18.07.2024
Meet Alice Topp
Alice Topp is an acclaimed choreographer working in Australia, New Zealand and internationally.
Born and raised in Bendigo, Australia, Alice started dancing at the age of four. After two years dancing with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, she joined The Australian Ballet as a dancer in 2007, where she danced for 14 years.
In 2018, Alice created her first mainstage one act work Aurum, which was created with the support of a Rudolf Nureyev Prize for New Dance. It premiered as part of The Australian Ballet’s ‘Verve’ program and went on to its international debut the following year at New York’s leading contemporary dance venue, The Joyce Theater.
In September 2018, Alice was appointed one of The Australian Ballet’s Resident Choreographers.
In 2019, she was invited to spend a month with Studio Wayne McGregor in the United Kingdom, creating a piece for The Grange Festival. The duet she created on the company, Clay, went on to form the basis for a larger work titled Logos for The Australian Ballet’s 2020 ‘Volt’ program, which included two works by McGregor.
Her choreographies have been awarded numerous prizes and has taken her across the globe with commissions for Singapore Ballet, West Australian Ballet. Tulsa Ballet, Oldenburg Ballet, Studio Wayne McGregor and more.
Alice's past works
Alice has created a wide range of works over her time as a choreographer, starting with her first work, Trace, which was created for The Australian Ballet’s 2010 season of its choreographic showcase ‘Bodytorque’.
The RNZB has performed several of Alice’s pieces over the years. In 2022, Alice restaged Aurum for our Mixed Bill, Venus Rising, and created a new work for our digital season, Absence of Light. 2023 saw Alice restage Logos for our Mixed Bill season of Lightscapes.
High Tide, for Solace in 2024, is Alice’s second commission for the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
"We're all walking around with our own set of invisible fears. Maybe, collectively, fear can be a protest. It can be a unified beacon for hope in a movement of positive change. I’m trying to put a positive spin on something that can be debilitating and paralyzing, but turning it into growth."
Alice Topp, on her work High Tide
"Logos explores the beast within us – our fears, fights, darkness and demons – the storms you can’t out-run... Logos is a work about armouring ourselves against today’s predators, pressures, climate and often, ourselves."
Alice Topp, on her work Logos
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