Ian RT Colless
Regarded as one of Australia’s most innovative early career choreographers, Ian’s work has been seen throughout the world. At 27 years old his choreographic credits are diverse, creating for major opera companies, state festivals, universities, musicals, Off-Off Broadway and dance companies.
His work with Untitled|Collective has been staged at; Ailey Citigroup Theater (NYC), La MaMa Moves Dance Festival (NYC), Summer Stage Central Park (NYC), The Australian Consulate (NYC), RUBABOO Arts Festival (Canada) and more.
Based between Manhattan and Sydney (Eora Country) he maintains strong links to his community in Australia. Ian is a descendent from the Dharabuladh (Therabluat) clan of the Gundungurra Nation that encompasses the area known as The World Heritage listed National Park, the Blue Mountain where he was raised. Ian is mentored by Jock Soto from the Navajo people of North America.
Graduate of Newtown High School of the Performing Arts, Sydney. Throughout his tertiary studies he was awarded The Commonwealth Learning Scholarship. His formal education includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Queensland University of Technology, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). His honours thesis on Australian Aboriginal Modern Dance has since been published by Edith Cowen University and is noted in the National Library of Australia database. Ian is currently completing his second postgraduate degree studying a Masters in Dance at New York University (NYU) Steinhardt School for Culture, Education, and Human Development. Ian is the recipient of The Roberta Sykes Scholarship from the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation (Australia). He also holds the Dame Joan Sutherland Fellowship from the American Australian Association (USA).
He has lectured in dance the Aboriginal Center for the Performing Arts (Brisbane), the WAAPA Aboriginal Theater Course (Perth), the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA Dance College, Sydney) and NYU Steinhardt. Ian’s area of expertise is in multicultural communications and inter-cultural collaborations. He actively promotes international cultural exchange with a solid foundation from home, Australia.
Ian has been an artist in residence at the prestigious Banff Centre (Canada) and PAF, the Performing Arts Forum (France). He has been commissioned by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Australia Council for the Arts, The Ian Potter Cultural Trust, The Foundation for Young Australians, Arts NSW, Ars Musica Australis, the McDonald Foundation Cultural Trust and the Australian Consulate.
Ian was the first modern choreographer to create a work for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Internationally he has performed, choreographed and produced throughout Australia, China, Netherlands, Uganda, France, Germany, Japan, Canada and Portugal.
Image: Colless' working on 'Bird Study' for Untitled|Collective / www.untitled-collective.com
©2013 Lucas Chilczuk • Untitled|Collective www.lucasch.com
Lucas Chilczuk Photography — at Dance New Amsterdam, NYC
