Get your dancing shoes ready: 10 ways to celebrate Australian Dance Week in Canberra
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It’s that time of year when Canberra transforms into the dance capital of Australia! With more dance studios per capita than anywhere else in the country, our city is the perfect place to celebrate Australian Dance Week.
Australian Dance Week 2025 kicks off from 28 April to 5 May, boasting the largest program nationwide. Whether you’re a professional dancer, complete beginner, or somewhere in between, there’s something for everyone in this vibrant celebration of movement.
Check out the full program here.
10 ways to get involved
Opening Night Extravaganza
Start your Dance Week experience with a bang! The opening night coincides with International Dance Day and features a Welcome to Country from Ngunnawal elder Aunty Serena Williams.
Don’t miss The Stellar Company’s ‘Stars in 3D’—an immersive dance experience featuring the Chamaeleon Collective and special guests Hilal Dance Australia.
Stay for the salsa dance experience with Kokoloco Dance Studio and discover why partnered dance is making a comeback with the younger generation.
Monday 29 April, 6:30 pm | Gorman Arts Centre, Braddon | RSVP by 19 April to act@ausdance.org.au
‘Garden’ by QL2 Dance
For contemporary dance enthusiasts, don’t miss this immersive double bill exploring lineage, rebellion, and resilience. Created by James Batchelor (Berlin) and Alice Lee Holland (Kamberri) with a cast of young collaborators, this promises to be a thought-provoking highlight of the week.
Saturday 3 May, 6 pm and 8:30 pm; Sunday 4 May, 2 pm and 6 pm | The Fitters’ Workshop, Kingston | Bookings here.
Be reborn by Deni Dominguez
A free street performance that combines contemporary dance, butoh and improvisation.
Inspired by the cycles of nature and the imagery of rebirth it evokes, it’s an invitation to consider how else we can perceive this rebirth—through ideas, experiences, or the healing of wounds.
5 pm, Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 May | City Walk, Ainslie Place, Canberra City | Bookings not required.
Friday Night Kids Disco
An hour of fun, movement, and socialisation to use the last of your kid’s energy for the week!
Expect dances like the Macarena, Nutbush and Cha Cha Cha.
Friday 2 May 5 pm–6 pm (under 9 years) and 6.15pm–7.15pm (9 years to 14 years) | Dale’s Ballroom Studio, 94 Longmore Crescent, Wanniassa | More information here.
Rond-De-Jambe by Mia Rashid
A free public contemporary dance performance interrogating the borders created between the body and its environment. ‘Rond-DeJambe’ – meaning “circle of the leg” – Mia’s performance incorporates circularity, whilst exaggerating and subverting its technicality as a balletic movement.
7 pm Friday 2 and 5.30 pm Saturday 3 May | City Walk, Ainslie Place, Canberra | No bookings required
Spiced Lunch at The Food Co-op
Experience the delightful combination of dance and food! Enjoy a nourishing vegan lunch while Canberra Dance Theatre performers provide live entertainment. It’s a feast for all your senses and a perfect midday dance break.
Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 April and Thursday 1 May, 12.30 pm | The Food Co-op Shop & Café, 3 Kingsley Street, Acton | More info here.
‘Loitering and Leaping in the Library’
This FREE ZEST: Dance for Wellbeing class welcomes adults of all ages and mobility levels. It’s specifically designed for those wanting to keep both body and brain active in a welcoming environment.
Perfect for older Canberrans or anyone looking for an accessible entry point into dance.
Friday, 2 May – arrive at 10.30am for an 11 am–12 pm class | National Library of Australia, Parkes | More info here
Wiggles World of Dance Party
Watch your little one learn through exploration, confidence, education, coordination, musicality, and passion.
Wiggles World of Dance celebrates every child’s unique rhythm. Whether they’re bouncing to the beat or inventing their own signature moves, there’s a place on our dance floor for everyone
Suitable for 18 months to 6 years.
Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 April, 11 am–12 pm | The Studio International, Fyshwick | More information here.
Dance Film Workshop
Perfect for creative teens, this special workshop with Peng Hsiao yin from Dancecology Taiwan guides high school and college students through choreographing movements and capturing them using professional filming techniques.
Monday 5 May, 10.30 am–12.30 pm | Gorman Arts Centre, Braddon | Bookings here
Something Different: Menagerie of Misfits
Unleash your inner sass with this fun, flirty and empowering burlesque workshop series! Perfect for those looking to try something completely different during Dance Week.
Thursday 1 May, 5.30 pm–8.30 pm | F Block Gallery, Gorman Arts Centre, Braddon | Bookings here.
But wait, there’s more!
With free classes, taster sessions, workshops and performances happening throughout Canberra, Australian Dance Week offers the perfect opportunity to discover new styles or deepen your existing practice.
The full program is available at Ausdance ACT’s website, featuring additional events including taster classes with a range of studios, Folk Dance Canberra at The Little Burley Market, Blueberries toddler classes, and contemporary workshops with Australian Dance Party.
Feature image: Art Atelier Photography
