Michelle Potter honoured

Dance writer, historian and advocate Michelle Potter has been appointed to the General Divison of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2023 Australia Day honours list. 

Potter was recognised for "significant service to the performing arts in a range of roles". She is the recipient of two Australian Dance Awards, Services to Dance in 2003 and Outstanding Achievement in Dance on Film in 2001. She was Esso Research Fellow in the Performing Arts at the National Library of Australia (1988 to 1990) and between 1998 and 2001 managed the Keep Dancing Project at the National Film and Sound Archive. She was inaugural Curator of Dance at the National Library of Australia, 2002–2006, and Curator, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 2006–2008. She has also written for many publications (including Dance Australia) and has published seven books on dance.

Also honoured in the same Division was Richard Evans, "for significant service to performing arts administration". Evans has had a long career in executive leadership roles in many performing arts organisations, including the Australian Ballet and the Sydney Opera House. He is presently the president of Live Performance Australia and Managing Director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. 

Chloe Dallimore received the same honour for "significant service to the performing arts". She is an actor and dancer, particularly in musicals, and a former president of Equity, the Australian union body for actors and other live performers. She is a long-time advocate against the hiring of overseas artists to fill roles in Australian musical productions.

Also honoured as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) this year was concert promoter Paul Dainty. Already the recipient of an AM, this honour was for his "distinguished service to the community through the organisation of charitable events after the bushfires of 2019-20" (through Fire Fight Australia).

For the official list, go here.

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