Australian Dance Theatre
Australian Dance Theatre (ADT), known as Meryl Tankard Australian Dance Theatre 1993–1999, is a contemporary dance company based in Adelaide, South Australia, established in 1965 by Dr. Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM. The ADT was the first modern dance company in Australia, and drew on the techniques of Martha Graham for its inspiration. The company has garnered 28 industry awards since 2002, was the first Australian company invited to the Edinburgh Festival, and is the only Australian company to be invited to perform at Théâtre de la Ville in Paris. The company has toured performances extensively throughout Australia  as well as internationally. History. The Australian Dance Theatre was founded by Elizabeth Dalman, later Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, in 1965. Dalman sought to "open the horizons for provocative contemporary and cutting edge dance". The ADT was the first modern dance company in Australia, and drew on the techniques of Martha Graham for its inspiration. Eleo Pomare was an early collaborator and the songs of Peter, Paul and Mary featured strongly in their early works, such as "This Train". Under Meryl Tankard as artistic director from 1993 to 1999, the company was known as the Meryl Tankard Australian Dance Theatre. Tankard  left after disputes with the Board. After an interim directorship under Bill Pengelly, Garry Stewart was appointed in 1999. Wiradjuri man Daniel Riley, who spent 12 years with Bangarra Dance Theatre and then time as a lecturer in contemporary dance at the Victorian College of the Arts, was announced in June 2021 as the new artistic director, taking over from Garry Stewart's 22-year tenure at the end of the year. The appointment is significant, as Riley will be the first Indigenous person to become an artistic director of a non-Indigenous dance company. He has performed extensively in  Australia and internationally, and has choreographed over 15 works, often in a way that explores his own culture. The new season and troupe, with four new dancers, were unveiled in March 2022. Governance and funding. The ADT is funded by the federal government through the Australia Council, the Government of South Australia through the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (1997–2018 via Arts South Australia) and a number of corporate partners and sponsors, as well as private donors. Artistic directors. The artistic directors have been: Tours. The company has toured performances extensively throughout Australia, as well as Ireland, Korea, Canada , USA, UK, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco, Japan, Spain, Austria, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Norway and Colombia. Accolades. ADT has garnered 28 industry awards since 2002, was the first Australian company invited to the Edinburgh Festival and is the only Australian company to be invited to perform at Théâtre de la Ville in Paris. International Centre for Choreography. The International Centre for Choreography (ICC) at the ADT, supported by the Tanja Liedtke Foundation, was founded around 2016. It fosters choreographic initiatives locally and internationally, including residencies and other opportunities at ADT for the winners of the International Choreographic Competition Hannover  (for which Garry Stewart has been on the judging panel). Its mission is "to facilitate open research and experimentation in a supportive and professional environment". Other initiatives of the ICC include dance workshops, discussion panels, collaborations, and screen dance projects. Selected performances. Choreographed by Dalman: Choreographed by Taylor: Choreographed by Tankard: Choreographed by Pengelly: Choreographed by Stewart: