TRACKS : Works : 2005 : Arafura Games Opening Ceremony

Photos of Tracks performances

2005: ARAFURA GAMES OPENING CEREMONY (MAIN ACT) – Marrara Sports Stadium, Darwin

Work : Director's Notes : Media Response : Creative Personnel : Audience Response
Performers : Scenario

Work

Dancers at opening ceremony
PHOTO: Michael Austin

	View the promo CLICK HERE (Quicktime Movie 3.5MB)
	A 35-minute dance work performed on a sporting oval leading into 5 minutes of fireworks. Utilize local dancers in a performance that relied on human energy rather than large props and puppets. The concept was evolved from the 2003 Tracks concept for the Opening that was not realized due to cancellation of the Games that year because of the SARS virus.

Director's Notes

As you drive into Darwin you are greeted by the sign ‘Welcome to Darwin – Home of the Arafura Games”. Tracks was commissioned by the Northern Territory Government to direct the main act of the 2005 Opening Ceremony. In creating this human spectacular we engaged over 400 Darwin dancers encompassing youth, professional, seniors, multicultural and Indigenous. International guest artists from Sri Lanka’s Sama Ballet (Snakes Gods and Deities) and Rajini Dance Academy (due to a grant received by the Sri Lanka Australia Friendship Association) and Markum Galut (4WD Sweat Dust and Romance), from Papua New Guinea, also joined the cast. It was watched by a live audience of 12,000 and a television audience throughout Australia and South East Asia.

Media Response

"An opening night to remember…
High energy dance…
The build up to the grand finale was breathtaking…"
Patrina Malone and Clive Hyde, NT News

Audience Response

•	A fantastic performance…
•	It really highlighted our lifestyle and rich diversity…
•	A thoroughly enjoyable evening…

Creative Personnel

	Concept / Direction	Tim Newth
	Assistant Director	David McMicken
	Choreographer	Julia Quinn
	Assistant Choreographer (Cultural)	Julia Gray
	Youth Dance Leaders	Jessica Rosewarne, Maxi Gonzales Finestone, Marko Taopo, Erwin Fenis
	Sound Track	David Pratt, Matt Cunliffe and Airi Ingram
	Costumes Designer	Andrea Lee

Performers

	Soloists
	Allyson Arjibuk Mills (Larrakia Spirit)	Markum Galut (Wallaby)
	Grey Panthers
	Anne Newman Audrey Gorring Bette Chapman Betty Ballinger Bev Paget Crena Hemmings Diane Dibbins Elaine Marlow Gwen Varney Helen Murphy Idalia De Sousa Jan Hastings Janine Sutter Jacquie Williams Judith Allen Kathleen Harding	Kay Brown Liz Gammon Lucy Aylett Margaret Glowacki Margaret Lee Marge Duminski Maria Vlastuin Marj Baxter Mavis Waddell Norma Young Punny Vegter Sheila Hensby Shirley Somers Val Clark Val Hristova
	Tracks Female Youth Dancers
	Aimee Pitman Alana Colton Alana Fawcett Anokai LancasterBec Noble Bianca Scrymgour Catherine Murray Clair Simpson Clare Cundell Corina Nichols Danarose Dizon Elle Richards Emma Hoffman Flori Latif Hal Brophy Hannah Reed Holly Wilson Holly Au Jacintha Anderson Jamaica Bardsley Jana Tumuls Jensine Rickert Jess Sadler-Keary Jessica Gollow Jessica McMaster Jessica Rosewarne Jessica Spry Jessie Truscott Josephine Tchia Karajayne Handberg Karly Fisher Katrina Firth Kira Parker Laurinda Morrison Lisa Bainbridge Loni Garnons-Williams Lorraine Meehan	Luci Pisanu Lucy Buckley Lyka Zarate Maryanne Roufeil Maxi Gonzales Finestone Megan Waters Melanie Silva Melissa Bateman Monica Jacobs Natalie Aitken Natalee Evans Natalie Stephenson Natasha Shepley Noni Harold Rebekah Jarvis Rosie O'Reilly Sachini Gamage Sailoung Mannion Sarah Cooper Sarah Sarmiento Sarah Wilson Saskrita Shrestha Shaan Myall Shannyce Alderton Shayna Gavin Sophie Kerr Stephanie Quinn Tatjana Daly Tegan Barrett-McGuin Tessa Calver-James Trudi Goodworth Tuesday Turner Vera Tabuzo Victoria Close Zoe Crawford
	Karate – Austin Martial Arts Soo Bahk Do display team
	Alex Austin Angela Agostini Angelique Buc Annie Spillett Bernard Kelly Bill Ulstrup Candy Scroop Curtis Brownjohn Daniel Robertson Dika Wood Fletcher Ellis Heather Moorcroft Ingrid Herbert Jan Austin Jasmine Treublay Jemma Cotter Jessica Sariago Joe Parry Kristin Sodoli Kylie McMartin	Lachlan Ellis Laing Clark Laura Tolomei Louise Austin Mark Ross Mary Hertog Matthew Thrupp Michael Austin Olivia Agostini Pasco Lawler Paul Andrade Peter Baynes Peter Tibbets Pierre Ray Du Boisseau PJ Goodrem Raphael Lawler Sharyn Morcom Stephen McGrath Thor Ulstrup
	*Sri Lankan Group*
	Ajith Amarasiri Anika Perera Anil Abeyesinghe Apsara Haris Chandana Herath Chandrika Munasinghe Damayanthi Selvanayagam Hemachandra Matotage Indika Gamage	Jayanthasiri Attanayaka Krishan Prathapan Manjula Wickyamarachchi Prasanna Rupathilaka Rukshan Pushpakumara Sandyani Gunatunge Sashani Liyaanarachchi Shehana Munasinghe Suranga Bothejue
	Chung Wah Society Lion & Dragon Troupe
	Alan Warchot Andrew Chin Andrew Chin Jr David Chin Edward Tsang Gavin Chin Leonal Tchia Nathan Tam Nick Brown	Ricky Chow Rohan Chin Same Lew Sean Pearson Timothy Ho Tom Bailey Victor Jong Warren Wong Zac Chan
	Pacific Island Dance Groups: Kiribati South Sea Island Dancers, Tifa Of The South Seas, Sunameke Pacific Island Performers, The Maori Boys
	Ana Ragata Cynthia Muller Demelza Canuto Di Fuamoli Emma Muller Emma Sullivan Eralia Willoughby Heta Crombie Hudson Higlett Julia Gray Khan Croft Kira Sullivan Luana Muggerridge Mali Gray Maria Jones Marie L Aiba Mark Sames Markhum Galut	Mary Aram Mele Tupou Moale Sames Monique Moffat Paia Ingram Pamela Cameron Puru Westrupp Ranu Sames Rosanne Muller Rosa Norman Rose Sweetapple Rosia Miller Sanya Maclean Sariah Muggeridge Sose Fuamoli Tamika Groom Yola Gray Yomei Jones
	Rince Na Eireann – Irish Dance Group
	Alex Gotze Alissa Caldwell Amy McKay Andrew Lague Bridgeen Marron Brittany Austin Claire Marron Eliousa Edwards Elisha Narta Ellen Carter Emilly Lines Emma Williams Gabriella Austin Iona Watson Jessica Flight Josephine Blake Kaitlyn Champion	Kaycee Mepham Lee Treacy Lisa Bound Mara Dobrini Maree McLinden Meghan Lague Nikole Lines Owen Spencer Rachael Bateman Shauna McGuire-Olstad Shawnee Mepham Siobhan Evans Siobhan McGuire-Olstad Stella Hubel Tavis Waldegrave Teagan Mahon
	Filipino Community Group
	Adam Bretton Angie Cope Annalee Boholst Annalyn Mcleod Belinda Thiel Tanita Thiel Betchay Mondragon Chelsea Quong Esperanza Quindara Flora Brown Jess Del Rosario Josef Fehringer Josef Un-kukla	Judith Ventic Ken Hutton Ligaya Mcleod Lisa Mcleod Marichu King Myrna Rogers Nannette Thiel Paul-Miguel Hutton Rebecca Parish Rose Cusbert Sean Hutton Vilmu Stinton Vivian Rajala
	Mediterranean Greek Cultural Group
	Anastsis Hatzialou Charlie Hourdas Christina Darkodarkis Christoralan Patmios Eleni Hatzialou Emanual Siriotis Gala Pastikos Hehal Siriotis Jamie Trikilis Janine Dawborn John Siriotis Maria Hourdas	Michael Siriotis Melissa Siriotis Panda Taktikos Pauline Melas Roslyn Siriotis Sevasti Hourdas Strato Melas Theo Taktikos Theofanis Kokkinomaqoulos Thomas Siriotis Tracy Siriotis
	Stars – Anula Primary School
	Adam Yon Arrin Hazelbane Azhar Meeragani Barnaetar Nyondy Ben Quinn Bill Fanning Brandon Mardius Brendan Sheddon Callum Parker Camila Gonzalez-Quintero Christina Sang Christopher Paige Clair Kiely Clint Wood Daniel Enniss Darcy Tupper-Creed Darren Cubillo Delena Washington Eilish Simpson Elizabeth Andrades Elleanor Hubel Emily Tchea Emma Kendall Erin Kendall Ferdi Flordeliza Fletcher Luders Francis Flordeliza Gelena Mitsakis Gusgede Ida Bagus Gede Harry Sutton Humaira Mohammed Ilias Karpathios Imogen Studders Isobel Kilmartin Jack Pedlar Jacob Meehan-Lee Jade Merrifield Jake Kirby Jamie Miller Jan Fanning Jasmine Chen Jasmine Kelly	Jason Lim Jerome Motlop Joseph Hazelbane Josie Maher Karlee Richards Kauri (Cody) Westrupp Kaylah Tam Kelsey Hales Kevin Phan Louise Hall Luke Botica Maddison Fletcher Maddison Kidd Maighdlin Simpson Maree Garrigan Mark Pearce Marni Ridgeway Matt Bennet Matthew Lim Michelle Shedden Nathan Chen Nickolas Fermanis Nivio Branco Ploy Watanato Rabeya Mohammed Patricia Myers Ricky De Santis Robert Justo Roley Deer Ruben Anderson Sam O'neill Thorne Santriana Goodrem Shaquille Walker Shayne Quinn Stacey Littman Susan Al Tai Tahlia Pierik Tianee Richardson Tiffany Kindell Tyrone Bain Mamarika Vanettis Fernandes Zac McPhillips
	Tracks Male Youth Dancers
	Angelo Morfe Aston Low Bryce Dempsey Daniel Tolliday-Henderson Erwin Fenis Gavin Alder Imanuel Dado Jeremiah Rasing John Rigas John Vargas	Johnn Koenig Laurenzo da Silva Mark Taopo Matthew White Mio Kovacevic Phillip Koenig Ricky Borg Ryan Newton Steven Jenes Wesley Camigla
	Manipulators
	Alex Hatzivalsamis Steven Lovison Terry Brady	Ian O'Reilly Kevin Kadirgamat Daniel Kayes

Scenario

•	Local Wallaby Story International guest from Papua New Guinea, Dancer Markum Galut, displays his amazing ability to transform into an animal. Here he becomes a wallaby, calmly eating its food while the world around it gears up.
•	Preparing The Ground As good little Aussies, we mow our lawns in preparation for having visitors, bus loads of people arrive.
•	Preparing The Mind And Body Athletes require dedicated preparations for their competitions. The Austin Martial Arts School meet the Tracks Youth Dancers, demonstrating the high level of preparation required. Youth Dancers use semaphore flag signals to spell out ‘Arafura, prepare mind body’.
•	Bring It On (1) Bus loads of women from the Grey Panthers Senior Women’s dance troupe arrive ready for a game of lawn bowls. On seeing that they have been dropped on a football oval, and on seeing the 12,000 pairs of eyes watching them, they take their moment in the limelight and show off their precision routines.
•	Bring It On (2) The Tracks Youth Dancers, not to be outdone by their grandmothers, flood the arena with pompoms and energy. Their cheer leading brings it on and the Grey Panthers join in.
•	Prepare The Spirit – The Stars Align As night falls we have the time to look at our place in the Universe and check that all is in alignment in readiness for the games to begin. The stars, performed by students from Anula Primary School, form constellations, galaxies, and comets, swirling and shifting. Allyson Arjibuk Mills calls upon the Larrakia spirit to make sure that all is right within the land.
•	Calling In The Ambassadors Arjibuk calls in other Ambassadors representing the many cultures that have made Darwin their home. From Chinese, Irish, South East Asian, Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands, Greek and Sri Lankan.
•	Cultural Explosion A cultural explosion takes place as Darwin becomes the diverse place it is today, opening its arms to the many people of the world who come to live and visit here. Together, they dance their dances and create new meaning on this ancient land.
•	The Grid All performers enter the space to come together.
•	Lighting The Universe The land takes three breaths, uniting the body, mind and Spirit. Single burning lights unite to place us all on the same map. A wave of fire fills the arena.
•	Ignite The fireworks begin and the spirit of our region is ignited ready for the Games to begin.

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