Dr Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM, PhD

Adelaide born, Dr Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM, choreographer, teacher and performer, trained in classical ballet and modern dance before studying and performing in London, Europe and New York. Returning to Adelaide in 1963, she started her own school of modern dance and later founded Australian Dance Theatre in 1965.

Over the next decade, as Artistic Director of ADT, she pioneered modern dance and toured ADT both nationally and internationally. She created over 30 innovative works, frequently using commissioned scores from Australian composers and designs by Australian artists. By 1971 ADT was recognized as the major national contemporary/modern dance company in Australia.

From 1976, after a decade in Italy, she returned to Australia and established Mirramu Creative Arts Centre on the shores of Weereewa/Lake George. With Mirramu Dance Company, her focus has been on the creation of site-specific works. From 2004 – 2006 she was head of the Dance Department at the University of Western Sydney. From 2016 she performed internationally as an actor/dancer with Michael Keegan-Dolan’s award-winning Swan Lake/Loch na hEala, which toured globally for four years.

Dalman’s contribution to her field has been acknowledged through numerous awards, including an Australian Artists Creative Fellowship in 1994, the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1995, and the award for lifetime achievement at the inaugural Australian Dance Awards in 1997. In 2015, as well as being awarded Canberra Artist of the Year, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the 2015 National Dance Awards. In 2023, she was awarded Chevalière de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the Ministry of Culture in France.