Proudly Tasmanian, Stompin generates dance that links regional youth culture with contemporary performing arts practices. We connect 14-26 year old non-professional dancers and performers with Australia’s emerging generation of professional choreographers, directors and sound/vision artists. From the conception to the completion of a project, Stompin provides an environment to which young people (trained or untrained) can creatively and concretely contribute.

Stompin is funded by Arts Tasmania in 2010 and 2011. The company is also funded in 2010 by Tasmanian Regional Arts, Besen Family Foundation and through the Tasmanian Government Community Capacity Building Grants Program. Stompin has long standing sponsors, The Examiner and Southern Cross TV with numerous other local community business and individual support.

Stompin began in Launceston, Tasmania in 1992 with the idea that when young people collaborate with professional artists, they can create inspiring and bold new dance work.  Founded by Jerril Rechter the company has shifted dance out of traditional performance venues and into extraordinary landscapes and new spaces, crossing borders of communities and culture, people and place. Luke George and Bec Reid, Stompin Alumni, led the company from 2001 – 2007 with Luke George as solo Artistic Director in 2008. Becky Hilton became Stompin’s Artistic Curator in 2009.

Stompin has presented large­-scale, site-­specific performances in locations as diverse as a forest, a beach, swimming pools, warehouses, a disused prison, an airline maintenance hangar, a wool store and an historic meat market.  Over 19 years the company has worked with around 1000 young people and performed to over 17,000 people locally, nationally and internationally.  Stompin packs a solid history of presentation including Sydney Opera House, Arts House (Melbourne), the World Islands Festival in Cheju South Korea, 10 Days on the Island (Tasmania), Next Wave (Melbourne) and Darwin (Youth Dance Festival).  The Stompin studio and office space in central Launceston has a rich history as an arts space and is used by other arts groups and independents.

Our unique brand of art/youth/community is reflected in our philosophy as well as in our performance culture. Deeply connected to our state and its people, we provide a flexible company model that creates and supports thoughtful and informed young citizens as well as unforgettable performance experiences. We are dedicated to making art an essential part of young people’s lives. Stompin says art/youth/community 4 ever.

“Stompin is the reason to be here (Launceston), to get out there (the World) and to come back home again” Lily Deeth, Stompin alumnus.

Stompin develops excellent dance artists and arts-workers who contribute significantly to current Australian performance culture. We believe developing an artist is to contribute something singular to society, a gift that keeps on giving. Stompin alumni include – Stephanie Lake, Bec Reid, Kyle Kremerskothen, Adam Wheeler, Luke George, Rachael Taylor, Phillip Peck (Frog), Emma Porteus, Gemma Gray, Zac Lister, Emma Anglesey, to be continued….

• We will generate contemporary dance that expands the creative horizons of young people and engages directly with Australian culture.
• We will grow a connected community of young people, artists and their audiences.
• We will secure funding and support to deliver our artistic program.
• We will manage our operations efficiently and effectively.

Stompin’s core team of staff consists of Emma Porteus our Artistic Director, Sarah McCormack our Executive Producer and Adam Wheeler our Artistic Associate. Each position is vital in delivering a well balanced and well managed program.

The company has consciously taken a lean approach to core staff, with a focus on multi-skilling and teamwork.  Stompin engages contract staff as required for projects.

Sarah completed an Associate Diploma of Arts in Drama in 1992 and a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Theatre in 1994 at the University of Tasmania in Launceston. Since graduating Sarah has had extensive experience in arts management. Sarah began work for Stompin in 2000 as the Administrator. During this time Sarah was the Assistant Production Manager of Stompin’s Placement in 10 Days on the Island and for Primed in 2000. Sarah was Production Assistant for Stompin’s film, Destination in 1999. In 2002 Sarah became Stompin’s General Manager. Sarah has also worked in management positions for various arts organisations and events over the past twenty years including the Melbourne International Arts Festival, the National Circus Conference in Brisbane, Theatre North, Tasdance, the Tasmanian Circus Festival and the Gaiety Grande, Launceston Festivale and numerous community theatre companies. Sarah undertook an arts management mentorship program with Arena Theatre Company in Melbourne in 2004 funded by Arts Tasmania. Sarah also began teaching Certificate 4 in Arts Administration at Polytechnic in Tasmania in 2005.

In 2008 Adam was the inaugural recipient of the Stompin Fellowship and has made two works for the company Uncover This (2008) and Bone Dry and Green (2006). Adam Joined Chunky Move in 2004 while completing his final year at the Victorian College of the Arts. He has performed and taught for the company nationally, across the USA, Canada and New Zealand. He has also danced for Circa Nica and Jo Lloyd.

Adam’s passion for the development of dance with young people has seen him work with the Australian Ballet on their Out There Program (2006), choreograph for the AC Arts Graduation Showcase Season (2008) and was the Artistic Director of the Dance Fusion Program, St Michaels Grammar School (2003-2008).

In 2003 he was the winner of the Most Outstanding Movement award, Melbourne Fringe Festival for 3 Day Growth and continues to make work with dance collective, 2ndtoe.  He regularly teaches for Chunky Move, Youth Australian Ballet Inc. and Dance World. Most recently he choreographed That Beep film clip for Architecture in Helsinki.

Emma Porteus is an independent dancer, choreographer and teacher.  Emma began her contemporary dance career in 2001 with Stompin, performing in Placement as part of the inaugural Ten Days on the Island festival. After completing her degree in Contemporary Dance at Deakin, graduating with distinction, she undertook and completed her honours research into the collaborative process.  This is a continuing interest of Emma’s, and she constantly is drawn to new experiences that help her further her research.  In 2004 Emma created and performed in the Melbourne Fringe Festival show Lamplight verses the Moon, which was selected to be part of the Graduate Showcase at Dancehouse. In 2005 Emma was assistant director on the community project Dance Path, held at Dancehouse in Melbourne.  In 2006 Emma choreographed for Stompin as part of the Outback Fringe Festival in Roxby Downs.  Emma has co-choreographed four Tasdance’s education projects, Microscope (2005), Dry as a Bone (2006), White Light (2007) and Planet Earth (2008). In late 2006 she co-choreographed and performed in Tasdance’s large-scale community project Illuminations3, and in 2007 choreographed 500 primary school students in ETC for Tasdance.  In 2008/09 Emma produced and choreographed Let’s Get it Strait for Tasdance.  This work was performed as part of the 2009 Ten Days on the Island festival.

Born in 1963, grew up in NYC, worked with Paul Morrissey, Yvonne Rainer, Stuart Sherman, Squat Theatre, Tere O’Connor and John Jasperse, among others.   Has done lighting and set design for various artists at P.S.122, Movement Research and The Dia Foundation.  Ben worked as director of photography on music videos (The Ramones, David Lee Roth, Ricky Martin, Everything But The Girl), documentaries (Paris Is Burning, Treyf, Trembling Before G_d,) and feature films (The Delta, Junk, Mary & Max).  Moved to Melbourne, 2000; worked with Jenny Kemp (Still Angela), Ros Warby (Solos, Swift, Monumental), Shelley Lasica (History Situation), Scott Rankin (Ngapartji Ngapartji), Lyndal Jones (The Avoca Project) and Ross Gibson (Shadowlands).  Speth’s first feature film as writer/director/d.o.p., dresden (1999) was licensed by the Showtime Network and was shown at the Sundance, Belfort, Mar del Plata, New York Underground and Brisbane film festivals, among others.  In 2002, Speth was commissioned by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image to make dummy.  His second feature film, Forever, was part of the ACMI/NGV show 2004: A Survey of Recent Australian Visual Culture.  In 2005 he completed Satellite, a feature film that premiered at the 53rd Melbourne International Film Festival.  In 2007 he wrote and directed an evening length play Make Me Cry.