Ocean Stories - Cairns
Art + Science for Our Planet

Celebrate the ocean through theatre, music, dance, lectures, art and get inspired by people who are making a difference.

Directed by
Kaeshi Chai

Featuring
Morganics
Sally Turner
Jennie Gilbert
Sienna Krzemien
Emeline Nandrot
Melissa Varoy

Ocean Dancers
Laura Koo
Lee Margaret Haereroa

Marine Debris Art
by Redlynch State College Students

WHERE
Cairns Eisteddfod Hall, 67-71 Greenslopes St, Edge Hill, QLD 4870, Australia

SCHEDULE
5:30pm: Doors Open
6:00pm: Show
7:30pm: End

SHOW TICKET
$35 Pay it Forward
$25 Suggested
$15 Limited Income

Tickets are available at the door. Please bring cash.
Tickets are general admission and non-refundable

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WHO (Listed Alphabetically)

Emeline Nandrot is a dancer and scientist based in Paris, France. She is excited to visit Cairns for the first time.

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Jennie Gilbert is a marine biologist, Pride of Australia medal winner for conservation and TEDx speaker. Jennie's passion for rehabilitating and saving turtles led her to become one of the co-founders and driving forces behind Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (CTRC). Working mainly on the Great Barrier Reef, CTRC attracts international research students and has more than 200 volunteers. They have been responsible for rescuing countless marine turtles that would otherwise not survive. When rehabilitated and released the turtles are tagged with satellite tracking which gathers vital data for conservation. Jennie finds nothing more rewarding than watching a healthy sea turtle return to the ocean and believes strongly of the importance of combining passion and research.

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Kaeshi Chai is an award winning multi-disciplinary artist, teacher and director based in NYC and CA. At age 14, she performed Chinese dance with the Chinese Youth League at parliament house in Canberra for Australian prime minister Bob Hawke, and in 2003, she performed with INXS in a World Peace concert in Bali televised to millions of people. She co-founded Bellyqueen - a professional dance company and school based in NYC - and PURE (Public Urban Ritual Experiment), a global community focused on healing and social change through dance and music. She developed the Bellyqueen teacher trainer curriculum and is a proud member of Evolutionary Leaders, a circle of innovative thinkers (including Deepak Chopra) who have dedicated their lives and work to human and social transformation. Kaeshi has taught / performed in 47 states and 39 countries, performed with Spector Dance - a contemporary dance company based in Monterey, CA - and is an alumni member of the Bellydance Superstars, Jillina’s Bellydance Evolution and Kenji William’s Bella Gaia. Kaeshi curates the Djam NYC event for dancers and musicians to create and play together. Current projects include Ocean Stories, integrating art and science to create more environmental awareness, and Creative Labs in which participants conceptualize, choreograph and mount full-length theatrical dance shows in 3-4 days.

Seize the opportunity to take a "Flow Like Water" dance workshop with Kaeshi on Tuesday 28 February 6.15-7.45pm in Cairns!

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Melissa Varoy is a Marine Biologist, author, illustrator, actor and lover of coffee and nature.

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Morganics is an award winning Hip Hop artist, performer and director. He has performed from Bondi Beach to the Bronx, the Sydney Opera House to Long Bay Jail, Tanzania to Tokyo. As a member of seminal Australian Hip Hop group MetaBass'nBreath he toured Australia, and twice to the US (1997,1998). Parallel to his career as an MC, Morganics is Australia's foremost Hip Hop Theatre practitioner. His one man Hip Hop Theatre show 'Crouching Bboy Hidden Dreadlocks” was a sell out and a critical success touring to Perth International Arts Festival, The Sydney Opera House, New York and the UK in 2006. His latest production “Survival Tactics” toured Melbourne, Brisbane and The Sydney Opera House in 2007 to critical acclaim, sold out houses and standing ovations.

Morganics has taught Hip Hop in jails, community centers and isolated Aboriginal communities all around Australia. In 2002 he released his solo album “invisible forces...” and “All You Mob!”. Recordings of your “Aboriginal Hip Hop from around Australia”. This spawned the now famous track “Down River” by The Wilcannia Mob which won the Deadly Award for “Single of the Year”. Morganics remixed the single for M.I.A.'s new album 'Kala'. His new album “Hip Hop Is My Passport” is out now. Recorded in Tanzania, Brazil, New York, Berlin, Tokyo and outback Australia it included a bonus one hour documentary DVD. Morganics is currently writing his forthcoming book “Memoirs of a Hip Hop Nomad”. One of his past students Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu has gone on to become the lead vocalist of award winning rock band, King Stingray.
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Sally Turner is a jellyfish researcher and president of Cairns Belly Dance.

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Sienna Krzemien is the creative director of Caravan Project Cairns.