Waralungku DanceSite is the showcase event for the Indigenous Traditional Dance Program (ITDP). It is an annual event that celebrates the diversity of traditional Indigenous dance in the Northern Territory and provides an exciting cross-cultural platform for audience and performance development. Regional support forums and rehearsals over a period of several months contribute to the success of the event.
Waralungku DanceSite 2013 will be held in Borroloola on Saturday 15 June.
Background
Participation in DanceSite provides dancers, singers and performance groups with the opportunity for professional skills development in front of a mainstream audience, paving the way for further professional performance opportunities. DanceSite also encourages local communities to celebrate Indigenous traditional dance, providing a backdrop for the further appreciation of Australian Indigenous culture.
In 2013, DanceSite will be held in Borroloola. DanceSite will invite dance groups from across the Roper Region to perform. The invitations will also include dance groups from Arnhem Land for the first time. Importantly, an invitation has already been issued and accepted by the Warumungu—Traditional Owners of Tennant Creek, the most recent DanceSite location.
The event will facilitate arts and cultural communication through dance by providing a pathway for Indigenous dancers to meet, perform together, exchange experiences from their unique cultural perspective and highlight for audiences the diversity of Indigenous dance in the NT.
All photographs (excluding TheChooky Dancers) courtesy Barkly Regional Arts. Photographers: Jon Lewis & Joel Glover.
Photograph courtesy of the Chooky Dancers
Headlining in 2013: The Chooky Dancers
The Chooky Dancers from Arnhem Land have been engaged as headline act for DanceSite 2013. Presenting a headline act is intended to inspire and offer professional development opportunities to other remote community dance groups participating in the event.
The Chooky Dancers have enormous cross generational appeal and will offer a fusion of traditional and contemporary dance. Prior to Dancesite 2013 the Chooky Dancers have never visited Borroloola and are extremely excited about this opportunity to share their cultural knowledge with the Borroloola community. The members of the Chooky Dancers are curious about other cultures; passionate in sharing their dance skills with others and keen to embrace new opportunities.
The headline group will provide two performances and two workshops over the two day period of the event and engage local schoolchildren and youth in the activities and excitement leading up to DanceSite. It is anticipated that local children will present a section at DanceSite with the Chooky Dancers, enabling many of them to perform in front of their local audience for the first time. They will also be supported to engage in social media to publicise the event to surrounding communities.
This exciting project will facilitate a relationship between two very remote Indigenous communities through dance and the festival event. In addition to the benefits to community, it will also enable a highly successful Indigenous contemporary dance group to be able to perform in front of an almost entirely Indigenous audience in a community that will be hosting DanceSite for the first time.
For more information about The Chooky Dancers, click here.
To see The Chooky Dancers in action, click here.
More information about The Indigenous Traditional Dance Program can be found here.
Archival program information is available here.
Photographs of DanceSite 2011 and DanceSite 2012 events can be viewed on our Facebook page.
Watch the 2 minute DanceSite video promo.
