Author Archives: mirramudance

Portrait of Elizabeth Cameron Dalman wins Darling Portrait Prize 2020

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The Darling Portrait Prize is a new annual prize for painted portraits, joining the National Photographic Portrait Prize at Australia’s home of portraiture, the National Portrait Gallery.

Elizabeth by Anthea da Silva
Elizabeth by Anthea da Silva

The winner of the inaugural $75,000 prize for 2020 is Elizabeth by Anthea da Silva, for her painting of the ‘high priestess’ of Australian contemporary dance, Dr Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM.

While the Gallery is closed because of the COVID-19 emergency, details of the winning portrait can be viewed at https://www.portrait.gov.au/exhibitions/darling-portrait-prize-2020

Elizabeth Cameron-Dalman OAM, PhD has been described as the high priestess of Australian Dance – she established the Mirramu Creative Arts Centre near Bungendore 30 years ago, and 50 years ago she founded and was the first Artistic Director of the Australian Dance Theatre, and has been celebrating contemporary dance ever since. Elizabeth tours as an actor/dancer, most recently with Michael Keegan Dolan’s award-winning Swan Lake/Loch na hEala production in Ireland, Denmark, the UK, Germany, Australia, Russia and New York.  

I was very fortunate and honoured to catch up with Elizabeth at the 30th birthday of Mirramu and asked her to sit for this Portrait Prize.  In her humble, youthful, curious way she agreed. 

from Anthea da Silva’s website

Summer Solstice Party

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Elizabeth invites friends, dance family and followers of Mirramu to celebrate with her at the traditional Summer Solstice party. Please email elizabeth.mirramu@gmail.com to indicate your attendance to this private function.

Mirramu Creative Arts Centre 849 Lake Road Bungendore
Saturday 21 December 2019 from 5pm

A performance of SO – in Search of Sophia (in Greek mythology the goddess of Wisdom and Intelligence) by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman and Vivienne Rogis with associate Mirramu dancers and musicians will be held in the amphitheatre.

Please bring your own picnic dinner, a rug and/or chair and enjoy the beauty of Weereewa as the sun sets.There will of course be the usual circle dancing in which everyone is invited to participate. 

Phone enquiries 0419 491 658 (Barbie)

Dust on the Shortbread: Anything is Valid Dance Theatre, WA

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Best Production, West Australian Dance Awards 2019.

Created by Serena Chalker and Quindell Orton of Anything is Valid Dance Theatre (AIVDT), Dust on the Shortbread is a work brought alive by two of Australia’s most vital, articulate and embodied performers, George Shevtsov and Dr Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM. With meticulously detailed and beautifully understated direction by Chalker and Orton, their performances were equally robust and vulnerable, subtle and unbridled. . . .

Review: Jo Pollitt September 17, 2018

Mirramu’s 30th birthday party – a beautiful weekend

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Images Barbie Robinson, Writing with Light except 30th aerial shot by Sigo Tseng

With picture perfect weather Mirramu was able to celebrate its birthday party in style. From the planting of 30 trees to performances in the open air, the event was strongly focussed on the environment and our responsibility to care for it. Continue reading →

Mirramu 30

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30 year invite graphic smallElizabeth is celebrating 30 years at Mirramu with a party for friends and associates over the weekend of 26 to 28 April 2019.

The weekend’s festivities will include a welcome to Country by Ngambri Elder Shane Mortimer and a tree planting ceremony – 30 trees, one for each year at Mirramu. In the birthday activities Elizabeth will focus on the beautiful environment and its worldwide fragility and on the many artistic and wholistic responses to Lake Weereewa that her time there has brought. 

If you are interested in sharing this joyous occasion at any time over the weekend and have an association with Mirramu please contact Elizabeth by email at elizabeth.mirramu@gmail.com

Loch na hEala/Swan Lake – 87th performance reached

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Swan Lake photo for Perth articleKeith Ledger Theatre, Perth 14 – 17 February 2019

Elizabeth’s most recent performances with Teac Damsa were part of the Perth Arts Festival. The now usual full houses and standing ovations were testament to the power and emotional impact of this innovative contemporary dance theatre work. It received critical acclaim.

For Elizabeth working with this company has been inspiring and fulfilling on so many different levels. The performances are always fresh for the artists; each night is like an opening night and at the same time the work deepens for every performer. It has been a highly significant part of Elizabeth’s career and development as an artist.

This speaks of the importance of taking up every opportunity offered to us at all stages in our lives and is a reminder to never stop learning.

More performances of Loch Na hEala, are scheduled for later in 2019.

Invitation to showing for CRONE, 12 March 2019

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You are invited  to a showing of studies for CRONE a new dance-theatre solo being developed by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman and directed by Kenneth Spiteri

The aged woman is rarely represented in our contemporary narratives, particularly on stage, and when she is, we  often see her portrayed as fragile and disempowered.  There is great value in challenging this perception

CRONE re-instates the significance of this archetype and the importance of what She represents.

Photograph Luke Danniells

Contours film project showing at Sly Gallery, Taipei, Oct-Nov 2018

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It was wonderful to see the fruits of our 2017 film shooting on Weereewa Lake George and in the forest behind Mirramu presented in the gallery in Taipei. There were two films – one by Australian film maker Sue Healey and one by Hsiao-Yin (Grace) Peng. Viv Contours for webIt is exciting that so many people have seen this exhibition, taking the capital region to the world. Showings of Grace’s film will be scheduled in other Asian cities in 2018-2019. We’ll keep you posted for a Canberra screening.

Mirramu gratefully acknowledges funding support from the ACT Government for Stage One of this project.

 

Loch na hEala – New Vision Arts Festival, Kwai Tsing Theatre Hong Kong, 16 to 18 Nov 2018

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This was a remarkable season in a very different cultural setting. It was nevertheless applauded with enormous enthusiasm in the huge theatre. hk GROUP FORWEBhk DIRECTOR lIZ AND LADY

The festival director, Amy Ho (pictured here to the right of Elizabeth and an audience member on her left) considered it to be one of the best events of this year’s festival.

The technical and administrative crews at the Kwai Tsing Theatre were outstanding resulting in a seamless season.

Loch na hEala, Pavilion Theatre, Dublin, 6 to 11 Nov 2018

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With a string of sell out, critically acclaimed performances worldwide, Loch na hEala returned to Dublin where Elizabeth joined them for the six shows. There were standing ovations and full houses throughout. Dublin poster forweb

It is always special to perform this work in Ireland where so much of the subtlety in it is rooted. Audiences immediately respond to the Irish nuances and the mystique of the folk lore.