There were no two left feet for a budding Launceston dancer and choreographer who won the Outstanding Ensemble Performance Prize in FORM Dance Project's Sharp Short Dance Digital event.
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Sharp Short Dance Digital provides an opportunity for aspiring choreographers and dancers to display their talents.
In 2021, the event returned to the stage both live and in a digital format, with more than 50 dance works all created and performed by young people aged 21 years and under.
Seventeen-year-old Sage Price joined Stompin Youth Dance Company in 2016 and spent a year in the primary company and five years in the core company.
"I first got into dance through a workshop at my primary school when I was a kid and I needed a hobby at the time," she said.
"It stuck in my life and it's grown into a passion I think I will keep with me for the rest of my life and hopefully pursue as a career.
"Through my years at Stompin, I have been a part of a lot of their projects and collaborations with different companies. I have had work as a collaborator, choreographer, dancer, all the fun things."
Price has been involved in many major projects during her career already including Fully Grown, Mirror Mirror, Nowhere and All Expenses Paid.
However, the dancer expanded her horizons and moved into the choreography world, with her dance film Collision shown at Junction Arts Festival in 2020 and at the DRILL Move Night Fundraiser in 2021.
Price submitted her work into this year's Sharp Short Dance and took out one of the coveted prizes, making it the first she has ever won.
"It's a good way to put myself out there and to experience and share art with other people on a national level," she said.
"I have some really exciting opportunities coming up in the future."
Stompin artistic director Caitlin Comerford said it had been beautiful to watch Price grow, "finding a really strong and beautiful connection with her dance practice, particularly in choreography."
"For Sage at such a young age to have that natural instinct and to be so strong in her artistic vision is really amazing," she said.
"I think in Australia we have a really strong focus on dancers ... and what is really incredible is young people who are really passionate as dancers often end up going through the industry and find their way to choreography."
Though Stompin does not usually enter competitions due to the nature of most events, Comerford said the prize win was a great outcome for Price.
"As a young person, maybe Sage will go off to tertiary and study dance and when you come out of that three years of tertiary, that can be the hardest moment to get your foot in the industry, but [she can write she is an award winner]," she said.
If you have stories about arts or events, please email Dana Anderson - dana.anderson@examiner.com.au
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