Four artists who presented work at the Melbourne semi-finals will now vie for the top prize in Sydney.

The four finalists of the 2016 Keir Choreographic Award have been announced following a week of semi-final performances at Melbourne’s Dancehouse. Launched in 2014, the biennial award champions the work of contemporary choreographers working within innovative, experimental and cross-art practices, across Australia and internationally. The winner of the award will receive $30,000 cash prize. A $10,000 audience choice award will also be presented after the award’s finals on May 7.

Ghenoa Gela Fragments of Malungoka – Women of the Sea 

Last week, eight dance artists shortlisted for the semi-finals presented work over five days, showcasing a broad range of aesthetics and approaches. Only four choreographers could progress to the next stage in the competition, selected by an expert panel: Brussel-based performance-maker and theorist Bojana Cvejić, Documenta 14 curator and independent art critic Pierre Bal-Blanc, US-based choreographer Sarah Michelson, Keir Foundation founder Phillip Keir, and the winner of the inaugural awards, Atlanta Eke.

Sarah Aitken Sarah Aitken (Tools for Personal Expansion)

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