Australia Museum and Aboriginal Dancers

While looking for things to do with the kids while my mom is here, I visited the website for the Australia Museum.  I saw that they have a new program beginning this month called featuring Aboriginal (or first Australians) Performers.  I decided that this was a must see and so today, we went. 

We arrived at the museum about an hour and a half before the performance so we had some time to explore the museum. We were there several months ago, but it was late in the day and the minute Coop saw the dinosaurs on exhibit, we were out of there.  Thankfully, today's visit was better. We began our visit in the Kid Space which was amazing!  So many things for the boys to see and do. There were play areas with  native Australian animals, insects and dinosaurs,  a pretend water area, an arts and crafts table, several science tables and books and puzzles galore. That was all I actually saw- there was more, much more.  The boys loved it! Coop really liked looking at the bird feathers and insects under the magnifying glass. Tucker spend a total of 2 minutes at the arts and crafts table and then played, well, everywhere!  The boys played together with the dinosaurs (minus the scary ones) and in the tree house with the Australian animals.

Coop studying feathers

Tucker and glue

Playing dinosaurs minus the scary ones-- see small pile on right

Coop working on a puzzle with one of the "teachers"

Almost done

Finished!

Tuck playing dinosaurs

Playing with the tree house

Coop learning about insects

After we had our fill in the Kid Space, we went to the Learn and Discover area.  This was basically a research library with some things for kids to look at.  Both boys got to observe some live creatures-- a yabby, a prawn and some lizardy-guys.  They also were able to see some creatures that were not alive under the microscopes and magnifying glasses.  

Tuck looking at a yabby

Coop checking out some skeletons, insects and fossils

A little scientist!

I thought this was funny... :)

 Then we went down to the foyer where the performance was set to take place. We found our seats and waited for the it to begin.  There were three men in the show. One played the didgeridoo or "doo-doo" as Tucker calls it, one was the storyteller and the third was the dancer.  The storyteller introduced and explained each song and dance.  He also verbally recognised those who originally lived on this land and whose songs/stories/dances they were to perform out of respect and thanks.

We learned that the songs they performed today, were really stories where dancing and music were used to tell the tale. The storyteller narrated and the dancer interpreted the story in the most amazing way I have ever seen. If the story was about an emu- he danced just like an emu. It was almost as if he became the emu for those few minutes.  He also did an incredible dances where he was a kangaroo and a lorikeet.

We learned that the word, "didgeridoo" is an English word. There are 45 different ways to say didgeridoo in different Aboriginal languages.  Anything from "yiraka" to "kurmur" to "gambak." The word didgeridoo came from the sound the instrument makes.

The storyteller told us that the emu is a very important animal to the Aboriginal people. He explained that the female emu lays the egg and then leaves the male emu to care for the eggs and to raise the chicks.  He said that the stories of the emu teach them the importance of being a good father. 

 I love that!

Playing the didgeridoo

The dancer

The dancer performing a lorikeet dance