Attitude Dance Company

Attitude Dance Company is an independent dance company based in Geelong, Victoria, and was established by Xavier McGettigan with a focus on dynamic dance theatre including multiple genres. We love bold contemporary dance, heart-forward performances and take pride in our fun & inclusive environment.

Previous major works include Fantasy (Geelong 2021), Style Guide (Geelong 2020), Dear Diary (Geelong 2019), Ours (Geelong, Melbourne & Ballarat 2019), Timeless (Geelong 2019), Transience: a Triple-Bill (Geelong & Melbourne 2018), (dis)connect (Geelong 2018), On The Move (Geelong 2018), SIGNIFICANCE (Geelong & Melbourne, 2016 & 2017), The Man About Town (Drysdale 2013) and Headcase (Geelong 2012). The company has featured in multiple guest performances, gigs such as The Rivoli for Dance Makers Collective as part of the 2022 Geelong Arts Centre season, 100 Years of Dance for the Impetus Youth Awards, the Geelong Rainbow Festival and the Geelong Dance Showcase.

In 2018 the company founded the ADC Impact Ensemble, a semi-professional, profit-share dance ensemble. That year, they performed in MAGNIFY, for RAW Australia as well as their debut major work, Transience: a Triple-Bill. In 2019 the Impact Ensemble performed in both IMPACT and IGNITE for RAW Australia, as well as their second major production, Ours, in which members of the ensemble choreographed their own works.

ADC is not a dance school or studio, but exists as a performance-based dance company specialising in creating original dance theatre productions. We love inviting dancers from all over Geelong, Melbourne and Victoria to work with us while simultaneously dancing and/or teaching at a range of schools and studios; together developing and celebrating dance theatre for all to enjoy.

Director

Xavier McGettigan is the director of Attitude Dance Company, and has directed and choreographed productions for the company including the development of Perfect Pairing with support from Geelong Arts Centre’s Creative Engine grant, Fantasy, Style Guide, Dear Diary, Ours, Transience: a Triple-Bill, Timeless, (dis)connect, On The Move, SIGNIFICANCE, The Man About Town and Headcase as well as events such as RAW Australia's MAGNIFY, IMPACT and IGNITE, the Geelong Rainbow Festival, 100 Years of Dance for the Impetus Youth Awards and multiple appearances at the Geelong Dance Showcase.

He was the director for the sold-out, award-winning play Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency for Geelong Repertory Theatre Company and both director and choreographer of Geelong Lyric Theatre Society’s Wish Upon a Song - Vol. II. He was the Musical Director for ADC’s Fantasy: The Dream, Ours, and The Man About Town, Humdrum Comedy and Left Bauer Production's Gilligan's Island: The Musical and Altona City Theatre's Heathers the Musical.

Xavier has often choreographed for musical theatre, including Frozen Jr, Anastasia, Matilda Jr, Mamma Mia, Chicago, Aladdin Jr and Wizard of Oz for Geelong Grammar School, Shrek the Musical and The Theory of Relativity for St. Joseph’s College, Diamonds and Matilda the Musical for Sacred Heart College, Wicked for Saint Ignatius College, Legally Blonde Jr for Wyndham Theatre Company, Cinderella, Fame and The Wedding Singer for Altona City Theatre, Game On, Once Upon a Mattress, Jump and Spirit of Christmas for the GSODA Junior Players and Fiddler on the Roof for Geelong Lyric Theatre.

Xavier graduated with distinction from the full-time course at Jason Coleman's Ministry of Dance in 2012, and teaches regularly at Impetus Dance, Kardinia International College, Geelong Grammar School and Saint Ignatius College. He has also been a guest dance teacher and choreographer at most secondary colleges, primary schools and dance schools/studios in the Geelong region.

He has appeared on stage in multiple productions and events, including “The Conductor” in Puffing Billy Railway’s Polar Express Experience, ensemble/on-stage musician in Stage Art's Saturday Night Fever, Fall: Catch Me with choreographer Stacey Carmichael in Blink Dance Theatre's Soft Landing, Forbidden for Collision Dance Collective, "Paul" in Centerstage Geelong's A Chorus Line, "Georg" in Spring Awakening and a "Bad Idea Bear" in Avenue Q, both for Parcell Productions, and as "PFC Louden Downey" and “Louis Ironson” for Geelong Repertory Theatre's A Few Good Men and Angels in America. He was also cast as “Matt/Mr Burns” in the cancelled Geelong Contemporary Theatre production of Mr Burns: a Post-Electric Play.

Xavier is a clarinettist, saxophonist and pianist, playing in the Geelong Concert Band Senior Band since 2006, onstage in Stage Art's Saturday Night Fever. He also played in the pit for Altona City Theatre’s Cinderella and Pinocchio, and GSODA’s Tin Pan Ali and Aladdin: the Rock Panto. He has also arranged music for Alice in Wonderland and Pinocchio for Altona City Theatre and “Zero to Hero” for Geelong Lyric Theatre Society’s Wish Upon A Song: Vol. II and ADC’s Ours and Fantasy: The Dream.

Xavier won the Victorian Drama League awards for “Best Sound Design in a Comedy or Drama” and “Best Director of a Comedy” for Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency which also won “Best Production of a Comedy”. He has received Entertainment Geelong award nominations for his performances in Avenue Q and A Few Good Men, for his choreography of Once Upon a Mattress, as both a runner-up and winner of “Best Supporting Actor” in the same year for A Few Good Men and Footlight’s Miss Saigon respectively and winning the “Most Innovative Feature” award for his choreography of Game On. He was also nominated for a Music Theatre Guild of Victoria award for his choreography of The Wedding Singer and received the “Best Judge” award in the online video competition DANCE& for La Republique Internationale des Arts.

View Xavier’s work at:
xaviermcgettigan.com

Company Manager

Jayson Fry is the Company Manager of Attitude Dance Company, and has acted as both Production Manager and Stage Manager on productions for the company including Fantasy, Dear Diary, Ours, Transience: a Triple-Bill, Timeless, (dis)connect, On The Move and SIGNIFICANCE.

Jayson is Vice-President and a Life Member of Williamstown Musical Theatre Company, and has undertaken many roles at the company in over 30 productions. As a Production Manager, he has produced Sweeney Todd, The Addams Family, City of Angels, RENT, Hot Mikado, Side Show and A Chorus Line, as well as Stage Managing Sweet Charity, Gypsy, Catch Me if You Can, Seussical Jr and the company’s 10th Anniversary Concert.

Outside of ADC and WMTC, Jayson has worked as both Production Manager and Stage Manager on Sam Marzden’s 1950s B-Grade Sci-Fi Movie at Melbourne Fringe Festival and Gilligan’s Island: The Musical with Humdrum Comedy and Left Bauer Productions, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency with Geelong Repertory Theatre Company, which won the Victorian Drama League award for “Best Production of a Comedy”.

He has been the Stage Manager of Seussical for Western Arts Theatre, The Producers at Altona City Theatre, Company for Devanessen Productions, Songs for a New World for Octave Theatre, the 2014 Annual Bruce Awards for the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria, and as the Assistant Stage Manager for many more. Jayson is currently working as a Microphone and Audio Technician for LSS Productions.