Sydney Dancer Wins Major Award
Image: David Hallberg, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, with dancers Callum Linnane and Imogen Chapman.
Photo: Nicole Cleary
Western Sydney dancer and choreographer Feras Shaheen has been announced the winner of the inaugural Telstra Emerging Choreographer (TEC) initiative. This award in a new initiative by The Australian Ballet and Telstra which is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of choreographers by providing them with a platform to share their work and the chance to develop their talent and nurture their potential.
Feras will receive a cash prize of AU$10,000 which will go towards supporting the development of his choreographic practice. He will also have the opportunity to work with The Australian Ballet’s dancers to enter the company’s Bodytorque program in 2022. Bodytorque is an incubator for some of the country’s brightest choreographic talents and has fostered the talent of leading Australian choreographers such as dance luminaries Graeme Murphy and Resident Choreographer Alice Topp.
Feras was born in Dubai to Palestinian parents and moved to Sydney at the age of 11. Growing up in Campbelltown, Sydney, his art practice spans across performance, semiotics, street dance, readymade art and digital media. Feras is also a member of multiple dance companies, including Marrugeku and Buggy Bumpers street dance crew.
