Dance Body Design

Darwin / Lajamanu

In development throughout 2020/21/22

In a similar vein to the Milpirri Banner Home Page project, Tracks Dance Company wishes to gather knowledge around the Milpirri dances as performed in Lajamanu since 2005, and then make this accessible.

Tracks has also worked with Lajamanu artists outside the community, including in Darwin, Victoria, and New South Wales. There is potential to extend this work to include those activities.

There are Five Milpirri performances in the cycle.

• Jardiwanpa (2005/14)
• Kurdiji (2007/16)
• Jurntu (2009/18)
• Yinapaka (2011)
• Pulya Rani (2012)

The biennial performance sees dancers performed by the Lajamanu community, and unlike ceremony, we bring the youth and the adults onto the same stage. The adults perform open “soft” versions of their Warlpiri dances, connected to particular ceremonial concepts. We are also given thematic material from Steve Wanta Jampijinpa Patrick that is sourced as the values inherent in each year’s performance. (Example: following the right path, celebrating, working together, looking after country.) These themes are reinterpreted through contemporary and hip hop dance routines created on and performed by the school-age youth. The performance is intergenerational and intercultural spanning Warlpiri and Non-Warlpiri knowledge and methodologies

This project we will look back at and clarify the resources we have gathered since 2005.

These include:

• Video footage
• Dance or Action Name
• Voiceover: who and what said
• Owner, Manager, Creatives
• Singers
• Lyrics: (both Warlpiri and English)
• Performers
• Description of Dance or Action
• Costume
• Body Design
• Properties/objects/artefacts

Creative Team

This project will be led by the Artistic Co-Directors Tim Newth and David McMicken
Milpirri Creative Director: Wanta Steve Jampijinpa Patrick
Web Development: John Saward
Youth Dance Co-Ordinator: Kelly Beneforti
Design Assistance: Jessica Mellor

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 Partners

Newmont Goldcorp

Supporting Partners

Central Desert Shire, Warlpiri Education and Training Trust, Warnayaka Arts Centre, Mount Theo Youth Program (WYDAC), Lajamanu School, ALPA Stores and Central Lands Council (Ranger Program)

Tracks 2020

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

Committee Members: Venaska Cheliah (Chairperson), Andrea Wicking (Vice-Chairperson), Glenn Bernardin (Treasurer), David Taylor, Michael Grant, Ken Conway, Max Dewa Stretton, Rachael Wallis. David McMicken, Tim Newth, Adelaide Wood (Ex-Officio Members)

Public Fund Trustees: Maari Gray, Will Crawford and Lachlan Peattie

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