Robert Curran and Rachel Rawlins in Madame Butterfly.
Photo: Jeff Busby
The shortlisted nominees for the 2012 Australian Dance Award were announced on Wednesday 4 July 2012 and two ballerinas from The Australian Ballet are in the running to take home the Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer prize.
Principal Artist Rachel Rawlins has been recognised for her heartbreaking portrayal of the title role in Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly.
Her characterization wowed the critics and audiences alike during the Sydney and Melbourne seasons in 2011. The Sunday Herald Sun commented “Rachel Rawlins brings her own artistry to the role. It is, without a doubt, the finest performance of her career. Her delicacy is divine, her abandon is breathtaking and her artistry will show you what ballet can achieve when it is this special.”
Soloist Robyn Hendricks has also been honoured in this field for her emotive performance in Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain©, part of the British Liaisons season.
She too was lavished with great praise from reviewers for her dancing in this work during 2011 with the Sunday Herald Sun enthusiastically stating “Hendricks has proved what many have been saying about her destiny to be a great principal artist.”
Established in 1997, the annual Australian Dance Awards honour professional Australian dance artists and companies who have made an outstanding contribution to dance. Last year, Principal Artist Daniel Gaudiello won the Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer Award for his delightful performance as Franz in the cheeky ballet caper Coppélia.
The 2012 Australian Dance Awards will be announced on Saturday 1 September 2012 at a gala event in Perth’s Heath Ledger Theatre.
The Australian Ballet congratulates Rachel and Robyn on their nominations.