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.