Soft Landing is about you, a performing artist and human being.

With Amelia McQueen, Natalie Abbott, Solon Ulbrich and Adelina Larsson.  A project of QL2 Dance.

A project of QL2 Dance.

Dates: 28 FEBRUARY – 23 MARCH 2014 (no partial attendance)

Location: QL2 Dance, Canberra

Cost: FREE! + you receive an honorarium of $200 towards your expenses.

You will have the opportunity to choreograph, perform, train in and teach dance among a group of committed and skilled artists at similar stages in their career, while being lead and supported by experienced dancers and choreographers.

• You will be challenged to make decisions about yourself and your art practice.
• You will train physically and engage creatively.
• You will contribute creative tasks relevant to your interests.
• You will support your peers and bring their concepts to life.
• Together, you will debate, reveal, feel, talk, eat, dance and WORK!!

Apply online — but read this page first!

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In a small group of passionate and skilled young recent graduates drawn from VCA, WAAPA, NAISDA, QUT, Deakin and AC Arts, we will challenge  the difficult transition from the tertiary course into the dance profession. You will form relationships with other dancers that will continue to support you far into the future.

Soft Landing is designed to develop your capacity to respond to creative challenges with professional rigour, choreographic intelligence and an awareness of context. More importantly, it will bring awareness and clarity to your personal beliefs and morals so that you can powerfully navigate your life as an artist.

Independent dancer and choreographer Amelia McQueen will be full-time director of Soft Landing for 2014, utilising varied tools and processes from contemporary dance and yoga to drive the exploration of your mind and body. Soft Landing 2008 graduate Natalie Abbott brings her diverse performance and choreographic interests into the studio and will be collaborating with Amelia to create a unique Soft Landing experience for this year’s participants. Swedish choreographer Adelina Larsson will work with you to stimulate new perceptions of choreography and embodiment within your creative practice. And Solon Ulbrich, who developed Soft Landing over many years, returns to challenge you.

There will also be sessions on some of the practical issues freelance artists face, including copyright, contracts and risk management.

Soft Landing 2014 concludes with a public performance and discussion, for which you will both be choreographed on and choreograph on others if you choose to do so.

Seven years of successful participants are now at the forefront of dance in Australia and overseas, in companies and independent practice. Previous Soft Landers include Natalie Abbott, Linton Aberle, Sarah Aiken, Carly Armstrong, Rebecca Bainger, Anabelle Balharry, Lachlan Bell, Ashleigh Berry, Kelly Beneforti, Sara Black, Laura Boynes, Kara Burdack, Sophie Burgoyne, Ashley Burgess, Ashlee Bye, Matt Cornell, Dean Cross, Gabriel Comerford, Gemma Dawkins, Madeline Edwards, Ashlea English, Rhiannon Ferris, Emma Fishwick, Chiemi Fukumori, Emi Forster, Angela Goh, Leeke Griffin, Katherine Gurr, Stephanie Harper, Alicia Harvie, Luke Hickmott, Jessie Hoeschle, Brie Healy, Lenka Hughes, Rebecca Jensen, Anna Kallstrom, Jake Kuzma, Rebecca Lee, Katherine MacDonald, Caitlin McKenzie, Amy McPherson, Chrissy Norford, Jo Naumann, Quindell Orton, Alison Plevey, Janine Proost, Emily Ranford, Emily Robinson, Ash Rose, Courtney Scheu, Amy Shepherdson, Frankie Snowden, Rebecca Taylor, Sarah Taylor, Elanor Jane Webber, James Welsby, Jamie Winbank, Amy Wiseman, Trish Wood, Hannah Wong, Miranda Zeller

 “… gave me not only a new kind of inspiration but also the necessary knowledge and tools to survive in this tough industry.”

 “I had such a powerful transformation … I found the courage required to source my own opportunities and ensure I was stepping closer towards my goals.”

  “… taught me how to overcome fears with my dancing and as a person. It allowed me to break through walls I had around me. It set me up with new connections.”

“…offered me an opportunity to think differently, an opportunity to find a better relationship with myself as well as those around me, and an acceptance and pride in what I do as an independent dance artist.”

“… the group … feels more like my peers than my year group from university… because they were committed to developing into professional artists.”

“…  dramatically impacted my practice as a dance performer and choreographer. The information I gained physically, conceptually and logistically will inform the development of my career”

“…one of the most important things that I learnt was how to talk about dance and the importance of beginning conversations about dance.”

“…gave me initiative to change the way I drive my life, the way I approach dance as an artist and as a business; and to ignite potential in myself.”

You can read more from previous participants: Bicky Lee in 2013, or Courtney Scheu in 2012. 

Can I apply?

All dance graduates within the first two years after completing their degree and aged 27 or under are eligible.

Soft Landing has a core period of 3 weeks in Canberra, with a timetable filling 5-6 days per week. You must make a clear commitment to the entire process, and be available full-time for the period.

You will be required to engage in online discussion and research prior to the studio development, and we will also provide online and phone mentoring support after the fulltime program has concluded.

Costs

There is no fee to participate, and QL2 will pay you an allowance of $200 towards your costs. Thanks to our donors!

You must make your own arrangements for your stay in Canberra.

How to apply

1. Prepare a CV listing your dance training, professional development activities, and performance and choreographic work, especially any activities outside university. Save it as a PDF.
2. Prepare a list of 1-3 professional referees who are prepared to speak to the panel if contacted. Optionally, obtain letters of reference and have them in electronic form (scans, photos, pdfs).
3. Prepare 1-500 words expressing your reasons for wanting to do Soft Landing, and addressing the selection criteria.
4. Select 1-3 dance photos of yourself
5. Prepare a video (max 200Mb) of up to 10 minutes, preferably with material demonstrating your dance skills both as a dancer and as a choreographer. Prepare notes about what you have included on the video.
6. Prepare a short description of what is in the video: choreographers, dancers, events, dates, places. We need to know who and what we are looking at.
7. APPLY ONLINE  at our website.
8. Submit your video and other large files, by:

• uploading video to Youtube or Vimeo (make it private, and send us the link) or
• send files (max 200Mb) using a free file transfer service such as wetransfer.com, transferbigfiles.com etc — and send the link to softlanding@QL2.org.au

CHECK that you have received an email confirming we have received your application. And contact us at  softlanding@QL2.org.au if something goes wrong.

Selection

Prime selection criteria will be:

• a demonstrated desire to work in this mentored environment with Amelia and the other artists;
• potential benefit to you, as an artist;
• your potential contribution to Australian dance.

We will also consider availability, commitment, physical capacity and diversity.

Applications will be assessed by:

• Amelia McQueen: Project Director
• Ruth Osborne: Artistic Director QL2

Dates

• Applications due: 5 December 2013
• Successful applicants will be advised by email by: 16 December, 2013
• Core intensive:  28 FEBRUARY – 23 MARCH 2014

Contact

If you have any further queries please contact Amelia and Ruth at softlanding@ql2.org.au

Amelia McQueen graduated from Adelaide College of the Arts in 2000 with a Bachelor of Dance Performance and currently resides in Melbourne. She has been an ensemble member for companies such as Tanz Atelier Wien (Vienna), Tasdance (Launceston), and Stalker Theatre Company (Sydney). She has toured internationally with physical theatre company Strange Fruit since 2004 and in 2011/12 was a Member of its’ Board of Directors. Under the direction of Tanja Liedtke she developed a role for the dance theatre production ‘Twelfth Floor’ (Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Choreography 2006) that she performed in Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany 2006-2009. She is featured in the film ‘Life in Movement’ (Foxtel Australian Documentary Prize 2011) and continues to work for the Tanja Liedtke Foundation delivering the ‘Inspiring Dance’ workshop series. Amelia has presented her own choreography in theatres and art galleries in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Launceston and Amsterdam, including choreographic commission ‘Soft Targets’ with Jade Dewi Tyas Tunggal and Bilwa for the 2010 Melbourne Fringe Festival (winner, Outstanding Choreography, Short and Sweet Dance Canberra). In 2010/11 she undertook a Solo Performance Residency program through Victoria University to extend her choreographic practice. She has studied in Europe under practioners including Julyen Hamilton, Katie Duck, Lily Kiara, Les Slovaks and David Zambrano. Amelia is passionate about giving young people quality experiences in dance education. In 2010 she was the Artistic Director of Ausdance ACT’s Youth Dance Festival and 2011/12 was one of two resident choreographers for the Tasdance Education Project. For this project Amelia co-choreographed Cross Currents with Dean Cross and Bright Spark with Joshua Lowe, working with casts of dancers 15- 18 years old from all over Tasmania. Amelia is in her third year as Project Director of tertiary graduate mentoring program ‘Soft Landing’ for QL2 Dance in Canberra.