NAISDA Dance College facts for kids
The NAISDA Dance College is a special school in Kariong, New South Wales. It teaches performing arts to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. NAISDA helps young Indigenous Australians become amazing dancers and performers.
It started in 1975 as the Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Scheme (AISDS). Later, in 1988, it became the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA). Most people say the college began in 1976.
A dance group called Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre (AIDT) was formed in 1976 from AISDS. Some dancers and choreographers from AIDT later created the famous Bangarra Dance Theatre.
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History of NAISDA
How NAISDA Started (1975–1999)
The Aboriginal/Islander Skills Development Scheme began in 1975. It was founded by an African American dancer named Carole Johnson. She visited Australia in 1972 with a dance company. The Australia Council for the Arts asked her to teach dance to Aboriginal people in Sydney.
In 1975, a special six-week workshop was held in Redfern. It was called the Six Weeks Performing Arts Training Programme. Tutors taught contemporary dance, traditional Torres Strait Islands dance, drama, and other skills. Many talented young people joined this workshop.
After the workshop, a three-year course called "Careers in Dance" was created. The Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Scheme (AISDS) was set up to train Indigenous Australians in dance. It combined Western dance styles with traditional Aboriginal dance. The first students started in October 1975. Torres Strait Islander people were involved from the start. This was important because traditional dances could only be performed with a traditional owner present.
In 1976, "Careers in Dance" became part of AISDS. AISDS later became the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association in 1988, which is now NAISDA Dance College. NAISDA celebrates 1976 as its founding year.
Carole Johnson and other founding members helped create NAISDA. Over the years, many dancers and choreographers joined. Together, they developed a special style called Contemporary Indigenous Dance Technique.
The Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre (AIDT) was formed from NAISDA students in 1976. It was the first modern Indigenous Australian dance company. AIDT traveled all over Australia and the world. It became known as Australia's most toured dance company. AIDT was led by Raymond D. Blanco from 1989. He was the first Indigenous person to lead a dance company in Australia. AIDT stopped performing after he left in 1998.
Carole Johnson also started Bangarra Dance Theatre in 1989. Stephen Page took over as its leader in 1991.
In 1997, NAISDA became a registered training organization. This means it was officially recognized for its high-quality training. It also joined a group of "elite training institutions" called the "Australian Roundtable for Arts Training Excellence" (ARTS8).
NAISDA Today (2000–present)
Before 2007, NAISDA was in different parts of Sydney. Then, it moved to its current home in the Mt Penang Parklands, near Gosford. Soon after the move, a former student named Kim Walker became the Executive Director and Head of Dance.
NAISDA is funded by the Australian Government and the New South Wales Government. It offers Certificates and Diplomas in dance careers. It is still part of the ARTS8 group of top training schools.
Between 2008 and 2010, Kim Walker helped create a new plan for what students would learn. This new plan started in 2011. In March 2012, a new building with special dance studios opened.
In 2016, NAISDA's founder, Carole Johnson, went on a dance tour of the United States. Also in 2016, the NSW Arts Minister announced new funding for NAISDA.
In late 2016, NAISDA celebrated its 40th anniversary. An exhibition called Naya Wa Yugali ("We Dance" in Darkinyung language) was held. It showed stories, photos, films, and art. An auction helped raise money for a planned new international college.
NAISDA has strong connections with Indigenous communities. These include Badu and Saibai Islands in the Torres Strait, Elcho Island and Yirrkala in the Northern Territory, and Turkey Creek in Western Australia.
What NAISDA Does
NAISDA is located in Mount Penang Parklands in Kariong. This area is on Darkinjung land on the Central Coast of New South Wales. Students who graduate from NAISDA work in many areas. They become dancers, musicians, actors, and leaders in the arts.
As of 2021, NAISDA is run by a board of directors. It also has a separate group, the NAISDA Foundation, that raises money. This foundation's patron is Dame Marie Bashir. NAISDA continues to receive money from the Australian and New South Wales Governments. It is one of the eight top performing arts training schools in Australia.
NAISDA has a very high completion rate for its students, around 84 percent. This is much higher than the national average for similar training programs.
Future Plans
There are plans to build a new international arts education center next to the current campus. It will be called Naya Wa Yugali, which means "we dance" in Darkinjung language. This new center will offer more courses in the creative industry. It will help train more artists and leaders. It will also offer classes, performances, and programs for local, national, and international communities.
NAISDA in Film and TV
NAISDA has been featured in television shows.
- In 2002, an ABC Television documentary called From Dreamtime to Dance was about NAISDA. Stan Grant narrated it.
- The school also appeared in a 2013 documentary series called Desperate Measures. One episode, "NAISDA with Monica Stevens," featured Monica Stevens. She was a choreographer and a student at NAISDA in the 1980s. You can watch this series on SBS on Demand.
People of NAISDA
Malcolm Cole
Malcolm Cole (1949-1995) was an Aboriginal and South Sea Islander man. He became a teacher and counselor at NAISDA. He is well-known for his part in the 1988 Sydney Mardi Gras. He dressed as Captain Cook in a special parade entry. This was the first time an Aboriginal float was in the parade.
Malcolm Cole was also one of the first presenters for ABC Television's Blackout in 1989. He taught dance at many schools across Australia.
His legacy lives on through several tributes. There is a scholarship at the University of New South Wales named after him. A street in Canberra is called Malcolm Cole Terrace. In 2024, a large mural of him in his Captain Cook costume was painted in Sydney. This mural was part of the 2024 Biennale of Sydney.
Staff
Many talented teachers have worked at NAISDA. Some of them include David Gulpilil and Larry Gurruwiwi.
Prominent Alumni
Many students who graduated from NAISDA have become famous.
- Wayne Nicol and Dorathea Randall were the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander choreographers to graduate from NAISDA.
- Other notable graduates include:
- Christine Anu
- Lillian Crombie
- Gary Lang (from NT Dance Company)
- Stephen Page
- Russell Page
See also
