Changing of the Guard

10/08/16

The Co-Chairs of Phillip Adams BalletLab, Phoebe Dunn and Caroline Dever, today announce that Executive Producer, Amelia Bartak is moving on and will be succeeded by Kristy Ayre, effective from 1 September 2016.

Phillip Adams BalletLab is embarking on one of the most compelling periods in our history and will relocate the company to Temperance Hall in South Melbourne. Securing Temperance Hall would not have been possible without Amelia’s drive and determination to realise the organisation’s vision. The move to Temperance Hall sets the framework for this long-held vision to secure a home for the company and provide a critical cultural hub for the small to medium arts community. 

Temperance Hall will be renewed as an interdisciplinary space for creation, presentation and exchange for audiences and artists alike under the Artistic Direction of Phillip Adams, choreographer and artist. Amelia leaves the organisation in a great position to capitalise on this opportunity and legacy in the making. 

We pause to acknowledge, reflect on and applaud the dedication and indefatigable energy Amelia has put into this task and the countless other projects produced by Amelia over the past eight years.  These include Miracle(2009, pictured above), the award-winning contemporary dance work, Aviary (2011), the double bill And All Things Return To Nature Tomorrow (2013), After (2015/16), and significant festival presentations, international residencies and presentations in Australia, USA and Europe. We thank Amelia for her considerable contribution and wish her all the best for the future. 

We are delighted to formally announce that Kristy Ayre will succeed Amelia as Executive Producer. Kristy joined the company eight months ago and has shown great capacity to work with the organisation, Phillip Adams and its many stakeholders. Kristy brings a strong track record of experience as a producer and professional dancer, including most recently as Associate Producer for the 2012 and 2014 Next Wave Festivals, Board Member of Next Wave since 2015 and in 2016, Head of the Green Room Awards Dance Panel.

We are thrilled that Kristy will play a leading part in the future of the organisation and have no doubt she will do a stellar job in taking over the reins and helping us to achieve the next stage of this very exciting vision.

Kristy Ayre – short biography

Kristy co-produced the 2015 National Dance Forum, alongside Kath Papas, and was an Associate Producer for the 2012 and 2014 Next Wave Festivals. Kristy has been a peer assessor for the Australia Council for the Arts and a curatorial advisor for Ausdance Victoria and Next Wave's Kickstart program.

As a performer, Kristy collaborated and performed for Chunky Move for over a decade (2001-2012) mostly in works by founding Artistic Director, Gideon Obarzanek. She has also performed for Lucy Guerin Inc, Shelley Lasica, Frances D'ath, Itoh Kim, Prue Lang, Natalie Cursio, Dario Vacirca, Lee Serle, Ashley Dyer and Luke George, appearing in numerous prestigious venues and major arts festivals worldwide. In March 2015, she became a Director on the Board of Next Wave, providing dance expertise and representing the interests of emerging dancers at a governance level. In July 2016, Kristy became Head of the Green Room Awards Association Dance Panel.

 

 

 

Back to news