AGE 30
HOME CITY PORT HEDLAND
OCCUPATION PERFORMING ARTIST
DANCE STYLE TRADITIONAL ABORIGINAL/CONTEMPORARY
A survivor. A dancer who brings something unique to the competition. Australia, meet Sermsah. The way SYTYCD crossed this amazing dancer’s radar sounds like a movie scene: “I was working as a pool attendant at the Cable Beach Resort in Broome, and flung a towel over my shoulder. It flicked open a magazine, which turned to the page of the audition ad!” After a little help from his family chipping in for his plane ticket, Sermsah, 30, began his emotionally testing trip to the Top 20.
An avid fan of all the arts while at school, Sermsah’s journey into dance began in earnest when he was 17, when he left home to attend the Aboriginal Dance Development Unit in Perth. Whilst living there he kept in contact with the Nyoongar Theatre Yirra Yaakin, and spent time teaching acting and completing dance workshops with all primary and secondary schools. He then attended the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association in Sydney for nine months, before continuing his training at Brisbane’s Aboriginal Centre of Performing Arts.
After this, the dedicated Sermsah got into Broome’s Notre Dame University where he undertook the Aboriginal Performing Arts course. Now based in Port Hedland, WA, he is a member of a Sydney dance company called Stalker (aka Marrugecku). The company recently toured to Switzerland with a show called Burning Daylight. The busy Sermsah has also performed around Australia with numerous plays and musicals, played small roles in TV shows such as The Circuit, and has performed at the Sydney Opera House for the Deadly Awards. A little known fact is he’s also had a children’s book published!
Sermsah’s style incorporates Traditional Aboriginal, including the imitation of animalistic movement, combined with Contemporary, Acrobatics and Hip Hop. He prefers performing to music either high in energy or grounded traditional aboriginal instrumentation. Adaptable, determined and sensitive, this dancer is nothing short of inspirational.
Key quote: “I’m black and I’m beautiful!”
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