Tess Sturmann
Four-year -old Tess Sturmann was tossing up between being a dolphin trainer, kindy teacher and ballerina as a career – the latter won out, and now she is an “aspirant” with Dutch National Ballet (Het Nationale Ballet).
Growing up in Gymea in Sydney’s south, Sturmann started training at Kennedy Dance Academy, where she stayed until she was 14 before moving to Alegria Dance Studios and then crossing the world to study at the Royal Conservatoire in the Hague, aged 16 – with her eye on a contract with the DN B.
After graduating, Sturmann had a tough decision to make: “After two years at the Conservatoire I graduated from my studies and was offered a full time contract in a smaller company in Prague and an apprenticeship short term contract with the Het Nationale Ballet. I then had to decide whether to gamble for the dream or settle on a secure contract somewhere else. I decided to give it a chance, taking comfort in the thought that I could always audition again the next year if nothing more came from my apprenticeship other than gaining some great professional experience.”
The gamble paid off for Sturmann:
“After the first production I performed in with Het National Ballet I had a meeting with artistic director Ted Branson, who then offered me a permanent contract in his company for the following season.”
Sturmann has only danced one full season with the company, but says: “A couple of highlights that I’ve already experienced would definitely include our Beijing tour last November when the entire company was flown to China to perform Don Quixote.
This was my first international tour with the company and the entire experience was awesome. I’ve also had the opportunity of finally being able to work with some extremely well established and respected choreographers and ballet masters such as Sir Peter Wright, John Neumeier and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui in both classical and contemporary fields, which are experiences I find endlessly inspiring.“
– ASTRID LAWTON
Rebecca Gladstone
Sydney-born Rebecca Gladstone, then a pupil of the Marie Walton-Mahon Dance Academy, was only going to Europe for the Genée Awards and the Prix de Lausanne. However, her participation led to the offer of a place at the English National Ballet School. She accepted, at the age of 16 deciding to stay and “see what happened”.
Just before graduation, in another example of fortuitous timing, she took part in a company class with Deutsche Oper Berlin (then on tour to London). She was offered a job and her long career in Europe was launched. Continuing with this company under the directorships of Ray Barra, Richard Cragun and Sylviane Bayard, Gladstone was promoted to soloist in 1999.
Throughout her career she performed soloist roles in numerous versions of the classical repertoire and in contemporary works.
Joining the Vienna Staatsoper Ballet in 2003 in Austria and the Dresden SemperOper Ballet in Germany under the direction of Aaron S. Watkin in 2006, she has worked with many of choreography’s greats.
Gladstone acknowledges that while hard work has had a lot to do with her success in Europe, “without a doubt I have been very lucky too!” Luck or hard work, her career is now taking off on the other side of the footlights, as ballet mistress at Dresden SemperOper Ballet.
Looking back, Gladstone finds it difficult to pin point favourite moments from her performing career. “There were so many ballets that I enjoyed over the years and for many different reasons. If I had to narrow it down, I would say performing pieces by Jiri Kylian. His work has such musicality, energy, drive and freedom.” Kylian is also one of her favourite choreographers to work with. “Being in the studio with him had a huge influence on me,“ she remarks, “and although I only worked with him personally a few times, the experience will stay with me for life.”
David Dawson is another favourite. “While David was here in Dresden as resident choreographer I enjoyed both dancing in and assisting him on some of his ballets. When he’s creating a new piece it is fascinating to watch how it develops. He has a very fast mind and it’s a challenge to try and keep up.” Gladstone’s transition away from performing was strategic.
“When Aaron Watkin first invited me to come to Dresden in 2006, he knew that I was studying Benesh Notation and that I was interested in slowly transitioning to the ‘other side’ of the stage. He was very open to giving me opportunities and experiences, which was wonderful!”
Over the years she was asked to take rehearsals from time to time with the corps de ballet and the apprentices, which was, according to her, a fantastic learning experience, “even though it was sometimes very challenging to be dancing in a ballet and to be responsible for rehearsing parts of it too.”
Gladstone stopped dancing at the end of 2010 and since 2011 has been working full time as ballet mistress. It seems that with the start of another whole new career in Europe,
Gladstone will have few thoughts of returning to Australia.
“For the moment my life is here in Europe but I never rule out the possibility of ending up at home some day, hopefully near some sunny beach. But I do love my life here and would miss it very much too, if I were to leave. We’ll see what happens!”
– DENISE RICHARDSON
We found these dancers through tips from our readers. Do you know of dancers overseas working in ballet, contemporary dance or musical theatre? Please let us know about them! Email dance@yaffa.com.au.