Cadi McCarthy

Artistic Director

Cadi McCarthy has been involved professionally in the Australian dance industry since 1996 when she graduated from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). She has been actively engaged in dance as a professional dancer, choreographer, educator and director, gaining an extensive knowledge and range of skills in performance, choreography and production. Cadi has choreographed and taught nationally and internationally. In 1996, Cadi joined Paige Gordon and Performance Group a professional project based company in the ACT. She then joined Buzz Dance Theatre in Perth W.A. (1998 – 2002). In 2002 Cadi embarked on an independent career, returning to the ACT and creating the dance theatre company: Cadi McCarthy & Company. Cadi created 7 full-length works for the company: Awkward (2003,2006), Restless (2004, 2009), Lick Sip Suck (2005) Shambles (2007) and Grappling for the Edge (2008), developed at Chez Bushwick.

Cadi was the recipient of the 2004 & 2006 Canberra Critics Circle Awards in Dance and holds a Masters in Education and Diplomas of Education in Secondary Teaching and Further Education and Training. In 2004 Cadi was invited to participate in workshops and classes in New York at Cunningham Dance Foundation and Movement Research. As a recipient of the Churchill Fellowship in 2008, Cadi spent six months in Denmark, UK, Germany, USA and Canada working with Mute Comp, Scottish Dance Theatre, Motionhouse, Tanzcompagnie Giessen, Snappy Dance Theatre, and Kate Weare Company.

Cadi was the Artistic Producer of the Ausdance Dance Festival (2006-07), and was the Dance Director of Jigsaw Theatre’s Showpod (2006) & the ACT Department of Education and Training’s Into the Limelight Gala (2007-2008). Cadi has been extensively involved in dance and education in primary, secondary schools and colleges throughout Australia, and was heavily engaged with curriculum writing, marking and moderation for the primary and secondary sectors and for the Board of Senior Secondary Studies (years11/12) syllabus in the ACT.

Since Cadi has joined Buzz, she has choreographed At the Beach and Behind the Veneer .set up a number of intensive dance residency programs, commissioned Marko Panzic to create the Shortbursts program, continued to develop the Big Stretch residency program in the Pilbara, and developed the Airstream multi-arts project. She has also collaborated with Strut Inc to ensure daily professional classes are available to Perth’s professional artists, continued to develop the education consultancy with the Queensland Ballet, and developed a new consultancy program with WA Ballet’s Education Program.