Australian Dance Theatre 60th Anniversary

Mr Speaker, 

It is with great joy – and a fair bit of awe-inspired admiration – that I rise to move this motion celebrating an icon of Australian contemporary culture: the Australian Dance Theatre, which this year marks 60 years of bold, breathtaking, boundary-pushing performance. 

ADT is Australia’s oldest continuing contemporary dance company, proudly based in Norwood, within my electorate of Dunstan, since 2018. While they’ve called several parts of Adelaide home over the decades, they’ve been an Adelaide-based company since their founding in 1965. And for 60 years, ADT has done something quite remarkable: they’ve challenged us – artistically, emotionally, and intellectually – with dance that doesn’t just entertain, but moves us to think, to feel, and to reflect. 

Because, the kind of work ADT creates is not necessarily the sort that leaves you wanting to try a few of their moves on your own. It’s deeper than that. It’s the kind of work that stays with you long after the curtain falls – visceral, exhilarating, and often hauntingly beautiful. It leaves you walking out of the theatre changed, and quietly pondering ideas or story-lines you perhaps hadn’t considered before. 

But how did ADT come to produce such profound and creative work? Let’s go back to where it all began. 

As Premier Peter Malinauskas said: “South Australia has long been a hub of arts and culture, but this didn’t happen by chance – it was built through deliberate effort.” 

And of course that effort hasn’t just been driven by various governments. It has come from the determination of the drivers of the arts in South Australia. Indeed I knew something of the arts in South Australia in the 70s and 80s, because my own grandfather was drawn into it from his home base in Sydney in the 1970s. I remember him talking about it when I was a young child.  

But before I was even thought of, in 1965, when the Beatles were topping the charts, Australia was changing rapidly, and amidst that era of transformation, a young and visionary artist named Elizabeth Cameron Dalman founded a company with a clear purpose: to make dance that was relevant, experimental, connected to the world, and, crucially, connected to this place – our country, our culture, our people. 

That spirit of innovation has never left ADT. It is in their DNA. It’s in every movement, every gesture, every electrifying stillness. 

And what a moment it was earlier this year, during the Adelaide Festival, when ADT premiered the extraordinary new work A Quiet Language – a deeply evocative piece co-directed by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman herself, now in her 90s, and the company’s current Artistic Director, the trailblazing Daniel Riley. 

It was an intergenerational dialogue through dance. A quiet, powerful conversation between past and present. A reverent nod to legacy and a bold statement of intent for the future. 

And it was truly magnificent. 

Daniel Riley’s leadership marks another pivotal moment in ADT’s story. A proud Wiradjuri man, Daniel is the first Indigenous Artistic Director of the company. His appointment is more than symbolic – it’s transformative. 

Under his guidance, ADT is exploring deeper truths, grappling with our collective history, and forging a more inclusive and truthful artistic path forward. Daniel’s work is rooted in culture, in country, and in storytelling, and it resonates far beyond the stage. 

His choreography is not just movement – it’s memory, resistance, reclamation, and hope. 

His vision ensures that ADT doesn’t just continue – they evolve, they lead, and they inspire. 

But what does it mean to be a powerhouse of the arts, as ADT undoubtedly is. 

Firstly, ADT employs full-time dancers – one of the few companies in South Australia to do so, outside of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.  

That’s a massive contribution not just to the lives of those dancers, but to the vibrancy and sustainability of our arts sector. 

It creates jobs. It fosters excellence. But perhaps even more importantly, it attracts talent.   

Their home base, the Odeon in Norwood, although just metres from The Parade, is a deceptively quiet building from the outside – but walk through its doors and up the steps, and you enter a world of relentless creativity and artistic rigour.  

Behind those walls, original works are being developed, stories are being shaped, and movement is being refined with purpose and precision. 

From that creative hub in Norwood, ADT launches its work out into the world. Let us not forget: the name Australian Dance Theatre was intentional. It was always a part of the plan to take the performance around Australia, and the world. 

Away often, their performances tour nationally and internationally, taking South Australian stories to audiences across the globe and bringing back new ideas, partnerships, and inspirations. 

And they are not just ambassadors for South Australian culture, they are a magnet for it, drawing in collaborators from across Australia and beyond. 

They’ve performed in Paris, Berlin, New York, Tokyo, and let’s not forget… Port Pirie. Because ADT has never been about elitism. It’s about reaching people wherever they are, and proving that contemporary dance belongs to everyone. 

Mr Speaker, I want to pause for a moment on the idea of contemporary dance itself. 

For some people, the words “contemporary dance” might conjure up a bit of confusion – with the use of voice and facial expression, it might leave audience members with questions. A “what does it mean?” moment. 

But that’s the point. 

Contemporary dance doesn’t always offer easy answers. It asks questions. It provokes. It surprises. It invites us to feel first, and then think on those feelings later. 

It is art that moves – not just the dancers, but the audience. 

And over the past 60 years, ADT has become masters of that form – using the human body to tell stories that words sometimes cannot. 

From works about identity and dislocation, to climate, connection, colonialism, loss and joy – there is no subject too big, too small, or too complex for ADT to tackle. And they do it with grace, grit, and guts. 

The cultural impact is immense, but let’s not forget the economic contribution as well. 

South Australia’s arts sector is an economic powerhouse! It employs thousands of people, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, and contributes over $1.1 billion to our economy. 

Major companies like ADT are central to that success. They support local employment, drive tourism, and innovation. Their performances draw visitors to our festivals, their work supports hospitality, education, production, and design. 

When we invest in the arts, we invest in our identity, our economy, and our future. 

And when we celebrate companies like ADT, we’re celebrating the best of what South Australia has to offer: talent, imagination, and the courage to try something new. 

So, what does it mean for us as South Australians to be celebrating the Australian Dance Theatre’s 60th anniversary? 

It means celebrating an institution that has stood the test of time – not by standing still, but by constantly evolving. 

It means recognising a company that is rooted in Adelaide, but reaching out across the world. 

It means acknowledging the incredible artists – dancers, choreographers, musicians, technicians, designers, producers, board members, and supporters – who have contributed to the company’s journey across six decades. 

And it means inviting all South Australians to be part of that celebration. 

So whether you’re a long-time dance aficionado or someone who’s never seen a contemporary work in your life – this is the year to give it a go. 

Head to the Odeon. Take a seat. Open your mind. 

Because I promise you – you won’t just see a performance. You’ll feel it. 

Mr Speaker, on behalf of my community in Dunstan, home to the Odeon and proud host of the ADT, I want to thank everyone who has shaped the company’s remarkable 60-year history. 

To Elizabeth Cameron Dalman – thank you for your vision, your determination to create something unique in Australia. 

To Daniel Riley – thank you for your leadership, your profound insight and your truth-telling. 

To the dancers – thank you for the sweat, the strength, the emotional intelligence and the soul you bring to every step. 

To the crew behind the scenes – thank you for making the magic happen. 

And to the audiences – thank you for watching, for supporting, and for coming back again and again. 

Happy 60th, ADT. You’ve earned a standing ovation and then some. We can’t wait to see what you’ll do next. 

I commend the motion to the House.