Sharing Our Stories
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Public Storytelling / Academic Research
Darwin and Lajamanu - National and International
Throughout the year
Over thirty years of experience in creating dance in the Northern Territory has built up a repository of stories, relationships, experience and knowledge. Sharing Our Stories brings Tracks knowledge and archives to life, making them accessible to future generations.
Public Forums
Public forums will interrogate our Arts Practice, and add to the Northern Territory dance history. Where feasible we will look to other ways of having these seen/viewed - eg live streaming, podcasting, recording and web paging.
Activated through Academia
Tracks is currently being researched through two Universities: ARC research grant with the University of New South Wales (Milpirri/Tracks knowledge) and the University of Auckland - Publication of a book drawing on our years of alternative dance practice.
Digital Knowledge Resources
Tracks will work to package areas of our knowledge as the basis for future resources, education and digital knowledge kits. Specialist areas include working with community dance and the older adult and shared Warlpirri knowledge from Lajamanu.
Creative Team
David McMicken and Tim Newth
Explore Further
The Knowledge of the Mipirri Banners
Twenty-seven, three-metre-high banners are the backdrop to the Milpirri performances. These banners are like a set of family coat-of-arms to the Warlpiri people of Lajamanu; individuals are able to identify which banner belongs to them as they represent their family's dreaming symbol.
Go On Tour With Tracks
With work stretching back to 1988 Tracks has created many dance performances and activities. With our unique Australian geographic positioning, we are renowned for our radically local approach to making our dance works. Our company members are drawn from our community, rich with diversity in age, cultures, beliefs and styles. Tracks Dance celebrates intercultural and intergenerational differences. As we do not tour our work, we invite you to take a virtual tour through this site.
Enliven Tradition for an Intercultural Future
Each Milpirri is guided by thematic material from different Warlpiri ceremonies. From these themes, the Tracks dance team create and teach the school students new dances with new music. The Warlpiri adult dances that are performed in Milpirri are open and public dances which are often seen as teaching dances.
This site enables you to see video and read explanations of all the dance performed since 2015.
Company Partner
Tracks Inc is proudly sponsored by the Northern Territory Government
Project Partners
Newmont Goldcorp (Milpirri/Tracks knowledge)
Supporting Partners
University of New South Wales (Milpirri/Tracks knowledge) and the University of Auckland (inclusive dance practice)
Tracks 2022
Artistic Co-Directors: David McMicken and Tim Newth (Tim currently on long service leave)
Company Director: Adelaide Wood
Assoc. Artistic Director: Jessica Devereux
Dance Animateurs: Kelly Beneforti and Steph Spillett
Production Manager: Duane Preston
Administrator: Mikaela Earnshaw, Debbie Macairin
Bookkeeper: It Figures
Committee Members: David Taylor (Chairperson), Max Dewa Stretton (Vice-Chairperson), Glenn Bernardin (Treasurer), Venaska Cheliah, Andrea Wicking, Rachael Wallis, Michael Grant, Ken Conway. David McMicken, Tim Newth, and Adelaide Wood (Ex-Officio Members)
Public Fund Trustees: Maari Gray, Will Crawford, and Lachlan Peattie
Patron: Her Honour the Honourable Vicki O’Halloran AM, Administrator of the Northern Territory