New year of dance underway at NAISDA

Thirty-five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people came together on Darkinjung Land this week to begin their 2023 training journey at NAISDA Dance College, Australia’s national performing arts training organisation.

They were welcomed with a smoking ceremony by Uncle Gavi Duncan.

The new and returning students, known as Developing and Practising Artists, have travelled from cities, towns and remote regions across Australia, from Adelaide, Perth, Nyinyikay in North East Arnhem Land, Lightning Ridge in NSW to Thursday Island in the Torres Strait.

Raised on Darkinjung Land on the Central Coast, Peta-Louise Rixom has returned to NAISDA this year to complete her Advanced Diploma of Professional Dance Performance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

“I think the most important experiences from my NAISDA journey so far have been learning from professional artists during our industry placements and secondments,” she said.

“They are just such valuable learning experiences that introduce you to new ways of learning and thinking about your work as an artist.”

The NAISDA curriculum provides specialised nationally accredited qualifications with disciplines including cultural dance, contemporary, hip hop, ballet, choreography, physical theatre, music production and dancefilm.

This, combined with live performance and production experience in professional theatres along with industry placements with national arts companies, provides students with a solid platform to embark on a career in the arts.

In addition to the focus on developing technical skills and knowledge, NAISDA’s learning model includes a unique cultural residency program with students visiting remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

In 2023 Developing and Practising artists will visit Nyinyikay in the Northern Territory.

“Another highlight is definitely the annual cultural residenciesm” Rixom said.

“To be able to spend time on Country connecting with and learning from community like that is such a unique experience.

“Returning to Nyinyikay this year for cultural residency is really exciting; I can’t wait to reconnect with the families we met and the community that welcomed us there in 2021.” NAISDA CEO Kim Walker said the dance college has a proud 47-year tradition of producing Australia’s leading First Nations artists, choreographers and cultural leaders.

“The embedding of cultural and creative learning at NAISDA helps our students grow as people, artists, and the storytellers of tomorrow,” Walker said.

“NAISDA delivers a unique education which gives graduates the skills, qualifications and ability to follow their passion, realise dreams and I can’t wait to see where our current cohort take their

Source: Media release, Jan 30 NAISDA Dance College

For further information visit: https://www.lovecentralcoast.com/lovelanes

The Love Lanes Festival will return to Wyong for its sixth year on Saturday, February 11, encompassing four lanes, four stages and one park.

Central Coast Council Director of Community and Recreation Services Melanie Smith said the event would be an opportunity for the Central Coast community and visitors to visit the town centre of Wyong and explore all it has to offer.

“Festivities will kick off at 4pm and run until 9pm filling Wyong with live music, entertainment, food and market stalls, kids and teenage zones, circus performances, art