The Australian Ballet has announced a new initiative to nurture talented and emerging choreographers – not just dance designers working in ballet, but across dance genres.

The Telstra Emerging Choreographer (TEC) Prize offers future choreographers the opportunity to create a new work, which will be performed as part of the Australian Ballet’s Bodytorque 2022 program. The winner will also receive a cash prize of $ 10,000.

David Hallberg, artistic director of the Australian Ballet, with Callum Linnane and Imogen Chapman. Photography © Nicole Cleary

The new initiative is supported by Telstra, main partner of the Australian Ballet for 37 years. For nearly two decades, Telstra has supported the Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards, which were established in 2003 to encourage young dancers in the Australian Ballet. Today, Telstra is providing support to help inspire the next generation of Australian choreographers.

The theme of this year’s TEC award is “The Joy of Dance”. Applicants will be asked to provide a short written submission and a video on what they would like to create if they were chosen as finalists.

Four finalists will then receive a budget of up to $ 2,500 to create a four- to six-minute work. These pieces will be reviewed by TAB Artistic Director David Hallberg and a panel of guest judges. The winner – to be announced in October – will have the opportunity to work with TAB’s artistic team and dancers to create a new piece for the Bodytorque 2022 program.

“This initiative is a major milestone in my first year as artistic director. Working with our partner Telstra to create a platform that encourages Australian choreographic creativity is extremely important and I have personally championed it throughout my career, ”said Hallberg, who studied tap dancing as a child before moving on. at the ballet.

“Adding this element to the Bodytorque program will mean that we are creating greater accessibility for all dance creators, using the foundation and resources we have here at Australian Ballet to create greater opportunities, helping to make a career in choreography a reality for today’s young Australian designers. “

Telstra Director, Media, Sponsorships and Awards, Genelle Sharples, said, “At Telstra, we are extremely proud to leverage our support for emerging talent and to train young artists. The Telstra Emerging Choreographer is an exciting addition to our long-standing partnership with the Australian Ballet, which is about valuing possibilities so that emerging talent can flourish. We look forward to seeing the creative output of young artists from across Australia. “

Applications for the Telstra Emerging Choreographer (TEC) award are open until July 13, 2021. More information