We are delighted to be running the Canberra Dance Festival in 2024 for its 30th year and wish to extend a warm welcome to all dancers, teachers and parents.
Canberra Dance Festival is now widely recognised as an enjoyable, friendly and efficient Festival with the emphasis on sharing our love of Dance rather than competition.
You may rest assured that the staff and parents of ADCC are committed to maintaining this special ethos.
Virginia Ferris - Adjudicator
Virginia is a successful artistic director, choreographer, specialised tutor and adjudicator; she has created hundreds of events and shows in Australia and internationally.
She has performed with the Tasmanian Ballet Company, Company in Flight Dance Company (San Francisco, USA). The Peter Allen Australian National Show, David Atkins Dancin' Man, USA productions of Hello Dolly. She has choreographed and performed with Frank Sinatra, Casey Donovan, Marcia Hines, Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Somerville, Marilyn Jones, Kath and Kim and Courtney Act to name just a few.
In 2022 she was the Community Performance Director for Sydney Lunar Festival, annual event which she has worked on this event for the past 12 year for the City of Sydney, Choreographer for Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras at the Sydney Cricket Ground for an audience of over 40,000 and ABC TV audience of 1.8 million. During lock down she created many online dance programs and resources for the Arts Unit, Department of Education, NSW.
Recently she collaborated and choreographed Liz Lea for her International show RED which is currently at the Edinburgh Festival, she was Choreographer for the Roundabout Project Junction Arts Festival Tasmania in 2018, Artistic Director of the Dance Fusion Project, Red Earth Arts Festival in Karratha, WA (2015 and 2017) Choreographer for the 2017 Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony.
She has also been Director of The Australian Dance Awards, Event Creative Coordinator and Choreographer for the Don't Dis My Ability events and Seniors Week events, she Choreographed for the 2000 Olympic Games Live sites and Curated and Choreographed for Streets of Dance Company which showcased across NSW.
Virginia has an extensive list of teaching credits she was the Head of Dance at The McDonald College Performing Arts School, Sydney for years K-12 and Certificate IV Students, specialist tutor for Royal Academy of Dancing workshops, NIDA Open Program and currently teaching Classical Dance styles to BA students for Australian College of Physical Education, and movement for actors at Academy of Film, Theatre and Television. She adjudicates Dance competitions and Eisteddfods across Australia and NZ. She is also a Diverse Learning Dance Tutor for the Department of Education, Arts Unit NSW for teachers and students.
DANCE ADJUDICATION
South Australian Stage Society Dance Inc 2022
Wakakirri 2022
Brisbane Performing Arts Challenge 2019, 2022
Sydney Eisteddfod 1998 – 2019 (online 2021)
Central Coast Performing Arts Challenge 2019
West Gippsland Dance Festival 2019
Wellington 2017, 2018
St George 2018
Southern Tasmanian Dancing Eisteddfod, Hobart 2017
Shoalhaven Eisteddfod 2017
Moe Dance Eisteddfod 2017, Moe Victoria
Gold Coast Eisteddfod 2015 -2016
Auckland Eisteddfod 2016
Northern Beaches Eisteddfod 2014 -2019
Lismore Dance Eisteddfod 2013
Wellington Eisteddfod 2012
Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod 2011
Campbelltown Eisteddfod 2011
Illawarra Flame Challenge 2010
Mandurah Festival of Dance WA 2009
Ipswich Eisteddfod, QLD 2008
Hastings City- Port Macquarie Eisteddfod 2006