Winners Of 2019 Sharp Short Dance Announced

The winners of the 12th annual Sharp Short Dance festival, presented by FORM Dance Projects, were announced on Saturday 16th November following an exciting final held at Riverside Theatres.

The event, which aims to encourage youth participation in all genres of dance, provides a platform for young dancers and choreographers to develop their choreographic and performance skills, meet like-minded artists, and network with peers and industry experts.

The judging panel consisted of respected members of the industry including Tara Robertson (former Bangarra Dance Theatre dancer), Omer Backley-Astrachan (choreographer and Sydney Dance Company Pre-Professional Year Course Coordinator), David Clarkson (Stalker Theatre Artistic Director), Claire Gammon (Manager of Artistic Strategy at Sydney Opera House), Cadi McCarthy (Catapult Dance Artistic Director), and Jane McKernan (Fondue Set co-founder and former lecturer at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, UK).

This year 46 works were presented during the heats, featuring 139 dancers and 60 choreographers. Of these works, 17 were selected to continue to the final.

The 2019 Sharp Short Dance award winners are:

Best Young Choreographer - Hannah Potts (Neglect)

Outstanding Female Dancer - Amari Leiva Urzua (Camelando)

Outstanding Male Dancer - Kai Taylor (Resilience)

Outstanding Solo Performance - Olivia Hadley (Uprooted)

Outstanding Duet Performance - Paul and Frank Barbara (Identically Different)

Outstanding Ensemble Performance - Choreographer Lukah Eveleigh and performers Maeve Smith, Lukah Eveleigh, Meghann Burton, Kasey Brown, Monique Sullivan and Billie-Ann Austin (4:18)

Audience Choice Award - Choreographer Brittney Webb and performers Kayla Richards, Caeley Richards, Amelia Tu, Isabella Soria, Samya Kerde, Katherine Vu, Jade Do, Amelie Pritchard, Mia Pritchard and Trinity Brooke (Disquietude)

Sydney Dance Company, Pre-Professional Year Secondment - Saskia Ellis (Innervation) and Abigail Gasson (Claustrophobia)

Catapult Dance Secondment - Isaac Clark (Long Black Two) and Olivia Hadley (Uprooted)

Dance Makers Collective Secondment - Mahlia King (Meow)

Stalker Theatre Secondment - Reina Takeuchi (Concrete Plastic Play)

Seet Dance Intensive Sponsorship - Opal Russell (Riffle of Rhapsody)

Teacher's Recognition Award - Rebekah Edge (Wiley Park Girls High School)