Deepen your understanding of Contemporary First Nations Dance
Looking for practical ways to bring First Nations dance into your classroom? The Inspire Professional Development Program gives you the rare opportunity to learn directly from independent First Nations choreographers—artists who create and develop their own works.
Designed for both generalist and specialist dance and performing arts teachers in primary and secondary schools, these 90-minute workshops explore the creative processes behind contemporary First Nations dance. You’ll engage with the artist’s choreographic methods through movement, interviews, and discussions that will expand your knowledge and confidence in teaching First Nations dance.
Workshop Dates
Foundation – Level 6 — with Amelia Jean O’Leary
Wednesday 18 June 2025
In-person workshop: 11am-12:30pm
Online workshop (live streamed): 2-3:30pm
Level 7 – 10 — with Ngioka Bunda-Heath
Thursday 19 June 2025
In-person workshop: 11am-12:30pm
Online workshop (live streamed): 2-3:30pm
VCE VET Dance — with Joel Bray
Friday 20 June 2025
In-person workshop: 11am-12:30pm
Online workshop (live streamed): 2-3:30pm
Location
Dancehouse (150 Princes St, Carlton North VIC 3054, Australia) or streamed online
Why Join This Workshop?
- Learn from the Choreographer – Gain direct insight into the creative process from an independent First Nations artist.
- Choose Your Format – Attend in person or join an online session—whichever suits you best.
- Move & Discuss – Take part in an artist-led movement session and discipline-based discussions.
- Classroom-Ready Resources – Walk away with a curriculum-aligned resource pack featuring artist interviews, a catalogue of works, and insights to support your teaching.
- Exclusive Access to the Big Heart Education Resource – Receive 10 detailed lesson plans and a unit plan aligned with the Victorian Curriculum, including guidance on safe dance practices, cultural protocols, and inclusive teaching strategies.
This is a unique opportunity to deepen your knowledge and bring contemporary First Nations dance into your classroom with confidence.
These workshops are FREE for registered teachers and First Nations People.
About the artists
Amelia Jean O’Leary
Amelia is a proud First Nations Gamilaroi Yinarr from Northen New South Wales currently living in Naarm (Melbourne). Her dance practice is about human and spiritual experiencing. Through complexity and adversity, she finds ways to tell coded and poetically rich stories. Her dances are personal and personified from her multidisciplinary skills in theatre, film and sound design.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2021, O’Leary performed and created multiple works including Yinarr (Adelaide Fringe and Dancehouse); A Certain Mumble (Darebin Arts Speakeasy) and STAUNCH ASF (Melbourne Fringe), for which she was awarded Best Emerging Indigenous Artist at Melbourne Fringe 2023, and nominated for a Green Room Award for Pioneering Artistry: Breaking Ground. Amelia also choreographed One Day as part of Melbourne Theatre Company’s First Peoples Young Artists Program at Yirramboi Festival. O’Leary is the artist in residence at Abbotsford Convent and is currently developing multiple new works.
Ngioka Bunda-Heath
Ngioka Bunda-Heath is Wakka Wakka, Ngugi from Queensland (matrilineal) and Biripi from New South Wales (patrilineal). She completed her Advanced Diploma in the Performing Arts (Dance) at the Aboriginal Centre of the Performing Arts and her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) at the Victorian College of the Arts.
After graduating VCA, she accepted a traineeship with Bangarra Dance Theatre with their Youth Education Program Rekindling. Ngioka is currently a Performer and Choreographer for Mariaa Randall’s Indigenous Female Dance Company DUBAIKUNGKAMIYALK (DKM). She has travelled overseas, dancing in Noumea, New Caledonia with Compine Maado, Banff in Canada as part of the International Indigenous Dance Residency and took part of the World Dance Alliance in France. Ngioka performed in Los Angeles for the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference and Festival and attended the First Nations Dialogues in New York.
Joel Bray
Naarm-based Joel Bray is a proud Wiradjuri dancer and performance-maker and Artistic Director of Joel Bray Dance. He performed with European companies and choreographers and with CHUNKY MOVE. Joel’s dance-theatre encounters in unorthodox spaces spring from his Wiradjuri heritage, and use humour to engage audiences in rituals about sex, history, trauma and healing. Joel makes his work in collaboration with Elders, Community and Country.
Joel’s works – Biladurang, Dharawungara, Daddy, Considerable Sexual License, Garabari and Giraru Galing Ganhagirri – have toured to major arts festivals in Australia and overseas. Joel has made works for Artshouse, CHUNKY MOVE, Sydney Dance Company, the National Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria.
Acknowledgements
This program is presented in partnership with Dancehouse with the support of the Department of Education, Victoria, through the Strategic Partnerships Program.
