Restless Dance Theatre Celebrates Dual Ruby Award Nominations

We are thrilled to announce that Restless Dance Theatre has been nominated for not one, but two prestigious Ruby Awards this year! These nominations are a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of everyone involved in these projects. Each nomination highlights the creative impact and innovation that Restless Dance Theatre continuously brings to the Australian arts landscape, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate our team’s incredible achievements.

Outstanding Collaboration Award – Shifting Perspectives

Our first nomination is for the Outstanding Collaboration Award for Shifting Perspectives. This visionary project merges the art of dance with light installation, immersive sound, and costume design, creating a unique experience that challenges and expands traditional ideas of performance.

This groundbreaking work brings together Restless Artistic Director Michelle Ryan, Matthew Adey, a renowned light artist and designer, dramaturg Roz Hervey, composer Sascha Budimski, costume designer Renata Henschke, and assistant director Josephine Fitzgerald, and the Restless dancers. Together, they have co-created a performance where the boundaries between observer and performer dissolve, encouraging audiences to reflect on the complex interplay between perception and identity.

Shifting Perspectives invited the audience to enter the expansive mirror-maze where dancers weave around the 24 mirrored plinths, light swirling and sound pulsating. Shifting Perspectives is a reality-bending meditation on bodies of light, and the lightness of the body. Audiences could alter their point of view at any point during the performance by moving around the outside of the installation.

Described by Arts Hub (5 stars) as a “beautiful mind-bending experience that expanded and stretched our reality,” Shifting Perspectives redefines the boundaries of dance, making it a powerful, sensory journey for audiences. This project wouldn’t have been possible without the combined talents and unwavering dedication of our outstanding collaborators:

• Michelle Ryan – Director
• Matthew Adey House of Vnholy – Concept and Lighting Design
• Roz Hervey – Creative Producer & Dramaturg
• Sascha Budimski – Sound Design
• Renata Henschke – Costume Design
• Josephine Fitzgerald – Assistant Director
• Astrid Pill + Restless Company Dancers

The support of Illuminate Adelaide played a central role in realising Shifting Perspectives, which attracted key philanthropists, including James Darling, Lesley Forwood, and the BankSA Foundation. Their commitment allowed us to push the creative boundaries of our work and elevate it to new artistic heights, making Shifting Perspectives a truly transformative project.

The work’s success has not gone unnoticed—Restless Dance Theatre was subsequently invited to perform at Sydney’s prestigious VIVID Festival, held at the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, bringing Shifting Perspectives to an even wider audience.

Outstanding Work or Event Within a Festival Award – Private View

Our second nomination is in the Outstanding Work or Event Within a Festival Award category for Private View. This intimate and captivating production delves into hidden stories and secret longings, giving audiences a glimpse into the private lives and inner worlds of our performers.

Featuring South Australian music icon Carla Lippis, her original compositions add richness and authenticity, weaving seamlessly with the dancers’ movements. In Private View, audiences are invited to observe individuals in domestic spaces, discovering their romantic dreams and hidden desires. Limelight noted that “…all distinctions based on ability or disability – or who is watching and who is being watched – finally seem to melt away.”

Directed by Michelle Ryan, with bold, innovative design by Renata Henschke, the show reconfigures the traditional theatre setting, offering an immersive, “fly on the wall” experience that brings the audience closer to each narrative.

Through Major Festival Initiative funding, Private View has had the opportunity to tour, with performances at Adelaide Festival, Brisbane Festival, and Alter State Festival in Melbourne. This tour not only showcases the artistic value of Private View but also places South Australian talent on the national stage.

Thank you to all cast and creatives who helped Private View come together including:

• Michelle Ryan – Director
• Roz Hervey – Dramaturg & Concept
• Daisy Brown – Assistant Director
• Carla Lippis – Singer and Composer
• Geoffrey Crowther – Composer
• Matthew Adey –Lighting Design
• Renata Henschke – Designer
• Oliver Lacoon Williamson – Assistant Designer
• Ziva von der Borch – Assistant Costume Designer
• Sascha Budimski – Sound Production
• Matt Byrne – Cinematographer
• Eliza Lovell – Intimacy Coach
• Bonnie Williams, Charlie Wilkins, Darcy Carpenter, Jianna Georgiou, Michael Hodyl – Restless Company Dancers

• Maddy Macera & Rowan Rossi (Adelaide Season), Jazzy Williamson-Gray & Sam Matthewman (Brisbane & Melbourne Season) – Guest Artists

Celebrating Artistic Excellence

Both Shifting Perspectives and Private View reflect the core mission of Restless Dance Theatre: to bring innovative, inclusive, and boundary-pushing performances to diverse audiences. Each project was brought to life by a group of passionate, talented artists and supporters whose commitment to excellence made these nominations possible.

We want to extend our warmest congratulations to everyone who helped bring these works to the stage and a heartfelt “thank you” to our incredible partners, supporters, and collaborators. We look forward to celebrating with our fellow nominees and the arts community at the Ruby Awards ceremony later this month.

Stay tuned for updates as we continue to push the boundaries of contemporary dance and share the impact of these nominations with you all.

A huge congratulations to all nominees – see you at the awards!