The Common People Dance Eisteddfod has now become a Brisbane tradition. What makes this event so special, and why do people come back year after year?
Neridah Waters: Over the past six years, I’ve been building communities of people on the Northside, Southside, Eastside, and Westside of Brisbane, as well as in Ipswich, Wynnum, and the Sunshine Coast. These communities are made up of people of all ages, all abilities, and all different cultural, economic, and social backgrounds. But they all have one thing in common—they love to dance, not take themselves too seriously, and enjoy being in a place where they don’t feel judged by their abilities.
There aren’t many places where, as an adult, you can just go to dance to different styles of music from your favourite hits of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond. We dance to music you’d hear at your local supermarket. People then get a chance to feel part of a team when they perform together in a professional context, wearing sparkly costumes under lights, with all their friends, family, and community cheering them on. A lot of people come back every year saying it’s like “dance Christmas.”
What is your favourite part of working on the project? Do you have any standout stories?
Neridah Waters: My favourite part of working on the project is giving everyday people the chance to experience the joy and exhilaration of performing and dancing with others on stage. There is nothing like it. I have so many stories—lots of people have told me it’s better than therapy. There are stories from people who have gone through horrible divorces, lost loved ones, struggled with postnatal depression, been victims of domestic violence, suffered from low self-esteem or crippling social anxiety, cancer patients, carers of family members, and many more. They all mention how much joy this project has brought them, helping them reconnect with something they love and connect with a community of dance-loving humans.
