Aboriginal troupe Chooky Dancers tackle suicide in new show

The Chooky Dancers, an Aboriginal dance group from Elcho Island, have debuted their new show called “Djuki Mala” in Darwin. The group is preparing to embark on a national tour visiting 42 communities, towns and cities around the country.

chooky_140305_AAP.jpg

Australian aboriginal dance group, Chooky Dancers (AAP).

The performance showcases the Chooky Dancer story and Yolngu culture.

Chooky Dancer’s artistic director Joshua Bond says to expect some old and some new material.

“It's somewhere between an autobiographical piece and a retrospective in that there’s a little bit of existing repertoire as well as a whole bunch of new repertoire,” he says.

The show has a strong message, and one the cast takes very seriously.

“There’s a big emphasis on the prevention of youth suicide. It’s a huge issue in our community.”

Mr Bond says a lot of the group's members have lost a close relative to suicide.

Their pride in Yolngu culture is expressed throughout the show, and the Chooky Dancers say they want to share it with Australia.

"When Chooky come to town and people say ‘who’s Yolngu and where are Yolngu from', then through watching and being a part of that show and being a part of that story – that ripple I guess [is why I do it],” says Mr Bond.

Listeners seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

By Danny Teece-Johnson
Source: NITV News

Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
Aboriginal troupe Chooky Dancers tackle suicide in new show | SBS News