Sydney Dance Company: 'Dance Noir: Euphoric'

After a three-year hiatus, Sydney Dance Company’s Dance Noir returned to Sydney 

for a sensational evening of dining, dancing, fundraising and fun!

On Saturday 17 September, Sydney Dance Company made a triumphant return to The Hordern Pavilion with their gala fundraiser, 'Dance Noir: Euphoric'. 

The evening lived up to its reputation as the sparkliest party of the year, while also raising vital funds to ensure that Sydney Dance Company’s artists and audiences can continue to be supported and inspired by exceptional contemporary dance experiences.

The dress code was 'Glittering Glamour' and guests stunned in spectacular ensembles embracing the true Dance Noir spirit.

The 450 guests in attendance included:

Bianca Spender, Paris Neilson, Kerr Neilson, Hon Julie Bishop, Skye Leckie OAM, Ellie Aitken, Rebekah Giles, Taryn Williams, Marten Peck, Felicity McVay, Chris Wirasinha, David Hancock, Nadia Fairfax-Wayne, Nicky Oatley, Deborah Symond-O’Neil, Alyce Tran, Caroline Tran, Kate Bond, Hannah Gold, Tamie Ingham, Angus Logan, Faraz (Fuzz) Ali, Michael Lo Sordo, Richard and Jane Freudenstein, Don Harwin, Rebel Penfold-Russel OAM, Guy and Georgina Fergusson, Martin and Michelle Walsh, Andrew and Jane Clifford, Shemara Wikramanayake, Hayley Bailey, Pip Smith,  Kate Keane, Tory Archbold, Alex Smart, Peter Reeve, Mandy Foley, Alexa Haslingden, Sally Burleigh and more. 

The Company performed an excerpt from Rafael Bonachela’s critically acclaimed 'Impermanence', an intimate duet by Rafael Bonachela - originally created for a Cartier High Jewellery event - and Holly Doyle’s electric finale piece, Euphoric.

Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year students also dazzled in intricate neon costumes by the Enmore Design School.

The incomparable Matty Mills was the MC for the evening, with the event raising in excess of $600,000 to support Sydney Dance Company. What an incredible result!

These funds are instrumental in delivering Sydney Dance Company’s transformative artistic and touring programs (international and national), as well as supporting vital community outreach and advanced training.

There was friendly fierce competition for a suite of spectacular prizes at the live auction held by Romany Brooks of BresicWhitney.

Thee impressive prize list included:

- a pair of exquisite Jan Logan pearl and diamond earrings

- an unforgettable cruise for 30 people aboard custom-built luxury super yacht Quantum

- luxury stays at 5-star resorts, The Datai in Malaysia

- a 10-day getaway in a private retreat in Mexico

- a week in a luxury villa on Lake Annecy in France

- a sublime 7-nights on the privately-owned Turtle Island in Fiji complete with staff

- and an exclusive MasterChef dining experience at Sydney Dance Company with MasterChef Australia alumni Michelle Walsh (we love her!)

Beverage partners Champagne Henriot, Archie Rose, Capi and Cassegrain Wines provided refreshments throughout the evening to accompany a delicious array of canapés, mains, sides, charcuterie and cheese stations.

Roving desserts, cocktails and mocktails fuelled the guests as they hit the dancefloor while DJ Sveta got the party started.

Sydney Dance Company extended a huge thanks to the incredible Dance Noir committee for helping to make this unforgettable night possible:

Co-Chairs Peter Reeve and Mandy Foley, Sally Burleigh, Hilary Burton, Jane Clifford, Debbie Coffey, Georgie Fergusson, Alexa Haslingden, Jan Logan, Jane McCallum, Stephen Thatcher, Christina Voitenko, Michelle Walsh and Judy Wolf.

Sydney Dance Company is Australia’s leading contemporary dance company, presenting new works in Sydney, around Australia and internationally, under the Artistic Direction of Rafael Bonachela. Since 1985 the Company has been resident in purpose-built and recently refurbished studios at Wharf 4/5 in Sydney’s Walsh Bay Arts Precinct.

Its studios house the largest public in-studio and online dance class program in Australia, attracting nearly 100,000 attendances each year. A legendary force in contemporary dance in Australia, Sydney Dance Company celebrated its 50th year in 2019.

More information: www.sydneydancecompany.com

And, see the gorgeous guests in all their sparkly glory here:

Dishes: 2016 Calendar - Restore One Project

Now, this is an exciting - and very worthy - project! If you have not bought your 2016 calendar yet, and you are passionate about food - this is your gift, to yourself or a loved one!

Bringing together 12 of Australia's top chefs including Colin Fassnidge, Massimo Mele and James Viles into a 2016 premium recipe wall calendar made for foodies, where each chef shares an exclusive recipe in their month.

And: it's all for a good cause, with proceeds going to support Restore One who help empower vulnerable women in Cambodia. For more on this wonderful project, see www.dishes.com.au

In basic terms, their mission is to:

To break poverty one community at a time, through:

• Housing
• Education
• Employment
• Health initiatives

The whole calendar is fantastic - the quality photography will be a treat to turn over a new leaf, for real, each month.

You can buy 'Dishes', the premium wall calendar - with twelve of Australia's hottest chefs - in that link.

And, every month, a top chef presents a new recipe that will be sure to please the most demanding of foodies and - all in an effort to raise money for good! What's not to love? Delicious in every way.

Speaking of delicious, here is Colin Fassnidge on the calendar's cover:

Myer Carols in the City + Kids Carols in the City, 2015 - Tickets + Info, The Sebastian Foundation

Have you heard about the fantastic, end of year events hosted by The Sebastian Foundation?

For the first time, the wonderful event (now in its third year) will be held at the iconic Luna Park Sydney, under The Big Top! There are TWO concerts:

And the line up? SO much fun, you guys! Check out the list of who will be performing - there are two concerts: one, more kiddie-centric, the other, will pack a punch for lovers of pop and Christmas Carols.

AND: tickets for the concert are only $25 each for the kids' concert, and $35 per ticket for the 6pm concert. SUCH good value! My kiddies looooove Sam Moran - he is so much fun in a performance - and the perennial, almost ageless fave, Peppa Pig ("I'm Peppa Pig! And this is my little brother George... and this is Mummy Pig, and this is Daddy Pig!" - SEE! That dialogue is ingrained in my brain...!). Paddington Bear is of course a classic fave.

There is a little bit of crossover with the acts at the 6pm bash - see below for the full, fantastic, excellent value for money line up.

Says the press material:

The Sebastian Foundation is proud to announce that they will again bring Christmas joy to Sydney presenting the third annual Myer Carols In The City on Saturday 12 December. The evening will see Guy & Jules Sebastian joined on stage by some of Australia’s biggest names with tickets on sale today Thursday 28 October via www.ticketmaster.com.au and bigtopsydney.com. Tickets are $35 per person.

This year the show will move to the iconic Luna Park Big Top, and the Christmas extravaganza will see a brand new show just for the young ones. Kids Carols in the City, held from 4:00pm will feature big names including Peppa Pig, Paddington, Sam Moran & the Bam Bam Binos and hosted by Channel 10’s Olivia Phyland. Tickets will be $25.00 per person with all profits donated to The Sebastian Foundation.

Once the kids have had a jolly good time, the marquee show will begin at 6:00pm with Guy Sebastian, Tim Omaji, Kate Miller-Heidke, John Williamson, YouTube sensations SketchShe, In Stereo, The Fisher Boys, Jess & Matt, Emma Pask, Sam Moran, Fatai and many more surprise guests to join in the festive fun.

“Jules and I are so thrilled that Myer Carols in the City is back for a third year! We are so thankful for the love and support shown to The Sebastian Foundation. Without the generosity of organisations such as Myer, we would not be able to raise such important funds to assist families across Australia,” says Guy Sebastian.

“With an overwhelming demand for tickets to 2014’s show, this year we have decided to treat the kids to their very own early Christmas extravaganza. This year will see an abundance of fantastic Aussie talent take to the stage and we couldn’t be more excited!”

Guy and Jules Sebastian established the Sebastian Foundation in 2013, following the birth of their eldest son Hudson. The charity aims to provide those less fortunate a chance at a better life based on the notion of families helping families.

Since launching, The Sebastian Foundation has joined forces with many like-minded partners and charities. Over $120,000 was raised in 2014 alone, with donations made to various children's learning programs and family welfare networks.

Kids Carols in the City and Myer Carols in the City will jingle into Luna Park’s Big Top on Saturday 12 December at 4:00pm and 6:00pm respectively. Tickets available NOW via www.ticketmaster.com.au and at bigtopsydney.com
thesebastianfoundation.org/ www.facebook.com/thesebastianfdn /@thesebastianfdn 

Below, just some of the wonderful work The Sebastian Foundation do. You guys, these are KIND hearted people, with a beautiful charity ethic. They constantly come up with lovely ways to give to worthy causes.

One of my faves:

When The Sebastian Foundation – Guy and Jules Sebastian’s family charity – built a community kitchen for the Country Women’s Association (CWA) of NSW. 

From the site:

The kitchen, which was generously donated by Freedom Kitchens and The Sebastian Foundation, will be built at the CWA Gunnedah Branch. 

The Gunnedah Branch has 43 proud members ranging in age from 40 to 90 who service a population of almost 8,000 by producing meals and catering for community groups including the Red Cross, Meals On Wheels and for rural workers affected by drought and other hardship. 

The Doreen Baker Community Kitchen will be opened on Friday 5 December in Gunnedah at a special high tea fundraiser hosted by Jules Sebastian. 

And this:

Photo and caption below, Facebook: It's moments like these that really reinforce why we started The Sebastian Foundation - this morning with our friends at ICAP we're handing over $55,000 to the Music Therapy Program at Westmead.

To see more of the incredible work The Sebastian Foundation do, click here: https://thesebastianfoundation.org

To follow The Sebastian Foundation and keep updated on their news, click here for their Facebook page - follow them here: https://www.facebook.com/thesebastianfdn

To buy tickets now, CLICK RIGHT HERE - this takes you to the Luna Park site.

Quick summary:

Kids' show tickets, for 4pm show with Sam Moran, Peppa Pig, and Paddington Bear, all in the amazing Luna Park Sydney Big top: $25 each.

6pm show tickets: Guy Sebastian, Tim Omaji, Kate Miller-Heidke, John Williamson, YouTube sensations SketchShe, In Stereo, The Fisher Boys, Jess & Matt, Emma Pask, Sam Moran, Fatai and many more surprise guests to join in the festive fun: $35 each.

AFTER PARTY tickets: pop us a line here below for more info.

For more info on the event, go here: http://www.bigtopsydney.com/myercarols

Always innovating on new events for their charity:

And these two cuties, from The Sebastian Foundation page, to celebrate their 2014 Carols event:

Nonna Paola Interviews Joe Manganiello: VIDEOS

This!

Nonna Paola was at the 'Magic Mike XXL' red carpet movie premiere last week in Sydney, as a guest of KIIS 101.1 Melbourne radio, who are big fans of the inimitable Nonna P. (See here for their past fun collabs). And Josie's Juice caught up with her, too. Here is our selfie, standard now every time we meet up:

We are HUGE fans of Nonna Paola, given we have come to know Nonna P and Greg so well in the past few months, we totally get her humour, have covered all her viral videos and collabs with brands, and generally we just bloody love her! Because she's as genuine as they come. Nonna P has a big heart, and clearly, a funny bone too!

Here are the very funny clips with Nonna Paola interviewing the gorgeous Joe Manganiello, who is obviously very clued into the whole Nonna Paola phenomenon, seeing as his heritage is southern Italian also (Nonna P hails from Calabria, Joe's background is Sicilian - yesss, go the Sicilians - we rock!). We think he's very gracious and giving in the interview, and absolutely LOVE how he stays silent while she gives marriage and life advice. That's our Nonna P for you! Joe… we hope you are reading this. You kinda rock! And we love how KIIS 101.1 know good talent when they see it. Nonna as radio correspondent - who woulda thought? But, she owns it, bless.

Here are the videos, and scroll down for more on Nonna P, and a collab we are in involved in with Nonna, for a good cause:

Josie's Juice and 'The Wog With The Grog' are promoting two events to raise funds for Alzheimer's Australia, Nonna Paola's charity of choice:

And the other event we are hosting:

Book now!

Here are some screen grabs from the Joe and Nonna P interviews. She is brilliant!