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Youth Ensemble

Our Youth Ensemble comprises like-minded dancers aged 14-19, who share the same passions and creative aspirations.

About

Australasian Dance Collective aims to enrich, inspire and support the young dancers of our community.

Our Youth Ensemble is an artist development program that supports young dancers to extend their practice through individual growth, creative exploration and authentic connection with our Collective.

Dancers work closely with Youth Ensemble Director Courtney Scheu, ADC Artistic Director & CEO Amy Hollingsworth, ADC Company Artists and guest facilitators to further develop their technical practice, creative skills and collaborative artistry.

The program fosters a supportive and inclusive environment where dancers are encouraged to challenge themselves, connect with others and focus on their growth, with student wellbeing valued alongside their artistic development.

Through advanced technical training, repertoire, creative processes and performance, dancers develop their creative voice, strengthen their collaborative capabilities and build the confidence and curiosity to explore different approaches within contemporary dance practice.

Program Details

#2027 Youth Ensemble

The Youth Ensemble program focuses on developing dancers’ physical practice, performance skills, creative practice and ability to work responsively and collaboratively with others.

Beginning with the ADC Youth Intensive, our young artists will dance, learn and connect with the Collective through a week-long immersion led by ADC’s Company Artists and Artistic Team. They will experience ADC’s creative process, learn current company repertoire and explore new approaches to moving and making.

Across Terms 1 and 2, dancers build on this experience through ongoing technical training, creative development and rehearsal. Working with ADC artists and guest choreographers, they will engage in creative processes, contribute to the development of work and strengthen their individual and collective performance practice.

The program culminates in the Youth Ensemble’s signature performance season, Echo. In 2027, dancers will perform ADC repertoire, two new commissions and a collaborative work with founding Youth Ensemble Director Riannon McLean’s ensemble, The Movement Lab GC.

Term Dates

YOUTH INTENSIVE / Monday 18 January to Friday 22 January
TERM 1 / Monday 25 January to Thursday 25 March —10 weeks
TERM 2 / Monday 12 April to Friday 25 June —11 weeks
PRODUCTION WEEK / Monday 14 June to Saturday 19 June

Times

Wednesdays 5.30pm – 8pm
Sundays 12pm-4pm (please note rehearsal times will be extended closer to Production time)

Location

ADC Studios, Judith Wright Arts Centre, Fortitude Valley,
Meanjin/Brisbane

Program Fee

$2350 per participant
This fee is inclusive of ADC Youth Intensive, costuming, ADC Youth Ensemble T-Shirt, and all additional rehearsal and production costs.

Opportunities

#Youth Ensemble Audition

Audition registrations are now open for placement into our 2027 Youth Ensemble.

If you have any questions please contact Courtney Scheu, ADC Youth Ensemble Director via email: youthensemble@australasiandancecollective.com

Applications will remain open until capacity is reached.

Date

Sunday 18 October, 2026

Location

ADC Studios, Judith Wright Arts Centre
Fortitude Valley, Qld

Audition Registration

Register Now

Previous Ensembles

2025

2025 marked a new chapter for our Youth Ensemble, with Courtney Scheu commencing as Youth Ensemble Director. Echo 2025 saw the ensemble participate in the development of two new works, Ripple by Courtney Scheu, and snakeskin by guest choreographer Kate Harman. The program also saw the continuation of our collaboration with AUSTI. Dance & Physical Theatre (NSW), with the presentation of Inside Out, Outside In, a collection of student-devised dance films. The ensemble closed out the year by delving into the creative worlds of three emerging artists — Buddy Malbasias, Erin O'Rourke, and ADC Company Artist Lily Potger — alongside Courtney Scheu, presenting four new works as part of Succession.

2024

2024 saw our Youth Ensemble delve into the excitement of curating art for the stage for their Succession season alongside a performance of Youth Ensemble Director, Riannon McLean's Automaton, and 15LOVE by Company Artist, Lilly King. For Echo 2024, we again welcomed AUSTI. Dance & Physical Theatre (NSW) to perform alongside our Youth Ensemble. The program embraced the fragility of humanness with our Ensemble performing in The Fourth Wall by Richard Causer and Riannon McLean’s The Eve of Curiosity alongside the screening of their own dance film Recipients and Resemblance.

2023

Our 2023 Youth Ensemble collaborated with Brisbane State High School dance students for Succession, performing one of ADC’s most-loved works Arc, choreographed by Amy Hollingsworth, alongside a new work by Harrison Elliott. Echo featured two new works by Queensland makers, Courtney Scheu and Riannon McLean, presented alongside a new ensemble film by Ensemble Member Makeda Callinicos-Tomlin. We welcomed guest artists AUSTI. Dance & Physical Theatre (NSW) for the Echo season.

2022

Youth Ensemble Director Riannon McLean led a program focusing on the growth of each dancer in our 2022 cohort. Each member was offered a strong focus on artistry and performance as well as the development of choreographic skills, technique, and encouragement of self-devised investigative solo practice. The 2022 program featured the performance season of Succession showcasing the cast of 22 dancers through three new works followed by Echo with two new commissions and a suite of exceptional films made by the ensemble members.

2021

The 2021 our Youth Ensemble had two performance seasons at the Judith Wright Arts Centre. The first season, Succession saw the Youth Ensemble dance in new works by Riannon McLean, Bernhard Knauer and Lonii Garnons-Williams as well as performing alongside the ADC Company Artists in a new work by Jake McLarnon. Their standalone season Echo comprised two new works by Katina Olsen and Lauren Graham and the presentation of their own film works for the digital program, Curious Mind.

2020

In 2020, our Youth Ensemble performed alongside the ADC company artists in Arc at Brisbane Festival, a work of scale by Amy Hollingsworth, created especially for the festival. They also had the honour of being the first performers back on the QPAC Cremorne Theatre stage post-lockdown with Echo. They performed in new creations by Riannon McLean and Michael Smith as well as producing their film works inspired by the simple act of letter writing.

2019

After a successful pilot program the year before, 2019 saw ADC’s very first Youth Ensemble welcomed into the collective. Their inaugural performance season was Echo – a triple bill with the Youth Ensemble performing in same program as the company. The ADC company artists presented Amy Hollingsworth’s Deeper Than Ink, while the Youth Ensemble performed in new works by Riannon McLean and Jake McLarnon.