BANGARA Dance Theatre is on the hunt for Dubbo's young dancing talent.
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The city is one of four locations in the country chosen to host auditions, along with Adelaide, Brisbane and Mackay.
Indigenous youth at Dubbo are being encouraged to reconnect with their heritage through the Rekindling program.
Auditions will be held on Thursday, February 12, when they hope to choose between 24 and 30 students to participate in the program.
Rekindling is an intensive dance program for secondary students to produce a performance based on the themes of 'who you are' and 'where you come from'.
Bangarra's youth director Sidney Saltner said it was a challenging program but important to keep Indigenous heritage alive.
"For myself personally, I grew up in a small town, probably even smaller than Dubbo, and the stories aren't being told anymore," Mr Saltner said.
"Youth aren't interested. We're trying to build a connection between the elders and the next generation."
Mr Saltner said the three gatherings involved getting a story from the elders, working on a contemporary piece and learning style and technique.
While it was a dance program, Mr Saltner said there was a broad selection criteria including not only the ability to pick up choreography but also an interest in the initiative.
"It's hard work, but the kids who want to participate in the program, if they want to learn about themselves, about art, about dance, they should come along," he said.
Rekindling was developed in 2012 and this is the first time it has been held at Dubbo.
Mr Saltner said community consultation with Aboriginal elders had been under way since mid-November.
Dubbo auditions for Rekindling will be held at Delroy Junior Campus
Bangara Dance Theatre are emphasising the importance of participants registering before the day.
More information can be found at bangarra.com.au/ rekindling.