SUNRAYSIA residents will be treated to free hip-hop and yoga workshops and live performances by Shaun Parker and Company over the next fortnight.
Parker, who was born and bred in Mildura, showcased his moves with his team of five talented dancers in the Mildura CBD on Tuesday.
“It is really nice to activated that beautiful mall there, it’s such a beautiful space,” Parker said.
“I remember growing up and when it was first built. It never use to be there, instead there was cars driving up and down there.
“It’s nice to be able to activate it and put on some great shows for Mildura.”
While visiting Mildura, Parker is also searching for Sunraysia’s best hip-hop and jazz groups to show off their talent, with a first prize of $1000, second prize of $500 and third prize of $250.
“I am looking for local hip-hop and jazz groups of five or more to send in their video entry and the top five will dance with us on Saturday,” he said.
“From there I will select three to perform the following Saturday, where the first, second and third place will be announced.”
Shaun Parker and Company will perform daily one-hour shows, including their award-winning performance piece Trolleys, where the dancers spin, glide, twirl and leap off supermarket trolleys, as well as another piece performed on hoverboards.
“Then we have another which is a dancer who does a duet with a remote control car, which is really cool,” Parker said.
Parker said his reason to return “home” was to give back to the community.
“I have been touring so much overseas and within Australia that I wanted to bring these shows back to Mildura,” he said.
Parker’s two week residency has been supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, Create NSW, and the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government Culture and Arts initiative and Mildura Rural City Council.
“The RISE Fund is a great initiative to do more outdoor performances,” Parker said.
“In the challenging times, the arts industry has taken a real hit, a lot of the theatres and performers are not being paid, it has a been a very tough time.
“It’s wonderful we can do these outdoor performances, which are a lot more COVID friendly.”
The live performances will be on everyday at noon excluding Sunday and Monday, yoga will be held from 10am to 11am Tuesday to Friday and the hip-hop workshop will be held from 4pm to 5pm Tuesday to Friday.
To book your spot or for more information visit shaunparkercompany.com.
