Whats Happened to Brent Street

All this shows what passion there is in Sydney for dance. We should all be celebrating. I guess what matters is perception, not reality. It's good that Brent St get challenged...thats good for the industry. The perception is that Brent St slipped because it got too big, was too complex to manage for the management skills of the sisters and it was too hard to get into the performance groups. Also many teachers did leave as it was turning into a factory. But the prooblem still exists...if you are a really good dancer, who also sings and acts, where do you go to take your skill level in all three disciplines to professional. Its not NIDA or WAAPA. Its probably The Royal Academy, Chicago Performinbg Arts of NYCB. Sad really. The only measure of success is employment, and the roles are just not here. We had a choreographer from Chicago stay with us in May. He watched the open Tap at Extreme. He was blown away by the standard. He said Capital, Brent St and maybe one of the others were as good as anything he has seen and we should get together and tour in the US. Now what about that?...a composite of say 40, and a killer routine. They do this for choirs and orchestras, why not for dance? I think it's up to the industry to promte itself better, and its up to producers to put more shows on and give our wonderful, talented and passionate young people an opportunity to work in this industry. The audiences would be there I am sure. Lets not permit the same thing as happens in classical, where only a handful ever get work, happen to the jazz and tap genres. Lets lean on Graeme Murphy to open up and do an AB in Sydney...a school...a funnel...a level higher with chances to perform. Imagine if the SDC was a school and did intermediate and open jazz, tap and contemporary, and entered the esiteddfods...wow! Heck, they need the money, they have the facilities...people would kill to audition...anyone in Graeme's ear here?