Our Origins
Momentum Dance Perth has been gathering momentum for decades, with its origins based on the legacy of Ruth Osborne’s classes at the Contemporary Dance Centre in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.
After Osborne’s departure from Perth, the classes continued under Felicity Bott then Keira Mason-Hill, before Julie Doyle took over the organisation of ‘Friday Class’, inviting the movers and shakers of Perth’s contemporary dance scene to teach. These included Danielle Micich, Phillippa Clarke, James O’Hara, Alice Lee Holland, Daryl Brandwood and Evgenia Plotkin Mikhailov, to name a few.
From its inception and to this day, numerous women and men of all ages have lunged, leapt and rolled in 'Friday Class', which offers not only dance instruction, but also a strong sense of camaraderie and community.
"Momentum Dance is a celebration of bodies that continue to move through time"
Our Inspiration
In 2013, when STRUT Dance mounted 3G -Trois Generations by Jean Paul Gallotta for PIAF, two of the 'Friday Class' dancers were selected to perform as part of the third generation. Their experience reignited their love of performing dance in public and inspired them to contemplate creating a performance group for mature dancers, declaring “Why should youth have all the fun”?
Our Formation
In July 2016 Barbara Adler, Phillippa Clarke and Julie Doyle founded Momentum Dance Perth (MDP), with the more experienced older dancers from the 'Friday Class' forming the core of the group. Gathering once a week at the Chapel Space Studio in North Perth for three hours of rehearsal, the original aim was to make an evening of work to be presented ‘sometime’. Since then, MDP has exceeded expectations, remarkably presenting five shows in public – Unstoppable, Unbreakable, Unmanned, Undeterred and Unveiled, plus performing at various events and festivals.
Onward
Establishing Momentum Dance Perth as a legal entity in 2020 was driven by a determination to ensure its growth and sustainability. It had been solely functioning as a passion-driven volunteer project, however establishing a Management Committee enabled MDP to recruit the necessary professional expertise to continue its evolution.
