6. Artist Profiles « RedHOT Arts

6. Artist Profiles

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Kael Murray – Dancer

Back Ground
When Kael was 3 years old a woman by the name of Kim Peach came through Alice and started up a Belly dancing classes at the YMCA for a 6-month period. Kael’s mum Genevieve Murray, Therese Cook and Jennifer Walker all became belly dance devotees over night. After the teacher left town Kael’s mother (Genevieve) began teaching the Bellydance Class armed with a selection of Belly dance Videos and a background of dance training and safe dance practice in other styles. The Shimmering Sands Belly Dance Co op was later established and the responsibility of teaching was shared.
Dancing was second nature to Kael growing up like an Egyptian listening to Arabic music and watching bellydancers. It was, however when Kael met Ayla (who rode into Alice on a camel train with her bellydancing mother) that she really began to take a serious interest in this ancient dance. Dancing constantly from the age of 12 with Ayla was a great inspiration for Kael and together they became little Shimmering Sands Mascots.

What’s Cooking
Since that time Kael has experimented with every kind of dance under the sun (training in classical Ballet at Central Dance Theatre, tap, ballroom, tango, flamenco) but feels she needs to broaden her horizons beyond Alice in order to extend and improve her art form. Recently Kael went to Perth to audition for the Jillina of ‘The Bellydance Super Stars’. This American based dance troupe was established and run by Jillina who is also a co-director with Miles Copeland of the Bellydance Superstars, taking bellydancing to the world and performing in places like ‘Follies Bergere’ in Paris. Jillina came to Australia scouting for potential dancers to set up an Australian version of the Troup, ‘The Bellydance Super Stars’. Kael was offered free training and opportunities to perform with Jillina’s LA central group ‘The Sahlala Dancers’ after she expressed an interest in dancing in America.
Kael is presently in Sydney acclimatizing to the oncoming bustling city life of Los Angeles. Kael believes if she can shine in a high calibre American troupe like The Sahlala whose performance is quite dramatised she will have greater chance of being a success.

The Nuts and Bolts
Kael’s preferred style is Tribal Fusion Bellydance, a style spawned from of American Tribal Style Bellydance created in the 1970’s. American Tribal Style Bellydance is influenced by lots of different cultures and is the only style that allows for group improvisation between set cues and transitions, fusing classical Egyptian and folkloric Bellydance. Today Tribal Fusion also includes Hip Hop, Circus, Burlesque, Bollywood, Polynesian and Flamenco. Kael has recently attended an intensive workshop in Melbourne with Rachael Brice the head choreographer of the Indigo Belly Dance Company who specialises in the Tribal Fusion style. Kael will train with her from time to time in San Francisco, whilst training and working in California.
As part of her working role at Incite Youth Arts, Kael taught hip-hop fusion Bellydance class at Alice Springs High School (who incidentally won the eisteddfod for their section) and also taught a teenage Belly Dance Group of her own at the YMCA, also eisteddfod winners. Kael is very grateful for the experience of working with a team devoted to nurturing the creativity of young artists at Incite Youth Arts last year. It has been the perfect springboard from which to jump into the arts world. 2008 has allowed Kael the realisation that she not only wants to be a dance artist but also an artist in the broader sense. It is evident from her successful contributions to Wearable Arts over the last 5 years that the creative talent is there.

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Recent Achievements
Recently Kael has collaborated with ‘Human Canvas’ (Tashka Urban, Phil Morosoli & Ronja Moss) in what can only be described as experimental multimedia band/performance art experience. ‘Human Canvas’ performed recently at the Festival Club and soon after at the Art at the heart conference. Kael has recently won the Wearable Arts Acquisitions Award and performed in The Cat’s Meow Cabaret.

Eye on the Horizon
Kael has loved growing up in the close knit community of Alice Springs and has experienced nothing but support and encouragement. With her parents permanently based in Alice Springs, Kael expects to return often but for the moment she will explore the life of a fulltime dancer in Los Angeles. After America Kael is interested in going to Melbourne and rolling like a stone with the ‘Human Canvas’ mob again, gathering not moss but other collaborative artists on tour. Kael believes you learn more in the process of collaboration than alone and it makes the art work stronger.
Kael describes Bellydance as the world’s most ancient dance form made by women for women. It’s a very natural way of moving and the dance form is constantly evolving but is consistently about inclusion and joy.

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RedHOT Arts is compiling profiles of Alice Springs artists and arts events. Franca Barraclough (RedHOT Arts Community Development Officer) will be constantly having her ear to the ground, sourcing local talent for this opportunity. This information in turn will be compiled and organised into an extensive reference collection of local artists. This resource will help RedHOT Arts connect, contact, inform and open more opportunities up for Alice Springs artists.

Elliat Rich - Multi-Disiplinary Designer