A great Christmas present for Tracks dance. Why not support us by pledging money for our 2013 Festival show - Zombies in the Banyan Tree. Tracks Dance needs you!  Yes you!

We are seeking funding in order to bring Dewa Soma - gamelan player and musician from the Bina Remaja Troupe -  to Darwin to be part of the creative development and performance of Zombies in the Banyan Tree. Zombies is a youth focused, outdoor site specific performance where traditional Balinese, break and contemporary western dance and music forms collide. Zombies explores our fast changing cultural landscape and the excitement and fear that comes when popular culture and long held traditions clash and merge.

Our aims for the project are to:

• Forge new relationships with Balinese cultural workers which will lead to the creation of choreography, cultural content and music for the Zombies in the Banyan Tree performance
• Build long-term collaborative relationships with cultural institutions in Bali to encourage and support future exchanges
• Engage with the local Indonesian community and ensure that Tracks staff and the company in general are more informed about the cultural life of contemporary Bali through a series of workshops and masterclasses.

This project will strengthen the relationships between performance practitioners in both Bali and Darwin and showcase the music and dance created as a result of these new connections. We aim to bring together a mix of traditional and contemporary dancers, choreographers and musicians, as well as filmmakers and cultural leaders to guide this project and ensure that it has cultural integrity and relevance both in the Australian and Balinese context.

We are seeking a total of $5,000 and we only get it if we reach this amount, otherwise all donated money gets returned to the donor.

Go to pozible.com   Click the green 'support project' box and follow the prompts. It's that easy. We will be forever grateful to you.

Tracks welcomes local dance practitioners Bryn Wackett, Anokai Lancaster, Jenelle Saunders and the D*City Rockers as recipients of Tracks 2013 Studio Residency. We also welcome Brisbane based movement collective, Kinetic.

The residencies will develop and support local dance practice by offering opportunities for choreographers and dance artists to work on new contemporary dance ideas through research, development and experimentation.

Bryn will use the residency as an opportunity for exploration to create a selection of short, personal compositions pieces, as well as collaborating with other members of the dance sector.

Anokai will develop ideas towards a new contemporary dance project encompassing emotion through movement. She will draw inspiration from Martha Graham’s practice of producing a dance repertoire which symbolises emotion.

Jenelle will use her time to reinvigorate, create, discover, design and make original dance. She is keen to collaborate with other dancers

The D*City Rockers will both develop their own skills and mentor up and coming youth. Their residency aims to enhance and grow the local hip hop scene.

Kinetic will work with local East Timorese to collaborate and share ideas prior to a  trip to Timor Leste in February 2013, strengthening creative links between Brisbane, Darwin and Timor Leste.

An informal forum and showing will take place in the Tracks Studio on the evening of March 27, 2013

Tracks is offering an opportunity for choreographers and dance artists to
use the dance studio space at Tracks Dance, free of charge, to work on a new
contemporary dance ideas, either through research or development. The
program is a response to the ongoing challenge of access to space for the
development of dance practice.

Hours for rehearsal will be organised in consultation with the company
around its scheduled working periods. Although there is no requirement to
have a presentation at the conclusion, we strongly encourage a showing of
the work developed to encourage feedback from peers and audience.

This residency is not for commercial practice, such as classes or for
rehearsals for funded projects. Dance artists of all backgrounds are
encouraged to apply.

Eligibility: Contemporary dance artists pursuing an innovative practice are eligible to
apply.

Availability: Tracks Dance Studio currently has some time available from January 1st 2013
until March 31st.

Criteria: Successful artists are chosen on the basis of the quality and innovation of
work, and the potential benefits to the applicant and to the broader
community. Decisions are ultimately subject to the availability of the
studio.

The number of successful applicants will depend on studio availability and
time requirements of applicants as well as;

•        Calibre of artist / collaborating artists.
•        Clear articulation of conceptual rationale and process.
•        Benefit of receiving the Studio Residency at this point in the development
•        of a work OR to developing their practice.
•        Benefit to the broader community.

Required Information: Proposals should address the applicant’s reasons for wanting to undertake
the studio residency and an outline of their project (which may be simply to
pursue independent studio practice, or cultural exchange opportunities,
etc.)

1. Proposal/outline of project (No more than one page),

2. Preferred starting date and an estimate of studio time needed

3. 1 page CV/bio demonstrating dance activity

Additionally, a Work-In-Progress showing component will be offered to
artists. This is an opportunity to invite industry peers, funding bodies,
producers and general public.

The deadline for proposals is: Friday 7 December 2012

Leading up to this years Milpirri performance Tracks was once again resident at Lajamanu School. Each class from grade three upwards was involved, having one workshop per day over five weeks. Jess Devereux, Nick Power, Kelly Beneforti, and local Caleb Japanangka Patrick, led the dance workshops under the supervision Tracks Artistic Directors David and Tim.

Classes were taught utilising dance techniques, including contemporary, break dance, street styles, and hip hop alongside basic drama training, to explore Warlpiri cultural themes and morals. This year the over-riding theme is Pulya Rani – the winds of change, and is based on a Dreaming where in order to create movement (in body and soul), to get unstuck, it is necessary to ask for help and create a wind that provides extra fuel and push for the fire.

“Fire is the glow of life. The four winds – from North, South, East, West – control the fire, control us. Milpirri is the story that will ignite the fire of who we are.” - Steve Jampijinpa Patrick

http://www.tracksdance.com.au/milpirri-2012-pulyaranyi

The Tracks team is currently in Lajamanu working with the community towards the Milpirri festival at the end of October. Have a look on our facebook page for some happy snaps

http://www.facebook.com/tracks.dance

Or go to Current Work to get all the details

http://www.tracksdance.com.au/current-work