Australian Dance Party, IMPULSE at Belconnen Arts Centre March 2026, by O&J Wikner Photography.
Gungahlin Arts are proud to support:
IMPULSE – Presented by Australian Dance Party
An electrifying fusion of live performance, professional dancers and acclaimed musicians create a high-energy collision of movement, music and atmosphere set in the public realm for all to enjoy.
In March dance artists of Australian Dance Party with guests Alex Voorhoeve (Cello) and Rachel Thoms (Vocals) engaged in a three day practice of experimentation, improvisation and instant performance across contemporary dance and music fostering inter-art form exchange and the building of new artistic relationships.
Audiences joined the artists on the fourth day for an electric live performance in the Belconnen Arts Centre main gallery inviting them to harness their own ‘impulse’ and creatively respond to the work unfolding before them. They became part of the work, actively engaging in the creative dialogue of the moment.
The illustrated and photographic works featured in this online gallery showcase the responses and ressonances generated from this creative collision, celebrating local imagination, expression and the creative pulse of the North Canberra region. Thank you to all who contributed!
Producers: Alison Plevey and Sara Black
Dance artists of ADP: Pat Hayes Cavanagh, Jahna Lugnan, Ashlee Bye, Gabriel Sinclair
Local Artists: Rachael Thoms (vocals) and Alex Voorhoeve (cello)
When: Saturday 21 March, 12:30pm
With thanks to the Regional Arts Fund, artsACT, Gungahlin Arts, Belco Arts, Celebrate Gungahlin Festival, Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Creative Australia, Quantum Leap Australia for support to bring this project to life.
“This is a wonderful initiative for the arts in Canberra. Thank you for staging it. As a creative photographer I welcome the opportunity to immerse myself in an event with other creatives like this. The inclusion of an exhibition in the project is the cream on top and motivated me to produce excellent images with exhibition quality frames in mind. The dancers and musicians were excellent and I loved their work” – Audience/artistic responder
Australian Dance Party, IMPULSE at Belconnen Arts Centre March 2026, by O&J Wikner Photography.
The Online Gallery
Featuring illustrated and photographic works, this online gallery showcases the creative responses and resonances that emerged from this collaboration. It is a celebration of local imagination, artistic expression, and the creative pulse of the North Canberra region. Thank you to all who contributed.
Jason Pearce – Jahna, 2026; Gabriel and Jahna, 2026; Gabriel, 2026. Photography.
Jason Pearse Artwork Statement – Capturing the movement and energy of the performance through an old digital camera and further edited to remember a certain era of digital history.
Angus Nelson
Untitled, 2026
Graphite and marker on paper
Vivienne Rogis – Impulse 1, 2026; Impulse 2, 2026; Impulse 3, 2026; Impulse 4, 2026. Crayon on paper.
Vivienne Rogis Artwork Statement – Created live in response to Australian Dance Party’s live improvised performance IMPULSE.
Teatea Chen
Grass Singing and Mountain Dancing, 2026
Pencil on paper
Graham Gall – The Extension, 2026; The Mantle, 2026; The Next Impulse, 2026. Photograph.
Artwork Statement
This selection of works from my Impulse series explores the invisible threads that connect performer, partner and witness. Captured during an improvisational residency by the Australian Dance Party at the Belconnen Arts Centre, these images move beyond the athleticism of dance to find the quiet, communal pulse of the room.
In these frames, we see the blurring of boundaries: a hand becomes a grounding anchor, a gesture becomes a shared silhouette, and the wide-eyed gaze of a child becomes a new creative act on paper. By documenting both the physical intensity of the dancers and the silent absorption of the young observers, this collection highlights how art is not a one-way performance, but a continuous dialogue that leaves a lasting impression long after the movement stops.
Artwork Descriptions
The Extension – This portrait explores the shared physical identity of the ensemble. Pat Hayes Cavanagh’s hands frame Jahna Lugnan, creating a singular silhouette that blurs the line between individual performers. It captures a moment of deep, intuitive synchronization within the Australian Dance Party.
The Mantle – A study of grounding and collective energy during the Impulse performance. Jahna Lugnan, Ashlee Bye, and Pat Hayes Cavanagh demonstrate the physical support structures inherent in improvisational dance, where a simple touch becomes a guiding force for the group.
The Next Impulse – Art reflecting art at the Belconnen Arts Centre. As the audience is invited to respond through drawing, these young observers translate the fluid movements of the dancers into their own creative language, proving that the performance lives on through the eyes of the viewer.
Zsuzsi Soboslay
Untitled, 2026
Crayon on recycled paper
Ritu Singh
Untitled, 2026
Crayon on paper
Grace Peng – Untitled 01, 2026; Untitled 02, 2026. Crayon on paper.
Grace Peng Artwork Statement – A response to Impulse. The movement and patterns of the dancers.
Nicolette Benjamin Black – IMPULSE AB-1, 2026; IMPULSE AB-2, 2026. Mixed media.
Nicolette Benjamin Black Artist Statement – I make mixed-media art using whatever medium I need to create the particular work in my mind. With the idea of art-making while others were dancing, I had to draw, and all I had with me were a pen, a pencil, and a texta on sustainable canvas made from recycled plastic.
ABOUT ADP
Australian Dance Party is an award winning site-specific dance company, creating inventive dance experiences that tackle bold ideas, emanating from Ngunnawal Country. ADP shares a unique voice through one of the most vital art forms harnessing dance as a means to imagine positive futures, inspire awareness and change.
Australian Dance Party are the backbone of professional dance in the ACT, sustaining careers for dance artists in our region.
Find out more about IMPULSE and the Australian Dance Party
IMPULSE: australiandance.party/projects/impulse/
Website: australiandance.party
Facebook: @australiandanceparty
Instagram: @australiandanceparty/
IMPULSE is supported by the Regional Arts Fund, artsACT, Gungahlin Arts, Belco Arts, Celebrate Gungahlin Festival, Creative Australia, Quantum Leap Australia.
Australian Dance Party, IMPULSE at Belconnen Arts Centre March 2026, by O&J Wikner Photography.