Company Director 2000-2004
Les Daniel is one of the veteran performers in indigenous dance in Sydney today. He has both Torres Strait Island heritage and mainland heritage, from Cape York Peninsula.
Les graduated from NAISDA in 1993, and was responsible for guiding two major Aboriginal dance companies in Sydney at this time. He organised the NAISDA performances in the early nineties and was an original member and founder of the Ngaru Aboriginal and Islander Dance Company (now Descendance) in 1993.
Les toured with the legendary Archie Roach throughout Asia in 1996 as leader of Ngaru. The tour included over one hundred shows throughout Japan, China and Taiwan. The tour was in association with the indigenous company Songlines.
Les has completed more live performances than just about any Aboriginal entertainer in Australia today, performing in almost every Ngaru and Descendance performance since 1993.
Les has a resume in traditional dance second to none, with thousands of high profile jobs across the entire spectrum of entertainment in the last decade. His performances include all the major festivals in NSW, QLD and Adelaide, artist in resident at the Art Gallery of NSW, the opening ceremony of The Rugby Union World Cup 2003, thirty eight corporate Olympic games events, performances in Museums, Films and Radio, corporate events, conventions, theatres, schools, education institutions, prisons, playing didgeridoo with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, community events, recordings, and fusions with countless other traditional cultures. Les has also performed on all the major cruise liners including "The World", Oriana, Aurora, and Amsterdam and Saga Rose.
In 2001 Les under took an extensive tour of Italy and Europe and in 2003 he led a historic indigenous tour of The Central Eastern European Region, and during his career has been invited to perform for the the Dalai Lama, Janet Jackson, Desree, Jimmy Cliff, Bruce Willis, and a score of international dignitaries in the fields of science, technology, politics and humanity.
Today, Les is the indigenous team leader of the traditional
Aboriginal side of the Descendance group in Sydney. Les and Descendance
made a spectacular contribution in the Rhoda Roberts epic "Sydney
Dreaming" at Olympic Park in 2002 and 2003. Les and Descendance was
also chosen by the United Nations to launch AUS-AID IN 2002 at Parliament
House Canberra. Les also produced a memorable fusion with dancers from
Bali, showing Aboriginal support for the recent Bali bombings.
Les has been involved in all Descendance/Ngaru public productions to date
from 1995-2004 including:
"Gammon OL Yarns"," Flamenco
Dreaming"," To India With Love",
"Spirits Of The Soil", "The
Lovers"and "Portal".
He is without doubt one of the most versatile indigenous
performers around today, a master in all Torres Strait Island culture,
(dance, song, instrument) as well as an accomplished didgeridoo player,
song man and dancer in the Aboriginal code.
