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DESCENDANCE INTERNATIONAL JOSE CALARCO PRESENTS COMPANY ARTISTS COMPANY

• Sean Choolburra • Johnny Murison • George Dow • John Owens • Archie Frazer • Nicole Willis • Jason Sandy • Peter Williams • JustinParsons • Darren Compton • Ronnie Guivarra • Dion Drummond • Wayne Langlo • Jacob Dow • Majeda Mo Beatty Goomblar with Sheik in Dubai 2007 Jose & Earl with local dancers Ghana 2007 • Arthur TurtleTamwoy • Djahn Doolan • Rachel Wallis • Eddie Bousen • Xing Yee Beatty • Goomblar Wylo • Hartley Williams • Smilar Sinak • Medika Thorpe • Frances Williams • Vivian Anderson • Raymond Prior • Barbara Drummond • Jai Prior • Justin Torney • Reuben Doolah • Uncle Max Eulo • Debra Bullio • Phil Geia • Jason Jai • Benelong Carroll • Taryn Drummond • Pauline Pearce • Wayne Krause • Damian Bond TRADITIONAL & CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE • Cindy Drummond • Stephen Sailor • Inyika Buthman • Nadeena Dixon • Earl Rosas • Ryka Sadrick • Matt Brady • Yasserie Smith • Albert David • Thelma Parker • Peter Marshall • Phil Smith • Beatrice Sailor • Joshua Thaiday • Jeanette Fabila • Daniel Brown DESCENDANCE in Beatrice & Cindy with Zulu Dancers Sth Africa 2007 Descendance with Flamenco dancer Spain 2007 FLAMENCO DREAMING

Stephen Toronto, Canada Tours 2006-2008 Turtle, Jose, Ben Lithuania 2007

INDIGENOUS DIVERSITY Descendance has over fifty dancers from diverse tribes across Australia. They range from NSW to Mount Isa, across to Rockhampton, through the Central Desert, Western Australia, up to Cape Artistic Director and creator of Flamenco Dreaming Jose Calarco present’s York, and around the Torres Strait Islands. Descendance cultural program is exclusive to Far North his multi-cultural traditional & contemporary dance spectacular “Flamenco Queensland. Descendance today is helping create work for many other Aboriginal artists in areas outside dance, from modelling, painting and popular music, to writing and acting. Descendance Dreaming” exploring hybrid themes & breathtaking fusions. A maelstrom of has grown out of necessity for indigenous people of Australia, and has become a refuge for live exotic instruments blended with the timeless sounds of the didgeridoo Aboriginal culture needing assistance. Descendance fills Australia's need for a wholesome, drive the show into a spiritual, high energy & entertaining dance experience exciting, and world class traditional and contemporary performing Aboriginal and Torres Strait never seen before. Islander Dance Company. Today Descendance is providing Australia and the world with some of the finest in traditional and contemporary indigenous culture and music. The story tells the tale of creation and the tree of life, exploring the roots of FUSIONS dance and expression, in a synergistic collision of art forms, as Indigenous, Descendance along with world music Flamenco, & Indian dancers explode onto the stage as the past present and artistic director Jose Calarco have begun the future become one, for all cultures are truly branches of the same tree. a new genre of contemporary indigenous performance, this fusion style has never Descendance promises new and compelling work as it pioneers in the field been undertaken by an Aboriginal of cross-cultural experiences. Descendance captures the essence & emotion • Winner 2004 World Dance and Peace Prize company before, exciting cross cultural of each culture & presents it in a modern overview. work with other cultures in both dance at the World Culture Open (Korea) UNESCO and live music, including Flamenco, Jose was at the front of the world Indian, Middle Eastern, Native American, music & dance movement in the South American, Asian, Eastern European Didgeridoo Players, Dancers, and African, these cultural exchanges nineties heading four have been invaluable learning experiences for Descendance which have broadened our vision International Dance Companies, Musicians, Choreographers, and out look on life. including the Antonio Vargas Singers, Elders, Painters, Flamenco Dance Theatre, Models, Indigenous goods. Flamenco Dreaming, Ngaru Aboriginal & Islander Dance Co, and now his most celebrated Descendance Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Dance Theatre success Descendance Aboriginal 3 Stanley Street, Redfern East NSW 2016 Australia. and Torres Strait Islander Dance Tel/Fax: +61 2 96997071 Mobile: +61 411 337136 Theatre. Internet: www.descendance.com.au Email: [email protected] www.descendance.com.au Descen_Brochure_June 30/6/08 2:54 PM Page 2

MAJOR EVENTS Descendance has participated in DESCENDANCE INTERNATIONAL History of major world events including the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the Descendance opening ceremony of the Rugby Union World Cup in 2003, the Soccer The Descendance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Dance Theatre was born from the mighty World Cup in Germany 2006.; they Ngaru Aboriginal Dance Company, Sydney's first professional independent traditional Aboriginal and headlined the United Nations Torres Strait Islander Dance troupe established in 1993. Ngaru means "shake a leg", a dance style indigenous forum in New York City in prevalent in the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland. 2006, and the International Ngaru had been one of the longest running professional performing Aboriginal dance troupes in Australia. In 2000 the name was changed to "Descendance" to account for the many artists from indigenous Forum in Pau (France) diverse tribes living in Sydney and joining the company. The motto was "One people all fighting a 2006. Since the year 2000, common cause". Descendance has participated in United Nations New York 2006 Indigenous Forum Pau france 2006 Sean Choolburra originally formed Ngaru in Sydney in 1993; Sean was born in Townsville in North many of the major international Queensland and has a background from three Aboriginal tribes, Girrma from Tully (father’s side) conventions and corporate events Kalkadoon from Mount Isa (mother's side) and Kukuyalanji from Cooktown (grandfather’s side). In held in Australia and around the world, performing for politicians and 1998 Ngaru came under the guidance of the late, great Aboriginal song woman Imelda Willis, and international dignitaries in the fields of medicine, technology, science, world music pioneer and producer Jose Calarco. Imelda came down from the sleepy seaside education, humanities, Arts and other diverse practices. Aboriginal mission of Yarrabah in far North Queensland on the invitation of Sean Choolburra. Imelda took on cultural duties for twelve months before her untimely death in 1999 (may she rest in peace). CLIENT BASE Imelda had just completed a six month season of traditional dance and song at Ayers Rock (Uluru) Descendance has worked with some of the world’s leading organizations and before finishing her career in Sydney. clients including Aurora Resorts, United Nations, Hawaiian Airlines, P & O Imelda was a gifted songwriter and Cruises, Qantas , Virgin Airlines, Amway International, Seoul City Government, In Russia 2005 Reunion Islands 2005 enhanced the Descendance repertoire Air New Zealand, Etihad Airlines, Korean Air, Australian Grand Prix , with some of her original works to Disneyworld Florida, South Corp Wines, Tourism Australia , DFAT , Australian encourage indigenous youths living in Rugby Union, AMP, Australia Council, Canada Council, Aboriginal Tourism the city to make something of there lives, Australia, Channel Seven, Samsung, Australian Government, International .Imelda’s heritage came from two tribes Aids Society, BMW, SOCOG, Richard Pratt, David Suzuki, Queens Jubilee (Kandju/Cape York) and (Yidindji/Cairns). Organization, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, International Indigenous Descendance was born out of her loving Funders, Moscow Circus, Sydney Casino, Northern Territory Tourist memory to create an independent Commission, Sydney Opera House, Austrade, Discovery Chanel, many of the vehicle and indigenous agency for artists major five star hotels, and the worlds leading Event Management companies, without support or funding, today her In 2005 they became the first indigenous company to become a finalist at The daughter Nicole Willis assumes her Sydney Business Awards. Honolulu Festival 2005 - 2008 LA performing for Nicole Kidman 2005 legacy.

BROLGA AWARD IN TOURISM ALICE SPRINGS CELEBRITY PERFORMANCES The demand for Descendance around the world and throughout Australia saw it evolve into two Descendance have also worked Internationally and across Australia in companies. One is based in Sydney, and one permanent group living and performing nightly shows movies, documentaries, theatre, TV, radio, community work, cultural centres, in Alice Springs (Central Australia) at The Heavitree Resort. The Alice Springs "Red Centre Dreaming worlds leading festivals, recording projects, education institutions, jails, and Experience “has been running since 2000 attracting thousands of visitors from all over the world. countless political events. Descendance have accumulated a distinguished In 2003 Descendance were presented with a Brolga award in tourism for their outstanding resume of live performances, and have been invited to perform for performances and cultural input in Alice Springs, the performances in Alice Springs are done with international celebrities such as The Dalai Lama, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the consent of the Arente Tribe the traditional land owners of the area. II, Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, Janet Jackson, Desree, Jimmy Cliff, Cate Blanchett, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Geoffrey Rush, Sylvester Descendance in Disneyland Florida 2003 - 2005 World Cup Soccer Germany 2006 WORLD TITLE IN KOREA 2004 Stallone, Olivia Newtown John, Steve Irwin, Keith Urban, The Dixie Chicks, In Sept 2004 Descendance was to claim their ultimate prize on the International stage when they Julio Iglesias, Justin Timberlake, The Black Eyed Peas, Delta Goodram, represented Australia at the first cultural style Olympics in Seoul Korea, the event was billed as “The Jennifer Hawkins (Miss Universe) Ian Thorpe and Johnny Knoxville and the World Culture Open”, from 70 countries who entered the competition, Descendance took out the Jackass Team. They have also given private performances for many of the World Dance/Peace Prize, the event was organised by UNESCO. worlds leading overseas dance companies, ranging from Cuba to Brazil, and INTERNATIONAL TOURING Spain to Africa. Descendance starred in Australia's first full-length laser movie Descendance has also completed hundreds of shows across Europe, Asia, Africa and The Americas, "Reef Dreaming", which was shown at Cockle Bay in Darling Harbour Sydney opening up work opportunities in over thirty countries performing at the world’s biggest for three years on a screen of jet-propelled water, producing giant hologram festivals and events, countries include 1. USA,(Hawaii, Orlando, Miami, Los Angles, San Aboriginal images with laser effects. "Reef Dreaming" went on to be watched Francisco, New York, Baltimore) 2.Canada, (Toronto, Ottawa, Alberta, by almost a million locals and tourists. A documentary by the Discovery Vancouver) 3.Korea, 4.Germany, 5.England, 6.Hungary, Channel titled “Atlas Australia” screened in a record breaking 170 countries New Zealand Tours 2005 - 2008 In Hungary 2003 - 2006 7.Singapore, 8.Russia, 9.New Zealand.10. China & Hong Kong and featured Descendance with narration by Russell Crowe. Descendance is 11.France 12.Reunion Islands, 13.Austria, 14.Dubai, also a member of the International Dance Council in Greece. 15.Spain, 16.South Africa, 17.Ghana, 18.Belarus, 19.Poland, 20 Lithuania 21.Latvia 22.Estonia 23.Croatia 24.Serbia 25.Bulgaria 26.Italy,27.Scotland, 28.Ireland, Corporate Functions , Conventions , Film , 29.Sweden, 30.Denmark, 31.Norway, 32.Thailand 33.Netherlands, 34.Taiwan 35.Japan 36.Vietnam Recordings , Special Events , Schools , Descendance has been one of Australia’s most Government institutions , Touring Local and

travelled Dance Company in recent times, indigenous FOR or non indigenous. International , Radio , Theatre , Museums , Art

BOOK NOW Galleries , Opening Ceremonies , Festivals. London 2004 Cultural Olympic winners Seoul 2004