NAISDA Dance College presented its end-of-year performance on Friday December 8. Called yana galuring, which means "come this way" in the Darkinjung language of the NSW central coast area (where the College is based), it was a "restorative coming together" to "unsilence stories through the powerful language of dance". Thirteen short pieces were choreographed and performed by all three levels of students.
Produced by NAISDA’s Creative Producer, Jasmine Gulash, and curated by Unit Manager Performance and Production, Angie Diaz, yana galuring marked the culmination of the year. The intimate performance was by invitation only and included a drop-in afternoon of conversation, film screenings and BBQ.
The drop-in period was part of an activation of an artwork Embassy, by Aboriginal collective proppaNOW, brought to NAISDA by Gosford Regional Gallery and featured as part of its OCCURENT AFFAIR exhibition, currently on display until February 11, 2024, at the gallery.
Richard Bell’s artwork Embassy has been inspired by the first Aboriginal Tent Embassy pitched on the grounds of Canberra’s Parliament House in 1972. This artwork continues this legacy as a place of solidarity and resistance.
NAISDA was particularly delighted to welcome NAISDA Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus, Carole Y Johnson, to share her story and reflection on the Tent Embassy protest as part of the afternoon program. NAISDA’s roots trace back to a dance performance by Carole Y Johnson in 1972 on the lawns of Parliament House, in protest of the Government’s plan to destroy the Aboriginal Tent Embassy.
Kim Walker is NAISDA's artistic director. “This is a unique opportunity for community to hear Carole’s story, reflect on NAISDA’s role in that pivotal moment in history, and acknowledge our enduring voice of protest on Country that has never been ceded,” he said.