A 10-week project leading to a performance season that highlights the diversity of community dance in Darwin. This work was a development on past community dance events, and groups were encouraged to share their styles of dance with other interested groups.

Workshops were offered in modern dance, folk, acrobatics, and choreographic skills. The season involved other local groups. With artists working in design and music as well as dance, the project sought to integrate the various art forms. The various groups were linked through the use of a narrative “The Legend of the Mirrors”, based on a Chinese legend.

PHOTO: unknown

The scenario extended the Mirror World to encompass the spiritual essence of natural environments, suggesting that intrinsic values of life may be hidden behind a silvered surface. As surfaces throwing back images of ourselves, mirrors have teased human perception probably before thought had words. Thru Moves reflects the ambiguities of the ancient legend, entwining old and new dance forms capturing our cultural diversity.

Following the success of previous community dance events: Dance on Darwin (88) and Dancing Tapestries (89), Thru Moves is the 1990 Community Dance Project facilitated by Sarah Calver, Dancer in residence, Brown’s Mart.

Through the integration of choreographic elements, visual design and music, Thru Moves brings together an array of dance forms from around Darwin. It aims to extend dance to the local community, encouraging people from all walks of life to develop and explore their own movement through contemporary dance techniques.

Putting together the performance of Thru Moves has been a complicated but enjoyable process and I wish to thank all those dancers for their energy and time. It has been a delightful learning experience for everyone involved and we hope that your kinesthetic sense ‘tingles’ as we share dance with you.

Debra Batton

Facilitator

Sarah Calver

Director

Debra Batton

Artists and Choreographers

Debra Batton, Maggi Phillips, Aku Kadogo

Musicians

Ken Hutton, Olivier Sidore, Sue Thompson, Robert Hoad

Design

Deborah Humphries, David McCrudden

Darwin Dance Mob

Adults group
Lesley Agar, Kim Cartwright, John Etly, Berenice Franklin, Angela Galgoci, Wendy Hanson, Fanci Hitanaya, Jonathan Kenna, Frank Kraus, Tania Madigan, Gaylene Martin, Tamsin McGrin, Melissa Monaghan, Rachel O’Shea, Conrad Page, Maurice Pitt, Rebecca Pitt, Ingrid Ulpen

Over Fifties
Jo Davis, Audrey Gorring, Glad Morris, Marie Porter, Lila Prochazka, Joy Soullier, Margaret Wight

Lighting Design

David McCrudden

Stage Manager

Liz Abbot

Stage Assistants

Angela Galgoci, Abe Shields, Sarah Calver, Matthew James

Sound Manager

Chris Osborne

Lighting Operator

Tomek Sliwinski

Foyer Design

Barbara Pittman

Administration

Helen Haritos