Hammo Time

Sydney Lyric Theatre might be hosting MJ The Musical, but Hammondville Public school can lay claim to having a group of students who showed what Emu and Kangaroo dances are all about.

Funded by the National Indigenous Australian’s Agency (NIAA), Paul visited Hammondville Public to celebrate NAIDOC where he told a range of stories, played the Yidaki and had fun with students from Kindergarten through to year 6.

The highlight of the day included younger students performing the Emu dance whilst the older kids decided they wanted to tackle a Kangaroo dance. With screams of encouragement from their peers, and looks of amusement from their teachers, the students bravely took their place on stage, and with minimal rehearsal, performed in a manner never before seen in Hammondville. 

It was almost as if the students disappeared, only to be replaced by Eastern Greys and the mighty Red Kangaroos of Central Australia. They hopped, they bounced and fully immersed themselves in celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture. We want to thank the students for their energy, warmth and willingness to learn about our First Nations culture. Finally, thank you to Hammondville Public for hosting us and a big thank you to the NIAA for funding this wonderful initiative.