There’s an unending list of things to be worried about as a new parent: nap time, tummy time, vaccinations, viral illnesses. But nothing elicits a more rabid response among parents than the issue of “screen time”. How much is acceptable? Should our kids have personal screens? And what on earth is a “low-stimulation” kids show?
Into this messy discourse hops ABC’s Dance with Tom – a delightfully simple and joyously crafted show hosted by dancer-choreographer and proud Minjungbal/Wiradjuri man Thomas E.S. Kelly, who uses oral storytelling, animation and choreography to teach kids First Nations stories, dance and language.
ABC has released just five short episodes on iView, but the series is already a staple in my household: beloved by my 22-month-old dance-crazed daughter – and by her parents, grandparents, aunts and great-aunts.
In Dance with Tom, infectiously excitable host Kelly guides his viewers through some of the stories and cultural traditions of the Yugambeh Language Region in south-east Queensland. He tells kids about the sun (Nyunga); the wedge-tailed eagle (Mibunn), a central figure in the region’s culture and histories; and the enigmatic soldier crabs (Boongoo Boongoo) that march on the local beaches. Kelly matches each story with simple dance kids can learn by watching. (My daughter is a huge fan of the kangaroo dance – Kuruhman – in which Kelly brings his paws up to his belly to scratch, and uses his hands to imitate a roo’s twitching ears.)
Kelly describes the show as a “circuit breaker” – and that’s what the bite-size episodes feel like in my household. My daughter asks me for “Dance, Tom”, and we’ll hop up to perform together alongside Kelly’s on-screen dance troupe, which includes children of various skill and ability levels, as well as Kelly’s wife, dancer Taree Sansbury, and their daughter.
The series also features boldly rendered animations by Kalkadoon artist Breanna Buttenshaw, and music from Meanjin-based composer Glen (Gling) Hunt, both of which beautifully compliment Kelly’s buoyant storytelling style. Kelly is a Naisda Dance College graduate and the artistic director of First Nations contemporary dance company Karul Projects. But despite his rather grown-up artistic pedigree, he is acutely tuned in with the kind of art that engages younger viewers. During Covid lockdowns, he conceived a no-frills YouTube project called Shake A Leg, teaching kids dance moves via videos filmed in his garage.
Even so, when producer Karina Hogan approached Kelly with an idea for an ABC Kids series centred on First Nations dance and storytelling, he admits he was nervous that he was “not the right person”. But ABC and Allstory Pictures were enamoured with Kelly’s dynamic creativity and his respect for Country, which became the nucleus of their evolving project.
Dance with Tom feels remarkably rich and expansive for something so ostensibly small and simple. Kelly puts this down to the shared creativity among the team, and the guidance of Kombumerri and Mununjali Elder Aunty Faith Baisden, who co-wrote the series with director Dean Gibson. “That’s cultural knowledge for me,” Kelly says. “Nothing is more important than the other. They’re all together.”
Kelly’s future vision for the show is one that travels the continent, engaging with different Aboriginal communities and sharing their stories. For Kelly, Dance with Tom isn’t just a cute little kids’ series; it’s also an opportunity to embrace traditions that are treasured by Australia’s diverse First Nations communities. “First Nations Australian culture is so unique because it’s only found in Australia,” Kelly says. “It’s almost like the only thing that is truly Australian is the First Nations Australian culture.
“And if we all embrace it and take it on and respect it, then we also gain a little bit of pride and ownership over it to represent it to the world.”
Dance With Tom is available to stream on ABC iView.
