Put on your dance pants and get ready to bust a move with the return of the North’s biggest annual dance party, Dance Tropics Dance.
The open-air dance festival presented by Dancenorth and 1RAR Rock Band returns to the North Australian Festival of Arts this year with a bigger line-up than ever.
Uniting the Community through Dance
As in past years, Dance Tropics Dance combines incredible live music, Dancenorth’s globally renowned ensemble, showcases from the Dancenorth community open classes and community members for an evening of rehearsed dance performance, a guided dance party and some freestyle moves.
Dancenorth Community Experience Manager Alice Lee Holland said the event is about engaging the local community through the universal language of dance in an accessible, fun, and family friendly way.
“As well as Dancenorth’s professional ensemble, performances at Dance Tropics Dance showcase Dancenorth’s wide range of community open classes. Groups include people of all ages and ability levels, showcasing that dance is truly accessible to any and all bodies,” said Alice.
“In 2022, the program features performers from our Vital Dance program – who are people affected by Parkinson’s Disease – as well as performers from our regular classes at local disability service organisation Kith and Kin.”
Exploring New Movement and Ideas
This year’s program also includes a new Dancenorth-supported performance program called Wild at Heart.
“We are thrilled to have supported the creation and presentation of five short performances that are anchored in dance, but explore new, unexpected ideas, and fresh perspectives,” Alice said.
The Wild at Heart program features
- Belle Noire, an aerial duo with an unexpectedly fiery edge
- Flashback Dance, which celebrates caregivers, their babies and small children and integrates them into the performance
- Big Eye Theatre, who are a not-for-profit community organisation supporting and promoting Indigenous Theatre
- LIFT Dance who are a community dance group exploring the nature of healthy relationships; and
- Global Chaos, an improvisational experiment performed by both dancers and musicians.
One Big Dance Party
The first Dance Tropics Dance took place in 2017 and has evolved to incorporate the element of participation that brings the local community and the world-class Dancenorth ensemble together, to dance in the most joyful, liberating way.
“After the performances it’s time to bust a move with new friends and lose yourself to dance, as Dancenorth leads you in some fun, easy, feel-good movement,” said Alice.
“Don’t fret if you think you’ve got two left feet – there are no wrong moves. It’s about experiencing the freedom and joy of movement, rather than getting steps right.”
“The 1RAR Band has pulled together an epic set list of heart pumping party starters like Love is in the Air, Total Eclipse of the Heart, Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Heart of Glass.”
Dance Tropics Dance is a free event at the North Australian Festival of Arts on 9 July 2022.
