowledge the important contribution this company has made to Queensland's cultural landscape over the last 40 years,” Ms Healy said.

 

“We are committed to presenting a diverse program and to supporting Queensland companies like ADC that consistently inspire our audiences.

 

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