The North Face Adventure Grant has been award to Emily Lecky, Amelia Poole and Bec Woods, for their expedition - Dancing on the edge: A Murchison River vertical dance adventure.
Vertical dance is a unique combination of rock climbing and abseiling technologies with aerial acrobatics and dance. The performers of vertical dance are equal parts athletes and artists.
The objective is a Vertical Dance expedition along the Murchison River with an all-female team, who will hike and pack raft 200km from the MAD campground to the river mouth in Kalbarri, performing vertical dance on the red rock cliffs that border the river, particularly at Hawks Head and the Z bend.
By utilising harnesses and climbing hardware, the athletes turn dance on its side, utilising the rock wall as if it were the floor. This opens new dynamics for the choreography which turns gravity into a plaything as the athletes perform stunning leaps and jumps whilst they intricately weave and mould into each other and the rock.
The judges of the grant were so impressed by the creativity of this expedition and the innovative approach to exploring the natural landscapes in the Kalbarri National Park.
It draws together the adventure and sporting aspects of hiking, rafting, climbing, and abseiling, with the spiritual and artistic practices of dance and creating art in the outdoors.
Since 2009 The North Face Adventure Grant has been helping people turn their expedition dreams into a reality.
From home-grown adventures in Australia and New Zealand, to far-flung corners of the world, they've aided the likes of climbers, runners, and skiers in reaching their goals. Grant recipients receive an $8000 cash grant, and $2000 worth of apparel and equipment.