Working with First Nation Artists and Communities

Working with First Nation Artists and Communities

Introduction

First Nation people have been very much part of the Tracks story. From the company doing residenceces in communities to First nation artists doing residnces with the company. Within major productions Choerograpers have shared there stories with the world, dancers, young and old have have featured in these productions as well as taking part in development and partication programs. The intergeneration values of Tracks and our understanding that the dance is not sperate from any other art forms, the places we inhabit, and the life and community that we live in, are all values growning out of decades of working with first nation artists.

Photo: David Hancock (l-r) Kelly Beneforti and Darren Edwards

Community Residencies and Performances

From Little Things Big Things Grow. Photo: David McMicken.

1989
Brown’s Mart receives Community Cultural Development funding to take a team of artists into a three-month Lajamanu Community Residency. The team Janet Robertson, Sarah Calver and Tim Newth, created with Lajamanu youth a performance which toured into other Central Australian communities as well as to the north.

Tim Newth stayed on in Lajamanu for a Banner and Mural Project. He worked with community members to realise banners, and murals on water tanks and buildings.

1990
The second Lajamanu Community Residency. Tim Newth and Sarah Calver were joined by Robyn Laurie (ex-Circus Oz) to create a new performance with the community which again toured to many Aboriginal communities and performed in Alice Springs and Darwin.

1990
Workshops at Yipirinya School, a non-government community controlled Aboriginal school in Alice Springs and caters for Aboriginal Children from various tribal groups around the Central region.

1992
The performance From Little Things Big Things Grow was the result of a residency at Yipirinya school in Alice Springs. The performance involved the five different language groups and cultures of the school.

1993
Residency in Angurugu, Groote Eylandt, (in the Anindilyakwa community of Angurugu).

1995
A second project at Yipirinya School, Yipirinya, After the Rain was developed with the wider Warlpiri community in Alice Springs.  

1997
A second Angurugu Residency on Groote Eylandt.

1998
Nguiu, Tiwi Islands - The Kukanarri Show (a traditional word that describes celebrations when the whole community comes together) featured many stories from the community, including its key dreamings and creation stories, its history since colonisation and its current joys.

2000
The Tiwi Flame - An event conceived for the Olympic torch passing through the Aboriginal community of Nguiu.

2001
Placement (First Nation component of Stompin Youth Dance project in Tasmania). Members of the artistic team and youth in each country (as defined by traditional travelling paths) were taught the construction of traditional pyres with a Palawa Aboriginal elder. Each of the ceremonies involved the act of lighting fire as a symbolic action of invitation to come onto Aboriginal land, which is traditionally carried out by the visitor.

2005 - 2024
The first Milpirri performance was created in Lajamanu. This life-changing community dance event was the beginning of a revisioning of the way that both Western and Warlpiri values could work together. Based on the ideas held in the Ngapa Dreaming this celebratory community development project united a community and continued as a biannual over the next two decades.

All Lajamanu / Milpirri projects

First Nation Artists in Tracks Works

The process of creating a Tracks Major Work is a collaborative one, it involves a large team of choreographers, dancers, and other artists. The following lists of projects and artists (which doesn’t include everything) highlights first nation artists who have worked hand-in-hand as part of these artistic teams.

Photo: Therese Ritchie. (l-r) Stanley Stanislaus, David McMicken, Rukshana Ramachandran

1992
Lajamanu Kurra Karna Yani - Lajamanu Youth and Yawulyu Ceremonial Dancers and male elders.

Flying of the Edge - Randall Choreographer

1994
Sacred Space - Lajamanu Yawulyu women perform Warlu Jukurrpa (bushfire dreaming). 

1996
Opportunity of Distance - Victoria and NSW tour - Lajamanu Yawulyu women

1997
4WD Sweat Dust and Romance - Michael Leslie (choreographer) and Stanley Stanislaus (dancer)

Bodies of Light - Gary Lang (dancer and choreographer, The Kiss - Duet with David)

Festival of Dreaming, Sydney - Lajamanu Yawulyu women

1998
The Land, the Cross and the Lotus - Michael Leslie (choreographer). Stanley Stanislaus, Marian Patterson, Steven Oliver, Yasmion Crawshaw, Matthew Patterson (dancers)

Invisible Heroes - Stanley Stanislaus (dancer)

2000
Outside the Camp - Stanley Stanislaus and Ally Mills (performers /dancer)

2001
Rivers of the Underground - Torres Strait Island Dancers

2002
Rivers of the Underground (return season) - Torres Strait Island Dancers
?A new version of Fierce – The Meeting of Olive Pink was devised focussing on the Warlpiri versions of the story and toured to Alice Springs.

2003
Janganpa - Janganpa Warlpiri Dancers, Alice Springs

2004
Rust - Gary Lang (dancer / choreographer)

2005
Angels of Gravity - Lajamanu Yawulyu Ceremonial Dancers

Arafura Games Opening Ceremony - Ali Arjibuk Mills (dancer)

2006
Australian Youth Dance Festival (Horsham, Victoria) - Caleb Japanangka Patrick and Gerard Japanangka Scobie (Youth Dance Leaders)

Mr Big - Caleb Japanangka Patrick and Gerard Japanangka Scobie (dancers)

2008
Lipstick and Ochre - Lajamanu Yawulyu Ceremonial Dancers and Caleb Japanangka Patrick and Gerard Japanangka Scobie (dancers)

Struck - Caleb Japanangka Patrick (dancer)

2009

Endurance - Caleb Japanangka Patrick (dancer)

2010
The Cook, The Queen and The Kelly - Myra Nungarrayi Herbert, Caleb Japanangka Patrick and Gerard Japanangka Scobie (dancers). Their section was based on tall tales we had heard from men in Lajamanu saying the Queen had stolen their sacred Kurdiji symbols to create the Australian coat of arms. This show was shortlisted for the  2010 Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Youth or Community Dance.

Australian Dance Awards, (Melbourne State Theatre) - Ananais Japaljarri Tasman (Yogi), Corey Jungarrayi Raymond, Richard Japaljarri Payton, Saverio Jungarrayi Jurrah (Sibby), Caleb Japanangka Patrick (Dance Leader), Michaelis Jangala Sampson and Howard Jangala Sampson (Lajamanu youth dancers)

Allure of Paradise - Gary Lang (choreographer), Darren Edwards and Tara Robertson (dancers)

2011
Crocodile Man Pineapple Women - Darren Edwards (dancer)

2012
Eight Eighty (the architecture of age) - Gary Lang (choreographer and dancer), Darren Edwards and Ellen Hankin (dancers)

2013
Zombies in the Banyan Tree - Caleb Japanangka Patrick (dancer)

Future Age - Gary Lang (choreographer and dancer), Darren Edwards and Ellen Hankin (dancers)

2014
You Dance Funny (the sequal) - Damien Murray (performer)

2015
Last Light - Darren Edwards (choreographer)

2016
Landed - Gary Lang (choreographer), Darren Edwards (lead dancer)

2019
Global Positioning - Darren Edwards, Maria Kypreos and Sheila Rose (dancers)

2023
Cloud Split (development) - Mikaela Lee (dancer)

Generating Divergence - Rachael Wallis (key artist)

Wuyal (sugarbag man) - Rachael Wallis, Banula Marika and Janet Munyarryun (dancers)

New Light - Gary Lang, Rachael Wallis and Banula Marika (choreographers and dancers) 

Tracks Dance Company Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

Tracks Inc is proudly sponsored by the Northern Territory Government.

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