Source : the age
A nondescript community hall in suburban Melbourne seems a long way from the bohemian heart of Paris, but it’s here that 120-odd dancers hope to be spotted as talent for the Moulin Rouge.
Australians top the nationalities in the prestigious French dance troupe, and now one of our own has taken on the role of ballet mistress.
Brisbane-born Nicole Savage takes the reins from Janet Pharaoh, who died in March last year. Savage is running auditions around the country, including on Wednesday at a hall in Pascoe Vale in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.
Candidates must be professional dancers and meet the minimum height requirements of 1.75 metres for women and 1.85 metres for men. Of the 120 dancers present, about eight are male.
Savage remembers her own tryouts for the world-famous cabaret when she was 20; she started performing at the Parisian venue in 2008 and has lived there ever since.
Speaking during a break, Savage says she knows that the auditions are nerve-racking for dancers.
“You’re performing in a room in front of a lot of people and there’s a lot of pressure, so I do understand what that feels like,” she says. “I haven’t forgotten.”
There’s no target number of dancers for the day. Within two hours, the initial 120 has been pared back to about 40, which may be cut back again before the day is out. Those who don’t receive an initial call-up can take comfort in the fact an invitation might come six months or a year later.
Auditions will continue around the country – in Sydney, Brisbane and on the Gold Coast – in coming weeks, following a first round of auditions in Perth before Savage landed in Melbourne.
As for why there are so many Australians already in the cabaret troupe, Savage says it’s all about talent.
“They always have a good, strong dance training,” she says. “The dance schools in Australia are excellent, and dancers here are also highly trained in classical dance and jazz, which is really the basis of our show.
“And they’re really strong dancers, which we need for the can-can – they’re very flexible. There’s also that great Aussie work ethic, and they’re great in a team.”
There’s a palpable energy in the room on this wintry afternoon, as Savage runs the dancers through their steps.
She couldn’t imagine back when she was part of a similar group that she would end up in a key leadership role, choosing and then leading the performers at the world’s most famous cabaret.
“I’d watched a documentary about this group of girls that had come over to Paris, and I loved the idea of living in Paris,” Savage says.
“So it was my dream to be there, but I never would have thought that it would have grown into being there for so long and building a life over there.”
Auditions for the Moulin Rouge will be held in Sydney on July 12 and 23; Brisbane on July 16; and the Gold Coast on July 19.
