Dance Community Information Pack

Encore Season | 1 – 3 October 2026

Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne

"A triumphant and breathtaking fusion of rhythm, movement and emotion."
- Dancers Choice

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An Invitation to Melbourne's Dance Community

Experience one of Australia's only dedicated contemporary tap dance companies.

MELANCHOLIA

Three Performances Only
1–3 October 2026
Chapel Off Chapel | Melbourne

"It is truthfully an evolution in dance."

Debra Campbell - On The House

Why Live Tap Dance Matters

For many dance students, professional tap dance is something they've only ever experienced through class demonstrations or online videos.

Opportunities to witness a professional contemporary tap dance company performing live are incredibly rare. Every year, students have countless opportunities to experience professional ballet, contemporary dance and musical theatre productions. Professional tap dance, however, remains one of the least visible performing arts on Australia's stages.

Experiencing live performance allows students and teachers to appreciate the scale, artistry, musicianship and emotional impact of contemporary tap dance in a way that simply isn't possible through a screen.

The resonance of a fully amplified stage.

The precision of live rhythm.

The connection between dancers and audience.

The energy of artists creating music through movement in real time.

These are the moments that inspire future artists

For many teachers and students, Melancholia may be the only opportunity this year to experience a professional contemporary tap dance company performing live on stage.

Why This Performance Matters

Studio Stocks was founded to expand the artistic possibilities of tap dance, create professional opportunities for Australian tap artists, and ensure this extraordinary art form continues to have a visible place within Australia's performing arts landscape.

More than simply presenting a performance, Melancholia demonstrates what tap dance can become when rhythm, movement and intention come together in a contemporary theatrical setting.

Performed by an ensemble of some of Australia's most accomplished tap dance artists on a fully amplified stage, the production challenges traditional perceptions of tap dance - revealing it as a powerful and expressive contemporary art form capable of communicating deeply human experiences through rhythm and movement.

Whether you're a tap school, ballet academy, contemporary studio, performing arts school or independent dance teacher, we'd love to welcome your students, staff and families to experience something truly unique.

Why Bring Your Students?

Inspire the Next Generation

Nothing inspires students quite like live professional performance.

Watching artists perform at the highest level broadens creative thinking, encourages ambition and gives young dancers something tangible to aspire to.

Professional performance creates possibility.

Experience Tap Dance Like Never Before

Forget everything you think you know about tap dance.

Melancholia presents tap as a contemporary art form capable of expressing grief, hope, resilience and human connection through rhythm & movement.

For many audience members, it completely redefines what tap dance can be.

Valuable for Every Dance Student

This is not just a performance for tap dancers.

Students of ballet, contemporary, jazz, musical theatre and performing arts will all discover new ways rhythm, movement and choreography can work together.

Students will experience:

Contemporary choreography
Musicality and rhythm
Partnering
Ensemble work
Theatrical design
Emotion through movement

If you have students studying VCE or VET Dance, Melancholia provides an excellent example of choreographic intention and the expressive use of movement to communicate ideas and emotion.

Professional Development for Teachers

Live performance is one of the most valuable forms of artistic development.

Teachers will experience:

Original Australian choreography
Contemporary movement practice
Rhythmic composition
Partnering
Ensemble dynamics
Lighting and production design
Tap dance within a contemporary performance context

A Perfect School Holiday Excursion

Presented during the final week of the September school holidays, Melancholia offers an inspiring outing for students, teachers, families and studio communities before Term 4 begins.

Why Melancholia Is Unique

One of Australia's Only Dedicated Contemporary Tap Dance Companies

Studio Stocks is committed to creating original professional performance opportunities for Australian tap artists while continuing to expand the artistic possibilities of tap dance.

Three Performances Only

This encore season consists of just three performances.

A rare opportunity to experience this celebrated Australian contemporary tap work live on stage.

A Fully Amplified Stage

Performed on a custom-built amplified floor, every rhythm becomes part of the musical score.

The dancers don't simply perform to music. They create it.

A One-of-a-Kind Contemporary Pas de Deux

One of the production's most distinctive moments is a contemporary pas de deux between internationally recognised tap dance artist Garry Stocks and guest artist Jade Wood, former Senior Artist with The Australian Ballet.

Throughout the duet, Stocks simultaneously tap dances - creating the rhythmic foundation of the work - while partnering and lifting Wood, who performs within her classical and contemporary movement vocabulary.

The result is a contemporary pas de deux where tap and ballet remain true to their own artistic languages, yet come together seamlessly in a powerful choreographic dialogue of rhythm, movement and human connection.

Featuring Some of Australia's Leading Tap Dance Artists

Melancholia features an ensemble of some of Australia's most accomplished tap dance professionals.

Together, they showcase the technical precision, musicality and expressive possibilities of contemporary tap dance.

What Critics Are Saying

"A triumphant and breathtaking fusion of rhythm, movement and emotion."

- Dancers Choice

"It's like nothing I've ever seen before."

- It's On The House

"Tap dance belongs front and centre as a powerful medium for storytelling and expression."

- Dancers Choice

"An evolution in dance."

- It's On The House

"A masterpiece."

- Crystal Brooke

Why This Matters for Your Dance School

Every dance style benefits from visible professional role models.

Ballet students experience professional ballet companies.

Contemporary dancers experience contemporary works.

Musical theatre students attend professional productions.

Tap dancers deserve those same opportunities.

Professional contemporary tap dance performances remain exceptionally rare in Australia.

For many students, professional tap exists only within the studio environment or online platforms. Seeing professional artists create original work on stage changes that.

It allows students to see tap dance as a living, evolving art form with creativity, artistry and professional possibilities.

For tap students, this is an opportunity to witness exceptional musicianship, technical excellence and the future direction of their art form. For students of other dance styles, it provides a new perspective on rhythm, movement, musicality and performance.

For teachers, it offers inspiration through contemporary choreography and innovative artistic practice that can influence their own creative work.

By bringing your students to Melancholia, you are doing more than organising a theatre excursion.

You are showing them that tap dance belongs alongside every other professional dance genre on Australia's stages.

Why Your Support Matters

Professional tap dance opportunities in Australia are incredibly rare.

While audiences can regularly experience professional ballet, contemporary dance and musical theatre, dedicated professional tap dance productions remain few and far between.

Without opportunities to create, perform and present original work, there are fewer pathways for Australian tap dancers to pursue professional careers.

Every ticket purchased sends an important message - that there is an audience for contemporary tap dance.

Every teacher who introduces students to professional tap performance helps broaden their understanding of what this art form can become.

Every student who experiences live professional tap dance gains a greater appreciation for its artistry, creativity and potential.

Every dance school that supports productions like Melancholia helps ensure there is a future for professional tap dance in Australia.

Your support enables artists to continue creating original work, provides meaningful opportunities for Australian tap dancers and inspires future generations of performers.

Together, we can ensure this extraordinary art form remains a vibrant and valued part of Australia's performing arts landscape.

Resources for Dance Schools

We've created resources to make sharing Melancholia with your community easy.

Available to download:

✓ Posters
✓ Flyers
✓ Social media graphics
✓ High-resolution production images
✓ Trailer
✓ Media information

Schools are welcome to display posters, share information through newsletters, include the production in communications and promote the season through social media.

@Studio_Stocks

Together, we can continue growing the visibility of professional tap dance within our community.