Meryl Tankard (born 1955) is an Australian dancer,

choreographer Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...

, and filmmaker. She started her career at the

Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet (TAB) is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur an ...

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

in 1975, and was principal dancer with

Pina Bausch Philippine "Pina" Bausch (27 July 1940 – 30 June 2009) was a German dancer and choreographer who was a significant contributor to a neo-expressionist dance tradition now known as . Bausch's approach was noted for a stylised blend of dance move ...

and her

Tanztheater Wuppertal Philippine "Pina" Bausch (27 July 1940 – 30 June 2009) was a German dancer and choreographer who was a significant contributor to a neo-expressionist dance tradition now known as . Bausch's approach was noted for a stylised blend of dance move ...

in Germany between 1978 and 1984. In 1989 formed her own dance company in

Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...

, the Meryl Tankard Company. In 1992 she was appointed director of the

Australian Dance Theatre Australian Dance Theatre (ADT), known as Meryl Tankard Australian Dance Theatre from 1993 to 1999, is a contemporary dance company based in Adelaide, South Australia, established in 1965 by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman . The ADT was the first moder ...

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

, leaving in 1999 to become a freelance choreographer. ''Furioso'' is considered one of her defining works; other well-known works include ''Two Feet'', ''Furioso'', ''Songs With Mara'', and ''Chants de Marriage 2''. Her life partner is photographer and visual artist Regis Lansac, who does the

videography Videography involves capturing moving images on electronic media (such as: videotape, direct to disk recording, or solid state storage), and can include streaming media. It encompasses both video production and post-production methods. Historic ...

for many of her works. In 2010 she studied filmmaking at the

AFTRS The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS), formerly Australian Film and Television School, is Australia's national screen arts and broadcast school. Opened to students in 1973 as Film and Television School (FTS), after accredita ...

and made several short films. In 2015 she directed and co-produced the documentary film ''Michelle's Story'', about dancer

Michelle Ryan Michelle Claire Ryan (born 22 April 1984) is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Zoe Slater in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2000–2005, 2025–present). In 2007, she starred in the short-lived American television s ...

, artistic director of Restless Dance Theatre.

Early life and education

Meryl Tankard was born in 1955 in

Darwin, Northern Territory Darwin ( Larrakia: ') is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. The city has nearly 53% of the Northern Territory's population, with 139,902 at the 2021 census. It is the smallest, wettest, and most northerly of the Australi ...

, Australia. She was the youngest of three sisters, was born to Clifford Matthew (known as Mick) and Margaret Mary (known as Margot). Mick was a sergeant fitter in the

RAAF The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the governor-general of Aus ...

's Motor Transport section, although had served in the

AIF AIF, A.I.F., AiF or aif may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Argumenty i Fakty'' (AiF), a Russian newspaper * Australians in Film (AiF), a Los Angeles-based organisation for the promotion of Australian actors and filmmakers * Aspen Ideas ...

during World War II. The family moved to various bases during her early years. She had her first dance lessons in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

, studying ballet for 10 years with Bruce and Bernice Morrow, who included

improvisation Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...

s at the end of each class. In 1965 the family moved to

Penang, Malaysia Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. These ...

, and Tankard was influenced by Malaysia's colour and ceremony. She took lessons with a very strict Chinese teacher. After returning to Australia and living near

Newcastle, New South Wales Newcastle, also commonly referred to as Greater Newcastle ( ; ), is a large Metropolitan area, metropolitan area and the second-most-populous such area of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the cities of City of Newcastle, Newcastle and Ci ...

, in 1968, her father having been posted to

RAAF Base Williamtown RAAF Base Williamtown is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located north of Newcastle ( by road) in the local government area of Port Stephens, in New South Wales, Australia. The base serves as the headquarters to both ...

, she continued ballet lessons there. In 1971 her father died of a heart attack, and she left high school in that year to study ballet in

, passing all three senior exams set by the British

Royal Academy of Dance The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is a UK-based examination board specialising in dance education and training, with an emphasis on classical ballet. The RAD was founded in London, England in 1920 as the Association of Teachers of Operatic Danci ...

. She moved back to Melbourne with her mother in 1973, and entered the

Australian Ballet School The Australian Ballet School is the premier ballet training facility in Australia, located in Melbourne. History The Australian Ballet School was founded in 1964 as the primary training facility for The Australian Ballet by Dame Margaret Scot ...

there. In 1974 she was awarded an Australian Ballet Society scholarship in 1974.

Career

Dance and choreography

Tankard's professional career began as a dancer with the Australian Ballet at the end of 1975. She also choreographed her first work, ''Birds behind Bars'', for a choreographic workshop program, ''Dance Horizons'', in 1977. Tankard's early successes as a performer came when she was invited to work in Germany with

and her

between 1978 and 1984; Tankard was a principal artist and toured extensively. In 1980 she played the lead role in the movie ''Quack…Für Donald – mit liebem Gruss''. In 1982, after the company toured to Australia for the

Adelaide Festival The Adelaide Festival of Arts, also known as the Adelaide Festival, an arts festival, takes place in the South Australian capital of Adelaide in March each year. Started in 1960, it is a major celebration of the arts and a significant cultural ...

, she co-wrote and performed in ''Sydney on the Wupper'', a short film awarded the

Silver Bear for Best Short Film The Silver Bear for the Best Short Film is the second most prestigious prize awarded in the short films competition at the Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an a ...

at the 1983

Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

. Bausch often cast Tankard opposite Australian dancer Jo Ann Endicott during this time. Tankard learnt to sing, as Bausch used vocals in her productions, and also developed her comedic talents as well as her creativity. She then spent several years between Australia and Europe. In Europe, as a freelance choreographer, she had works commissioned in France, the Netherlands, and Germany. She also worked with theatre companies such as the

Nimrod Nimrod is a Hebrew Bible, biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles, the Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush (Bible), Cush and therefore the great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of Sh ...

and

Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in the Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Theatre ...

, as well as with the

National Institute of Dramatic Art The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is an Australian educational institution for the performing arts based in Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1958, it offers bachelor's, master's and vocational degrees in subjects including acting ...

in Sydney. She was a guest performer with Bausch's company as well as performing in Lindsay Kemp's company. In Australia in 1984 she made ''Echo Point'', and in 1986 performed in

Robyn Archer Robyn Archer, AO, CdOAL (born 1948) is an Australian singer, writer, stage director, artistic director, and public advocate of the arts, in Australia and internationally. Biography Archer was born Robyn Smith in Prospect, South Australi ...

's television production of '' The Pack of Women'' for

ABC Television ABC Television most commonly refers to: *ABC Television Network of the American Broadcasting Company, United States, or *ABC Television (Australian TV network), a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia ABC Television or ABC ...

and played co-lead in the ABC TV series '' Dancing Daze'', produced by

Jan Chapman Jan Chapman (born 28 March 1950) is an Australian film producer. Films produced by Chapman include '' The Last Days of Chez Nous'' (1992), ''The Piano'' (1993), '' Love Serenade'' (1996), ''Holy Smoke!'' (1999), and ''Lantana'' (2001). While s ...

and partly directed by

Jane Campion Dame Elizabeth Jane Campion (born 30 April 1954) is a New Zealand filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed films ''The Piano'' (1993) and ''The Power of the Dog (film), The Power of the Dog'' (2021), for ...

. In 1988 she created and performed solo her full-length ''Two Feet'', which marked a major turning point in the creative collaboration she had established with photographer and visual artist and life partner Regis Lansac, In 1989 Tankard was asked to become artistic director of a small company in

, which became the Meryl Tankard Company. Works in Canberra included ''Banshee'' (1989), ''VX18504'' (1989), ''Nuti'' (1990), ''Kikimora'' (1990), ''Court of Flora'' (1990), ''Chants de Mariage I and II'' (1991–1992), and ''Songs with Mara'' (1992). ''VX18504'' took its title from her father's army service number, with the dance showing the isolation of war and the differences in how men and women process their emotions. Her company toured internationally to Japan, China, Indonesia, and Italy, as well as touring interstate twice to

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, once to

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

, and for festival performances in

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, Adelaide, and Melbourne. During this time, Tankard also revived ''Echo Point'' and ''Two Feet'', collaborated with the theatre director Pierre Bokor on ''Circo'' (1991), and created choreography for

Opera Australia Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, New South Wales, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra runs for approximately eight months of the year, with t ...

's ''

Death in Venice ''Death in Venice ''() is a novella by German author Thomas Mann, published in 1912. It presents an ennobled writer who visits Venice and is liberated, uplifted, and then increasingly obsessed by the sight of a boy in a family of Polish tourist ...

'' (1989). In 1992 she was made Canberra Citizen of the Year, "for her dedication to the arts community in Canberra and lifting the profile both nationally and internationally". This was shortly before she moved to

Adelaide, South Australia Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

to take up the position of director of

(ADT), taking over from Leigh Warren. The ADT at that time had two studios in

Gouger Street Gouger Street ( ) is a major street in the centre of Adelaide, South Australia.Map
of the Adelaide ...

, and a budget of A$1.25 million. However, she was unhappy to learn that the

Australia Council for the Arts Creative Australia, formerly known as the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announ ...

had slashed the ADT's budget by 40% after she took up the post, allocating the money instead to Warren's company. All of her dancers bar one joined her in Adelaide, while Warren's dancers did not audition for a place under her direction. At the ADT she reworked some of her earlier pieces as well as creating new pieces. In 1993 she created her first work for ADT, ''Furioso'', which featured aerial choreography and has been considered a defining work. She also created ''Aurora'' (1994), ''Possessed'' (1995), ''Rasa'' (1996; in collaboration with Padma Menon), ''Seulle'' (1997), and ''Inuk'' (1997) for the ADT. The company toured Europe, Asia, and Australia, performing at

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a multi-arts center in Brooklyn, New York City. It hosts progressive and avant-garde performances, with theater, dance, music, opera, film programming across multiple nearby venues. BAM was chartered in 18 ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

; Het Muziektheater in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

;

Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a London performing arts venue, located in Rosebery Avenue, Islington. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site. Sadler's Wells grew out of a late 17th-century pleasure garden and was opened as a theatre buil ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

(home of

The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded ...

); Aoyama Theatre in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

; and the Aarhus Music Theatre in

Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...

, Denmark. In 1993 she was commissioned by

to create a seven-minute dance, "Sloth", as part of ''

Seven Deadly Sins The seven deadly sins (also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins) function as a grouping of major vices within the teachings of Christianity. In the standard list, the seven deadly sins according to the Catholic Church are pride, greed ...

'', a series of short films by seven contemporary Australian choreographers. During her time in Adelaide she also choreographed ''The Deep End'' (1996) for

The Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet (TAB) is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur a ...

a second work for Opera Australia, ''Orphee et Euridyce'', ''The Blue Angel'' for

Horipro is a Japanese talent agent, talent agency that manages actors, entertainers and musicians, as well as commercial and television productions. It has locations in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville and Los Angeles in the United States. History I ...

. Tankard left Adelaide in 1998 or 1999, after a very public disagreement with the ADT board, and again started working as a freelance choreographer. In that year, she made ''Boléro'', based on the famous orchestral piece by

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

, for the Lyon Opera Ballet, a work in which only the

silhouette A silhouette (, ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhouett ...

s of the dancers were shown. The work was reprised at the

Wexner Center for the Arts The Wexner Center for the Arts is the Ohio State University's "multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art." The Wexner Center is a lab and public gallery, but not an art museum, as it doe ...

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

in 2002 (where in 1999 her work ''Furioso'' had been performed). Since 2000 Tankard has worked freelance. For the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000, Tankard created ''Deep Sea Dreaming'', to widespread acclaim. In the same year, she choreographed '' The Beautiful Game'' for

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

, which played in the West End of London. In 2001, Tiffany & Co. in New York commissioned the work ''Living Oceans'', to coincide with ''Pearls'', an exhibition at the

American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Located in Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 21 interconn ...

in New York and the

Field Museum of Natural History The Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), also known as The Field Museum, is a natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of the largest such museums in the world. The museum is popular for the size and quality of its educationa ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. This dance later developed into ''Pearl'', for the Sydney Opera House 30th birthday celebrations. In 2002 she and Regis Lansac together created ''Merryland'', a work for Nederlands Dance Theater III. In 2003, she created a full-length ballet for The Australian Ballet and the Sydney Opera House, called ''Wild Swans'', with music by composer

Elena Kats-Chernin Elena Davidovna Kats-Chernin (born 4 November 1957) is an Uzbek-born Australian composer and pianist, best known for her ballet ''Wild Swans''. Early life and education Elena Kats-Chernin was born in Tashkent (now the capital of independent Uz ...

. In 2004 she received a fellowship from the

Australia Council Creative Australia, formerly known as the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announ ...

to develop further works with Kats-Chernin. In 2005, Tankard did the choreography for the feature film

The Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation, also known as the Book of the Apocalypse or the Apocalypse of John, is the final book of the New Testament, and therefore the final book of the Christian Bible. Written in Greek, its title is derived from the first w ...

, by

Ana Kokkinos Ana Kokkinos is an Australian film and television director and screenwriter of Greek descent. She is known for her breakthrough feature film ''Head On (1998 film), Head On'' (1998), and has directed television shows such as ''The Secret Life o ...

. In 2007, she created ''Kaidan'' for the

Sydney Festival Sydney Festival is a major arts festival in Australia's largest city, Sydney, that runs for three weeks every January since it was established in 1977. The festival program features over 100 events from local and international artists and inclu ...

, based on a Japanese folk legend, with Australia's Taikoz drumming ensemble. In 2008, Tankard created her first work for the

Sydney Dance Company Sydney Dance Company is a contemporary dance company in Australia. They have performed at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the Joyce Theater in New York, the Shanghai Grand Theatre in China, and the Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow. His ...

, ''Inuk 2''. Her 2009 work, ''The Oracle'', a re-imagining of Stravinsky's 1913 ballet ''

The Rite of Spring ''The Rite of Spring'' () is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; the original choreography was by Vaslav Nijinsky ...

'' as a solo piece for Australian dancer Paul White, toured internationally to great acclaim. In 2018, she remounted ''Furioso'' for the

Royal Ballet of Flanders The Royal Ballet of Flanders is a dance company based in Antwerp, Belgium, specializing in classical, neoclassical and contemporary ballet. In its current incarnation, the company was established in 1969. It tours internationally. History The ...

in Belgium. In March 2019 she staged a production of her 1988 creation, ''Two Feet'', for the

, with

Natalia Osipova Natalia Petrovna Osipova (; born 18 May 1986) is a Russian ballerina, currently a principal ballerina with The Royal Ballet in London. Early life and training Born in Moscow, Osipova began formal ballet training at the age of nine at the Mikha ...

in the lead role. Also for the 2019 festival, she also created ''Zizanie'' for Restless Dance Theatre, which received rave reviews. Regis Lansac did the videography. In 2021, Tankard choreographed ''Claudel'' for the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

, presented by Tinderbox Productions. The ballet was written and directed by playwright Wendy Beckett, and is based on the life of sculptor

Camille Claudel Camille Rosalie Claudel (; 8 December 1864 19 October 1943) was a French sculptor known for her figurative works in bronze and marble. She died in relative obscurity, but later gained recognition for the originality and quality of her work. The ...

, and her complex relationship with

Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (; ; 12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a u ...

. In November 2022, as part of ''ICON, An Extraordinary Event'', a tribute to Pina Bausch at

WAAPA The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University (ECU) is a performing arts school in Perth, Western Australia. Established in 1980, it is notable for being the most comprehensive performing arts school in Aust ...

, Tankard's ''Chants de Mariage 2'' was performed for the first time in Perth, using the original 1991 costumes. Reviewer Rita Clarke wrote: "Tankard's choreography, music and design is stunning, with a visual beauty that leaves you lost for words". In January 2023, she choreographed ''Kairos'' for FORM Dance Projects at

Carriageworks Carriageworks is a multi-arts urban cultural precinct located at the former Eveleigh Carriage Workshops in Redfern, New South Wales, Redfern, Sydney, Australia. Carriageworks showcases contemporary art and performing arts, as well as being use ...

as part of the

. This work, a world premiere, was composed by Elena Kats-Chernin, who also played piano live, while video design and photography was by Regis Lansac.

Filmmaking

In 2010, after a year's full-time study, Tankard earned a Graduate Diploma in Directing (Fiction & Non-Fiction) from the

Australian Film, Television and Radio School The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS), formerly Australian Film and Television School, is Australia's national screen arts and broadcast school. Opened to students in 1973 as Film and Television School (FTS), after accredita ...

, and directed two short films, ''Moth'' and ''Mad''. ''Moth'', a fiction film based on stories of young women incarcerated in

reform school A reform school was a Prison, penal institution, generally for teenagers, mainly operating between 1830 and 1900. In the United Kingdom and its colonies, reformatory, reformatories (commonly called reform schools) were set up from 1854 onward f ...

s in the 1960s and 1970s, was filmed around the world in film festivals. ''Mad'' is a documentary film about the writer and poet Sandy Jeffs, who suffers from

schizophrenia Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...

. Her poems were made into songs, to music composed by Elena Kat-Chernin. The film won Best Music Award at the 2010 Bondi Short Film Festival, and was screened at WOW Film Festival in Sydney. In 2015 she directed and co-produced (with Kate Croser) ''Michelle's Story'', 29-minute documentary about dancer

, artistic director of Restless Dance Theatre, commissioned by ABC Television and

Adelaide Film Festival The Adelaide Film Festival (AFF, formerly ADLFF) is a film festival usually held for two weeks in mid-October in movie theater, cinemas in Adelaide, South Australia. Originally presented wikt:Special:Search/biennial, biennially in March from 2 ...

. The film won Adelaide Film Festival Audience Award for Best Documentary,

SA Screen Awards Mercury CX, formerly Media Resource Centre (MRC), is a not-for-profit film and television training organisation based in the Lion Arts Centre on the corner of Morphett Street and North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, which aims to give scre ...

for Best Short Film, Best documentary, Best Soundtrack; and the 2016 Australian Dance Award for Most Outstanding Dance film. In 2019, Tankard directed and produced the hour-long film, ''Re-creating Two Feet'', containing footage from 1995 and 2019 performances in Adelaide, Melbourne,

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

(New Zealand), and

Solingen Solingen (; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 25 km east of Düsseldorf along the northern edge of the Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr. After Wuppertal, it is the second-largest city in the Bergisches Land, and a member of ...

(Germany). The story is based on Tankard's own experiences as a girl (via a character called Mepsie), as well as those of

Olga Spessivtseva Olga Alexandrovna Spessivtseva (; 16 September 1991) was a Russian ballerina whose stage career spanned from 1913 to 1939. She was one of the finest prima ballerinas of the twentieth century. She had the excellent classical technique, immaculate ...

, a Russian dancer famous for her portrayal of ''

Giselle ''Giselle'' ( , ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (; ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet () in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, it was first perfor ...

'', who had a mental breakdown in 1932, becoming a resident of a sanatorium for 23 years. The film was shown at the

Mercury Cinema Mercury CX, formerly Media Resource Centre (MRC), is a not-for-profit film and television training organisation based in the Lion Arts Centre on the corner of Morphett Street and North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, which aims to give scr ...

in Adelaide in March 2019, presented by the

J. M. Coetzee Centre for Creative Practice The University of Adelaide is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many sandstone buildings o ...

in association with Maggie Tonkin. she is working on a screenplay for a

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

Recognition, honours, and awards

Tankard was the subject of a film herself – a 55-minute documentary called ''The Black Swan'', directed by Michelle Mahrer and produced by Don Featherstone, released in 1995. ''Wild Swans'' and ''The Deep End'' were filmed and screened on

, and Tankard was the subject of a documentary on the making of ''Wild Swans''. Awards and honours received by Tankard and her works include: *2019: Officer of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AO) *2016: Recipient of the Jim Bettison & Helen James Award *2010: Outstanding Choreography Award at the

Australian Dance Awards The Australian Dance Awards recognise excellence and promote dance in Australia. They are awarded under the auspices of the Australian Dance Council (Ausdance) for performance, choreography, design, dance writing, teaching and related professions. ...

, for ''The Oracle'' *2004:

Creative Fellowship, to develop projects with composer

*2001:

Centenary Medal The Centenary Medal is an award which was created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the centenary of the Federation of Australia and to recognise "people who made a contribution to Australian society or g ...

*2002: Lifetime Achievement award Australian Dance Awards *2000:

Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical theatre ...

for Costume Design for Deep Sea dreaming for Olympic Games Opening Ceremony 2000, jointly with designer Dan Potra *2000: Nomination for

Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer The Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Award ...

, for ''Beautiful Game'' *1998: Mobil Pegasus Award for Best Production ''Inuk'' Summer Festival Hamburg *1995: ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'' Performing Arts Award (dance) for Best Collaboration for ''Orpheus and Euridice'' with

Australian Opera Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, New South Wales, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra runs for approximately eight months of the year, with ...

*1994: Betty Pounder Award for Original Choreography at the

Green Room Awards The Green Room Awards are Australian peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, theatre companies, independent theatre, musical theatre, contemporary and experimental performance, and opera. The awards, which were established in ...

(Victoria) for ''Nuti'' *1994: Green Room Awards for Dance Direction, Design, Management for ''Nuti'' and ''Kikimora'' *1993: Green Room Award for Female Dancer in leading role ''Two Feet'' *1993:

Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award The Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards were created in 1984 by the trustees of the Sidney Myer Fund to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Sidney Myer Sidney Myer (born Simcha Myer Baevski (, ); 8 February 18785 September 1934) was a ...

for Individual Achievement *1992: Canberra Citizen of the Year *1983:

at the

''Sydney an der Wupper''

Selected dance works

Tankard's works have included: *1997: ''Inuk'' (Germany) *1998: ''Boléro'' for the Lyon Opera Ballet *2000: Choreography for '' The Beautiful Game'' for

on London's West End *2001: ''Living Oceans'', commissioned by Tiffany & Co. at the

in New York *2002: ''Deep Sea Dreaming'' for the opening ceremony of the Sydney

2000 Olympic Games The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

*2002: ''Ocean Dance'' to honour the Dalai Lama in tribute concert Sydney Opera House *2002: ''Merryland'' for Nederlands Dans Theater III *2003: ''Pearl'' for the 30th birthday celebrations of the

*2003: ''Wild Swans'' for the Australian Ballet and the Sydney Opera House, a full-length work based on a

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogue (literature), travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fai ...

's fairy tale, to a new score by

*2004: ''@North'', for the

Berlin State Ballet The Berlin State Ballet () is the principal ballet company in the German capital of Berlin. It was created in 2004 through a merger of the separate ballet companies of the city's three opera houses at a time when the city was going through a fina ...

, and ''Petrouchka'' for Netherlands Dance Theatre in

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

*2006: Choreography for ''

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...

'' on Broadway, New York *2007: ''Kaidan'' for the

and

with TaikOz *2008: Created ''Inuk 2'' for

*2009: ''The Oracle'' *2011: ''Cinderella'' for Leipzig Ballet with

Gewandhaus Orchestra The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhausorchester; also previously known in German as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) is a German symphony orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. The orchestra is named after the concert hall in which it is bas ...

* 2016: Directed and choreographed

's ''The Beautiful Game'' at for 3rd year students at

* 2018: Performed and created – Meet Meryl and Jo in

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

, Germany –

Retrospective * 2018: Choreographed ''Claudel'' for

Théâtre de l'Athénée The Théâtre de l'Athénée () is a theatre at 7 rue Boudreau, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Renovated in 1996 and classified a historical monument, the Athénée inherits an artistic tradition marked by the figure of Louis Jouvet who di ...

, Paris * 2018: Remounted ''Furioso'' for

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

, Belgium * 2019: ''Two Feet'' at the

, with

* 2019: Film ''Re-creating Two Feet'' * 2019: Created ''Zizanie'' for Adelaide Festival for Restless Dance Theatre * 2021: ''Claudel'' for the

*2022: ''Chants de Mariage 2'', at WAAPA in Perth *2023: ''Kairos'', for FORM Dance Projects at

as part of the

*2024:''For Hedy'', creation for Zurich Ballet *2025: ''Kontakthof – Echoes of '78'' irector and performer(for Pina Bausch Foundation and Sadler's Wells

Personal life

Tankard's life partner is photographer and visual artist Regis Lansac.

References

External links

* *
Tankard, Meryl (1955 - )
on ''Australia Dancing''
"Meryl Tankard interviewed by Martin Portus, 21 September 2016"
''State Library of New South Wales Catalogue''.
Meryl Tankard
in the Pina Bausch website archives
Meryl Tankard
on ''

RealTime Real-time, realtime, or real time may refer to: Computing * Real-time computing, hardware and software systems subject to a specified time constraint * Real-time clock, a computer clock that keeps track of the current time * Real-time Control Syst ...

'' (contains further links to articles) {{DEFAULTSORT:Tankard, Meryl Australian ballerinas Australian choreographers Australian women choreographers Ballet choreographers Living people Meryl Tankard Australian Ballet School alumni Helpmann Award winners Officers of the Order of Australia 1955 births