Created by acclaimed Indigenous choreographer Frances Rings and New Zealand born Craig Bary, and with an original score by Huey Benjamin, the Big Dance 2018 choreography is a five-minute contemporary Indigenous routine that anyone can learn.
Rings explains that all Australians have a shared connection to this land, “We are lucky to live in an incredible country that still emits ancient energy and incredible living culture. This year’s Big Dance choreography represents our bloodlines, our culture and everyone coming together as we acknowledge the red earth as our spiritual centre. Big Dance will connect everyone through movement and bring people together to share their stories and experiences with pride and from any dance form.”
Big Dance is the largest dance celebration in the world and it’s hitting Australia on International Dance Day (April 29th) where thousands of people will dance together in some of the most iconic places in the world. Encouraging people to be active through dance, Big Dance is a free large-scale participatory celebration open to everyone of all ages, all abilities and all experiences. In the months leading up to Big Dance, Ausdance will motivate aspiring dancers and community groups to learn the Big Dance 2018 routine in a series of fun free dance workshops.
The Big Dance 2018 routine includes versions to suit a variety of capabilities and circumstances, including standing, seated and suggestions on adapting the choreography for different abilities.
The three colours (sequences) symbolise the Indigenous people; Non-Indigenous people; and Spiritual heart of Australia (bloodline and linage) – the connection between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Participants will be allocated a colour (sequence) at workshops or can choose which sequence to learn from the online tutorial.
NSW – Ultimo
Sun Apr 8th Ultimo (Ready MadeWorks Inc)
NSW – Surry Hills
Sun Mar 25th Surry Hills (Dance Central Sydney)
Sun Apr 1th Surry Hills (Dance Central Sydney)
Sun Apr 22nd Surry Hills (Dance Central Sydney)
NSW – Bankstown
Wed Mar 21st Bankstown (Bankstown Arts Centre)
Fri Mar 23rd Bankstown (Bankstown Arts Centre) Seated Dance for Parkinson’s Class
NSW – Darlinghurst
Thu Mar 22nd Darlinghurst (The Royal Academy of Dance)
NSW – Parramatta
Sat Mar 24th Parramatta (Parramatta Riverside) with FORM Dance Projects
Sat Mar 31st Parramatta (Parramatta Riverside) with FORM Dance Projects
Sat Apr 7th Parramatta (Parramatta Riverside) with FORM Dance Projects
NSW – Sydney
Mon Apr 9th Sydney (Sydney Dance Company)
Mon Apr 16th Sydney (Sydney Dance Company)
Mon Apr 23rd Sydney (Sydney Dance Company)
NSW – Chippendale
Sat Apr 14th Chippendale (Seymour Centre) with Shaun Parker and Company Sat 21 Apr Chippendale (Seymour Centre) with Shaun Parker and Company
Big Dance New South Wales teachers include Sasha Lian, Shar Mitchell, Beatriz Occhiuzzi, Lexy Panetta, Feras Shaheen, Josh Thomson, Sarah-Vyne Vassallo (dance coordinator) and Kassidy Waters.
Additional workshop locations will be announced and updated at bigdance.org.au
Frances Rings – Big Dance 2018 choreographer
Frances Rings was born in Adelaide, and a descendant of the Kokatha people and is also of German descent. Frances joined Bangarra Dance Theatre in 1993 after graduating from NAISDA Dance College. Frances has choreographed 7 works for Bangarra Dance Theatre and works nationally and internationally as a freelance choreographer. Currently Frances is Head of Creative Studies at NAISDA Dance College.
Craig Bary – Big Dance 2018 choreographer
Craig Bary is an active member of the dance community in Australia and New Zealand. He has been a founding member of key organisations such as The New Zealand Dance Company and Garry Stewart’s Australian Dance Theatre. Craig has worked with many different companies and choreographers and choreographed works on Sydney Dance Company, Footnote New Zealand Dance, and the iOU collective. Craig regularly works with The New Zealand School of Dance and is currently the Unit Manager for Contemporary Dance and Physical Theatre at NAISDA Dance College on the Central Coast of New South Wales.
Huey Benjamin – Big Dance 2018 composer
Huey Benjamin has worked as a musician with many top Australian recording artists, including Yothu Yindi, Dragon, Peter Blakely, Wendy Matthews, Jenny Morris, Ian Moss, Slim Dusty, Anne Kirkpatrick, Deborah Conway and Dave Dobbyn. Huey has composed the original music scores for choreographers Narelle Benjamin and Garry Stewart. He has also worked with The Australian Ballet, The Royal Birmingham Ballet Company, Royal Ballet Flanders, Ballet Du Rhin France and Australian Dance Theatre Currently, Huey is the music and film production lecturer at NAISDA.
Huey Benjamin has worked as a musician with many top Australian recording artists, including Yothu Yindi, Dragon, Peter Blakely, Wendy Matthews, Jenny Morris, Ian Moss, Slim Dusty, Anne Kirkpatrick, Deborah Conway and Dave Dobbyn. Huey has composed the original music scores for choreographers Narelle Benjamin and Garry Stewart. He has also worked with The Australian Ballet, The Royal Birmingham Ballet Company, Royal Ballet Flanders, Ballet Du Rhin France and Australian Dance Theatre Currently, Huey is the music and film production lecturer at NAISDA.
National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA)
The NAISDA developing artists sharing the Big Dance routine with the Big Dance teachers include: Amy Flannery, Jye Uren and Mendia Kermond.
As people dance across the world on International Dance Day and with performances by local dance companies, the key Big Dance 2018 events will be hosted in Sydney as well as other locations throughout Australia.
Founded in 2006 and led by the Mayor of London in partnership with People Dancing and a network of leading dance organisations, the Big Dance legacy has now been passed to Australia – in 2016 over 42,000 dancers from 44 countries across the globe participated in Big Dance (previous choreographers include Akram Khan and Wayne McGregor CBE).
You May Also Like
