December 1, 2016

India Bridge Dance Event Spans Two Cultures

To celebrate the special status and contribution of Australia’s Indigenous people, The School of Total Education in Warwick together with Venkateshwar International School, Delhi, staged a combined skype performance of the song ‘Into the Forest’.

 

“Composed and performed by Indigenous singer, dancer and choreographer Ms Sharman Parsons, this wonderful event showcased the talents of dancers from both schools in a truly collaborative project” Bernadine Bradshaw, The School of Total Education’s India Bridge coordinator, reported.

The song ‘Into the Forest’, highlighting the deep spiritual connection which Aboriginal people have to their land and the natural environment, allowed dancers from rural Australia to ‘virtually’ share the stage with dancers from the busy metropolis of New Delhi. The theme of love and concern for our planet were shared and expressed by students from entirely different cultural backgrounds, allowing our schools to give this message together in a cooperative and engaging way.

The School of Total Education delivers Indigenous Education to its students through Indigenous language, song, dance and visual arts education. Ms Parsons, herself and Anmatyerre woman, is coordinator of the program, bringing a wealth of experience as a composer, choreographer and linguist to her work. The school also invites Indigenous identities such as Roger Knox, a renowned aboriginal performer and recording artist, to its cultural and educational events.

The expert dance instruction of dance teachers in Delhi made an enormous contribution to the success of this project, as did the support of their IT personnel and BRIDGE coordinator, Mrs Madhu Sengupta. “We are looking forward to collaborating on more creative projects with Venkateshwar International School after our first very productive year of this BRIDGE partnership” enthused Mrs Bradshaw.