Big Dance commissions acclaimed choreographers to create works that can be learnt by anyone in the world, through online tutorials and community workshops. Big Dance engages thousands of people with one unifying choreographic piece, performed in some of the most iconic places in the world.
Big Dance Castlemaine
Photos by Pia Johnson
Big Dance Castlemaine took place on:
Sunday 29 April 2018, 1 – 4pm
Victory Park
The performance was led by teaching artists Joshua Twee, Gerard Van Dyck and Lydia Connolly-Hiatt
PERFORMERS
MC – Tegan Lang
Tegan Lang is an arts manager and creative with 10 years experience across general arts management, producing and development and the last 30 years performing in some form or other. She holds a Bach of Contemporary Arts in Dance and postgraduate certificate in arts management. She trained under the influence of Newcastle tap and Martha modern and taught dance across the suburbs of Melbourne for 7 years. As a contemporary dancer and under the pseudonym Miss Daisy Amazing, she ran Go-Go classes and performed at Melbourne Fringe Festival, Mofo Club Rooms, The Village and is a regular performer at The Shivoo. She recently presented a public installation as part of White Night. Tegan thinks dancing makes life better and in the cozy hamlet of Castlemaine, manages to dance 3 times a week with some excellent humans. She is a proud member of the Westend Hall Monday night dance troupe Lady Funtimes and is one half of arts management business - Wheelhouse.
Movement Zone
Movement Zone Dance is one of the leading Hip-Hop Studio's in Central Victoria. Almost in it's 20th year, MZ cater from primary aged students all the way to adults & dance therapy for older adults. Director Sas teaches with a unique and quirky style that aims to ignite passion in students and bring out the inner dancer in all... 'In2 the zone!'
Over the Moon
Established in 1991, Over the Moon (OTM) provides children and teenagers in Castlemaine with a space to enjoy the freedom, joy and mindfulness of yoga and creative dance while also offering high quality training in contemporary, ballet, character and jazz technique. Teenagers who take 2 or more classes are also able to attend choreography class.
The style of creative dance at OTM is based on the philosophy and teaching methodology brought to Australia by trailblazer Dorotea Mangiamele in the 1970s. OTM’s yoga syllabus is drawn from the Yoga Education Resources program developed by OTM principal Edna Reinhardt over 40 years of teaching. The ballet program (run by Edwynna Adams) uses the Laurel Martyn Dance Teaching system, which emphasises creative expression alongside correct technique and musicality. OTM also offers innovative Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) program.
Over the Moon will perform two dances at the Castlemaine Big Dance event.
The senior ballet students will perform a beautiful neoclassical dance to Clair de Lune (Claude Debussy), choreographed by Edwynna Adams while the senior contemporary students will perform a powerful and grounded dance to Time (Nathan Lanier), choreographed by Seung Hi Lee.
Castlemaine Ballet
Castlemaine Ballet Academy offer high quality tuition in Cecchetti Classical Ballet, Jazz Ballet and Contemporary Dance. The school is run by an incorporated not for profit association, Castlemaine Dance and Fitness Inc. Now in our seventh year of operation, we have so far had two students accepted in to full time professional ballet training in Melbourne.
Castlemaine Ballet Academy Principal, Kate Kaleb, has been a professional ballerina and an independent performer in contemporary dance, musical theatre and experimental theatre, Kate is a fully qualified Cecchetti Ballet teacher, and is mentoring Junior Ballet teacher Natalie Feary. Our Jazz Ballet teachers Katie Kilgour and Deb Rowley and Contemporary teacher Daniella Olea all have professional performing experience and teaching qualifications. We take a student centred approach to learning, encouraging creativity, teamwork and techincal and artistic skill development. Students participate in community dance events and a professionally staged full length original dance production each year.
The Bushfire Dance is from our 2017 performance "The Seasons: A Tale for our times". This original full length work used the myth of Demeter, Persephone and Hades to tell the story of climate change. The Bushfire Dance is from the climate change section of the ballet, and is choreographed by Jazz Ballet teacher Katie Kilgour. The performers are Junior, Intermediate and Senior Jazz ballet students aged 7 to 15 years.
Castlemaine Circus
Castlemaine Circus is a physically exciting space where participants of all ages are challenged, stimulated and take risks. We provide an environment that is welcoming, fun and safe. Our circus also provides social and emotional development where participants can build their confidence, creative expression and work together with the class.
The Castlemaine Circus is now in it’s fifth year training all ages in circus, aerial, parkour and performance. We have 200 students and ten trainers providing classes six days a week. We run workshops and do performances at many festival and events as well as provide classes for schools and outreach programs.
Our trainers are highly skilled practitioners who have been champions in gymnastics and martial arts and performers in theatre, puppetry, circus and aerial arts from all round the world.
Seven students from our various classes have come together to create a mini troupe, learning the art of circus performance. They are at the beginning of their performance journey and have performed at two events already. Our mini troupe are aged 7 to 11 years and they have brought together their acrobatic skills using unicycles, tyres and more.
E.motion21
e.motion21 is a not-for-profit organisation that provides innovative dance and fitness programs for children and young adults with Down syndrome.
e.motion21 has specialised programs offered in eight Victorian locations with the vision of enhancing lives and changing perceptions of Down syndrome within society through dance fitness and performance.
Lady Fun Time
Lady Fun Times is a glorious concoction of women who take lounge room moves to a shared space. We revel in sparkles, pop culture, irony and moves. Lady Fun Times is Castlemaine's answer to the eternal question: is too much ever enough? Glitter cannons, busting moves, 80s hair, mirrorball dreams.