Lights will guide you.....
- Tamworth City Dance Academy
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
"Home": A Journey of Heart, Growth, and Belonging
When many of our students told us that TCDA meant "home" to them, we knew we had discovered something profound. That simple, powerful word became the heartbeat of our 2025 major production at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre—a three-hour celebration of artistry, growth, and the connections that define us.
On that unforgettable evening, over 1,000 people gathered to witness and participate in 28 dance items that explored what home truly means. From our tiny 3-year-olds dancing around an enormous ruby slipper to our senior aerialists defying gravity on silks and lyra, every performer brought their heart to the stage in a production that showcased the very best of what dance education can achieve. The visual spectacle—from dramatic lighting that carved separate worlds on stage to the seamless integration of aerial and ground performances—created moments of genuine theatrical magic.
Four Chapters, One Truth
We structured "Home" as a journey through four chapters, each exploring a different facet of belonging:
"Where the Heart Is" opened the show with pieces celebrating home as a centre of growth and nurturing—the place where dreams take root and confidence blossoms. Our opening aerial piece set the tone immediately, with senior aerialists performing at the highest technical level on three silks rigged centre stage and offstage, emerging from their "pods". The precision and confidence required for these performances is extraordinary; we only entrust our most experienced aerialists with this work because the risk demands nothing less than complete mastery.
"Leaving Home" acknowledged a bittersweet reality for rural families like ours. Many of our dancers leave Tamworth to pursue opportunities in bigger cities—a testament to the foundation we've helped them build, but never without a touch of sadness.
"Homecomings" explored the joy of reunion and return—that moment when you step back into a space that knows you and celebrates you exactly as you are.
"You Were Home All Along" brought us full circle with a nod to The Wizard of Oz, reminding everyone that home isn't just a place—it's what you carry with you. Our Tinys brought this theme to life in spectacular fashion, dancing around a 2.4-metre ruby slipper mounted on dollies that twirled across the stage while Dorothy performed from inside it. Picture the scene: dozens of little Toto plush toys scattered across the stage floor, our youngest dancers in their blue-and-white gingham costumes with tutus, and Dorothy herself emerging from within the enormous sparkling red slipper. The delight on those young faces said everything about the magic we create together.
The Art of Seamless Storytelling
One of the hallmarks of TCDA productions is our commitment to keeping audiences engaged from the first note to the final bow. We achieve our ambitious programming—28 full dance items, all with sufficient stage time—by eliminating traditional blackouts between pieces. Instead, we choreograph the transitions themselves.
Our creative team, led by Kellie Singh, Lily Singh, Jaydah McKnight, and Danielle Harvie, works magic with strategic lighting, multiple performance areas, and overlapping choreography. Picture this: lights fade on the main stage as they rise on the aerial performers offstage, allowing the stage to be reset while the audience remains captivated. Sometimes a silks performer hangs suspended six metres above the ground, bathed in vivid magenta and golden light, commanding complete attention while the stage transforms behind the scenes. We use moving lights and haze to create curtains of light that obscure sections being prepared. Sometimes dancers for the next piece enter during the current performance, blending seamlessly until one item transforms into the next.
Painting with Light
This year, we had the extraordinary privilege of working with lighting designer Rob Thorne, whose artistry elevated "Home" to new heights. While we invest significant time in lighting design and plotting, Rob's vision transformed our technical requirements into genuine theatrical poetry. He didn't just illuminate the stage—he created separate worlds within the same space, carved dramatic focal points that guided the audience's attention, and used colour and shadow to amplify the emotional resonance of each piece.
The way Rob's lighting design supported our seamless transitions was nothing short of masterful. He understood intuitively how to create those "curtains of light" that allowed the magic to happen invisibly, how to make an aerial performer float in their own luminous universe while crew worked efficiently in the shadows, how to use warm golden tones for intimacy and cool vibrant hues for drama. His work didn't just support the choreography—it became part of the storytelling itself.
These transitions aren't just technical solutions—they're part of the artistry. They challenge our dancers to maintain focus and precision even as the stage transforms around them. There's nowhere to hide, no moment to relax. Every second demands professionalism.
Creativity Without Boundaries
While many studios purchase the rights to pre-packaged shows like Frozen Junior, we've chosen a different path. We work from blank canvases, challenging our choreographers to create something entirely original. This approach demands more from everyone—more creativity, more collaboration, more risk-taking—but the result is a production that belongs uniquely to us and our students.
Across Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Hip Hop, Acro, and Aerials, our choreographers explored the theme of home with fresh eyes and brave hearts. They combined classes at different levels, created intricate staging that integrated aerial work with ground-based performances, and developed pieces where aerialists performed overhead while entire groups danced below them. Picture young ballet dancers in coral tutus and tiaras performing on stage while two lyra aerialists execute precise movements on hoops above them, all bathed in warm golden light—a stunning visual metaphor for the many layers of belonging, the way we support each other from different positions, the beauty of shared space.
A Production Built on Professionalism
The team at TRECC tells us they love working with us, and that means everything. They praise our ability to run precisely to schedule, our adherence to procedures, our respect for their expertise, and the exemplary behaviour of our students. When over 1,000 people attend a single performance spanning three hours (including presentations and intermission), maintaining that level of professionalism requires every person—from our youngest Tinys to our adult performers in the Shake n Bake Jazz group—to understand their role in something bigger than themselves.
This professionalism doesn't happen by accident. It's the result of a year of conceptualisation by our creative team, followed by six months of dedicated rehearsal. It's built into every class we teach, every value we model, every expectation we set. Our students don't just learn choreography; they learn what it means to be reliable, respectful, and committed to collective excellence.
More Than a Performance
The finale of "Home" is always something special. After recognizing our departing students, every performer returns to the stage for bows—not walking sedately, but dancing out with their classes in a joyful celebration that feels more like a party than a curtain call. We then present acknowledgments for our teachers and selective troupe members, award trophies to students who achieved Honours and above in their exams, and announce our major awards: School Spirit, Most Improved, and Studio Champion.
These moments matter because they recognize that dance is about more than technical skill. It's about character, commitment, and the courage to keep growing.
Elevating Dance Education
"Home" represents everything we believe about dance education. It's not enough to teach steps—we must create experiences that challenge, inspire, and transform. It's not enough to stage a recital—we must craft productions that honour the artistry of both our students and our creative team. It's not enough to celebrate achievement—we must acknowledge the journey, the growth, and the bittersweet moments of letting go.
When students tell us TCDA feels like home, they're telling us we've created something rare and precious: a place where they can be simultaneously challenged and supported, where they can take risks knowing they're held by a community that believes in them, where they can discover who they're capable of becoming.
That's the show we staged at TRECC. That's the experience we create every day at TCDA. And that's why, year after year, we continue to produce one of the biggest and most ambitious dance productions in our region.
Because home isn't just where you start. It's what you build together, one dance at a time.
Tamworth City Dance Academy: Elevate your dance experience.
Visit us at www.tamworthcitydance.com.au or contact kellie@tamworthcitydance.com.au to become part of our TCDA family.
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