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Maningrida dance troupe compete interstate

31 January 2020

Maningrida Girls Dance Troupe competed in the National Finals of Evolution Dance Competition in Queensland recently where they placed second in the Under 12s Hip Hop Group.
Commencing in 2019 through West Arnhem Regional Council’s Youth, Sport and Recreation (YSR) program, the dance troupe has gone from strength to strength, qualifying in the national level of the competition after their win at the Evolution Dance Competition regional finals in Darwin.
Since then, the five young women have worked incredibly hard to choreograph their routine and get ready for the National Finals of Evolution Dance Competition.
The entire experience was incredible as they set off from Maningrida to Brisbane via plane. 
Along the way, they had the opportunity to see all the landscapes and the beauty of Arnhem Land via the air. 
They also were able to experience flying in a commercial plane for the first time and the flight staff were extremely welcoming and kind to the group; offering treats and wishing them the best of luck.
The first day at the Evolution Dance Competition saw the Maningrida Girls Dance Troupe compete in the Under 12s Hip Hop Group. 
The girls were extremely nervous but also happy that some of their sponsors from BMD, Dart and Simon and Miriam were coming to watch them. 
Competing against Ground Force Studios from South Australia, they placed second and were very proud of their performance and achievement. 
On Friday, January 10, one of our Maningrida Girls Dance Troupe members, Sethalia Olsen, competed in 10-11’s Hip Hop Solo. 
She danced with such passion and happiness and although she didn’t place, the YSR team, her family and her friends were all very proud of her high score of 178.5/200 and recognition medal. She was commended for the level of difficulty in her style by the judges, and they also commented on the amount of potential she showed. 

 

In the evening, the troupe attended the Evolution After Party which was put on for all of the competitors. The girls dominated the dance floor and made lots of friends by showing others new dance moves and encouraging them to join them. They had a really fun night and waved goodbye to their friends.
On the final day, the group attended a Hip Hop masterclass with Turanga Merito, one of the Evolution judges, which was generously organised by one of the Evolution managers Hope. 
WARC Team Leader Youth, Sport and Recreation Maddy Mackey said the girls learnt some new moves and skills from Turanga and he taught them a short section of a routine which was a completely different style. 
The girls loved hanging back after the class and talking with Turanga about how he had become a dancer and related to his journey of growing up in a small community with no dance studios and limited opportunities. 
It was an immense moment for the girls as they realised that if Turanga can do it, so could they.
Maddy said overall, it was a once in a lifetime experience for the Dance Troupe that they will never forget. 
As the troupe began the journey back at the end of their trip, they reflected on the amazing time they had, and said that they would miss the Gold Coast. 
One of the trips highlights was certainly a visit to Dream World and White Water World.
The girls had such a great day there was lots of comments including, “let’s go to Dream World again” and “that was the best day of my life”.
They returned home with a sense of accomplishment and their families were extremely proud. 
This opportunity would never have been possible without the generous sponsorship from Bawinanga Aboriginal Cooperation (BAC), Maningrida Progress Association (MPA), Stronger Communities for Children (SCfC), Maningrida School, BMD Group and Complete Business Travel (CBT). 
The WARC Youth, Sport and Recreation staff and the Maningrida Girls Dance Troupe are humbled by the amount of kindness and support they received from sponsors, the staff at Territory Air, Qantas and Evolution Dance Competition and from their families, as well as the entire Maningrida community.