Stephanie Burridge, well-known to many in the Canberra dance community as the longest serving, former artistic director of Canberra Dance Theatre, tells me that lamingtons are distributed to the audience at the end of her work, Something to Remember. This happens, she says, to the strains of Sir Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1, better known perhaps as Land of Hope and Glory.

Burridge, now a permanent resident of Singapore although still an Australian citizen, is in Canberra to restage Something to Remember for GOLD, Canberra Dance Theatre's group of dancers aged over 55.

"Something to Remember is a trio of dances," Burridge says. "It refers to a story from my mother, who is now 90, about dances held on Bruny Island, Tasmania, during World War II. Dances were traditionally held in the community hall on Saturday nights and the cream-tea suppers were an anticipated part of the evening - hence the lamingtons. During the war many men were away or did not return. The women kept the dances going, danced with each other, and always tried to look their best despite the economic depression and anxiety during this time."

Burridge first staged the work in Canberra in 1988 as part of Australia's Bicentennial celebrations and drew on the Bruny Island dance events as an example of the strength of Australia's allegiance to Britain and British traditions during World War II. But she suggests that Something to Remember is quite a political piece, "a send-up of our ties to Britain."

In 1988 the work was performed by eight dancers, including Burridge, all of whom went on to establish significant careers in dance, either in companies around the world, or as lecturers in various universities. But the restaging for GOLD will have a slightly different emphasis. Burridge says that in many respects the subject matter resonates with this group of older performers in a way that was not the case with her younger, 1988 group of dancers.

"It will be a larger cast too," she says, "and the power of the group is more obvious. ''I have asked the dancers to bring their own stories to the work and they are establishing strong characters in a work that is more acting than dancing."

Burridge talks about the growing significance of companies of older dancers around the world. Some are composed of professional dancers, but Burridge strongly believes that dance for older people who have not had professional careers in dance has moved beyond being something merely for therapy.

She says GOLD, where older dancers of different experiences work with professional choreographers, is a model that can be used elsewhere. Burridge's travel to Canberra was funded by the Singapore International Foundation. She says the interest in enriching the lives of an ageing population is significant in Singapore.

The Singapore International Foundation is dedicated to building relationships between Singaporeans and world communities, and harnessing these friendships to effect positive change, and the foundation's support of her travel is part of that.

Canberra Dance Theatre has a long history in Canberra. It began in the early 1970s as NUDE - National University Dance Ensemble - then changed its name to Canberra Dance Ensemble in 1978 and took on its current name, Canberra Dance Theatre, in 1983.

In its present form the organisation is now in its 35th year and its current artistic director, Liz Lea, was interested in the idea of promoting the company's heritage by commissioning works from several artistic directors of the company.

This idea has attracted Seniors Grants and ACT Health Grants from the ACT Government. Other works to be staged alongside Something to Remember will be Lea's own Pop Art, first seen at the National Gallery of Australia earlier this year and Meg Millband's Chromosome 16, commissioned for the recent DANscienCE Festival.

Burridge directed Canberra Dance Theatre from 1978 to 2001, Millband from 2007 to 2009.