The Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre
(AIDT) was set up as an ongoing performing
group in 1976. It was originally made
up of young people participating in Careers
in Dance, a full-time dance training
course for Aboriginal and Islander students
initiated in 1975 by the Aboriginal Arts
Board and led by founding teacher Carole
Johnson. The group developed to include
teachers, graduate students and advanced
students of what eventually became NAISDA
(National Aboriginal and Islander Skills
Development Association) College, and
frequently invited guest artists to perform
with it. AIDT became a professional performing
group in 1988 and was launched as a company
in 1991 under the artistic directorship
of Raymond Blanco. From this time, the
group identified itself as AIDT - The
Company and the repertoire was choreographed
by the artistic director, the dancers
and guest artists including Paul Saliba.
The AIDT repertoire was based on traditional
and contemporary dance with its early
promotional material stressing the modern
Aboriginal/Islander identity. Indigenous
tutors such as Janet Munyarryun, Veronica
Munyarryun, Larry Gurruwiwi, Michael
Warusam and Cedric Waia taught traditional
choreography and Dorothea Randall and
Rosalyn Watson played an important role
in contributing Indigenous choreography
to end of year productions in the 1980s.
Over the years other Indigenous choreographers
would include David Gulpilil, Dell Sebasio
and Stephen Page. Non-Indigenous choreographers
who worked with the company include Ronne
Arnold, Robina Beard, Elisabeth Burke
and Pierre Thibaudeau, Kate Champion,
Kai Tai Chan, Karen Kerkhoven, Chrissie
Koltai, Paul Saliba, Cheryl Stock and
Bernadette Walong. From 1991 AIDT repertoire
included
Jedda (1991),
Maralji (1991),
Yirrkala (1991),
Colours (1993),
Gelam (1993),
On the Spot (1994), and
Sanctum (1994).
AIDT's first international tour was
in 1977 when Wayne Nicol, Michael Leslie,
Richard Talonga, Lillian Crombie and
guest artist Roslyn Watson participated
in the African and Black World Festival
of Arts and Culture in Nigeria. Its first
international tour as a larger company
was in 1988 when AIDT performed in Finland
and Germany. Later tours took the dancers
throughout Australia and internationally
to Asia, Europe and the Americas. Notable
dancers with AIDT in the 1980s included
Monica Stevens, Sylvia Blanco, Kristina
Nehm and Percy Jackonia. In 1991, with
Raymond Blanco as artistic direcor, the
dancers included Marilyn Miller, Cheryl
Pitt, Breee-an Jordan Munns, Dennis Newie
(Dujon Niue), Gary Lang, Matthew Doyle
and Raymond Blanco.
For further discussion of the events
that led to the formation of AIDT see
'Dreaming
tracks', a thesis by Raymond
Robinson.
This article is being updated. If you
have information about AIDT dancers and
teachers, choreographers and repertoire,
please
Contact
us at the National Library of
Australia.
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