Who is bangarra dance theatre

Acclaimed around the world for its distinctive theatrical voice, powerful choreography, unique soundscapes and design, Bangarra is Australia's leading First Nations performing arts company.

Join Bangarra as the company celebrates its 31st season with a stunning display of contemporary dance theatre. Proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from all over Australia come together as a creative clan to harness a shared spirit. At the helm is award-winning artistic director and choreographer Stephen Page.

Our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are the heart of Bangarra, with our repertoire created on Country and stories gathered from respected community Elders. Complementing this touring roster are education programs, workshops and special performances and projects, planting the seeds for the next generation of performers and storytellers. Lissa Twomey. Film celebrates history of iconic Bangarra Dance Theatre. Please try again later.

The Sydney Morning Herald. By Jill Sykes January 18, — Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Frances Rings , who has been with Bangarra since , started as a dancer, then became the contemporary dance company's choreographer.

She moved on from Bangarra in to work as a freelance choreographer in Australia and the United States. The most tragic stories can become something beautiful," Rings says. Instead it's saying we've got this amazing, beautiful culture here. We've had social issues, we've had genocide, we've had these things happen to us but look at what we have now. We can tell our stories with the majesty and poetry that the best dance can deliver and through a contemporary dance language that also holds the traces of a culture that is thousands of years old.

You remember things from the show when you're making a cup of tea the next day. Bangarra performers study classical ballet, contemporary dance, Pilates and yoga.

They also have traditional dance with a focus on repetition and movement in the legs and core. For each new Aboriginal dance Bangarra spends time with a cultural consultant to ensure the movements are performed the traditional way.

Once a year students visit rural Aboriginal communities. Apart from giving free workshops and performances it is an opportunity for them to learn the "living culture" where the language, dance and stories Bangarra takes inspiration from are still alive. This is especially important for younger students who don't know much about their culture and struggle to connect. The company has 15 dancers who come from all over Australia, reflecting many Aboriginal cultures. Dance doesn't always have to be a high octane bash-and-bang performance.

It's also about subtlety. The dancing grounds are where we connect with our ancestors, where our heritage, language and identity are passed on. Usually Bangarra creates at least one new performance each year. Here is a timeline showing you their program since We are storytellers. And the best way any culture reflects itself is by telling stories. Stories tell us where we've come from, where we're going.

They celebrate, explain, lament. They can be weapons too. The Australian identity needs Indigenous storytelling. Bangarra has a special 'paint up' room where ochre and paint is applied for the performance. The dancers use more than kg of ochre per year. For more information and performance schedule check out www. You can also read booklets of previous performances. More and more Australians inoculate themselves against ignorance and stereotypes by finally reading up on Aboriginal history and the culture's contemporary issues.

But to truly move forward we need to achieve "herd information". It will definitely be really helpful in me getting to know, understand, honour and relate with Aboriginal people better. This site uses cookies to personalise your experience. If you continue using the site, you indicate that you are happy to receive cookies from this website. Please note that this website might show images and names of First Peoples who have passed. Close this Wishing you knew more about Aboriginal culture?

Search no more. Get key foundational knowledge about Aboriginal culture in a fun and engaging way.