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Dancing The Torres Strait winds to Life: Zey

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Dancers on stage
Dancing The Torres Strait winds to Life: Zey

SUBJECTS:  Arts

YEARS:  5–6, 7–8


Torres Strait Islander choreographer Elma Kris created the dance 'About' as an expression of the effects of the winds (Gub) on the land, sea and community.

The four seasons in the Torres Strait Islands relate directly to the type and direction of the winds.

Kris has explored the effects of the Zey (pronounced Zay) — cool winds, more like breezes, blowing erratically from the south.


Things to think about

  1. 1.For generations, the spiritual beliefs of the peoples of the Torres Strait Islands have been linked to the seasonal changes in the land, sea and sky. Locate the Torres Strait Islands on a map and find their average temperatures and rainfall. Why do you think people there might look forward to the Zey winds? What colour do you think of as cool in temperature?
  2. 2.How many dancers are there and how are they moving? What is the connection between the soloist and the other dancers? What are the dancers wearing? How is the stage lit? Describe the set. What special effect is coming from the prompt corner (to the lower right as you look at the stage)? Who is lifted and what happens when the new performer enters towards the end?
  3. 3.What mood or atmosphere does this dance's combination of movement, music and production elements create? There is a slow section followed by a faster section that repeats some of the same movements. Why do you think the choreographer decided to do that? How might that relate to the way generations of Torres Strait Islander people have, through dance, passed down knowledge about the winds?
  4. 4.What is the dance term used to describe moving slowly, gracefully, with fluidity? (Hint: it begins with 'a' in French and Italian.) How slowly can you move? Move your arms as slowly as possible. Move your joints so they don't make any sharp angles. Shift this motion into your torso and legs. Try speeding up, and add strong rhythmic sounds. How is the movement affected by these changes?


Acknowledgements

Courtesy of Bangarra Dance Theatre.


Date of broadcast: 2011


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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