2018 Make a Dance in a Week

Tracks Dance Studio, Frog Hollow Centre for the Arts, Darwin City

16 - 20 April, 2018

Make a Dance in a Week (MADIAW) is Tracks’ once-yearly school holiday program that engages school students in intensive movement workshops and closely involves participants in a fun and challenging choreographic process.

The 2018 program was facilitated by Tracks Dance Tracktivators and Alumni Jordan Bretherton and Madeleine Brown to create a supportive environment that encouraged creativity, problem solving, teamwork, initiative and physical expression.

The program was open to primary, middle and secondary school students for daily workshops, followed by a performance of the dance pieces created during the week-long program at Live Darwin Hub (Smith Street Mall) in the afternoon of the final day, Friday April 20.

Artist statement from Facilitators

Madeleine Brown & Jordan Bretherton started collaborating on this project by drawing on previous events that had occurred in Darwin, such as the recent Cyclone Marcus. This became a starting point for the theme of the project - Natural Elements.

The younger group focused on the four main elements of earth, fire, water and wind.  They brainstormed ideas of what they envisioned each element was, and formed their individual movment through problem solving and imaginative tasks. The material they created was then put together and used in innovative ways to develop the work.

The older group concentrated on the natural disasters that happen in the world, such as cyclones, tidal waves, bush fires, and earthquakes. These phenomena were used as the stimulus to create their movement. Despite intitially thinking that it might be a challenge, Maddy and Jordan found that having only two students in the older group was a better process for them as it was a more fruitful experience.

The Make a Dance in a Week program concluded with both groups collaborating and combining their choreography to produce the finished piece that was performed at the Live Darwin Hub.

Creative Team

Facilitators: Madeleine Brown and Jordan Bretherton

Participants

Alice Bowden, Charlie Bowden, Stella Campbell, Bes Mizrahi Davies, Eva Ferdinands, Mia Hawkes, Sophie Hawkes, Kira Lesh, Anais Henry-Martin, Brooke McQuinn, Xander Naselow and Debra Zhang

Company Partners

Tracks Inc is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body; and is proudly sponsored by the Northern Territory Government.

Project Partner

NTGV Office of Youth Affairs and NTGV Live Darwin.

Tracks 2018

Artistic Co-Directors: David McMicken and Tim Newth
Company Director: Adelaide Wood
Administrator: Jessica Mellor
Production Manager: Duane Preston
Dance Animateur: Kelly Beneforti
Bookkeeper: It Figures

Committee Members: Mary Durack (Chairperson), Glenn Bernardin (Treasurer), Michael Grant, David Taylor, Ken Conway, Venaska Cheliah, Sudha Coutinho, Mandela Yu. David McMicken, Tim Newth, Adelaide Wood (Ex-Officio Members)

Public Fund Trustees: Rev. Steve Orme, Dr Anita Toth, Ippei Okazaki

Patron: Her Honour the Honourable Vicki O’Halloran AM, Administrator of the Northern Territory