Viola Iida
Viola initially began her dance training at the age of five in Sydney. She studied at The Dance Spot where she was awarded Distinction for all RAD classical ballet exams up to the Advanced 2 level. In 2013, Viola was awarded first place in NSW for HSC Dance.
In 2014, she furthered her dance training by studying full-time at Ev & Bow Full Time Dance Training Centre with Sarah Boulter and Lisa Bowmer. During this year she was able to work closely with Larissa McGowan and Adam Blanch. Viola graduated from Ev & Bow with a Certificate IV in Dance at the end of 2014.
Viola was accepted into the prestigious Sydney Dance Company Pre-Professional Year in 2015, where she was awarded the opportunity to understudy Company members of Sydney Dance Company for their New Breed season.
While in the Pre-Professional Year, Viola also worked closely with many international and Australian choreographers. She worked as part of the remount process of Gideon Obarzanek’s L’Chaim, featured a role in Iratxe Ansa’s Lost Body, Lisa Griffith’s First Form and Sara Black’s Taction, which were performed at Carriageworks. She was also able to work with many phenomenal choreographers such as Rafael Bonachela, Daniel Riley, Dean Walsh and Thomas Bradley.
In 2016, Viola performed Ohad Naharin’s Deca Dance as part of Strut Dance and Perth’s MoveMe Festival, mentored by Rachael Osborne, Guy Shomroni and Hillel Kogan. She also performed in an ensemble with Lucy Guerin Inc as part of The Dark Chorus at Melbourne Festival 2016. In June 2016, Viola was also able to work and perform a theatrical masterpiece, Devil’s Due, composed by Stravinsky with the Verbrugghen Ensemble, as a solo female artist (comprised of world class players from the Sydney Symphony and supported by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music).
She also performed as part of a Butoh work by Master Kan Katsura titled Curious Fish in Brisbane in November.
Earlier in the year, Viola participated in Chunky Move’s ‘One Body One Career’ intensive with Anouk van Dijk and undertook 4 weeks of the Kickstart program with Australian Dance Theatre under the mentorship of Elizabeth Old. She also participated in De Quincey Co’s Impro Exchange 2016, led by Frank van de Ven.
Viola will perform in Antony Hamilton’s Crazy Times at the Sydney Opera House from 14-18 March 2017.