Really Interesting Women

The Podcast

Ep. 147 Meryl Tankard

Meryl Tankard is one of Australia's most distinguished and innovative figures in contemporary dance and choreography.

Her talent was recognised very early - and even at that early stage she knew the 'old school' teaching techniques were, at times, abhorrent. But despite this, her talent flourished. To the point where she auditioned and earned a place in the Australian Ballet.

But in her mind she wanted more. She joined the prestigious Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal in Germany, where she became a principal artist and developed her distinctive artistic voice.

Upon returning to Australia in the early 1990s, she served as Artistic Director of the Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) in Adelaide, transforming it into a globally recognised company. And that led inexplicably to a controversial move by the ADT that we talk about.

But it's her bold, theatrical productions that merged dance with other art forms that have impressed audiences the world over. Her choreographic style is characterised by emotional intensity, physical dynamism, and a unique blend of classical technique with contemporary expression.

She has created works for opera, film, and large-scale events, including contributions to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games ceremonies.

And as if for good measure she's a qualified and exceptional film maker.

To this day Meryl Tankard remains an influential force in Australian performing arts, celebrated for her passionate commitment to artistic innovation and her ability to create deeply moving dance experiences.

It was a great conversation with an enduring, warm, immensely talented artist.

You can see the clips I was referring to in our conversation at:

https://meryltankard.com/work

Head to the link in my bio to hear our conversation.

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https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/really-interesting-women/id1526764849

Really Interesting Women

The Podcast

Episode 147

Professor Leah Bromfield

Professor Leah Bromfield is the 2025 South Australian of the Year.

Leah has devoted her life to establishing practical, evidence-based solutions to child abuse and neglect – important but challenging work.

Currently she is the director and chair of child protection at the Australian Centre for Child Protection. Her achievements and accolades are almost endless. She developed the first evidence-based analysis of child protection practice frameworks. She informed improvements including the development of a new framework in South Australia and was on the team which advocated for – and got – the first National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children in 2007.

Over two decades, Leah has risen to become one of the most trusted researchers in the field. Her calls for transformation and radical redesign have led to world-first insights and contributed to significant changes in our understanding of, and responses to, child abuse and neglect.

She’s a champion of exploring unconventional approaches and interrogating assumptions to break the cycle of abuse.

Leah has played a pivotal role in numerous other reforms, including her work as Professorial Fellow to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Her leadership and expertise continue to inspire transformative approaches to child protection not just in this country, but around the world.

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

Follow the link to leave a review....and tell your friends
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/really-interesting-women/id1526764849

Really Interesting Women

The Podcast

Ep. 146

Yvonne Sampson

Yvonne Sampson has had a career characterized by breaking barriers and setting new standards.

She grew up as did many Australians, with a deep love of sport. She studied journalism and her love of sport and her extensive knowledge of it, kept her focussed on the ultimate goal. And her persistence and resilience and patience and mostly ability, created the opportunities that led to her becoming the first female broadcaster to anchor a major sporting event in this country.

And her journey has continued... to the point where she is now generally considered one of the best sports broadcasters in the country.

It was a great discussion. From how her parents discussed her own adoption from a very young age – and how she was so appreciative of that, to finding out about her birth father’s heritage and how he was removed from his family as a baby and the ongoing affect that has on her and the family. Her battles to be accepted as a female sports journalist to becoming a nationally recognised figure that anchored the Rugby League showpiece, the State of Origin.

A humble, appreciative, intelligent, knowledgeable person who turned to sports broadcasting because she said she didn’t have a sporting bone in her body. But, I did have to correct her – she forgot to mention that she has represented Australia in dressage!

Even if you’re not a big sports fan, this is a really informing conversation.

Head to the link in my bio to find Yvonne’s podcast episode.

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

Follow the link to leave a review....and tell your friends
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/really-interesting-women/id1526764849