Episode 22 - the last episode

We did it. We got to the end of our season, and  we have bumped out the show. The site is empty and the marks on the grass where the set used to be now look like an alien ship has departed.

We had a wee mishap with Reuben De Waal on Wednesday, with him cutting his foot open while removing the boat from the lake. A 5 hour trip to DFarwin Hospital Emergency  saw him with stitches, super glue, bandages, tetanus, antibiotics, a script, and spare bandages. Poor man, he works so hard as a freelance Carnival Folk Juggler gypsy, and this means he will have to lose a bit of work. Our hearts go out to him as he recovers.

Reuben's foot

Will the foot fit the shoe?

Kelly and CJ Fraser Bell had a few trips around town depositing things in places such as the tip, the hardware store for more storage containers, and everything has gone back into its rightful place.

Gail and the box office reconcillion

We are now all at our work stations finishing off the final details.  Gail is trying to reconcile the box office information from the Entertainment Centre. Tim removes the mark up from the studio floor. Kelly tries to reconcile everythjing but her computer freezes, and I am writing up this blog.

Tim removes tape

Kelly's computer freezes at the wrong time

Tomorrow we return to normal with our Friday Morning Grey Panthers class. There is still a week of Darwin Festival to go and I am seeing as much as possible. Barry Morgan Last night and still IHOS Opera Kimesis and Meow Meow on Sunday. Jo Duffy has been a fab festival Director, I have enjoyed her curation this year - cheers and farewell to her - Darwin's loss but Tasmania's gain.




A huge shout out to everyone who made crocodile man Pineapple Woman such a success. Over 100 individuals and organisations: our cast, choreographers, designers, sound and light, techs, makers, costume makers, Erwin Lapitz for letting us use his story, and Ann GIbb for bringing her mother to life on teh stage. To teh golf course, our staff, our front of house and our ushers. Our film and photographic documentors, the caterers, our sponsors and our funding bodies - so many of these people volunteer their time, or sponsor to make the work so special and we thank them all. And especially to the audience who allowed the cast to bring such a fantastic local story to life every night of their 10 performances. Such a big THANK YOU.


If you are at all interested in being on our mailing list to receive advance information, just send us your name and email address, (or mail address for hard copy) to info@tracksdance.com.au and request to b put on our database.


Our next show is Milpirri development in Lajamanu ion October. Will let you all know how it goes. Bye for now and thanks for reading this blog.  We welcome any comments or feedback, especially from people who read this or saw the show.

And I write this blog

Episode 21

Greetings followers. We have been so busy of late that I have not had much time to post. The season has been going very well with basically full houses most nights. We have two more shows to go, and tonight is sold out.

One of the lovely things at this time of a show is the chance to relax during the day and not worry about the choreography and other things. So I went down to the Ski Club to watch a fabulous Darwin Sunset with my sister, bro-in law and niece,

Seen better?

and even made it down to Christos at Frances Bay Marina for a seafood lunch, which we demolished in no time flat.

sardines, yummy

 Dennis, the golf ball collector, has sent through a few of his pics which he still manages to take most nights. I really like this one as he has captured the magic of the fountain in the middle of the lake with the big  expanse of the green

Any way, I will probably only get one more chance to write this blog, and then it will conclude with a wrap up. So thanks everyone for reading it. And you can probably catch us most nights at the wonderful festival club. Why not have a chat? We would love to hear what you think.

Episode 20

Well the season is so well under way now and the cast are settling in to the routine of repetition. We have two more shows this week and then a couple of days off.

Teddy and Ruttiya warm up on site

Kelly World takes shape on her desk

Last night (Sunday), Joanna Noonan, choreographer, said "I liked that show a lot. They worked well as an ensemble and lots of happy faces. for me this was the best show yet".

One of our ticket winners said:
" Hi Tracks. We had a great time tonight at CMPW, the music was great, the dancing fun and the full moon awesome - the last words my 8 yo said to me tonight were, "Mum, I need a disco ball in my bedroom"! "



Today the office has a special Guest, Lee Christofis, the Curator of Dance, National Library Australia, who is looking at our photo archives for possible acceptance into the National Dance Archive. He is also going to interview Tim and David for the oral history component.

Off to the site now to make sure the water gets there for the ca. Smaller audience today but I hope it picks up a little

Episode 19 - Opening Night

Mirror Ball Finale

OPENING NIGHT. We made it. (and between you and me, we totally rocked the golf course three venue, Tracks event for the Darwin Festival.

We were all ready. Everything planned to the detail. Our pineapple and crocodile biscuits made by the real CWA arrived, (and the samples were very nice.) How lovely to have them on board again. I think they will become a fixture of Tracks' shows.  The show was sold out before starting. Tim and David washed down the chairs and made sure everything was to their liking. Opening night gifts were distributed and Bilha even had a surprise bunch of flowers form her son and daughter in law. The Front of House staff were ready, the Ushers were all in place. Mary and CJ and Kelly had preset everything, Tony had warmed the lights and checked levels. The cast was warmed up, given performance notes, rehearsed the Finale, and put their costumes (Ann Gibb is amazing) and makeup on. We found out that Ann's father, Erwin Lapitz, the crocodile man we based the show on, was coming to see the show tonight. Pressure on Yoris.

We walked across the golf course to our starting positions (Teddy ran back to get his correct shoes). And the show started, as the hurley burley of the market took over. The crowd responded well and we moved to Act 2 across the lake.

Market scene: All photos by Jason Lam

Then we got word that a generator that powered that site had gone down. Kelly and CJ magically pulled a spare generator  into place and the audience were only delayed by 7 minutes. I don't think they minded hanging out under the full moon (almost) and the stars on a balmy Darwin  dry season night. Julia and Yoris were put on an extended standby and thank goodness we are working with professionals who took it all in their stride and went on to perform unfazed. The crowd chuckled the entire way through, as we had hoped they would

Bilha Smith, head CWA, leads her girls on with the cocktails

 Then onto the third site. With over 200 people as audience we had them all in and seated well within the allocated time. The scene started and I had a smile on my face for the full 40 minutes. By the end the audience were buzzing, many of them commenting on how much they wanted to get up and dance at the end.

Samran (Julia) joins into a full cast version of the Madison done to Disco Inferno

You have to love a dance show that not only makes people want to dance, but also makes them think that they are able to, that it is within their capabilities.

Kyle as Crocodile Hunter

Kyle and Melinda in their duet of cultural difference

Then we went back over to the club rooms to have a party which was catered for by Then Knock About Chefs program run by the Chair of our Board, David Taylor, out of the Bakhita (supported centre for homeless men). It was all Thai styled food, and as one of the Thai cast members, Theeradet Suphannabutt, said: "it tastes like real Thai food, that peanut sauce is the best." So a great big thankyou to David and his team, especially Sylvester who did not stop dancing the entire way through service, and probably "hasn't stopped dancing yet"..

Close to you, Pineapple woman revels in her Thai dancing

Pineapple Woman and Crocodile Man dance at their engagement party

The Busby Berkly finale

All  photos in this Episode were taken by our official photographer Jason Lam. We will post more on our facebook page when the dust settles.

At this rate the show should sell out quickly. So book. (08 8980 3333)

Episode 18

Market scene rehearsal, photo by Dennis

Last night, (Tuesday) was our technical rehearsal. Beforehand  Mary Fox whipped the cast into shape as we try to train them to sign in and get to site on time. Most of them understand the discipline. David took the warm up and we headed over to Venue one for the market. Photographer Jason Lam came to take some test photos before he does the full shoot on the dress rehearsal

Lurking croc, photo by Dennis

Venue two for the swamp and  thank goodness a few technical things went wrong in Act 2 so we can fix them and have some backup plans. As usual Kelly Blumberg and CJ Fraser Bell saved the day.  We will put new cues in for when the generator starts and the tri-light turns on. Tony is going to bring some alternative lights for emergency. And then on to the third venue.  Bilha had me in stitches as she bellowed on her megaphone, ordering people to move or else they would "miss out on the pavlova".

Wednesday night: Dress rehearsal - slick, all went according to plan

CWA and Trays, cast at the Party. Photo by Dennis

Lovers meet reenactment. Special appearance by giant pineapple. Photo by Dennis

Thursday night off to go to Sydney Dance Company We Unfold - so very beautiful.

Stay tune for Opening Night Blog

Episode 17

Kelly and Tim on a rare break

Cast in gypsy greenrrom

Monday evening - mostly by pics. Prepared lots of little things getting ready for the lighting plot with the cast. It all went very smoothly although I bet Kelly wishes there were a few less props. It was so very exciting to see the costumes under the lights, and most of our plotting from the previous night went swimmingly. A few lighting level adjustments and Tony stayed on to make the adjustments through his system. All the cast got early points, and even Kelly got to leave 10 minutes earlier than scheduled.

David and Kelly put their best foot forward

Cast rehearse Market scene

This is the back of Tony's Bio Box Palace

Tuesday. An early start and lots of things got done with Kelly, CJ, Tim and David on site - Fences installed, paper bag lanterns in place. Lights up trees and pot holes filled. Edges on the on stage and a myriad of other things. Bookings are nearly at 50% pre-sales so going fast. Please book if you want to come  Darwin Entertainment Centre 8980 33333

CJ and Kelly install carpark lighting

Fence and lanterns surround the lake

two ibis rehearse for tonight's technical run, or is it Julia Quinn and Yoris Wilson in disguise

Who is putting on this show?

Tonight is our technical rehearsal, although last nights lighting plot ran more like a tech run. Fingers crossed tonight goes as smoothly

Episode 16

Sound and light consol (Tony's Palace): fans by Blumberg Construction

Saturday:
The magic people of Dreamedia began to set the lights and sound up. It is such a delight to work with a production company that you have such confidence in, and the cast is most fortunate to have them supporting their dancing. Reuben De Waal and CJ Fraser Bell worked under Kelly's guidance to fix lots of things, like painting a wall black, filling holes, fixing weed-mat covering on our fencing, moving the seating roster and making sure the chairs were in the right place. These things make such a difference.

Tinny: Photo by Dennis John Plummer, golf ball collector

Today was only the second time we had a complete cast, although one was very late. When the cast arrived we rehearsed the Market scene. Yoris Wilson has saved the day by bringing in his PA system, and the sound is great. A few adjustments, and another run. We had to miss the Swamp scene as the golf course was in full swing. And as Yoris reminded us, these golfers are not like the ones you see on TV, these ones cannot all aim properly. Ducking a few stray balls and then we went over to the party site. The cast of CWA women practiced their audience movement section, and then Tony (Dreamedia) magically had the sound working on time. (Not tuned and phased yet but working and loud.)

Tony at his consol

After the rehearsal and some fixing things up, the cast left. Tim, Kelly, David and Tony were left on site for a calm moment. Tony was aiming his lights into the surrounding trees to look at some possibilities. It is such a magic moment when what you have had in your head for over 2 years, begins to fall in place and work.

Sunday.
Lighting plot day.

The floating mirror ball and FESTOONS!!!

Dreamedia boys had finished their light and sound work and we sat with the amazing Tony to set the lights for the party scene. This was a joy, the hardest part being setting lights outside for the audience when we could not see what they were doing due to a fence in the way. The joys of mobile phones came into play with Tim outside relaying the information back to us at the technical desk.

Killer crocs lurking: photo by Mr Plummer

Lighting plot for the giant Pineapple

Gypsy dressing room, rugs by Noya

Once the first lighting state had been set we plotted the rest of the cues, with Kelly dancing around the stage with costumes in hand, to see the effects of the colours. All in all it was very smooth sailing, and I think it will look amazing, and sound great. Don't forget to book tickets: 08 8980 3333