The tiny Barefoot Ballerinas from Hope Vale opened this year’s Cooktown Discovery Festival with a fantastic performance on 14 June. Photo: Chisa Hasegawa.
In their fourth year together, the Hope Vale Barefoot Ballerinas reigned as the cutest performers to take to the stage at the Cooktown Discovery Festival from 14-16 June.
The tiny dancers in pink tutus and bare feet kickstarted this year’s festivities, combining twirls and pliés with traditional dance moves.
Through the Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy’s Hope Vale campus, the girls learn their culture and local Guugu Yimithirr language through dance.
“They’re inspired by being barefoot; a lot of the kids in community don’t wear shoes and they really nurture being close to the ground with their feet,” teacher Emma Coleman explained.
“They get to show little bits of themselves in the dances, and they get to learn about their culture and the language of their music as well.”
Ms Coleman said the kids had been rehearsing hard, adding she loved to watch them perform.
“We’ve been practising quite a lot, so they’re not nervous; they know exactly what they need to do,” she said.
“It’s such a good feeling seeing them happy and enjoying it, because school is not for all of them, so having external activities that aren’t just sports is a really good way to get them outside of the classroom and get them learning and doing something different.”
Dressed in pink tutus and tights, the dancers twirl to their local Guugu Yimithirr language. Photo: Lyndon Keane.
