Creative people are always looking for new ways to extend themselves artistically. For some talented young artists this means launching into 2015 by realizing artistic visions and projects they have devised themselves.
Briden Starr (Aspinall) is a singer/dancer/actor/model/tv host who first came to the notice of Australian audiences in the 2012 series of X Factor. She has just released her first single: Pyromania, a tune she penned and which was produced at Sydney’s Music Entourage Studios. She has been training since she was three – first at Brent Street, the school then run by her mother, Jacqui, and sisters Karen and Marianne Howard before they moved on to establishing The Village PA (of which Briden Starr is an artistic director). She has featured on the big screen in the role of Michelle in Razzle Dazzle (at 14 years of age) and then as Gilda Grey in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. As a dancer she has supported Australian and international stars including Akon, Kelly Rowland, EVE, Sean Paul, Jay Sean, Pitbull, Ricki-Lee, Paulini and many more. She was also in the original Australian production of Hairspray, in the role of Shelley. 2014 also saw her crowned Miss Tourism NSW ahead of her finishing fourth runner-up for Miss Universe, Australia.
The choreographer of Starr’s Pyromania film clip was Marko Panzic. Ever one to be upping the ante, Panzic has confirmed that he will collaborate with Stephen Tannos for the birth of a new Australian commercial dance company called the Dream Dance Company. The inaugural season, called "Genesis", will run from May 1 to 3 (five shows only) at NIDA’s Parade Theatre in Sydney. Panzic and Tannos will co-direct and choreograph the show, which they hope will redefine dance in theatre. The last time these two collaborated to create an original show was for Tannos and Choice in 2012. That show was a sell-out and received rave reviews, so with this show’s all-star cast of commercial dance artists (including Natasha Marconi, Rob McLean, David McLean, Eden Petrovski, Cat Santos and Lauren Seymour as well as the two directors), it’s not unreasonable to presume that this will too. So secure your tickets early!
This article appeared in the February-March2015 issue of Dance Australia.