I underestimated just how powerful some of the stories are.
- Belinda Hills
MESMERISED by Alex Jeffery’s dreamtime ballet and Warrajarra Dreaming’s traditional dance, children left Little Sprouts Learning Centre with more love and understanding for Indigenous culture this week.
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The centre’s first NAIDOC Week, community members were invited to read dreamtime stories to the children each day.
“It's just been an amazing experience all round. I underestimated just how powerful some of the stories are,” nominated supervisor Belinda Hills said.
Alex, dressed in black with armfuls of paper feathers gave her own interpretation of the story How The Birds Got Their Colours, read by her mother Cath. The children loved the colourful performance and made their own dances of the story.
Warrajarra Dreaming’s traditional dance accompanied by Josh Blair on didgeridoo also fascinated the little sprouts.
“I was nearly brought to tears watching both performances,” Belinda said.
Belinda was amazed by how much the young children remembered as they retold the stories to their parents at the end of the day, and brought home owl illustrations after Tanya Keenan’s reading of Dumbi The Owl.
“They are gaining an understanding,” Belinda said.
She said the week had gone beyond her expectations and was grateful to Inverell District Family Services for their support.