Australia Dancing - Kinder, Jenny (1951

Kinder, Jenny (1951 - )

Born in Melbourne, Jenny Kinder began her early dance training with Shirley McKechnie at the Beaumaris School of Modern Ballet in 1956. Later she joined the teaching staff of the school and also danced with McKechnie’s Contemporary Dance Theatre.

In 1971 Kinder started an arts degree at Monash University, while also running the Beaumaris School of Modern Ballet and the Monash Modern Dance Club. In 1973 she joined the teaching staff of the Physical Education Department at Rusden State College, now Deakin University (Rusden Campus), to teach dance. Later she worked in the Rusden Department of Drama and Dance with Shirley McKecknie.

In 1976 two important events occurred that influenced Kinder’s choreographic development. In January she attended the Armidale Summer School as a choreographer, and later that year she saw a series of performances by Merce Cunningham who was touring to Australia for the Adelaide Festival. Inspired by Cunningham’s technique Kinder travelled to New York on several occasions to take classes in Cunningham technique. Between 1979 and 1981 she also taught Graham technique at the Australian Ballet School.

In 1981 Kinder was appointed founding director of Australia’s first dance in education company, TasDance. During her directorship (1981-1994), Kinder developed a highly successful schools residency program, and toured TasDance throughout Australia and overseas. She also commissioned a significant number of Australian and international choreographers to create works on the company, and personally choreographed twelve works for TasDance, including Boxes, Moon Caves (created in collaboration with designer Michael Pearce) and Illuminations, which was co-directed by Tim Newth. Kinder resigned as artistic director of TasDance in 1994.

Between 1995-1999 Kinder taught composition, pre-tertiary, and contemporary technique at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), and was coordinator of the Loftus Community Centre. She was appointed head of the School of Dance, Victorian College of the Arts, in 2000, and also serves on the board of the Tertiary Dance Council of Australia. Kinder was the recipient of the award for services to dance education at the 2005 Australian Dance Awards.

Research Materials

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Find more about Kinder, Jenny in:

Internet - Google
Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
Pictures - Picture Australia