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NAISDA College Alumni

The National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) is the National College for Indigenous Dance training in Australia. Established in 1975 by Carole Johnson as the Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Scheme. The organisation was incorporated on May  24 1988 under the Associations Incorporation Act 1984 and is now known as NAISDA.

NAISDA offers training in a broad variety of dance skills—from Australian Indigenous Dance (both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island) to classical ballet, Modern dance, and associated dance subjects such as music.

Over the last 30 years NAISDA has produced incredible talent, some of whom formed Australia’s first Indigenous contemporary dance company—Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre (AIDT), with Raymond D. Blanco as Australia’s first Indigenous Artistic Director.

Both graduates and non-graduates have contributed greatly to the development of Indigenous Dance in Australia and the need for acknowledgement and recognition of these contributors is paramount to sustaining the health and vibrancy of the sector.

Thanks to a host of people around Australia an Alumni of NAISDA from the past 30 years is assembled below. This is simply a starting point and therefore incomplete. Any further information about graduates and non-graduates is welcome and can be sent to:

NAISDA College Alumni
Name Graduation Date Qualification
Blanco, Sylvia 1984 AssocDip
Christian, Steven 1984 AssocDip
Coffey, Sharon 1984 AssocDip
Cole, Malcolm (D) 1984 AssocDip
Gundi, Anne 1984 AssocDip
Lanley, Philip Barwoo (D) 1984 AssocDip
Leslie, Michael 1984 AssocDip
Malamoo, Leone 1984 AssocDip
Nicol, Wayne (D) 1984 AssocDip
Randall, Dorothea 1984 AssocDip
Stone, Cheryl 1984 AssocDip
Talonga, Richard 1984 AssocDip
Upkitt, Patty (Kerry) 1984 AssocDip
Walker, Kim 1984 AssocDip
Choolburra, Regina (D) 1984 AssocDip
Christian, Steven 1984 AssocDip
Kyle, Paul 1984 AssocDip
Lanley, Philip Barwoo (D) 1984 AssocDip
Morgan, Libby 1984 AssocDip
Blanco, Raymond 1984 AssocDip
Stevens, Monica 1985 AssocDip
Jackonia, Percy 1985 AssocDip
Newie, Dennis 1985 AssocDip
Page, Stephen  
Gulash, Jasmine 1988 AssocDip
Lang, Gary 1989 AssocDip
Timm, Illona 1988 AssocDip
Miller, Marilyn 1988 AssocDip
Page, Russell 1989  
Walong, Bernadette 1989 AssocDip
Doyle (nee George), Fiona 1990 AssocDip
Lampton, Lewis 1990 AssocDip
Munns, Brian 1990 AssocDip
Saltner, Sidney 1991 AssocDip
Anu, Christine 1991 AssocDip
Rings, Frances 1991 AssocDip
Telfer, Waiata 1991 AssocDip
David, Albert 1995
Page, Russell (D)   AssocDip
Chalmers, Samantha 1996 Diploma
Brooke, Renee 1998 Diploma
Hastie, Deon 1998 Diploma
Lampton, Pauline 1998 Diploma
Roberts, Desley 1998 Diploma
Rose, Tessa 1998 Diploma
Price, Patricia 1998
Bishop, Tim 2002 Diploma 3
Van Hout, Vicki 2001
AssocDip = Associate Diploma

 

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