Head of Dance Department

Background

Nanette Hassall has performed taught and choreographed in both Australia and overseas.

Graduating from the Juillard School in New York she joined the Merce Cunningham Dance Company touring extensively in the USA and Europe.

She performed, taught and choreographed for major companies in both Europe and Australia before founding and directing Danceworks, a full-time professional dance company in Melbourne between 1983 and 1990.

Nanette has choreographed over forty works. She is currently the Head of the Dance Department at the W.A. Academy of Performing Arts, a position she was appointed to in 1995.

Nanette has emphasised international performance and exchanges as head of the department, students performing in Korea, Germany, Malaysia and Hong Kong amongst others.

As a dance advocate Nanette has been a member of the council for the Australia Council. She is currently chair of the Committee for Creation and Presentation (World Dance Alliance Asia Pacific) and chair of the Tertiary Dance Council of Australia. She was recognised nationally through an award for her Services to Dance Education in 2002.

Staff Qualifications

• Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training, TAFE WA, 2006 .
• BA (Bachelor of Arts), Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 1993 .
• BAHons (Bachelor of Arts Honours), The University of Melbourne, 1979 .
• BA (Bachelor of Arts), United States of America, 1971 .

Research

Recent Research Grants

• Dancing Between Diversity and Consistency: Evaluating Assessment in Postgraduate Studies in Dance,  Australian Learning and Teaching Council,  Grant,  2007,  $64,689.
• Dancing Between Diversity and Consistency: Evaluating Assessment in Postgraduate Studies in Dance,  Australian Learning and Teaching Council,  Grant,  2006,  $85,475.

Recent Publications (within the last five years)

Creative Works

• Hassall, N., (2009), The Legacy of the 80?s - the advent of the small dance companies, their choreographic impact and the relationship to the development of the tertiary dance programs in Australia. Australian Dance Awards Gala, Expo, Public Program and History Symposium 7th June,2009, Australia.
• Hassall, N., (2008), Re-thinking the Way We Make Dance/Performance - Dance Dialogues 5. Dance dialogues conversations across cultures, artforms and practices World Dance Alliance Global Summit, Australia at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane.
• Hassall, N., (2008), Trans/Dans Project Workshops. Trans Dans project, Melbourne.