Audio descriptions: Deaf in dance

Suitable for visitors who are blind or have low vision.

Deaf in dance: feeling the beat explores the Deaf Indigenous Dance Group, where the art of movement becomes a powerful expression of culture, identity, and resilience.

Full audio descriptive tour

Deaf Indigenous Dance Group dancers rehearsing in Cairns, 2021. A dancer stand in the foreground with their arms outstreched. The background dancers are wearing string skirts over their normal clothing. The men have fur attached to their skirts and are holding prop spears.

Origins

In 1997, Patty Morris-Banjo and her late friend Priscilla Seden established DIDG as a social get-together and cultural dance practice for the hard of hearing and d/Deaf First Nations communities. They envisioned a group that provided a safe and community-oriented space for people who live with the isolation deafness can sometimes bring. Although many dancers are from different communities, they share a common language — Auslan, or Australian sign language, together with Indigenous sign languages. With DIDG, members can communicate freely and express their culture without boundaries.

Practice

The Deaf Indigenous Dance Group’s (DIDG) rising profile has seen the group performing at national Deaf festivals, and cultural and arts events, where they have been recognised for their innovative dance practice. The Deaf Indigenous Dance Group (DIDG) dance by feeling the vibrations of music on the floor. Group founder Patty Morris-Banjo describes that by feeling the vibrations, they can sense the mood and emotions of the music.

"I can hear the drums through feeling the vibrations of the drums, and I can go to the music and the Island dancing. I feel it. So, when they are drumming slow, I slow down with the dancing. I feel the vibrations, and then you have the fast drumming, and we move fast and feel the vibration. Aboriginal dancing with the digeridoo you can feel the vibrations as well."

- Aviu Ware  2021

Excerpt from an Oral History with Aviu Ware as part of Sean Davey and Aishah Kenton’s collaborative project with the Deaf Indigenous Dance Group. Series 3, Oral Histories. Acc. 33312 Deaf Indigenous Dance Group collection, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

Audio descriptive tour

First Nations performer, Sue Frank, smiles proudly with inspirational messages hand-written around her portrait.

Sharing stories

The series of collaborative artworks featured in the showcase were created as part of the documentary and mixed media photography project by Sean Davey and Aishah Kenton. For the series, Aishah built on an idea she conceived during her studies. She gave each member of the Deaf Indigenous Dance Group (DIDG) a portrait of themselves. Then, she asked them to write and draw anything they wanted on the prints to communicate about themselves. The resulting suite of mixed-media portraits capture the spirit and energy of each DIDG member. Every portrait is an act of self-expression while also a collaboration between the photographers and dancers.

Audio descriptive tour

Deaf Indigenous Dance Group dancers at the Laura Quinkan Dance Festival, 2021. The dancers are posing as a group and wearing straw skirts and body paint.

Impact

Patty Morris Banjo and Priscilla Seden's vision 27 years ago for the Deaf Indigenous Dance Group (DIDG) was a powerful combination of embracing cultural diversity and inclusivity. Ongoing membership within the group continues their legacy, allowing each of its members to find a sense of belonging and empowerment. Through their art, and advocacy work, DIDG not only entertains audiences but also inspires a new wave of understanding and appreciation for the richness of d/Deaf culture, promoting unity and pride in the community.

Audio descriptive tour

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