Hello! As we weave towards the end of 2025 – we move into the BIRAK season for December and January. This season is represented by the colour red as it symbolises heat, sun and fire. In our southwestern corner of Australia, the rain eases and the warm weather starts to take hold, with afternoons cooled by the sea breezes from the south west. Our very own WA Christmas tree – moodjar – (Nuytsia Floribunda) begins to bloom.
October and November have been busy for the Lifespan Team, with our weekly community classes, outreach classes, and the extraordinary number of Seniors Week events. We were able to meet new community members in ‘Come & Try’ classes in Warnbro, Rockingham and Willetton – with great thanks to the organisational skills of good people at the City of Rockingham and City of Canning. It was a delight to meet new people in new places, and to share the vitality of dance to new communities.
Photo by: Kathryn
FANTASTIC news to share – We were successful in receiving a Launch Grant from Dance for PD®! We will be starting NEW and ongoing classes in Willetton in Term 1 2026. These classes will be led by two teaching dance artists trained in Dance for PD and are free to attend (with a gold coin donation to cover morning tea). This project is made possible by a Dance for PD® Launch Grant, a funding initiative of the Mark Morris Dance Group’s Dance for PD® program, and we are delighted to be growing our Community Classes into the south of the river communities. Please email to register your place in the class, and please share with people you may know in the Canning community.
Our Community Classes have been so lovely to teach alongside Liz, Ella, Ebony, Ruby and Christine. We have explored themes of Movie Soundscores, The Nutcracker and are now skating/gifting/glimmering our way into the Christmas block. HUGE thanks to our partnering organisations who support the weekly classes in generous ways – City of Kwinana, Koorliny Arts Centre staff, WA Ballet staff and City of Nedlands staff – we are so thankful for your help. And mighty thanks to our SENSATIONAL volunteers who have helped – Noel, Mia, Jac – week in and week out.
Our Outreach Classes with a focus on Dance for Brain Health have been sought after. We have taught at aged care, seniors centres, independent living and hospital/clinical settings. We lead regular classes in an ongoing arrangement, or one-off classes and complement existing programs. We would like to thank the allied, medical and care professionals who support the classes, and who sometimes become the back-up dancers. We are grateful!
2025 has been a HUGE year – with over 350 classes taught, and nearly 10,000 people reached. We are very happy to have been able to reach so many people, reliably, consistently and with such a high quality dance experience through our community classes, outreach classes and across our digital platforms. Invitations to present at a variety of key symposiums and conferences throughout the year have been a wonderful way to share our work, and we look forward to more opportunities in 2026!
Alzheimers WA Dementia Symposium
2025 Diary
December 4 – Presentation at the Dementia Australia WA Staff Training
December 12 – Final 2025 Dalkeith Hall Class
December 16 – Final 2025 WA Ballet Community Class
December 17 – Final Koorliny Class
I acknowledge and thank my fellow teaching dance artists – the dream team!
I thank our caring, invested supporters and donors, and the ACF platform (& inaugural AusArtsDay Event).
I thank my national and international Dance for Parkinson’s family-colleagues, who are supportive and resourceful and incredible humans!
We feel so grateful to be doing this work and to connect with our wonderful dancers and supporters in each and every class, and we look forward to more opportunities to share the dance in 2026.
We light candles to remember the dancers that have left us in 2025 and who will remain in our hearts, remembered with cherished fondness.
2026 Diary – TO NOTE!
January 19 – Outreach Classes begin
February – 2026 Partnering Organisations announced!
February 2 – Community Classes (WA Ballet, Dalkeith Hall, Koorliny Arts Centre, Canning) start back!
April/May – ECU WAAPA PHD Research Opportunity – to take part in Seated Dance Classes and Performances at the new ECU City Campus. More details to come!
April 10 – 17 – Great Southern Regional Tour – Perth – Wagin – Mount Barker – Albany – Denmark – Bridgetown – Bunbury – Community and Care classes.
Are you wondering how you can support Lifespan Dance to continue the good work? Here are some suggestions –
Word of mouth is the best promotion of our quality dance experience – please share your experiences of our dance classes, through your people-powered networks.
Buy a T-shirt and/or a Class Card as a gift for you or a friend
Christmas Gifting – you can donate (tax deductible over $2) to the Lifespan 2026 Program Fundraiser Campaign. These funds go towards our teaching dance artists, studio costs and the regional WA programs. Click here – https://artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2EMn00000U868bMAB/lifespan-dance-2026-program
Follow and Like via our socials and website.
Send us your reflections, responses, feedback, and testimonials – we would love to hear from you.
If you are a tertiary-trained Dance Artist, and interested in teaching – please reach out – we have secondment and employment opportunities in 2026.
Photo by: Penny
It has been an absolute JOY to communicate with you across the six bi-monthly newsletters in 2025. Thank you for reading the e-news.
Birak Season is the time to review and reflect, and to revive for the year ahead.
Wishing all a safe, merry and wonderful holiday and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year.