Hip-hop artist Ngioka Bunda-Heath leads indigenous dance workshop in Eden

Ms Bunda-Heath, 24, of Melbourne, is a graduate of both the Aboriginal Centre of Performing Arts and Victoria College of Arts who has also danced with the Sydney and Bangarra dance companies.

Fifteen young people, aged three to 15 years, took part in the free workshop in Eden last Thursday.

Campbell Page youth worker Timika Michelin said the workshop was "brilliant", with the students exploring hip-hop and contemporary dance moves, gaining confidence and improving their self-esteem.

Indigenous dance workshops allow students to explore movement and break down their own barriers through experimentation and engaging with other children, she said.

Ms Michelin said Ms Bunda-Heath held the workshop because she wanted to give back to the indigenous community.

Ms Bunda-Heath – who divides her time between performing and teaching – said she began her workshops by asking each participant to introduce themselves to their fellow class members.

She also asks them to identify the tribe to which they belong. “It’s important information to hold for future generations,” she said.

The ability to speak in public was also an exercise in building confidence, she said. “We can’t expect them to get up and dance if they won’t even say their name,” she said.

Ms Bunda-Heath said the fundamentals of traditional and contemporary indigenous and hip-hop were the same. “Many of the movements, for example, are low to the ground in both traditional and contemporary indigenous dance as well as hip-hop,” she said.

Indigenous and hip-hop were also both based on story telling, she said. 

Ms Bunda-Heath grew up in Queensland before moving to Victoria to study dance. “I started dancing when I was six and haven’t stopped,” she said.

The workshop was held in conjunction with fLing Physical Theatre.