19th - 21st Sept 2025
At the Australian Dance Festival, we're all about celebrating Australia's best in dance. That's why we created Australia's NEXT Choreographer. It's more than just a competition; it's a platform to empower the next generation of Australian dance storytellers.
We recognize the crucial role choreographers play in shaping the future of dance. They are the artists who translate emotions into movement, who craft narratives through body language, and who push the boundaries of what dance can be.
This competition is your opportunity to showcase your unique voice, your creative vision, and your ability to inspire dancers to move in ways they never thought possible.
What’s Up for Grabs?
A whopping $10,000 in prize money, split into:
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$5,000 Grand Prize for the winning choreographer (1 Prize)
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$1,000 Prize for all remaining contenders (6 Prizes)
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Prizes will be awarded on Sunday 22nd September on the last night of the Australian Dance Festival.
We would like to thank Ultra Dance Competition for Sponsoring the Winner's Prize Money of $5,000
How It Works:
In the past, our amazing Artistic Director, Marko Panzic, would handpick 6 contenders to show off their choreographic skills. But this year, things are getting spicy. We ran a PRELIMINARY COMPETITION on Friday, July 19th at the Governor's Centre in Moore Park, Sydney to give more choreographers a shot at the spotlight! 7 Finalists were chosen from the Preliminaries.
The Finals:
The 7 finalists will showcase their choreography on the iconic Australian Dance Festival stage on Saturday 21st September at Sydney Olympic Park's Quaycentre. The Winner will be announced on Sunday 22nd September on the final night of the Australian Dance Festival. Tickets are $55 and include a $10 Voucher which you can spend at participating Exhibitors and Food Truks at the ADF Expo Arena.
2024 Contenders
2023 Contenders
2019 Contenders
Paris Cavanagh
Matthew Gode
Bec Condino
Lauren Elton
Nathan Isaac
Maikolo Fekitoa
2018 Contenders
2017 Contenders
Click on each of the images to watch the choreography they produced for the 2017 Australian Dance Festival