Chookys visit Bomaderry High School

On Tuesday 3 March, students from Bomaderry Primary and High School, Mt Austin High School (Wagga Wagga), and Vincentia High School were treated to a special performance by the Chooky Dancers, who were in residence at Bundanon. The Chooky dancers are famous for their dance rendition of Zorba the Greek – Yolngu style, which has been viewed by almost 2 million people on YouTube.

The Chooky Dancers feature 10 young Yolngu dancers and have now been recognised as major artistic talents. They have also featured in the Australian feature film Brand Nue Dae.

The Chooky Dancers and elders from Elcho Island join with multi-award winning director Nigel Jamieson (Sydney Olympic Opening Ceremony, Red Square), Djakapura, who performed in the Sydney Olympics and a local elder Frances, who starred in the feature film 10 Canoes.

Together they will fuse traditional culture, dance and film with modern influences drawn from mobile phone technology and Saturday night discos to create a new production Nagurrumilmarrmiriyu (Wrong Skin), inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

The story has particular resonance for the boys as Elcho Island has strict traditional rules about who they can marry. According to Nigel Jamieson, it also highlights the challenges in their parallel lives. Living in a traditional community but accessing 21st century technology.

Co-commissioned by the Adelaide Festival, the Malthouse, Darwin Festival and the Sydney Opera House and produced by Performing Lines, with support from the Bundanon Trust, the production will premiere at the 2010 Adelaide Festival.