Australian Ballet's Residency recipients announced

Following a national search, the Australian Ballet has announced the 2022 and 2023 recipients of its inaugural Residency Program: Sandra Parker and Gary Lang. The Residency Program will provide Parker and Lang access to studio space and facilities at the Primrose Potter Australian Ballet Centre in Melbourne, as well as a stipend of $18,000 each to support them during their residency.

Parker will be the first artist to benefit from the Residency Program and will move into the studio from the November 7  to December 17. She is a former artistic director of Danceworks (1997- 2006) and an established choreographer with an extensive body of work, created in the contexts of independent practice, national and international dance companies, leading universities and colleges, and museums and galleries.

Lang is a senior Larrakia man, and is the Artistic Director of Gary Lang Northern Territory Dance Company. His contemporary choreography is renowned for embracing both classical ballet and traditional Aboriginal dance. (See our recent interview here.)

Lang will use the Residency Program access in 2023 to create Guypunura (goi-pu-rung-ah) the Forgotten One, which is an adaptation of Giselle’s second act into an Indigenous Australian context. Based on the real life of Guypunura, this version, affectionately dubbed by Lang as "Blak Giselle" brings together traditional manikay (song), bungul (dance), opera and his signature style of Indigenous ballet.