TryBooking Logo
Subtotal:
$0.00
0

Sparky Moves and the Octopus Consortium

Sparky Moves and the Octopus Consortium

hero

About

A creative and social dance class for Seniors, their Carers (free) and their family members (free). However, this Dance class is also open to all who wish to learn or relearn how to move their body in rhythm, with flow, with balanced transitions of weight placement through the space. Feel the joy of being in your body through voice work, movement and dance. Supported by a fun group of people who like to laugh a lot (The Octopus Consortium)

Dates

Thursday 29 May 2025 - Thursday 18 December 2025 (UTC+10)
CLASS OUTLINE
1. Warm up to connect the body and mind
Class begins with chair exercises for strength, dexterity and control of the core body with foot and arm isolations.
Rhythmic perception and careful weight placement of the hips, knees and feet.
Movement memory retention and repetition of musical phrases.
2. Mindful walking and movement with the Octopus Consortium for balance, weight transference, gestural contact and connection within spatial awarenesss.
3. Rhythmic perception and musicality of the cultural dance style. Movement practice with a partner or the group in circles, lines or squares.
4. The Body of Sound and warm down - Gentle stretching, breathwork and vocal toning that follows the chakras of light and energy in the body, finishing in song.
 
TERM 1
Swing dance - Jitterbug, Jive, Rock n Roll, Shim sham, Boogie Woogie. Hoodie Boogie.
TERM 2
Country dances - Quadrilles, Square, Circle and Line dances: Celtic, Country and Klezmer music
TERM 3
Renaissance and Baroque dance - Minuet, Volta, Waltzes, Classical Ballet and dances of the Royal Courts of Europe
TERM 4
Afro Latin dance - Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, Salsa, Marengue, Kizomba, Bachada
 

YOUR DANCE TEACHING ARTIST

Jacqui Dreessens
jacqui.dreessens@gmail.com
Mobile: 0488 527 656
 
Shamanic Practitioner, Irish School of Shamanic Studies, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Ireland 2018.
M.Arts (Ethnochoreology and Embodied methodologies) Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, Ireland, 2017.
Lecturer in Dance Education, Deakin University, 1989 - 2016.
B.Ed (Dance, Drama, Psychology) Rusden, Deakin University, Australia, 1985
 
Jacqui is an ethnochoreologist and community arts practitioner in choreography and percussion. Born and raised on the Surf Coast and Geelong, Jacqui brings over 30 years of professional teaching and performance experience in schools, Early Learning centres, universities, festivals, Health & Wellbeing, corporate and community celebrations. Her research interest is in Performance Ritual and how people express their identity and connection to their sense of place through music, dance and across the Arts. Her inspiration draws from nature and the environment, researching the Ecology of Place and Embodied Experience. 
 
She has extensively studied dance styles and drumming techniques of the African Diaspora which has led to many exciting artist in residency programs in schools, festivals and communities across Australia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, India, Brazil, Nepal and the Netherlands including, 'Where journeys Meet' Gasworks Community Arts Park, to celebrate Australian Federation 2001; the Opening Ceremony for the Deaf Olympic Games at Olympic Park, Melbourne 2005; 'The Mountain to Mouth Extreme Arts Walk' You Yangs, Geelong city, Barwon Heads, 2016, 2018; Blink Dance Theatre for Geelong After Dark; 'Hildegard von Bigin' with Wendy Grose (Soparno) for Windfire Festival at St Marys Basilica and many new works for the Torquay High Tide Festival like 'SwellBeing'; 'Natural Balance'; 'Moonahs: Sentinels of the Surf Coast'; 'Circles on Waves'; 'Hidden Depths'; 'Hoofprints in the Sand'.
In 2007, 'Children of the Blue Light' was her first major ethnographic film documentary in performance ritual at the Cape Coast Slave Dungeons of Ghana, West Africa with Asanti Dance Theatre and Wild Moves International (available online and DVD). Her latest ecochoreological dance film in the mangroves at Lake Connewarre, Barwon Heads, is also available, 'Dancing in the Échelons' for Mangroves from the Water exhibition  at the Gordon Gallery.
On the Australian festival circuit, over the past 30 years, Jacqui has performed with many African dance bands notably, Warako Musica (Congo), Thula Sana (Sth Africa) and Adzohu (Ghana).
Since 2001, Jacqui runs cultural dance and drumming tours and personal empowerment programs to Ethiopia, Ghana, Portugal and Senegal.
Jacqui is also the bodhran player for TradJam of the Ironbark playing the music of her Celtic roots.
 
As director of Wild Moves International (1991) she also facilitates other community groups
Please see Wild Moves International
 
Dancing with Parkinson's was first initiated by Michael Atkinson and Jacqui Dreessens in 2018. It has since survived the Pandemic by stepping out on Zoom. Now it is a live inclusive Social Dance experience for ALL Seniors, 55 years and up, their Carers and family members at Torquay Senior's Hall, 16 Price St. Wadawurrung Country, Surf Coast.
All Seniors are encouraged to become members of the Torquay Senior Citizens Club. 
 
LOCATION
Get directions

Torquay Senior's Hall
16 Price st, Torquay Victoria 3228

footer_image
footer_image
footer_image
Join wait list
Sorry, there are no available tickets for this event. Please sign up to the wait list (optional).
Join wait list
Your name has been added to the wait list for this event. The event Organiser will contact you through your email address once there are available seats / slots.
Join wait list

Sorry, there appears to have been an error. Please try again later.

Choose date

Select a date
Key
Available Not available Past session
Loading...
Select a time
Loading...
Contact Form
Sparky Moves and the Octopus Consortium

Ask the event organiser a question, get your tickets resent to you or book to this event.

Message the event organiser
Contact Form
Loading...
Sparky Moves and the Octopus Consortium

Use this form to message the event organiser if you have a question about the event.

Contact name:

Contact phone:

Contact phone:

You can review the event organiser's terms and conditions here.

Your email has been sent.

The organiser will be sent the details of this message.

successful

Sorry, there appears to have been an error. Please try again later.

Contact Form
Sparky Moves and the Octopus Consortium
resend tickets
Resend Tickets

Resend recently purchased tickets to our events to your email.

Enter email to start search

 

You can review the event organiser's terms and conditions here.

TryBooking_Icon TryBooking_Logo
  • Sell Tickets
  • Fundraising
  • About Us
©2025 TryBooking Pty Ltd
  • Privacy policy
  • Website terms of use