Across four decades, more than 50,000 students have danced across the Youth Dance Festival (YDF) stage.
The anniversary will be celebrated this year with the return of three alumni who all now run their own dance schools in Canberra: Francis Owusu, Kagiso Tshepo Ratlhagane (KG) and Caroline ‘Leena’ Wall.
The shows, run by Ausdance ACT at the Canberra Theatre Centre from 6-8 November, will explore the theme ‘What Do You Dream?’
The trio are working with students to create an opening piece.
YDF encourages a student-led approach to dance-making, choreography, theatre and filmmaking, while providing a shared artistic experience.
Owusu, the 2013 Australian of the Year ACT Local Hero Award winner, and founder and CEO of Kulture Break, was first involved in the festival in 1992 and 1993 through St Edmund’s College.
He likened the experience to being a “rock event in the rehearsal room”.
“It was just crazy mayhem,” Owusu said.
He returned in 2006 with the boy band 925.
KG, also a former St Edmund’s College student, was a choreographer for the 2001 festival, before performing the following year.
He said he was “forced into it” by one of his cousins and a friend, and his teachers encouraged him to get involved.
“I was an aspiring professional basketball player,” KG said.
“Dancing was very taboo at Eddie’s (St Edmund’s) because I hung around a lot of sports boys.”
KG said once he was thrown into the dance world, he never looked back.
“I just continued to really love dance, and I think it gave me a different confidence that sport doesn’t give you,” he said.
KG returned to St Edmund’s to work, becoming involved in the festival once again in 2004 and 2005.
KG is the artistic director and owner of Harrison-based Passion and Purpose.
Leena was involved from 1997 through to 2000 with Erindale College, through to her first few years at university.
She said the memories that came to mind were from the years following, rather than from the time during the festival.
“It was more after that. It was, I guess, a changing period of my dance journey,” Leena said.
At the time, she said there was nowhere to learn hip hop.
YDF creative director Dr Cathy Adamek said that, in celebrating 40 years, the festival gives young people in Canberra the opportunity to express their creativity through a collaborative process.
“They get to get together and pick their favourite music and choreograph to it, and they get some support from their teachers and us as a producing body,” Dr Adamek said.
YDF runs at the Canberra Theatre Centre from 6-8 November. Tickets can be purchased here: canberratheatrecentre.com.au/show/ausdance-act-youth-dance-festival-2024/
The participating schools
Wednesday 6 November, 7.30pm
Caroline Chisholm School, Hawker College, Kingsford Smith School, Lyneham High School, Marist College, Melrose High School, Mount Stromlo High School, St. Francis Xavier College, The Woden School, UCSSC Lake Ginninderra College
Thursday 7 November, 7.30pm
Alfred Deakin High School, Amaroo School, Burgmann Anglican School, Canberra Girls Grammar School, Erindale College, Lake Tuggeranong College, Melba Copland Secondary School, Monaro High School, St. Mary MacKillop College.
Friday 8 November, 7.30pm
Black Mountain School, Calwell High School, Canberra High School, Gold Creek School, Gungahlin College, Jerrabomberra High School, Radford College, St. John Paul II College, Trinity Catholic College Goulburn.
