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June 2006
Northern Territory
A major event – known elsewhere as Australian Dance Week – was, in
2006, extended by Ausdance NT into a full month of dance action, giving
the Darwin community a greater opportunity to engage with our vibrant
and vital dance community through attendance, participation and appreciation
of a range of dance-based performances, workshops and activities. In
addition to the free dance classes on offer, Dance Month also entertained
and captivated Darwin residents through a range of outstanding performances
and events lined up throughout May. The highlights included a free
family day where many local community and cultural dance groups performed
as part of the Ausdance NT and Annual Nightcliff Seabreeze Festival
Program; Tracks Dance presented Bowls Club Wedding, featuring the fabulous
Grey Panthers, and Bangarra Dance presented Clan at the Entertainment
Centre.
Meanwhile, the six Tracks Dance youth leaders and two dancers from
Lajamanu have recently returned from ‘awesome Horsham’ where they attended
the 5th Australian Youth Dance Festival in Victoria. I attended the
Festival as both an Ausdance NT representative and as ‘mum for the
week’. The dancers from Darwin had an inspirational experience of learning
new and different ways of moving and exchanging and sharing their own
styles with many people. New friendships that stretch across vast distances
have been formed and the synergy between the young emerging dancers
attending AYDF was beyond belief. The changes, however subtle or dramatic,
were inspirational to be a part of and to observe.
The six Darwin youth dance leaders from Tracks were overflowing with
dance and took the opportunity to dance everywhere, including the streets
of Horsham, at local dance studios and venues. The two young men from
Lajamanu took part in a range of workshops, their favourite being hip
hop and fire dance. As the week progressed they also shared their moves
in the famous jam sessions, the highlight being the final impromptu
jam session that followed the performance at the close of the festival
– it acted as an encore/finale and the audience members could not get
enough, thrilled to see these young dancers strut their stuff, at the
same time giving their respect to each and every person who decided
to share their moves, however radical or diverse they were. This was
their time to just simply express themselves through dance – it was
the best-unplanned finale I have had the opportunity to see. I know
that this experience will be with all of the young dancers who attended
forever – well done Ausdance Victoria for facilitating a dynamic and diverse festival that gave each young participant a real
taste of dance in its many forms, but also allowed for the young people
to give voice to their own rhythms and styles through these very special
impromptu jam sessions.
After the amazing array of dance activities in Dance Month Darwin will
have a short breather before being launched into the Darwin Festival
season, where Ausdance will produce i-moves for the Darwin Fringe Festival.
In addition, the lucky recipients of the Independent Support Fund initiative
will also be acknowledged and will take off on their adventures down
south. – Sarah Calver
Archive
November 2005
August 2005
May 2005
February 2005
November 2004
August 2004
May 2004
November 2003
The Indigenous performing arts sector
August 2003
Festival of Darwin
May 2003
Closer contact with the dance community
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