By CAROLINE STRAINIG
Dance celebration on the world stage…
A NOTHING ventured, nothing gained attitude has won Port Macquarie a spot at a world celebration of dance.
Port Macquarie and Bega are the only two regional Australian towns to be selected to participate in the Big Dance, the other locations being the Opera House in Sydney, and London and Glasgow in the UK.
Executive officer Arts Mid North Coast Kevin Williams said he managed to secure the Big Dance for Port Macquarie after attending a meeting at which Big Dance partner Ausdance made a presentation about its plans for the event this year.
“They said they were considering two other regional venues, Newcastle and Wollongong,” Mr Williams said.
“Being parochial, I spoke to the other person from Bega, and we got together and then we said, ‘well, why not us instead?’
“They asked us to do a presentation and, well, we were successful!”
The Port Macquarie Big Dance will take place on Sunday 13 July on the Glasshouse forecourt on the corner of Clarence and Hay streets.
Rehearsals will start at 9.15am, followed by the main performance at 10am.
However, participants are asked to register online so they can access videos of the choreography and practise it.
This was created for Big Dance UK by Australia’s own Rafael Bonachela, the artistic director of the Sydney Dance Company.
Ausdance has already staged practice sessions last weekend at the Glasshouse and the La Vive Classique Dance Academy in Port Macquarie.
Big Dance is a biennial event that began in UK in 2006 and has quickly grown into an international dance sensation, with more than 2 million people around the world taking part since it began.
Mr Williams said the event would be great exposure for the Hastings because footage of the Port Macquarie dance would go up on the Big Dance website, receiving international exposure.
In addition to the main dance on the Glasshouse forecourt, this would include footage of some dancers performing at other scenic locations such as Town Green.
Mr Williams said the dance routine was fairly simple and anyone who could manage an aerobics routine at the gym should be able to do it.
“At the workshops we sent all the children home urging them to teach the dance to their brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers and get everyone involved,” Mr Williams said.
To register visit https://bigdanceportmacquarie.eventbrite.com.au.
