The Sydney Dance Company (SDC) mentored a Creative Youth Dance Intensive in Lismore at Southern Cross University 9 - 14 January 2023.

In partnership with NORPA as part of their Summer Workshop Series, the intensive program invited local Lismore dancers aged 14-18 with some experience in dance to work with SDC dance instructors. Young dancers had the opportunity to explore their own creativity through contemporary dance techniques, creative tasks and development. Participants were introduced to the choreographic processes and repertoire of the Sydney Dance Company.

Yesterday (Friday 20 January) the young dancers performed at SCU for family, friends and the broader community. 

Minister for the Arts, Ben Franklin spoke at the performance. He said that “it’s really wonderful to see such an incredible collaboration and collaborative work in Regional NSW. We are so blessed to have Sydney Dance Company working with NORPA. What a galvanising opportunity for these young creative people in Lismore”.

“It is important to find your tribe – I grew up in Barham, on the Murray River and I think I was was 13 or 14 years old when I found my tribe - in the Arts. For the first time in my life I felt a strong connection to like-minded people.” Ben Franklin

Sydney Dance Company Learning Manager Justine Turner was almost in tears after a week of working with the young dancers “I feel so honoured for all of us to come together, these are talented and amazing young women. The inspiration behind this week of workshops was connecting us with young artists in the Northern Rivers – a journey of healing, creating and moving together again”.

(Sydney Dance Company's Justine Turner with students)

The dancers worked with Justine, Lexi and Brad from SDC on a series of creative tasks. They begin with words on post it notes, thinking about the last 12 months in Lismore.

Unity

Inspiration

Hope…

“It was a healing process an impermanence... This process is called Open Score collaboration. The words at first are literal and just words and we shape them into abstract interpretations of those words as cues, sequences and dance phrases. We can then add glitches to show choreographic syncopation. These creative tasks built a dance phrase. Change the texture and reverse it. Complicate them, then make more complex movements more sophistication.” Ben & Lexi

Dancer Tilly Smith whose birthday it was today goes to Nimbin Central School “I wanted to improve my skills in dancing and improvisation and just get some exercise in the holidays. I’ve been dancing and doing gymnastics for seven years. It was a really great experience. I really love working with the SDC team. The teachers were very experienced, and I learned a lot of new skills…it was really fun connecting with all the other dancers and learning new repertoire.”

Jasmine Shearer Dunmore is 14 and goes to Rainbow Ridge Steiner School and Karen Island Dance. “I thought it would be a really good opportunity and great experience to further my knowledge of dance and contemporary dance. It turned out so much better than I anticipated. It was just really amazing. It’s been absolutely incredible learning with the different artists and all the dancers within the area. Just connecting and dancing with other people it’s been incredible – I hope SDC Justine, Lexi and Ben return a do a workshop next year!”