RAD Festival of Dance in Western Australia

Every year dancers in Western Australia come together to compete in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Australia’s Festival of Dance. An immense event taking place over five days and culminating in a gala performance on the final evening, the festival is a springboard for many aspiring and pre-professional dancers in the region.

Held at the John Curtin Theatre at John Curtin College of the Arts, the 2017 event will take place over a long weekend (from June 1 – 5) and will see 400 or more dancers from ballet schools across Perth compete for prestigious scholarships and awards across various categories.

The gala will take place on the final evening of June 5, reprising all the festival award recipients’ winning performances and also featuring a guest performance by students from Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). The evening will culminate in the presentations of the scholarships, including the David McAllister Cup – named after the artistic director of The Australian Ballet, who was born and trained in WA.

RAD’s WA Regional Manager Shelley Yacopetti said, “The Festival of Dance has grown so much in recent years. We are thrilled to host an event which is open to all WA dance students, not just RAD.”

“We are particularly excited to have an incredible group of adjudicators this year, including Lana Jones (principal dancer with The Australian Ballet) and partner Daniel Gaudiello (former principal with The Australian Ballet), Cédric Ygnace (ballet master for West Australian Ballet) and Daryl Brandwood (former dancer with The Australian Ballet, West Australian Ballet, Australian Dance Theatre, Expressions Dance Company),” she added.

Tickets to attend the festival and gala are on sale now at www.trybooking.com/PZNQ. For more information, visit www.rad.org.au.

Photo by WinkiPopMedia.