Dancenorth Australia is celebrating four decades of contemporary dance with the premiere of A Live Moment, an immersive new work that opens tonight at the 2025 North Australian Festival of Arts (NAFA) in Townsville.
Presented inside the historic School of Arts building, Dancenorth’s longtime home, the work invites audiences to move through the space in a choose-your-own-adventure style experience. More than 40 light, sound and performance installations transform the venue, with each room holding a fragment of the company’s history and creative energy.
Co-Artistic Director Amber Haines describes the work as both retrospective and forward-looking. “Thousands of artists and arts workers have passed through Dancenorth since its inception. It’s undeniable that the walls are imbued with the energy of that continual flow of new ideas, artistic expression and creative exchange. A Live Moment is about cultivating all that past energy to create one powerful, present moment of celebration and togetherness.”
The work extends beyond Dancenorth itself, with local collaborators including Wulgurukaba Walkabouts, Aunty Rosalind Sailor, Costa Hagiaglou, Naomi Jean, and even members of Dancenorth’s own office staff contributing to the creation. For Co-Artistic Director and Co-CEO Kyle Page, this community connection is central: “The work celebrates 40 years of Dancenorth, but also 65,000 years of dancing on this Country. It’s been an honour to co-create the show with local First Nations dancers who we continue to learn from and exchange dance with. The unity between ancient and new dance practice is deeply moving; and, really, we’re seeking to unite everyone in the building through the sheer joy and wonder of dance.”
Member of Wulgurukaba Walkabouts, Ashley Saltner Jnr, emphasised the significance of the collaboration: “A Live Moment is a continuation of sharing a space together, of mutual respect, of open-mindedness and of genuinely wanting to work together. Some of our dancers have never danced beyond their cultural practice, so to be invited to collaborate with Dancenorth full-time for four weeks has been a bit of an eye-opener. It’s been a mutual exchange, and I think that spirit of everyone being equally involved will spill out of the performers and into everyone who comes along.”
Presented as a one-time-only season, A Live Moment offers audiences the chance to step directly into Dancenorth’s legacy and feel part of its living history. “A Live Moment is a rollicking ride through the archives of Dancenorth. It is a reminder that the present is always informed by the past, and that the future is born from the seeds we sow today. This show will never tour, and it will never be seen again. It is an ephemeral expression of now, to be shared in this place, at this time, with utter presence and joy,” said Page.
With the four-night season already close to selling out, audiences are encouraged to secure remaining tickets quickly. A Live Moment runs from 24–27 September at Dancenorth Australia as part of NAFA. Tickets are available via dancenorth.com.au