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Join the Western NSW Junior Contemporary Dance Ensemble
Join the Western NSW Junior Contemporary Dance Ensemble
Take your dancing to the next level!
Take your dancing to the next level!
Are you a passionate and talented dancer looking for an opportunity beyond what’s available at school?
The Western NSW Junior Contemporary Dance Ensemble is designed for dedicated young performers who want to refine their technique, expand their artistic expression, and collaborate with like minded dancers.
Open to students in Years 4 to 6 from NSW Public Schools across Western NSW.
This is more than just a dance group; it’s an elite performance experience where students will be immersed in high level choreography, professional rehearsal settings, and the creative process of building a contemporary dance work.
Why Join the Ensemble?
Why Join the Ensemble?
⭐ Advanced Training and Technique Development: Take your dancing to the next level with specialist choreographers and educators who will challenge and inspire you. Develop refined musicality, dynamic control, spatial awareness, and expressive artistry, skills that go far beyond what’s typically explored in a school setting.
⭐ Collaboration with like-minded dancers: Connect and create with other passionate young dancers from across Western NSW. Together, you’ll build trust, teamwork, and creativity, essential qualities that shape every outstanding performer.
⭐ Performance Opportunities: Feel the thrill of the stage as you perform in a high-calibre production at the Bathursy and Dubbo Western NSW Dance Festivals, with the chance to audition for the State Dance Festival, one of NSW’s most prestigious dance events.
⭐ Confidence and stage presence: Learn how to captivate audiences with confidence and authenticity. Develop your stagecraft, express yourself fearlessly through movement, and experience the power of performing as part of a united, expressive ensemble.
⭐ Pathway to Future Opportunities: The Western NSW Junior Contemporary Dance Ensemble is your springboard into the next level of dance, whether you’re aspiring to study dance further, join senior ensembles, or pursue professional performance opportunities. The experience you gain here will set you apart as a skilled and confident artist.
If you are ready to challenge yourself, grow as a dancer, and be part of something extraordinary, apply now to audition for the Western NSW Junior Contemporary Dance Ensemble!
Enquiries
Enquiries
Please contact Alison Buckley - Arts Coordination Officer, Western NSW should you have any further questions or concerns:
Please contact Alison Buckley - Arts Coordination Officer, Western NSW should you have any further questions or concerns:
E: alison.m.hall@det.nsw.edu.au
P: 0408 967 712
Important information and how to get involved
Important information and how to get involved
How to apply
How to apply
Interested students must have a parent or carer complete the Western NSW Junior Contemporary Dance Ensemble 2026 by Wednesday 25 March 2026 (Term 1 Week 9).
After applications close, school principals will be contacted to endorse the participation of nominated students.
All applicants will be invited to attend the audition workshop -
Date: Monday 30 March (Term 1 Week 10)
Time: 9.30 am - 2 pm
Venue: Stepping Out Dance Factory, Dubbo
Address: 7/56-74 Mountbatten Dr, Dubbo NSW 2830
Following this rehearsal, the choreographer and educators will nominate students for selection into the 2026 Ensemble.
Only selected ensemble members will be required to attend all subsequent rehearsals and performances.
Students will be notified of their selection by Thursday 2 April 2026 (Term 1 Week 10).
Cost
Audition/workshop is free.
If your child is selected into the ensemble, details will be provided in acceptance letters. A participation fee of $120 is required for each student selected into the Ensemble. This fee will cover tuition, an ensemble T-shirt, and costume.
Students only attending the first audition/workshop will not be required to make a payment.
Students will be required to pay this fee to their school upon acceptance into the Ensemble and schools will be debited for student participation. Payment will be due by Friday 8 May 2026 (Term 2 Week 3).
Please advise the school you are paying for the Western NSW Junior Contemporary Dance Ensemble 2026 when making payment.
Students may also be asked to supply accessories to go with their costumes.
Workshop rehearsal dates
Workshop rehearsal dates
Ensemble members must be available for all of the following workshop rehearsal days:
Thursday 23 April (Term 2 Week 1) - 9:30 am to 2:00 pm (2-day comprehensive workshop)
Friday 24 April (Term 2 Week 1) - 9:30 am to 2:00 pm (2-day comprehensive workshop)
Host venue for rehearsals: Stepping Out Dance Factory, Dubbo. 7/56-74 Mountbatten Dr, Dubbo NSW 2830
State Dance Festival rehearsal date (if selected): Monday 7 September (Term 3 Week 8)
Students must commit to the Ensemble and attend all scheduled rehearsals for the entire length of time.
Students will be supervised by Department of Education staff at all times.
What to wear to auditions and rehearsals
What to wear to auditions and rehearsals
Students should wear either dancewear (leotard and shorts) or their school sports uniform to all rehearsals. Bare midriffs and tops with large logos are not permitted. Dancers may wear jazz shoes or dance barefoot as preferred.
Western NSW Dance Festival Bathurst and Dubbo
Western NSW Dance Festival Bathurst and Dubbo
Students in the Ensemble will also need to be available to perform at the following:
Western NSW Dance Festival - Dubbo Showcase on Monday 25 or Tuesday 26 May 2026 (Term 2 Week 6)
Please note students will only be required for the Western NSW Junior Contemporary Ensemble for one of the above dates TBA.
Rehearsal on the designated date TBA - 9:30 am to 2:00 pm - at Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre
Western NSW Dance Festival - Bathurst Showcase on Tuesday 16 or Wednesday 17 June 2026 (Term 2 Week 9)
Please note students will only be required for the Western NSW Junior Contemporary Ensemble for one of the above dates TBA.
Rehearsal on the designated date TBA - 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm - at Bathurst Memorial Ent Centre
Please note, the Dubbo Showcase is a new and exciting addition to the Western NSW Dance Festival and will allow the ensemble (especially those from the Dubbo region) to showcase their talents to the broader Western NSW community.
Ensemble members may also perform with their school in a school item at the festival if applicable.
Choreographer - Jamie Winbank
Choreographer - Jamie Winbank
A graduate of WAAPA (BA Dance), Jamie is a dance artist, educator, producer, and creator. Some performance credits include, as Diablo in Opera Australia's Handa on Sydney Harbour "West Side Story", Meryl Tankard’s "VX18504", Brown Paper Circus’ Please Consider Our Neighbours; featured dancer in the Neil Gooding Productions/Actors Benevolent Fund video "Return", and, residencies with Frantic Assembly (London) and Les Ballets C De La B (Ghent, Belgium).
As a creative, Jamie has worked with Liz Lea Dance, Legs On The Wall, and various independent projects, including his own. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, he created The Social disDANCE Project - an online space to connect the community through creativity and movement. He has been an Associate Producer at Sydney Opera House, producing "Every Body Dance Now", a series of free community dance classes on the Forecourt of the Sydney Opera House.
Jamie is a passionate youth arts practitioner having directed for Canberra Youth Theatre, co-presented a “Boys In Dance” presentation/workshop at the Commonwealth Youth Dance Festival (Glasgow), choreographed and worked in an array of roles for QL2 Dance (including works nominated for Australian Dance Awards), and was the Creative Director for Ausdance ACT's Youth Dance Festival (nominated for an ACT Chief Ministers Diversity and Inclusion Award). Jamie is a Sydney Dance Company National Tour Teaching Artist and Studio Teacher.
State Dance Festival
State Dance Festival
The Western NSW Junior Contemporary Dance Ensemble will submit a nomination to perform at the State Dance Festival, held at the Seymour Centre in Term 3 Week 9 (14 to 18 September 2026). If selected, the ensemble will perform on one night of the festival, representing the incredible talent and dedication of dancers from across the Regional and Rural South and West.
The State Dance Festival brings together the best student ensembles from across the state to perform in a professionally produced showcase. This is an extraordinary opportunity for our young regional dancers to:
Perform on a professional stage in front of a state-wide audience
Represent and celebrate regional and rural excellence in dance
Connect with top student performers from across NSW
Be part of a high-calibre festival known for its artistic and technical excellence
Being selected for the State Dance Festival is a remarkable achievement, providing dancers with invaluable experience, confidence, and exposure. The Western NSW Junior Contemporary Dance Ensemble will be proud to stand alongside some of the best young performers in the state, showcasing the power of regional and rural talent.
If selected, an additional rehearsal will be scheduled in the lead-up to the festival.
Third-party content attributions
Third-party content attributions
Photography by Hatch Media.
Western NSW Junior Dance Ensemble
artsunit.nsw.edu.au/local-arts-program/western-nsw-junior-dance-ensemble
Western NSW Dance Festival
artsunit.nsw.edu.au/local-arts-programs/western-nsw-dance-festival
The Arts Unit
artsunit.nsw.edu.au
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