Young dancer overcoming the odds

Being born with a disability into a sports-loving family in regional Queensland is not a standard recipe for a career in the fine arts. But David Biondi-Odo surprised even himself with his success in the world of contemporary dance.

Transcript

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LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: David Biondi-Odo was born with a disability into a sport-loving Indigenous family in regional Queensland.

Somehow he's turning that into an outstanding start in the highly competitive international contemporary dance scene.

He's recently returned from a scholarship overseas. Peter McCutcheon went to meet him.

PETER MCCUTCHEON, REPORTER: David Biondi-Odo came late to dancing, he took up the art form just over two years after watching a performance of the indigenous dance group, Bangarra.

DAVID BIONDI-ODO: I fell in love with the rawness and the power of their performance. It was really there when I was like, "Oh, I want to do that. I want that to be me."

COMMENTATOR: This try come thanks Jordan Bioni-Odo.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: But he had no dancing role models. His family from Innisfail is more associated with rugby league than the fine arts.

With three of his brothers playing in the state competition for Northern Pride.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: You come from a family of football players.

DAVID BIONDI-ODO: Yes.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: What made you think that you could be a dancer?

DAVID BIONDI-ODO: Um, I guess I always loved to watch dancing and, um, I don't know, I felt ...I don't know if I knew I could do it.

I think it was a longingness to do it and want to do it.

BRADLEY CHATFIELD: Show us, you ready? 5, 6, After 7...

PETER MCCUTCHEON: After dropping out of his nursing degree and being accepted into the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts in Brisbane, the hard work began.

Last year he came under the tutelage of renowned dancer and legend of the Sydney Dance Company Bradley Chatfield.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: When you first saw David, he had barely been dancing for a year?

BRADLEY CHATFIELD, ACPA, HEAD OF DANCE: Yes, and I think he would be one of the first ones to admit, I mean you know. He has great performance quality and stuff but technique was lacking and, I guess, confidence was lacking as well.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: Part of that search for confidence has been overcoming a disability.

DAVID BIONDI-ODO: I was born with, like, a cleft left pallet.

So I had a big hole in my face so I was constantly in and out of surgery from a young age.

I'm still waiting on a couple of surgeries now, so waiting for my bone structure to fully grow before I can fully do the rest of them.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: In August, David Bioni-Odo was selected as one of 12 Indigenous dancers from around the world for a scholarship in Canada.

The Calgary Herald described this performance as "shockingly mature."

DAVID BIONDI-ODO: It was probably the hardest thing I'd ever done dance wise because here I was 2 years I'd been dancing and I was picked with people who were dancing ballet, black grace and all these amazing companies and I'm just like, "Oh, I'm still training."

BRADLEY CHATFIELD: From going from no confidence and lacking in technique to always being here and always trying hard, to getting a scholarship, a full scholarship to go to the Banff Indigenous residency in Canada this year is a pretty dramatic leap within two years.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: Unlike David, Keia McGrady has been dancing since she was two following a family tradition.

KEIA MCGRADY: My mum used to do dance at school and my dad also did traditional dance.

When we were really little, he used to go to schools and events and stuff.

But she has also secured an overseas breakthrough. She has been accepted into a 5-month residency with the Kibbutz Dance Company in Israel.

Keia still finds it difficult to believe she passed the audition.

KEIA MCGRADY: There were so many people there I didn't realise that they would actually notice me.

A few weeks later they emailed me and I was like, "Did they send it to the right person." I wasn't sure.

BRADLEY CHATFIELD: Probably the confidence with Keia could be up a little bit as well but I think this will give her the confidence to explore and see what she wants to do after the residency in Israel as well.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: David Bioni-Odo and Keia McGrady were among 42 students from the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts to graduate at a ceremony in Brisbane last week.

SHEREE BIONDI, DAVID'S MOTHER: He's always been interested in dance. He's always been very good in the arts, he's probably taken it on a little later in his life - but very proud and I think he'll go a long way.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: The young dancers have performed together as recently as lost month. Keira pursuing her childhood dream, and David still comes to terms with how his life has changed so quickly.

DAVID BIONDI-ODO: I had no training or no technique whatsoever, I knew nothing about dance.

All I knew is that I wanted to do it. And fate decided it wanted me to do it too, I guess.