The Grey Panthers have selected three young dancers from the Northern Territory to attend the Australian Youth Dance Festival (AYDF) in Melbourne as part of the Grey Panther Youth Development Fund initiative.

Through the Panthers’ ongoing generosity and commitment, the fund has grown in size and scope since it’s humble beginnings in 2017, when the group began putting aside spare change to give young dancers a helping hand. 

This year the group decided to support 3 exceptional young dancers from the NT to travel down for the Festival where they would be immersed in workshops, classes, performances, discussions and networking with young dancers and their leaders from across the country and internationally.

Successful applicants Drew Holloway, Taylah Anderson and Leah Cato all expressed that dance is an integral aspect of their lives and future aspirations, and the Grey Panthers were impressed with their dedication to dance in their communities. Drew and Taylah will be travelling to the Festival from Darwin, and Leah from Alice Springs.

Taylah said in her application video, “I can’t help but dance, so to be with other people like that and to learn so many different techniques and ways to do it would just be so eye opening. It will benefit me to improve my skills from now where I want to take my dancing from a hobby into a career.”

On their return from the Festival, Drew, Taylah and Leah shared their experiences with the Grey Panthers, reflecting on the fun, challenging, diverse and collaborative ways in which they engaged with dance across the five days. They also enjoyed dancing alongside and connecting with young dancers of all backgrounds. 

"Experiencing such a diverse group of talented, friendly, kind hearted and inspiring people and being able to learn along side them in workshops is probably the one thing I’ll remember forever." - Drew Holloway

"The Australian Youth Dance Festival was a life changing experience for me as a dancer and as a person. I loved being around other people with the same mindset; to learn dance, to meet new people and enjoy themselves. I have made so many new friends and contacts with choreographers from all over the world, as well as extended my dance vocabulary and technique". - Taylah Anderson 

"I found the AYDF provided a supportive learning environment, where the teachers and mentors were friendly and fun. I loved the dynamic array of different contemporary dance styles. The AYDF gave me confidence to express my own creativity and share new ideas with a diversity of people. I made great friends and would happily do it again." - Leah Cato 

We are excited to announce the cast for Global Positioning who will perform during the 2019 Darwin Festival season. The cast includes performers new and old, people like Ruttiya who first performed in 2004 and others like Taylor (who is also the recipient of the Grey Panthers Youth Development Fund) as her first Tracks performance.

August 18 - 24
Smith Street Mall
Purchase Tickets Here

Cast & Performers

Star: Yvette Kennedy, Katherine Hession, Tara Schmidt, Vicki Nguyen, Darren Edwards, Maria Kypreos, Kate Dyer, Sheila Rose, Jordan Bretherton and Jenelle Saunders

Bike: Perrine Orlandini, Saranya Rajkumar, Shara Maidens, Jordan Tam, Noor Rahmawati, Bintang Daly, Ashifa Putri Noor, Madeleine Brown and Bryn Wackett

Pearl: Cassandra Wallace, Taylah Anderson, Maari Gray, Ruttiya McElroy, Sarah Lacy, Madeline Schipper, Venaska Cheliah and Jess Devereux

Tourists: Jenni Sanderson, Darryl Butler, Ellen Hankin, Marge Duminski, Nikki Charlesworth-Canning, Pat O'Neill, Val Hristova, Francisca Kleinebeck, Mary Hinchey, Graeme Collin, Boronia Halstead, Carol MacKay, Anne Gardner, Doug Capp, Margaret Vincent

For more information about the show, read more on our Global Positioning page.

In a new and exciting extension project of the bi-lingual, bi-cultural Milpirri performance, a small Tracks team travelled to Lajamanu to work on a music video with the students from Lajamanu School and local filmmaker Maxwell Japanangka Tasman. 

Jess Devereux, who first worked in Lajamanu in 2009, returned with current Milpirri youth choreographers Kelly Beneforti and Aaron Lim for the trip. They were joined by newbie Jordan Bretherton, who jumped straight into teaching and choreographing with the kids.

The concept for this project was to take one of the youth songs from the 2018 Milpirri performance and turn it into a music video, drawing on the narrative and thematic ideas that the song deals with. The song we chose is based on Warlpiri ceremonial values around Law and Justice that belong to the Red Group (Jakamarra, Nakamarra, Jupurrula, and Napurrula).

It tells the story of a young person in Lajamanu who steals a car and drives out of town with friends, only to break down in the bush. As night-time closes in, and the group of friends become increasingly spooked, the law pursues them until justice is done. The song resolves with balance and harmony being restored in the community.

You can find out more about the process of creating the songs for Milpirri here.

The music video is currently in the editing phase but will be revealed later this year!

Darwin’s favourite senior dance troupe the Grey Panthers, continue to give to the community in the most inspiring way.

The Grey Panthers have announced that their 2019 Grey Panthers Youth Development Fund initiative will contribute towards the cost of three young Territorians attending the Australian Youth Dance Festival in Melbourne from 7 - 12 July 2019.

The Grey Panthers Youth Development Fund (GPYDF) was established in 2017 by long term Grey Panther Daryl Butler who said ‘Tracks has given us so many opportunities to do things we wouldn’t otherwise do and we want to give back and give something to younger dancers, offer a helping hand.’

The group are offering three scholarships of $820 towards costs to attend the Australian Youth Dance Festival in Melbourne from 7 - 12 July 2019. It won’t cover all of the costs, however it will be a helping hand for aspiring young NT dancers.

Jenni Saunders, who has danced with the Grey Panthers (GP) for 7 years said “As a Grey Panther I’m excited to be able to offer this opportunity for young people to expand their horizons and advance their interests.”

About the 2019 Australian Youth Dance Festival

Ausdance Victoria, in partnership with Youth Dance Australia, presents the Australian Youth Dance Festival – International 2019 (AYDF) in Melbourne, Australia from 7 - 12 July 2019.

Directed by Alice Lee Holland, the 2019 Festival will bring together young dancers and their leaders from Australia and around the world for five incredible days of creativity.

Titled 'REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE (rpm)', the Festival will thrive on creation and collaboration. Dancers will dance, think, make and talk dance together, through daily sessions in contemporary dance, choreography, repertory and improvisation.

About the Application

The Grey Panthers are accepting video applications (filmed on a phone) and hope in this way it will make the application process accessible to many young people include those for whom English is a second language.

The scholarship will cover:

- $320 Festival registration fee*
*includes access to Opening and Closing events (light catering), full Young Dancers Program including all sessions, lunches, Festival t-shirt & complimentary ticket to International Showcase Dress Rehearsal. 

- $500 for expenses*
*there are no restrictions on how this money is spent, provided that it contributes towards attendance at the Festival (i.e. accomodation, transport, meals etc.)

Register your expression of interest

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The GPYDF/Tracks Dance Company will NOT provide adult accompaniment, supervision or guardianship of any kind, nor take any responsibility for successful applicants' travel and accommodation arrangements. Applicants will be attending the Festival as individuals and must be capable of independently navigating the Festival experience, and day to day life in Melbourne.

ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must be
- Between 16 and 25 years of age
- A permanent resident of the Northern Territory
- Prepared to make a presentation to the Grey Panthers upon return from the festival (can be online for applicants outside of Darwin)

Applications CLOSE: Wednesday 24 April
Applicants NOTIFIED: Friday 3 May

Would you like to be a community dancer in Tracks' new show Global Positioning?

You will learn new skills, create new friendships, get to dance alongside professional dancers and become a better performer by being a part of our major season for 2019 (August 18 - 24). We are looking for performers to make up a cast of up to 30 community dancers, with a passion for moving and some previous dance experience. 

Dancers will be part of a group dance as well as being in one of three other dance-works, each being stylistically and thematically different.

Past - a theatrical dance work drawing its inspiration from the history of the Star Village Arcade, home of Darwin first movie theatre.

Now - using local stories and utilising a range of contemporary dance and movement styles including anything from breakdance to bike riding.

Future - an atmospheric contemporary dance piece being inspired by finding your sense of place, whether submerged within the depths of the ocean or part of a universe of spinning spheres.

'Global Positioning'

Tracks Dance Company loops you into the past, grounds you in the present and elevates you into the future. In an attempt to understand our place, inform our spirit and find our position within the manmade centre of our city, Global Positioning both takes in the voice of the local and looks through the eyes of a visitor.

Conceived, developed and directed by Tracks Artistic Co-Directors, the annual major production will be an original site specific work reflecting a unique connection between people and place. By utilizing community and cultural relationships as the creative foundation, Global Positioning will be a platform for professional dancers, passionate amateurs and community dancers of diverse cultures, ages and artistic disciplines to create new associations and experiences of place together.

Auditions

Will be held in the 'new' Tracks Dance Studio at Harbour View Plaza, Ground Level, 8 McMinn St Darwin.

Wednesday May 22nd
6.00 - 8.00pm

Minimum age: 16

Sound like you? Then register here

For more info about 'Global Positioning' click here