Choreographer and creative pioneer raymond d. blanco has returned to his birthplace of Gurambilbarra (Townsville) for the creative development of a deeply personal new dance work grounded in family histories, Indigenous knowledges, kinship, memory and legacy.
Produced by BlakDance, the development is supported by the Australian Government through the Indigenous Languages and Arts program and in-kind studio space provided by Dancenorth Australia through its Artist Residency in the Tropics (A.R.T.) Program.
As the only one of his siblings born in Gurambilbarra, raymond describes this development as both a homecoming and a heartfelt thank you to Dancenorth—the organisation that first gave him space to transform years of personal reflection into a living creative work.
“This project has lived inside me for a long time. Coming back to Townsville and working with Dancenorth has allowed me to finally give it the time and space it needs. This is my way of saying thank you to the place where I began, and to the people who believed in this story.
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What We Inherit
The work asks what we inherit: what passes across generations through memory, responsibility, faith, lived experience, love, cultural practice and creative practice and what we choose to carry forward.
Grounded in raymond’s family lineages and his decades of artistic practice, the work reflects on the relationships between kinship, cultural knowledge, family history and legacy. It considers the visible and invisible responsibilities carried across generations, while asking what has shaped raymond’s life, what remains relevant now and what he will leave for those who follow.
“I’ve spent my life creating work for others. This is the first time I’m really turning the mirror back on myself and asking, ‘How did I get here? Who am I now? What do I leave behind?
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Family in the Work
Members of raymond’s own family bring their shared histories, kinship and creative practices into the development. Including his granddaughter Brianna Kemmerling, this intergenerational cast makes family integral to both the making and meaning of the work.
“It’s an honour, and a rarity, to be given the opportunity to dance a story representing my own family lineage. To be taught and to create alongside my grandfather is something incredibly special.
We’re connected through our shared artistic practice, our kinship and our family history.”
Lifelong creative collaborator and dance family Marilyn Miller brings extensive cultural knowledge and artistic experience to the development. Singer-songwriter and producer Luke Daniel Peacock, raymond’s cousin, is creating the work’s original soundscape and musical composition.
Together, the creative team is shaping a work about what families remember, carry, transform and pass on and the enduring role of dance in carrying cultural and artistic legacy forward.
By placing his own family on stage, Blanco invites audiences into a story that is deeply personal yet encourages contemplation of universal questions about belonging, identity and inheritance.
The creative development also honours the artistic communities that have shaped Blanco throughout his career. Family members, collaborators and generations of artists contribute to a work that celebrates both the strength of kinship and the enduring power of dance as cultural legacy.
Marilyn Miller and Luke Daniel Peacock bring generations of creative excellence to the project. Marilyn Miller, Raymond D. Blanco’s lifelong creative collaborator and dance family, contributes her extensive cultural knowledge and artistic expertise, while acclaimed singer-songwriter and producer Luke Daniel Peacock, Raymond’s cousin, is creating the original soundscape and musical composition that underpins the work’s emotional and cultural journey.
As the work continues to evolve, Blanco hopes audiences will be inspired to reflect on their own stories; he says:
“I want people to look at themselves. We all carry histories. We all carry family. This work is about stripping everything back and asking, ‘What has brought me to this moment? & what is relevant to my future
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The development taking place at Dancenorth marks the next stage of a work that promises to be one of Blanco's most personal and ambitious creations to date—where science meets story, DNA meets dance, and legacy becomes movement.
Creative Team
Choreographer: raymond d blanco
Creative Collaborator: Marilyn Miller
Sound Design: Luke Daniel Peacock
Cast (Townsville Development): Aba Bero, Brianna Kemmerling, Harlisha Newie-Joe, Tameeka Cora, Tessarna Cora.
This development is produced by BlakDance with support from the Australian Government through the Indigenous Languages and Arts program.
BlakDance is supported by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body, and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
In-kind studio space for the Gurambilbarra development was provided by Dancenorth Australia.