Six days at the Panpapanpalya Fest in Adelaide brought a wealth of classes and performances; it lived up to its name, which is an Aboriginal word that encompasses the four main themes of the Congress: dance, gathering, generations and learning. I danced in the opening night performances in the duet, “Last Good Thing”, with Stevie Oakes and choreographed by Elizabeth Shea and received many appreciative commentary following. This festival was unique in its blend of scholarly presentations, participatory workshops, performances and community gatherings. I participated in a variety of movement classes and workshops which emphasized cultural forms and traditions such as:
- Contemporary Māori and Pacific Dance
- Inclusive Dance,
- Indigenous Contemporary Dance/Cultural Dance
- Homing Device
- Whakatauki in Motion: ‘Kia mau koe ki ngā kupu o ou tupuna’
I also was able to attend two scholarly sessions which brought a wealth of ideas:
- Teaching dance through the humanities and the humanities through dance: Two case studies
- A new approach to teaching Korean dance traditions to diverse students
- The Rebozo Dance: A tapestry of Mexican traditional knowledge
- Te mana o te rākau kauri (the authority of the Kauri tree)
- I connected in particular to the last speaker in particular, Dr. Tia Reihana-Morunga. We are continuing our working relationship, building a creative project that includes students from both of our institutions.
The Panpapanpalya Festival coincided with the opening of the Adelaide Dance Festival, and I had an incredibly intense experience witnessing the Australian Dance Theatre at the Dunstan Playhouse. After the festival, I traveled to New Zealand to establish a connection to the Dance Program at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.