Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre facts for kids
The Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre (AIDT) was a very important dance company in Australia. It was the first place where young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people could get special training to become professional dancers. AIDT started in Sydney, New South Wales, and was active from 1976 to 1998. It grew from a training school into a famous performing group.
Contents
History
How it Started
AIDT began with a special dance training course in 1975 called "Careers in Dance." This course was for Aboriginal and Islander students. It was set up by the Aboriginal Arts Board and led by African American dancer Carole Johnson. She had connections to a movement for Black rights in the United States.
Carole Johnson started classes in a church hall in Glebe, a suburb of Sydney. The training taught both traditional Indigenous dance styles and modern dance. The group of student dancers started in 1976. It soon included teachers and advanced students from the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA). By 1988, it became a professional dance company.
Tours and Performances
In 1977, AIDT went on its first international tour. Dancers like Wayne Nicol, Michael Leslie, Richard Talonga, Lillian Crombie, and Roslyn Watson performed. They went to the Second African and Black World Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC 77) in Nigeria.
After becoming a large professional group in 1988, AIDT performed in Finland and Germany. They also toured all over Australia. The company traveled to Asia, Europe, and the Americas. AIDT became known as the most toured dance company in Australia.
Changes in Leadership
In 1989, Carole Johnson decided to leave. She felt the school and the dance company were too connected. Their goals sometimes clashed. The company received money from many government groups. This meant a lot of paperwork and different rules to follow.
John Alderman was chosen to lead the company in 1987. However, the Aboriginal Arts Board soon said that senior roles needed to be held by Aboriginal people. If not, they would stop their funding.
In 1991, Raymond D. Blanco became the artistic director. He also danced with the company. He was the first Indigenous Australian to lead a dance company. The company eventually closed down in 1998.
People
Notable Dancers
Many talented dancers were part of AIDT. In the 1970s, some famous dancers included Wayne Nicol, Michael Leslie, Richard Talonga, and Lillian Crombie.
Malcolm Cole (1949-1995) was an Aboriginal and South Sea Islander man from Far North Queensland. He later taught at the college. He is remembered for his part in the 1988 Sydney Mardi Gras parade. He worked with artist Panos Couros to tell the story of the First Fleet. Malcolm Cole played Captain Cook in the first ever Aboriginal float in the parade.
In the 1980s, notable dancers included Monica Stevens and Sylvia Blanco. Monica Stevens was featured in a TV show called Desperate Measures in 2013. You can watch it on SBS on Demand.
Dance Tutors
Some of the dance teachers at AIDT included Janet Munyarryun and Larry Gurruwiwi.
Notable Works
- Gelam: This was a dance created by Dujon Niue. It was the first time a Torres Strait Island legend was adapted into a dance.
- Colours: This dance showed a modern way of looking at how Indigenous people use color. The idea came from dancer Gary Lang. It was choreographed by Marilyn Miller, Dujon Niue, and Raymond Blanco.
Notable Students
- Gail Mabo, who studied there from 1984 to 1987.
- Stephen Page
See also
