The first term of school has been nothing short of unforgettable for students at Carinity Education Shalom. They've had not one, but two remarkable opportunities to share their rich cultural heritage with the Townsville community through dance.
Students played an important role in the recent NRL All Stars match, a rugby league game contested by players from and representing Indigenous Australian and New Zealand Maori cultures.
In the lead-up to the event, a dozen Shalom students received an exclusive invitation to participate in the player signing event hosted by Harvey Norman.
At the event, they had the thrilling opportunity to perform the opening dance alongside fellow Indigenous Australians and NRL icons Josh Addo-Carr and Latrell Mitchell. For student Arthur, it was an unforgettable moment when Addo-Carr described him as "a deadly dancer."
Under the guidance of Campus Pastor Andy Bollom and visiting Indigenous elders, the students dedicated weeks to perfecting the choreography.
"During the rehearsals we had the honour of welcoming Uncle David Mundraby and family from Yarrabah, as well as a collaborative session with local Indigenous artist Normey Jay," Andy explained.
