KEEPIN' IT FRESH

FRESH TRACKS RETURNS to Darwin Fringe Festival, bringing bold, experimental dance works to the stage in a showcase of emerging voices and untold stories.

WORDS BROOKE GIBBS

Curated by Tracks Dance Company, this year’s line-up features works by Feras Shaheen, Grace Dong, Kate Mornane, and the Grey Panther Choreographic Ensemble – a group of dancers aged over 60 exploring movement on their own terms.

David McMicken, Artistic Director at Tracks, says Fresh Tracks offers space for experimentation and development.

“One piece is collectively designed by a group of dancers over 60. It is rare for this age bracket to be visible in the contemporary dance space, although with an aging population, it is becoming more important,” he says.

Among this year’s works is a piece by Grace Dong. Drawing on her Chinese heritage, Grace’s choreography weaves together memory, identity, and sound, using music played by her own father.

Feras Shaheen, a guest choreographer and Detour National Residency artist, blends street dance, film, and installation with a strong sense of activism and community engagement. Kate Mornane explores the human condition through projection, movement, and visual art. The Grey Panthers challenge norms around age and visibility in dance, and present a joyful work developed from shared personal memories.

“The body is very articulate if you let it be,” says McMicken.

“It is able to speak to the universal and intimate, without being held down by words. Ideas and experiences become embodied and by channeling them into physical activity, dance is born.”

Audiences can also engage directly with the choreographers, a rare opportunity in performance contexts.

“It is such a luxury to share short form works rather than having to develop full-length shows. Feedback and questions from the audience can really help choreographers understand their own work and whether it is hitting the marks they want.”

As contemporary dance continues to evolve, Fresh Tracks offers a window into the cultural roots, and personal journeys shaping the dance community today.

Fresh Tracks
WHEN SUN 13 JUL | 3PM & 5PM
AT TRACKS DANCE STUDIO
COST $20 | CON $15
INFO tracksdance.com.au

^{Image: Duane Preston}