Attention dance teachers and studio owners!
Have you signed up for Big Dance yet?
Big Dance is the largest free dance celebration in the world and it’s hitting Australia on International Dance Day, 29 April 2018! Encouraging people to be active through dance, Big Dance is a free large-scale participatory celebration. Big Dance is open to dancers and non-dancers everyone of all ages, all abilities and all experiences.
You can learn the Big Dance and join thousands of people dancing together in some of the most iconic places in the world, from Cathedral Square in Sydney to Federation Square in Melbourne and other venues across New South Wales and Victoria. Ausdance would like to invite all dance groups to learn the 2018 Big Dance, choreographed by acclaimed Indigenous choreographer Frances Rings and New Zealand born Craig Bary, with an original score by Huey Benjamin.
As a special bonus, be one of the first five groups to register 20 people for the Big Dance in your local area and you can win a free Ausdance annual membership worth $110 (new members for NSW and Victoria only)!
Frances Rings explains that all Australians have a shared connection to this land and the message can be felt in the choreography, “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.”
Ausdance is hosting free workshops especially for dance leaders, giving teachers the opportunity to learn all three choreographic groups and tips on sharing the dance with their students. In addition, Ausdance Victoria and New South Wales are offering free throughout March and April that are open to everyone, not just dancers! Find out more about workshops in NSW here and Victoria here.
Big Dance Australia Director Michelle Silby shares, “Ausdance wants to bring dance schools and community groups together to dance in the Big Dance for 2018! In 2014, thousands of dancers and general public came together to perform the 2014 Big Dance choreographed by Rafael Bonachela at the Sydney Opera House; it was such a success. It will be exciting to see this new work by Frances and Craig performed across four events in New South Wales and Victoria for International Dance Day.”
As people dance across the world on International Dance Day, the key Big Dance 2018 events will be hosted in Cathedral Square in Sydney, Federation Square in Melbourne, Victory Park, Castlemaine as part of the Regional Centre for Culture program and Melba Park, Lilydale, as well as other locations throughout Australia. If you are not in one of these locations talk to Big Dance Australia and you can host your own Big Dance!
For more information head to www.bigdance.org.au
Big Dance 2018 is supported by NAISDA, VicHealth; the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body; City of Sydney; Yarra Ranges Council; AllPlay and the Regional Centre for Culture program, a Victorian Government initiative in partnership with the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation and Mount Alexander Shire.
Ausdance Victoria is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.
Ausdance New South Wales is supported by the New South Wales Government through Create NSW.