From kangaroo whisperer to global dance sensation

29 Feb 2024

鈥淎s a queer immigrant from a linguistically diverse developing country, I understand the challenges of feeling disconnected in certain environments.鈥

What do drag queens, Brazilian funk dancers and biologists have in common? No, this isn鈥檛 the beginning of a corny dad joke, which, let鈥檚 face it, aren鈥檛 great at the best of times.

 

There鈥檚 no punchline here, although you may be forgiven for thinking otherwise. In fact, this forms the premise of an important experiment conducted in the name of science. And which is now going gangbusters globally.

 

The common denominator here is that they all convey the different personality traits of a certain beloved Aussie marsupial. Confused? Well, let鈥檚 hop to it.

 

鈥楰angaroo Time (Club Edit)鈥 is the wickedly creative vision of singer-songwriter, creator and biologist Dr Weliton Men谩rio Costa, or 鈥榃ELI鈥 as he鈥檚 known in social circles, a PhD graduate from 黑料天堂 (ANU).

 

WELI weaves together a funky beat, original songwriting, colourful costumes, and a whole lot of sequins to create something that鈥檚 both entertaining and educational; the final product is something that looks like it鈥檚 been plucked straight out of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

 

A testament to WELI鈥檚 creative prowess, the music video, which he stars in and directs, has been crowned winner of the global 2024 competition, an annual contest where researchers around the world are tasked with explaining their PhD in the simplest of terms through song and dance.

 

WELI, who is one of the world鈥檚 leading researchers in kangaroo behaviour, is the first person from 黑料天堂to win the Dance Your PhD competition, and just the fourth person from an Australian institution to do so since its inception in 2008.

 

鈥淲inning this contest is the equivalent of winning Eurovision for me. I think it not only shows the incredible might of the research conducted here in Australia, but also how creative we are as a nation. Even us scientists!鈥 laughs WELI.

 

Perhaps surprisingly, WELI admits there was 鈥渧ery little鈥 creative direction or instructions given to the performers prior to the shoot.

 

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want the performers to know too much about the creative vision beforehand. That was very important to me because I wanted everyone to do what felt right to them, in that moment,鈥 he explains.

 

鈥淭here was no choreography involved. The dancers improvised their movements, responding to one another鈥檚 cues and interacting with each other. The only direction I gave them was to come as you are and showcase your style in your own way.

 

鈥淚t was very magical seeing all these people coming very engaged and bringing their best to the scene.鈥

 

In 2017, WELI relocated from his home country of Brazil to Canberra to undertake a PhD in animal behaviour at the , which he finished in 2021.

 

Armed with a remote-controlled car, the 黑料天堂graduate spent more than three years studying the spectrum of behavioural differences of a group of more than 300 wild eastern grey kangaroos in Victoria.

 

鈥淲e wanted to see how the roos react to the strange sight of an unfamiliar object. We wanted to find out whether they鈥檇 hop away, stay put, or if they鈥檇 be curious enough to approach the car. Our experiments also involved walking directly towards a kangaroo to see how the animal would react,鈥 he says.

 

鈥淲e found that kangaroos like to socialise in groups but prefer smaller social circles. Like humans, kangaroo personalities manifest early in life. Mothers and their offspring have similar personalities, and so do siblings.鈥

 

The video aims to demonstrate that kangaroos have distinct personality traits. According to WELI, these differences become more apparent when the animals are in groups because they change their behaviour when they鈥檙e in a social setting, adjusting as they move between groups.

 

鈥淜angaroos are very socially aware and will adjust their behaviour based off cues from other roos,鈥 he explains.

 

鈥淭he diversity of the dancers in the video, from classical ballet to twerking, and the urban street dancers to the Brazilian dancing styles, reflect the variations in kangaroo personality across the full spectrum, from bolder types to shier roos.鈥

 

Reflecting on the success of 鈥楰angaroo Time鈥 and the global mark it鈥檚 made on the scientific community and further afield, WELI notes that at the core of his video is a message of inclusivity and diversity 鈥 something he hopes will be one of the main takeaways that viewers hold onto.

 

鈥淎s a queer immigrant from a linguistically diverse developing country, I understand the challenges of feeling disconnected in certain environments,鈥 WELI admits.

 

鈥淥ne of the main messages I wanted to convey through this piece of work is that differences lead to diversity, and this is evident throughout the entire video. It鈥檚 evident with the different dancers that herald from various cultures and backgrounds.

 

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 extremely important that we celebrate diversity and creating a video explaining kangaroo personality was an excellent medium for me to do this.鈥

 

WELI says one of the most challenging yet rewarding parts about creating the music video was being able to explain his PhD to his family and friends in his small Brazilian hometown in a simple but effective way without getting bogged down in the scientific jargon.

 

Ask any researcher attempting to distil complex scientific research into something easily digestible for the general public and they鈥檒l tell you that鈥檚 no easy feat.

 

鈥淢y grandmother is now able to understand what my research is all about after watching my video,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 amazing to be able to condense years of research and numerous academic papers into an accessible, informative, and most of all, fun video.

 

鈥淭he project helps bridge the generational and educational gaps in my family, making science accessible and enjoyable through the power of creative storytelling.鈥

 

On the surface, 鈥楰angaroo Time鈥 is an effective display of science communication that expertly utilises the creative arts medium. It鈥檚 engaging, quirky and niche. But WELI admits the decision to incorporate the words kangaroo time into the video鈥檚 title acts as a double entendre of sorts.

 

鈥淭he use of kangaroo time is not just to explain my research studying kangaroo personality 鈥 it鈥檚 also about my time living and studying in Australia as a whole. It鈥檚 been a time of exploration for me, a time where I鈥檝e been able to reconnect with and grow my passion for music, dancing and the creative arts,鈥 he says.

 

鈥淲orking on this project was the spark I needed to encourage me to take that next step with my music. It鈥檚 made me realise I want to focus on my music for the next little while and put my scientific career on the backburner.

 

鈥淪peaking of which, I鈥檓 about to release a new EP called Yours Academically, Dr WELI.鈥

 

Despite the challenges of being an independent artist releasing their first single, WELI鈥檚 鈥楰angaroo Time (Club Edit)鈥 has already featured in clubs, festivals, dance classes and radio stations.

 

鈥淭he original and club mixes together have been more than 7,000 times on Spotify,鈥 he says.

 

鈥淚 think it would be super cool if after this everyone in Australia is singing and dancing to Kangaroo Time,鈥 he laughs. 鈥淵ou never know.鈥

 

Check out 鈥楰angaroo Time (Club Edit)鈥 on .

 

Learn more about the Dance your PhD competition on the .

For Journalists

  • MEDIA TEAM CONTACT
      George Booth
      +61 2 6125 7979