They wowed audiences in their debut Southern Stars performance in 2016 leaving organisers with little choice but to invite the Aboriginal Dance Ensemble back this year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
And judging by rehearsals on Tuesday, it was a good choice.
About 100 Aboriginal public school students from 17 schools throughout the Illawarra as well as performers from Bombaderry High School and Murringo Public School strutted their stuff at the Illawarra Sports Stadium in Berkeley.
They performed a dance and drama item to show songs Paint This Land, Spirit Woman and Solid Rock.
The items are a mix of traditional and contemporary Aboriginal dance styles and tell the story of bringing together tribes from all corners of NSW.
Sand, which has been sent from the four corners of the state, features in large sand boxes on the floor. Totems, painted by renown Aboriginal artist Daren Dunn, are placed inside the sand boxes.
Teacher Jodie Edwards said the ensemble was a real feature of this year’s Southern Stars 2017 Postcards extravaganza.
The event at WIN Entertainment Centre on August 25-26 features over 3000 performers from about 120 public schools from as near as Wollongong Public School and as far as Bourke Public School.
Show executive producer Ian Millard is convinced this year’s show will be the biggest and best on record.
‘’We have circus, disco, big bands, tap, rock, ballet, pop, drama, folk, orchestra, an indigenous dance company, and musical theatre to name just a few,’’ Mr Millard said.
Four shows of Postcards will take place at WEC on August 25 (10am and 7.30pm) and August 26 (2pm and 7.30pm).
Tickets cost $49/$39/$29 and are now available from Ticketmaster outlets.
