Around Darwin, and Nauiyu Nambiyu (Daly River), Northern Territory

Throughout the Year, 2004

This was the second Year of our Youth Dance Leaders program. In addition to the youth dance leaders we employed Marko Taopo as the Youth Dance Trainee, working alongside Julia Quinn to support and grow the youth work.

Youth Dance Leaders

Marko Taopo, Erwin Fenis, Byron Low, Tara Robertson, Jessica Rosewarne, Ruttiya Suansri and  Justine Clarke

Youth Trainee - Marko Taopo 

Marko Taopo is of Filipino descent and has been a performer in many of Tracks major previous shows including Ignite, Rivers of the Underground, A Bowls Club Wedding. With Telstra Foundation funding he was employed part time over the year. Together with Ausdance NT we created a programme of activities for Marko that included: Workshops, small performances, role modelling for other youth, outreach to new youth dancers, and performing in major productions FAST and Snakes Gods and Deities, and touring to Daly River Aboriginal Community.

Marko had a specific focus on young males, particularly from Indigenous and multicultural backgrounds. Marko ran 67 workshops making contact with 1330 young people. Workshops were held in Darwin, Palmerston, Daly River and Humpty Doo. Young men’s classes predominantly to learn new break-dancing skills ran at Tracks throughout the year. Marko was involved in creating 9 small-scale works which were seen by 2530 people

Performances and Projects

Fast - In this high powered youth dance performance, in addition to Marko Taopo we worked with our youth dance leaders: Erwin Fenis, Byron Low, Tara Robertson, Jessica Rosewarne, Ruttiya Suansri, Justine Clarke. Tracks also engaged our Youth costume stylist Christina Pantazis, who was a lead youth performer in Ignite (2002).

Youth dance leaders Erwin Fenis, Marko Taopo, Tara Robertson and Jessica Rosewarne also spent a week in Daly River Community learning to take workshops with Indigenous community youth, and then joined the rest of the cast for a performance of Fast.

We Continued with Marko Taopo and Erwin Fenis in Snakes Gods and Deities where they worked alongside Sama Ballet from Sri Lanka.

Our Youth Dance Leaders also performed at: Darwin Entertainment Centre’s annual program launch, Casuarina Shopping Centre, Adrenalin youth dance party, Friends of Tracks ‘open rehearsals’, Administrator’s Pleasure - media launch and performance, Break Battle, Humpty Doo Dance Competition, Filipino Exchange students, Wanguri Primary Assembly, Palmerston High Assembly.

Tracks 2004

Artistic Directors: David McMicken and Tim Newth
Company Manager: Sue Mornane
Dance Animateur: Julia Quinn
Youth Trainee: Marko Taopo
Bookkeeper: Heather Richards
Development Consultant: Suzanne Fermanis

Committee Members:  Jackie Wurm (Chair), David Taylor (Vice-Chair), Glenn Bernardin (Treasurer), Kyleigh Hindson (Secretary/Public Officer), Ken Conway, Donna Quong, Jill MacAndrew, Kay Brown (Ordinary Committee Members), David McMicken and Tim Newth (Ex-Officio Members)

Public Fund Trustees: Rev. Steve Orme, Dr Anita Toth, Paul Wan