Kulgoodah Dancers: From Woorabinda to the World

The Kulgoodah Dancers from Woorabinda in Queensland won the Dance Rites competition in Sydney last year.

But that wasn’t the only prize! Because of their stellar production, they were asked to perform at the 2018 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

Dancer Steven Williams said the 11 men, 4 women and 14 children in the troupe were excited and honoured to be selected.

Joel Cameron is one of the dancers in the group.

'We have rehearsed for 10 hrs for 2 days, and of course there was our own group rehearsal time on top of that,’ Joel said.

‘It has been a deadly experience as we have seen how lighting, sound, and coordinating of positions works on a large scale.’

The Kulgoodah Dancers, ranging in age from 6 – 50 years, collaborated with the Traditional Owners of the Gold Coast, Yugambeh, and other dance groups, to provide a visual feast which included a smoking ceremony.

Performing at international sporting ceremonies was not on the radar for the community of Woorabinda early last year.

At the time, Woorabinda was experiencing daily break-ins and reports of vandalism. There were community concerns over a failure to address the underlying causes.

Representatives from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet met with the Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council to discuss the issues and possible ways forward.

Following a community crisis meeting in October, it was decided to bring culture back to the daily lives of Woorabinda's youth. It was believed that the creation of a dance troupe would help to combat the growing crime issues.

Elders of the community worked with young people at the corroboree grounds to pass on key lessons, particularly respect. These lessons helped to influence the attitude of the Kulgoodah Dancers.

Frederick Henry, a dancer in the group explains,

‘We are wanting to change the cycle of some of your youths, and this dance group is providing a sense of belonging and has opened up their eyes to what they can achieve’.

Dancers were chosen by Elders and Steven Collins from funding provider, Red Cross. They were selected based on their school performance and respect for their parents.

The group trained intensively for 2 months, culminating in the performance at Dance Rites and now, the Commonwealth Games.

The Woorabinda community is proud of what it has achieved. Community members are positive about the future and feeling inspired.

Andrew Toby is also a dancer in the group and a contemporary choreographer.

‘When we have dance rehearsals at home, some of the police officers and teaching staff always come and corroboree with us’, Andrew said.

Dancer Joel Adams is positive about the future.

‘Woorabinda is going to lead the way; we will continue the strong journey that our passed Elders began,’ Joel said.

‘We are reaching for the stars, and we want to share our dances and culture with the world.’

Terrance Adams, Nicole Cameron and Frederick Henry are to be congratulated on continuing the late Joe Adams legacy in teaching culture along with all of the community members who have supported from the beginning.