Hobart, Devonport, Launceston, St Helens, Strahan, Coles Bay

11 Events, 10 sites, 9 days, 2001
March 30, Welcoming Event, Risdon Cove, Hobart
April 5, Simultaneous Fire Lighting Ceremonies, Statewide
April 7, Large Scale Community performance Bluff beach, Devonport

Placement was a choreographic development between Stompin Youth Dance Company’s Artistic Director Jerril Rechter, Tracks Dance Company Co-Directors Tim Newth and David McMicken, and Stompin Company members.

People Inhabiting Place. Place Shaping People. People Shaping People.

Final performance in a Statewide project presented as part of Tasmania’s first International Festival – 10 Days on the Island

Tracks Co-Artistic Directors joined with Jerril Rechter, Artistic Director, Stompin Youth Dance Company and 50 of that company’s dancers to produce Placement for the 10 Years on the Island Festival.

It was the culmination of an eight week studio development period, exploring our human placement within life and the many layers we often assume, but only sometimes reveal: a wife, a footballer, a dancer, a student, a worker, a friend or myself

Tim Newth worked with Jerril particularly on the over all look and direction as well as producing fire lighting ceremonies with the various Indigenous Elders clans across Tasmania that were to occur simultaneously on the night. David McMicken was mentoring Bec Reid and Luke George, especially in the context of large community involvement, including working with people from the Seniors' residency in Devonport.

The project draws upon PLACE as known though traditional travelling paths of the Tasmanian Aboriginal people which mark out the Aboriginal "countries", PLACE as defined by contemporary Tasmanian youth and PEOPLE as defined by birth as being Aboriginal.

Members of the artistic team and youth in each country (as defined by traditional travelling paths) were taught the construction of traditional pyres with an Aboriginal elder, Cheryl Wheatley and Tim Newth. Each of the ceremonies involved the act of lighting fire as a symbolic action of invitation to come onto Aboriginal land, which is traditionally carried out by the visitor.

The final event at Coles Bay included Tasmanian gourmet food and wine stalls and was performed with young people from the nine Aboriginal "countries", members of Stompin’ Youth Dance Co, and people from the Devonport community.

Creative Personnel

Co-Direction: Jerril Rechter, Tim Newth
Assitant to the Directors and Mentor: David McMicken
Lighting: Jen Hector
Composer:  Darrin Verhagen
Guest Dramaturg: Sarah Cathcart
Associate Choreographers: Luke George, Stephanie Lake, Bec Reid, Cheryl Wheatly
Guest Artists:  Kirsten Kaukenas, Simon Terrill

For more information about Stompin, check out their website