Charemaine Seet's vision
On her return to Sydney eight years ago from New York, Charemaine Seet founded Seet Dance in Surry Hills. Seet Dance is a contemporary dance school that, in the words of Ausdance NSW, has become the “foremost place in Sydney where dance is taught as a contemporary art form”.
“As a choreographer and former principal dancer in innovative dance companies in London and New York, I had a vision to offer children the same artistic stimulus I encountered working with pioneering dance makers. I was taking a wild leap but I believe the experiment is succeeding and my students are taking flight.”
Charemaine has also embarked on a campaign to introduce young dance makers to public art and performance in Sydney. She has organised dance installations and site specific performances for her students. Charemaine choreographed and led the global dance protest, One Billion Rising (annually from 2012 to 2017) in Surry Hills. In 2021, 60 members of the Seet Dance community (students and parents) collaborated and performed with artists Deborah Kelly and choreographer Angela Goh in the artwork Creation which was presented at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney.
At Seet Dance, young dancers experience music ranging from Phillip Glass and Bach to clipping and Tom Zé. The music is as eclectic as the dance influences which exist intertwined.
Young dancers might execute martial arts movements while immersed in piano solos by Glenn Gould and then shift seamlessly into improvisation to the soulful sounds of ODIE.
Charemaine Seet was principal dancer and choreographer with Union Dance in London. She was a dancer and rehearsal director with Doug Elkins Dance Company in New York. She continues to collaborate with Elkins, a multi-award winning American choreographer.
As a teacher and founder of a dance school, she was featured in the New York Times (24, July 2013) in which she revealed the inspiration for starting her unique contemporary dance school.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/24/arts/dance/your-first-dance-crush.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0