Dancenorth Australia

19/08/2026

Zane Saunders will debut his new work ‘Preface’ at PUNQ (Pop-Up North Queensland) Festival this 8-10 October.

In this major new performance installation, Jarrowia, Butchulla and Gunggari artist Zane Saunders explores the tensions between Indigenous knowledge, spirituality and colonial narratives.

Set within the old Bank of NSW building, ‘Preface' combines live performance, sculpture, sound and video to create an immersive experience that invites audiences into a deeply personal realm of ritual, spirituality and reflection, where questions linger long after the performance ends.

Zane has been following the threads of these enquiries for many years, including during annual creative residencies at Dancenorth over the last nine years. It is a privilege to join PUNQ and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in supporting Zane to premiere this latest manifestation of his work.

Tickets for ‘Preface' are on sale now. To book, visit https://www.umbrella.org.au/preface/

Have you experienced Zane’s work-in-development at Dancenorth over the years? We’d love to hear your reflections.

18/08/2026

Earlier this year, we were awarded potentially life-saving funding through the Port of Townsville Limited's Community Fund to purchase two automated external defibrillator (AED) bundles – one to live permanently in the Dancenorth building, and one portable kit to take with us when our Ensemble tours; when we deliver workshops across regional, rural and remote Australia; and when we present site-specific works.

The purchase of these AEDs means we can continue to provide safe and inclusive dance experiences across all of our communities, and for a range of participants including mature movers, people affected by Parkinsons, people who are d/Deaf or living with disability, young people in regional, rural and remote areas; FIFO and shift workers; and people with low or no income.

PICTURED:
1. Dancenorth's Teaching Artists Andrea Gillham, Bella Hood and Miranda Zeller
2. The portable AED bundle, purchased with funds from the Port of Townsville Community Fund, at our weekly Vital Dance class for people affected by Parkinson’s.
Images by Tszar.

11/08/2026

Alison Currie joined us for a two-week A.R.T. residency in June.

Alison’s choreographic practice explores sculptural forms, found objects and environments in relation to performer, place, and the system of consumption.

During her residency, Alison began developing a new site-specific performance project, which she envisages presenting in gallery settings. Her unfolding process included scouring the surrounding environment for discarded objects to become the heroes of her work - firstly placing them on display as artefacts, and then exploring their potential within a performance.

Alison spotlighted the chronology of waste, prompting us to consider where an item's lifecycle ‘begins’ and ‘ends’, and our own role in determining an object’s value.

06/08/2026

Three of our Teaching Artists have recently completed training to support the continuation of our Vital Dance classes for people affected by Parkinson’s Disease (PD).

Congratulations, Bella Hood, Miranda Zeller and Caitlin Halmarick who are now certified facilitators of the global Dance for PD Program.

The training has equipped Bella, Miranda and Caitlin with new ways to bring the joy of dance into the studio – not only in our Vital Dance classes, but in all of our Community Experience offerings.

It makes our hearts soar to know that our Vital Dance classes can offer people living with PD a chance to discover new movement pathways and feel embodied and joyous, no matter how severe their condition is. Participants can complete the whole class seated if they prefer; and carers and support workers are also welcome to join in.

For more information about our range of community classes, visit our website - https://dancenorth.com.au/calendar

29/07/2026

𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧

We’re delighted to be part of the North Australian Festival of Arts (NAFA) again this October.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗢𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻…

Bodies drift through detailed worlds where beauty emerges from unrest.

Inspired by the emotional intensity, psychological vulnerability, and illusionistic depth of Renaissance imagery, Sleepless Ones inhabits invented realms charged with light; cloaked in shadow; and alive with quiet chaos.

History and myth are reimagined as caricatures of heroes and fools traverse intimate, surreal and emotionally heightened terrain. Haunted by their own potential, these restless souls find themselves suspended between who they are and who they long to be.

Epic themes.
Intricate detail.
Absurdity that echoes current times.

This October, award-winning artists Michelle Heaven and Ben Cobham fuse iconic imagery, compelling choreography and filmic scores to deliver a cinematic-like dance experience with Townsville’s celebrated Dancenorth Ensemble.

𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: 𝟭-𝟯 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿
𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀: 𝟳𝗽𝗺 (𝗧𝗛𝗨-𝗦𝗔𝗧) | 𝟵𝗽𝗺 (𝗦𝗔𝗧)
𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲: 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲

Tickets are on sale now. For more information, and to book, head to https://dancenorth.com.au/works/sleepless-ones

27/07/2026

Currently in residence as part of our A.R.T. Program, choreographer and creative pioneer 𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗱 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗼 has returned to his birthplace of Gurambilbarra (Townsville) to undertake the creative development of a powerful new dance work that traces the intersections of DNA, family, spirituality, memory and legacy.

A defining feature of the development is the cast itself. Four dancers from raymond’s bloodline appear in the work, including his nephew/son, Waangenga Blanco and granddaughter, Brianna Kemmerling, creating a rare intergenerational collaboration where artistic practice and family history become inseparable.

At the heart is a deeply personal exploration of raymond’s Torres Strait Islander, Aboriginal, Filipino, Malaysian and Jamaican ancestry, alongside his family's long relationship with Christianity, cultural practice and identity. Through movement, he reflects on the idea of legacy and the invisible contracts carried through generations, ultimately asking; 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥?

For more information about this project, visit https://www.blakdance.org.au/profile-projects/raymondblanco

PICTURED: Aba Bero (standing), Brianna Kemmerling, Harlisha Newie-Joe, Tameeka Cora, Tessarna Cora. CREDIT: BlakDance.

18/07/2026

"Beneath its playful and often humorous surface lies a thought-provoking exploration of humanity’s evolving relationship with AI. The work raises questions about trust, control and collaboration, suggesting both the possibilities and the unease that accompany our growing reliance on intelligent technologies. It asks whether we should embrace AI as a creative partner or remain wary of its influence, and wisely avoids offering easy answers."

Thank you, Andrew Snee, for this insightful review of last night's performance.

Read the full review here:

Melbourne-based choreographer and director Alisdair Macindoe brings his innovative contemporary dance work Plagiary to Townsville for a limited three-night season. The production might be likened to a sophisticated and thought-provoking reimagining of Simon Says, with an AI-generated narrator delive...

17/07/2026

𝗜𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.

Some of the night’s stand out prompts included:
+ You’re a demolition vehicle
+ A staring contest at a breakfast table full of Roombas; and
+ Bobby Fischer orchestrates a single sum conundrum on a kitchen tile.

But tonight’s final show will be entirely different, yet again.

Join us at 7pm for the closing performance.

Tickets: https://dancenorth.com.au/works/plagiary

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Images by Tszar

17/07/2026

𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁’𝘀 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗿𝘆:
+ Alec’s bath plug interpretation
+ Michael’s convoluted solo with pigeons
+ The group embodying a bellhop in a seam; and
+ Sabine’s escalating nervous tic.

The show's AI prompts were complex, random and nonsensical – and the cast did an astonishing job at keeping up with it all.

What might happen in today's shows?

Tickets are still available. If your curiosity is piqued, come and join us!

Tickets: https://dancenorth.com.au/works/plagiary

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Images by Aaron Ashley

16/07/2026

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁’𝘀 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗿𝘆.

Created by award-winning choreographer and dance technologist Alisdair Macindoe, Plagiary challenges the Dancenorth Ensemble to create a new show live each night.

The show features an artificial intelligence – custom-built, coded and programmed by Alisdair himself – that acts as a speaking choreographer, guiding the dancers through a journey of improvised movement, unpredictable scenes and beautiful chaos.

The meaning of it all? That lies with you.

"Plagiary, and this novel way of creating dance, are both a study of the technologies that we’re surrounded by and a reflection on how they affect us in our daily lives.”
- Alisdair Macindoe, Director and Creator of Plagiary

Don’t miss your chance to see this captivating dance experiment. 4 shows only. Grab tickets via our website, or at the door. Tonight’s show starts at 7pm.

Tickets: https://dancenorth.com.au/works/plagiary

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Images by Aaron Ashley