Cape York kids to perform dreamtime dances at Expo

With stilt walking and special effects lighting, children will perform the traditional Endeavour River story on the river at sunset during this year’s Cooktown and Cape York Expo.

THE traditional dreamtime Endeavour River creation story will be brought to life by children from across the Cape York peninsula at the Cooktown and Cape York Expo 2021 in June.

Leading up to the expo, Sacred Creations Dance choreographer Tamara Pearson will spend a couple of hours after school each day with kids from all over the region teaching them traditional dances.

“My job as the choreographer is to piece it all together like a puzzle, so it’s all mashed up in my head and I just have this one big picture and I want to get it out as a dreamtime story,” she said.

Sacred Creations dance choreographer Tamara Pearson will perform at the Cooktown and Cape York Expo 2021, which this year has a strong reconciliation theme. Picture: Brendan Radke

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Ms Pearson said the Endeavour River story was passed down by late Hope Vale elder Tulo Gordon.

“What will make this performance special is many of Tulo Gordon’s great grandchildren will be performing in the show,” she said. “It is a beautiful story that we will mash up with elements of traditional dance like live didgeridoo and grass skirts as well as contemporary performance.”

She said it was an incredible experience for the children to go through.

“Sometimes I get kids that will message me, people sending me pictures of them teaching other kids traditional dance and that’s what I love in my work, I love seeing the outcome.

“It’s all about the future generations, it’s about reconciliation … we come together, we unify.”

Expo creative director Vanessa Gillen said last year’s event marked the 250th anniversary of Cook’s landing, however the anniversary had been moved forward for this year’s event which would have an emphasis on reconciliation.

“The Warrma is the thing that I’m most excited about … it’s held on the banks of the Endeavour River at sunset and it will be truly magical,” she said. “It’s going to be a fantastic dance off but importantly it’s about the local kids being involved and telling some of the local dreaming stories.”

Ms Gillen said there were many elements of the expo including the Endeavour Ball, a symposium by JCU and the Discovery Festival which has been running for 62 years.

“It’s all free so we really hope that people will come up for one of the weekends,” she said.

The Cooktown and Cape York Expo 2021 will run from June 11-20.

Originally published as Cape York kids to perform dreamtime dances at Expo