By Rain Francis.

Melbourne’s pretty factor goes up about 200 percent in autumn. The sun is (mostly) shining but it’s not ridiculously hot anymore and a rainbow of leaves is descending… time to rug up and enjoy our fair city. Here are five things for dance lovers to do and see over the coming months.

1. May 25 is International Tap Dance Day, a day which commemorates the “grandfather of tap” Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson. Tap groups all over the city will be out in force, performing famous routines, encouraging tappers to get in for a jam and generally making a racket! Look out for Winston Morrison’s Melbourne Tap Dance and Glamour Puss Studios, amongst others. Stay tuned to their websites to find out where they’ll be performing: www.tapdancingmelbourne.com.au and www.glamourpussstudios.com.au.

2. From May 3-11, ground-breaking indigenous contemporary dance company Bangarra Dance Theatre brings its work Blak to Arts Centre Melbourne. Artistic Director Stephen Page and dancer/choreographer Daniel Riley McKinley have created a work exploring the collision of two worlds. The soundscape of award-winning composer David Page has been fused with the music of cutting edge electronic artist Paul Mac and sets are by the acclaimed Jacob Nash. Bangarra’s works are always engaging and exciting, so book your tickets for this one! Book here: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/event.aspx?id=3444.

3. Get your dancing shoes down to Queensbridge Square (Southbank Concourse) on the first Friday of every month, for the famous First Friday Dance Club. Presented by the City of Melbourne and supported by Ausdance Victoria, the Club is a unique opportunity for anyone to get involved, pick up some moves and most importantly have fun. Led by community and professional dance groups, each Club night will feature a different dance style. It’s free and open to all ages, regardless of ability. Click here for more info: www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/AboutMelbourne/ArtsandEvents/ArtsParticipation/Pages/1stFridayDanceClub.aspx.

4. The Australian Ballet has two fantastic productions coming up in Melbourne. From June 6-17, they will be presenting Vanguard, a triple bill of key works from choreographic giants, Jiří Kylián (Bella Figura), George Balanchine (The Four Temperaments) and Wayne McGregor (Dyad). Then, from June 21-July 1, the company brings back Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake, a fresh take on the well-known story ballet from one of Australia’s most loved choreographers. Find out more and book tickets at www.australianballet.com.au/whats_on/main_company.

5. Ballet Revolución returns to Australia after blowing audiences away in 2011. Since their Australian visit, the Cuban company has been performing sold out seasons in London, Paris, Zurich, Berlin, Frankfurt and Vienna. So get yourself down to Arts Centre Melbourne in July! With 20 of the world’s best dancers and eight of the hottest young musicians, the company mixes ferocious ballet with street dance in what The Australian called “an irresistible Cuban cocktail of ferocious sensuality”. From July 17-20 at Arts Centre Melbourne for five performances only. Book here: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/event.aspx?id=3445

Photo (top): Australian Ballet’s Adam Bull and Ty King-Wall in Vanguard. Photo by Georges Antoni

Former Australian Ballet principal Robert Curran has moved from centre stage to the wings; but don’t for a moment think he doesn’t mean it anymore.

By Paul Ransom.

When you have dedicated the best part of your adolescence and adult life to dance what do you do when you slide off the tights for the final time and vanish into retirement? Former Australian Ballet principal Robert Curran didn’t have to wait long to find out.

Following his 2011 swansong, Curran was looking forward to a sabbatical. “I made the decision last year that I would take twelve months off just to get some distance between myself and performing, but I only really lasted about two months before I was desperate to get back in the studio and be part of the creative process again.”

Fast forward a few months and Curran found himself joining forces with one of Australia’s most recognised choreographers, Stephen Page, and taking on the role of Rehearsal Director with the country’s peak indigenous arts company Bangarra Dance Theatre.

It may sound less glamorous than dancing Siegfried or being an artistic director, but for Curran his new side-stage career represents a gilt edge opportunity to get to grips with the inner workings of a major, touring company. “My take on this whole situation is that I’m being given an opportunity to learn and observe,” he says, “and if I’m lucky transfer some of those learnings across to my own creative ambitions.”

But of course, Bangarra is not just any company, as Curran is quick to acknowledge. As a ‘white’ Australian, he is all too aware of the company’s pivotal role both as a creator of contemporary indigenous stories and as a guardian of first nation culture. “I’m facilitating something that is not my place culturally to interfere with,” he concedes, “and I definitely don’t think these things are over-played. There are cultural sensitivities. There are language barriers too. There are an enormous amount of aboriginal tribes and dialects and Bangarra can’t represent every single one of them – but they need to be sensitive. They need to do things correctly. They need to ensure that what’s put out there isn’t just thrown together.”

However, as Rehearsal Director, Curran’s role is more practical and personal than political. His dailies include scheduling, fitness training, working on technical strength and providing overall pastoral care for the company’s 14 dancers. It’s hands-on and can be quite intense.

“When you’re talking to a dancer about what they perceive are their weaknesses and what they need to work on, there’s really an enormous amount of trust that comes from that level of personal disclosure,” he explains.

Robert Curran with Lucinda Dunn, when dancing with The Australian Ballet. Photo by Georges Antoni.

In the physically strenuous world of professional dance the ‘welfare’ issues are mainly corporeal. “As the abilities of the dancers increase so do the risks to their physical well-being and health,” he notes. “Because we keep putting greater demands on dancers – everything has to be more exciting and interesting – that really takes it out of them.”

Now that he finds himself in the role of care giver, rather than receiver, Curran is able to reflect on his own career through a new prism. Looking back over his years with the nation’s flagship ballet company, he now recognises how well The Australian Ballet’s backroom staff looked after him as a dancer. As he recalls it, “They definitely got me into performances and into rehearsals that otherwise I would not have been able to do.”

Having once flirted with the idea of becoming a doctor, Curran is perhaps a natural caregiver. However, he is also a creative being with ambitions to front a company one day. For him, Bangarra is a port of the way to that destination. In the meantime, he admits, there is plenty for him to learn; not the least with regard to the company’s cultural mission.

Whereas some might consider Bangarra’s aboriginality a convenient marketing device, Curran argues strongly that the company is anything but token. “Bangarra is sooo not commercial and mass produced. This is a company that is so closely linked to their forty thousand year old culture; it’s just that they’re telling their stories today.”

Indeed, the struggle to keep history alive and relevant is not a new thing for Curran. “For me personally that’s a very valuable lesson because ballet has the same issues. For Bangarra the challenge is to overcome that touristy plastic token thing, whilst ballet is fighting the pointe shoe, tutu, Sleeping Beauty phenomena.”

On a recent trip to remote communities in Arnhem Land, Curran was able to witness first-hand the life of a traditional society. “I would daresay that most of the Australian community will never have the kind of experience I had up there,” he suggests. “It was incredibly special to be able to go out into the communities and witness ceremonies that no other white Australian would be able to see. It was incredibly nerve wracking for me.”

Meanwhile, back in the rehearsal studio in Sydney, Curran has his hands full with getting the company’s new show Blak ready for its world premiere season. In a sign of just how ground level his new role is, Curran reveals that his main job right now is working with Blak’s co-choreographer and dancer Daniel Riley McKinley. “Actually, that’s been my real focus; to make sure that he’s fit, that he does enough rehearsals and makes sure his body is ready.”

Whatever the cultural context, it seems, the dance must go on.

Photo (top): Robert Curran. Photo by Greg Barrett.

By Grace Edwards.

Drawing on the cumulative life experiences of the company’s fourteen members, Bangarra Dance Theatre’s forthcoming production Blak explores rites of passage – the rituals that mark the transition between childhood and adulthood.

Commissioning emerging choreographer and dancer Daniel Riley McKinley to work alongside him, Director Stephen Page continues his commitment to developing the next generation of Indigenous storytellers.

Both McKinley and Page take their initial inspiration for the work from past fascinations.  “For me, the initial idea came from Djakapurra Munyarryran, and the scarring he has on his chest,” says McKinley, “I have danced and shared a stage with him many times since I joined Bangarra and I was always intrigued by what they represented.” Page cites the influence of the earlier Bangarra production Skin (2000) which explored men’s and women’s ‘business’, customs and social issues from both the past and present and considered their status in modern society.

Daniel Riley McKinley. Photo by Jeff Busby

Both choreographers conceive of Blak as less anthropological essay and more personal inquiry. “As a young Indigenous male, I’ve started to question what my rite of passage is, or was, or is going to be,” says McKinley, for whom the broader themes of Blak resonate on a deeply personal level. “In traditional communities, the line between boy and man is so clear. Their level of responsibility changes, as does the way they are treated and looked upon within that community. I don’t feel it’s so black and white for us, as Indigenous males living in urban centres.”

Throwing these contrasts into greater relief, no doubt, was Bangarra’s recent weeklong fieldtrip to North East Arnhem Land. During their stay, men and women were given space to focus entirely on each other and ‘country’. Blak will consequently feature a distinct men’s section choreographed by McKinley and a women’s section under the direction of Page. “Our trip has definitely refuelled and reinvigorated us all,” says dancer Waangenga Blanco, a descendant of the Meriam Island people and of the Pajinka Wik, Cape York.

“After last year’s production of Terrain, which was primarily based on land and spirit of land, the edginess of Blak will stem from the land’s people…our experiences as Indigenous people in this day and age,” adds fellow dancer, Jasmin Sheppard, herself an Aboriginal woman with a mixed heritage of Irish, Chinese, Jewish and Russian descent.

Connecting old and contemporary generations within the Indigenous community is a responsibility the company takes seriously, and balancing this with the competing demands of mainstream audiences is no easy task. “We are the care-takers,” says Page. “Our challenge is keeping a respected relationship with traditional clans and maintaining the integrity from living stories, song and dance, generously passed down to the company as inspiration for our contemporary expression.”

Jasmin Sheppard performs in ‘Riley’. Photo by Andy Solo.

“The spirit of traditional rites of passage is passed down from generation to generation,” Page informs us. “Time and evolution have influenced the spirit of that passage. Blak will explore the spirit reaction those influences have had on us and we hope the audience can connect to that spirit.”

McKinley is excited to be working with his mentor to make that happen. “Whenever Stephen and I have been in the studio together, mainly him choreographing on me, we always seem to connect so easily,” he says. “The process has never seemed forced, and we seem to connect on the same movement and choreographic level.”

He added, “I have always felt that there is an unspoken connection between our creative minds. I am greatly looking forward to being in the studio together and seeing what we can collaboratively create on the fantastic dancers.”

Though Blak is only McKinley’s second work as a choreographer — his first was Riley for Bangarra in 2010 — he has been with the company as a dancer since 2007. He has toured and performed both nationally in the company’s productions Clan, True Stories, Mathinna, Fire – A Retrospective, of earth & sky and Spirit, and internationally in True Stories, Awakening and Spirit, as well as Stephen Page’s Warumuk — in the dark night as part of The Australian Ballet’s 50^th Anniversary celebrations.

Stephen Page and dancers in a rehearsal for ‘Blak’.

Helping bring to life the inspirations and shared vision of the company is composer David Page. Page created the musical soundscape for Bangarra’s of earth and sky in 2010, and also composed for the company’s productions Belong, Terrain, choreographed by Frances Rings, as well as Stephen Page’s Warumuk — in the dark night.

Together with Paul Mac, he has already begun working to bring Blak’s soundscape to life. Of his creative process, he says, “The spirit of the work comes initially from the story tellers, who in this production are Stephen and Dan. As soon as I have that, I start to create sounds and compose music that supports the movement.”

“Apart from being inspired by the story, I begin resourcing and listening to a vast library of instruments, sounds and other recordings. I then slowly create the music for each dance section, keeping close communication with the choreographer. The music must resonate with Bangarra’s unique way of showcasing contemporary Indigenous dance, but also embrace the present, creating a new work that can inspire and last always.”

Together, the artists and indigenous consultants will continue their cultural journey over the next few months as they work to make Blak an innovative and poignant contribution to Bangarra’s already highly-acclaimed repertoire. Though still in the early stages of its creation, Blak promises to carry on Bangarra’s tradition of marrying the urban and contemporary with the traditional, speaking to a variety of audiences whilst remaining deeply personal and spiritual, and helping us see with new eyes the relevance of the lessons of old in our own lives.

Tickets for the world premiere season at Arts Centre, Melbourne, 3 to 11 May and the Sydney Opera House, 7 to 22 June are now on sale. Tickets are also on sale for limited seasons of the Blak national tour at Illawarra Performing Arts Centre in Wollongong, Canberra Theatre Centre and Queensland Performing Arts Centre. To book tickets visit www.bangarra.com.au.

Top photo: Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Daniel Riley McKinley and Waangenga Blanco. Photo by Greg Barrett.

Bangarra Dance Theatre goes back to country to pass on the secrets of the flame to the young.

By Paul Ransom.

Bangarra is one the biggest brands in Australian dance and remains, without doubt, the peak indigenous performance body. For two decades, led by the inspirational Stephen Page, they have blazed a global trail of tribal contemporary dance fusion and cultural awareness with a succession of often ground breaking shows. Overused terms like ‘national treasure’ and ‘flagship company’ are entirely appropriate in the case of Bangarra Dance Theatre.

However, in 2013 the company will go beyond mere performance. The recently announced Rekindling programme will transmit Bangarra’s passion and expertise out of the nation’s theatres and into the heart of the indigenous community. Yes, it is classic youth outreach stuff; but it’s also about nothing less than the preservation of first nation culture here in Australia.

Youth Programme manager Sidney Saltner will spearhead Rekindling. “I think it’s really important for Bangarra to be able to go back to community,” he begins simply. “As a major arts body we don’t usually have the time or the personnel to do it but now that we have we’ve decided that it’s time.”

That sense of timeliness is something familiar to anyone close to the coalface of indigenous cultural survival. Like tribal and first nation societies across the world, aboriginal Australians are seeing their ancient knowledge and cultural practices being overwhelmed by the ubiquitous juggernaut of Western materialism, and, as it always is, the future is in the hands of the young.

Sidney Saltner, Youth Program Director. Photo by Andy Solo

Of the indigenous youth that Rekindling is aimed at, Saltner observes, “They’re always exposed to external stuff like video games and TV, but we’re trying to help them rekindle their own stories from their own backyard and make them understand the richness of their culture. We want them to see that their own stuff is just as important as all the other stuff they learn about.”

It is clear that Bangarra take this aspect of their work as seriously as any of their productions. “Whenever we’ve gone back to community in rural areas we’ve seen the need for this type of programme to take place,” Saltner explains. “By rekindling interest in these stories we’re keeping them alive. They will die out otherwise. One of the things about Bangarra is that we have this cultural background to look after.”

Indeed, ever since its inception in 1989, the company has been suffused with a sense of mission. Bangarra’s role has always been more than that of a dancing billboard. As Sidney Saltner puts it, “It’s why we exist. We’ve been given the responsibility by the elders, entrusted to keep the stories and culture alive. If we didn’t have their trust I doubt very much whether we’d still be here.”

The company/community connection will be further enhanced by Rekindling, which will primarily focus on rural and isolated communities. Beginning in NSW, it will pull together young people from the Wiradjuri, Dainggatti, Kamilaroi and Biripi groups. Through structured workshops and thematic focal points (essence, respect, knowledge, connection) it aims as much to inspire the new as to preserve the old.

“It’s a myriad of things,” says Saltner. “There’s the cultural stuff but also we’re saying, ‘okay, this is another avenue for you’. It lets them see that they can go into the arts but also into any kind of situation.”

From a personal perspective, Saltner believes that Rekindling is about returning the favour. “With all the information that’s been given to me over the past twenty six years of my dance career, I find it a privilege to be able to give back,” he states. “One of the things that we instil in the company members here is that, yeah, we are role models to all these indigenous kids out there; not only indigenous kids but any kid who aspires to be a dancer.”

Given the integral role that music and dance play in the generational transmission of indigenous culture, it is no surprise that aboriginal Australia’s most prestigious dance company should take on the role of cultural preserver. “There’s definitely a demand for it, even if people don’t quite know exactly what the Rekindling programme is yet,” Saltner insists. “If somebody doesn’t try to keep these stories alive there will be nothing left, they will just die out.”

That the word bangarra means ‘to make a fire’ in the Wiradjuri language is obviously no coincidence. The challenge now, of course, is to keep the flame alive.

Top photo: Sidney Saltner, Youth Program Director, with the 2012 Aboriginal Schools Ensemble. Photo by Anna Warr

Sydney Opera House
August 3 2012

By Renata Ogayar.

Terrain, created by resident choreographer Francis Rings for Bangarra Dance Theatre, truly was an incredible sixty-five minute work that transported me into another time and place of beauty and spirituality.

Centred around Kati Thanda (Lake Eyre), Bangarra in Terrain explored the relationship of Indigenous people and the spiritual connection of the lake and its vast landscape. The cultural semiology in every element was profound, powerful and effortlessly beautiful. The movement sequences, costumes, music, lighting and set design all combined, brought this sculptural masterpiece to life.

Terrain was comprised of nine sections representing the evanescent transformation of the promising, yet harsh place.

The first section, Red Brick, looked past the assembled landscape in order to hear an ancestral calling. Setting the scene, the stage was suddenly lit with powerful white lighting that slowly faded out, accompanied by rumbles of lightning and thunder as the dancers entered the space. The simple, yet highly effective, neutral costumes exposed the powerful bodies of the dancers as they moved in a grounded animalistic manner, seamlessly blending from one form to another.

The mens’ ensemble, Shields, reflected the struggle Indigenous people faced with Land Rights and still face today. The dancers proved their masculinity, holding white shields as they executed powerful movements subsequently driven by their signature focus. This section was particularly mesmerizing with electric beats mixed with an undertone of breath compiled with subtle traditional clap sticks creating suspense.

Contrasting the male ensemble was the ladies ensemble, Spinifex. This piece exhibited the style and femininity of the dancers, inspired by the trees that reside in and around Lake Eyre and the spirit women who are suspended in time. The twig like headdresses and long punctuated skirts, with transitory earthy colours, were most remarkable.

Each section contained detailed choreography so seamless, stunning and entrancing that one could not look away. The movements were full of breath and stylish imagery exploring the use of rise and fall, impulse and instigation whilst remaining connected to the terrain of the stage.

The costumes, designed by Jennifer Irwin, were an art installation in their own right, using the landscape of the piece to aesthetically embrace and complement the choreography, bringing it surrealism and life.

The composition of the music delved into the vastness and spirit of Lake Eyre. Violins and cellos captured the beauty of the land while the subtle breath and voices captured the mystery and the spirit of the mystical place.

Karen Norris’ lighting design incorporated a soft fusion of front lights and heavy back lights that brought an element of sincerity to the work, creating mood and ambience to assist in telling the story.

Finally, the set design brought a dimension to the work, capturing the features of Lake Eyre by creating illusions of density and sparseness through nonfigurative forms, textures and colours.

If there was ever collaboration so stylishly portrayed, it was Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Terrain. If you are not familiar with their work, I highly recommended that you experience one of their performances.

Photo: Deborah Brown and Leonard Mickelo in Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Terrain. Photo by Greg Barrett.

After ten years with Bangarra Dance Theatre, Patrick Thaiday is moving on from the company. Patrick’s performance of Stephen Page’s Warumuk-in the dark night at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Australian Ballet’s Infinity Program on April 25 was his last with Bangarra.

A much loved and recognised dancer, Patrick’s retirement comes as he celebrates a long and successful decade with Bangarra. Since joining Bangarra in 2002, Patrick’s face has become synonymous with the company and critics and audiences alike have lauded him for his extraordinary featured performances across Bangarra’s repertoire.

Of his time with the company Patrick told Dance Informa, “over the years Bangarra has given me the honour of representing my culture, people and art through dance. I’ve just taken a ride on a time machine and experienced the most amazing Dreamtime journey.”

Bangarra’s Artistic Director Stephen Page said “Patrick has been a core member of the company for the past ten years and his work deserves to be celebrated. His passion for and commitment to Indigenous dance has been a driving force within the company and he is a point of inspiration for the younger dancers. I hope that after a well deserved break Patrick will return to Bangarra in a different role.”

Patrick Thaiday in 'Belong' by Bangarra Dance Theatre. Photo by Jeff Busby.

Patrick was born in Biloela, Queensland and grew up in Mackay. His parents come from Iama and Erub in the Torres Strait Islands. He believes that his in-built desire to dance is derived from his parents’ ancestors who originated from Lifu, South Sea Islands and Jamaica. With a strong cultural background, he learnt traditional dances from an early age.

Patrick’s family and friends encouraged him to pursue a career in dance and in 1999 he moved to Sydney to study at NAISDA (National Aboriginal and Islander Skills and Development Association), performing both traditional and contemporary dance. Whilst studying, Patrick performed with Bangarra and Christine Anu at the Closing Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

In 2002 Patrick was accepted into Bangarra Dance Theatre. His solo in that year’s production Walkabout earned him recognition for his talents. Since then this critically acclaimed dancer has received prestigious awards for his performances in Clan (2004), Boomerang (2005), Gathering (2006) and True Stories (2007). In 2008 Patrick performed a central role in Stephen Page’s Mathinna.

In 2009 Patrick travelled to Europe with Bangarra to perform True Stories and later helped Bangarra celebrate its 20th Anniversary with Fire – A Retrospective. In 2010 he performed in Bangarra’s of earth & sky to outstanding acclaim. Patrick’s recent highlights include performing at the 2011 Indigenous All Stars NRL game and the Spirit tour of Germany and Italy. He also performed to much acclaim in the 2011 Belong national tour and Bangarra’s regional tour of Mathinna. 2012 has seen Patrick perform in Stephen Page’s Warumuk – in the dark night as a part of the Australian Ballet’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Patrick is one of the nation’s finest Indigenous performers and will be long remembered by Bangarra audiences for his distinctive performance presence.

Dance Informa wishes Patrick all the best with his future endeavours.

Top photo: Patrick Thaiday. Photo courtesy of Bangarra Dance Theatre.

Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – everything dance in Australia – dance news, dance auditions & dance events.

By Rain Francis.

Arts Centre, Melbourne
February 2012

The Australian Ballet’s 50th Anniversary celebrations have begun with a big, beautiful bang. Infinity is a triple bill of new works created by three of Australia’s most important choreographers, to three commissioned scores.

The evening opens with The Narrative of Nothing, from Australia’s beloved Graeme Murphy. After creating a string of lavish story ballets, including 2011′s Romeo and Juliet, Murphy opted out of the constraints of expressing a narrative, returning to a more neoclassical, purely abstract form. During the creative process, however, he found it impossible to NOT find meaning in the steps being constructed, eventually coming to the conclusion that as humans we need – have always needed – stories. The resulting ballet is a 30 minute exhibition of formidable technique, not necessarily always virtuosic in the sense of being grand and showy, but intricate, flawlessly executed and at times lightning-quick. As Murphy noted, in the various groupings of dancers, the audience is free to find its fictions and fantasies.

The Narrative of Nothing is set to Brett Dean’s Fire Music, dedicated to the victims of the 2009 ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires. Powerful in scope and elaborately detailed, the score is expertly rendered by the choreography. The dancers are dressed in unitards which are covered in minute mirrors – an innovative design of Murphy’s long-time collaborator, Jennifer Irwin.

Unexpectedly, the most traditional classical ballet choreography and costumes of the evening are to be found within a piece by one of our most eminent contemporary choreographers. There’s Definitely a Prince Involved is Gideon Obarzanek’s first major work since departing Chunky Move. It asks questions such as ‘what is ballet?’ and ‘what is love?’, drawing on answers collected by Obarzanek when conducting interviews as part of his research. Swan Lake, as the quintessential ballet, is deconstructed and given a realist’s revamp, shot through with candid, sometimes amusing, often nerve-touching narration. Created alongside the choreography, Stefan Gregory’s score manipulates Tchaikovsky’s famous original, thankfully retaining its faultless essence.

The show-stealer of the second work is easily the contemporary Grand Pas de Deux, narrated by Madeleine Eastoe and danced by guest artists Sara Black and James O’Hara. The two bodies writhe and tumble with invertebrate fluidity, reminiscent of the fabulous dressmaker’s dummy in Dame Peggy van Praagh and George Ogilvie’s production of Coppelia.

For me, the piece de resistance of the evening is Stephen Page’s mesmerising Warumuk – In the Dark Night. Inspired by Yolngu families’ creation stories of the night sky, the work explores the ‘spiritual relationship between people, land and nature’. Various myths are interpreted, including those of the Milky Way, the lunar eclipse and the morning star. Dancers from Bangarra Dance Theatre and The Australian Ballet blend seamlessly, the latter embracing a more weighted movement vocabulary. Throughout, the combination of the dance, David Page’s score and Padraig O Suilleabhain’s lighting is nothing short of hypnotic, but it is Jennifer Irwin’s breathtaking costumes which blow my mind, particularly in the dance of the Seven Sisters.

Infinity is a well-balanced cross-section of the Australian dance palette. It incorporates various traditions and our unique Indigenous culture, whilst nodding to the new directions of our choreographers. Here’s to the next 50 years.

Photo: Graeme Murphy, Lana Jones, Gideon Obarzanek, Stephen Page. Photo Georges Antoni

Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – everything dance in Australia – dance news, dance auditions & dance events.

By Elizabeth Ashley.

Bangarra Dance Theatre continues its quest to explore the spirit that connects traditional and contemporary culture for indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. The company is not so much about “performance” but rather “essence”; essence of spirit, both past and present.

Dance Informa spoke to Artistic Director Stephen Page and Rehearsal Director Catherine Goss at the Bangarra studios in the fortnight leading up to the opening of their latest program, Belong.

Belong is comprised of two works; ID choreographed by Stephen Page expressing the search for identity in the 21st century, and About by Elma Kris “exploring the winds across land, sea and sky” as she evokes her Torres Strait Island homeland. Page sums up the central theme of Belong, “what lies at the heart of each work is the sense of the spiritual within the actual.”

When asked what the impetus was for Belong, Page explains that it was the opportunity to explore stories and use dance as a storytelling medium for two choreographers who were ready to create something after a period of choreographic downtime.

“Elma (Kris) was always going to do a work this year as she hasn’t presented anything new since Emeret Lu in 2007 and I wanted to entrust her with a work on the Torres Strait Islands. It’s important to nurture her work and give her this opportunity. And it was also time for me to do another work. I haven’t created anything since 2008. In contrast to Elma’s work, I have gone more social and abstract with ID.”

Elaborating on his new piece, Page talks about the mood and ideas behind ID. “I wanted to use positive words to rekindle the stories and connective spirit, to ask the question ‘What is it about 21st century Aborigines?’ –  to compare urban Aboriginals with traditional man; indigenous perceptions with Western perceptions. There are so many urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who choose to celebrate their indigenous identity; to reclaim, rekindle or reawaken their traditional heritage. We are apt to romanticise the traditional Aboriginal but I want to bridge the traditional with the contemporary.”

The uniqueness of Bangarra lies as much with its vision as an indigenous-centred dance company as it does with its dancers. We asked which qualities Bangarra looks for when choosing dancers. Catherine Goss Rehearsal Director responds, “in terms of choosing the dancers it’s more about a spirit and understanding of indigenous culture and telling the stories.” One such example is Jhuny-Boy Borja, the only non-indigenous dancer currently with the company but who grew up in Katherine and understands the strong connection with the land and importance of storytelling.

The Bangarra dancers must also have the capacity to mentor and nurture the collective creative form rather than solely pursuing their individual technical ability. Goss continues, “Jhuny-Boy has been with Bangarra since 2003 so he’s one of our senior dancers. We have the cycle of the older ones teaching the younger ones and the younger dancers looking to the more experienced dancers for guidance. We find that the dancers join Bangarra in order to rekindle and reconnect. The majority of them are urban so there isn’t always a strong thread to their indigenous roots. With Bangarra they can really embrace their culture.”

Goss continues, “However, that’s not to say that we don’t require technical dance ability. The evolution has been interesting to watch over the past 10 years. We’re embracing more the technical without losing the essence.”

When asked to define the spiritual sense or experience of an indigenous person Page mentions one’s moral wavelength. “With the environment crying out, there’s a real need for a cohesiveness of the human spirit. People want to belong but Western Society is so concerned with wanting to understand and wanting an answer now. It’s about supremacy and systems. They should relax a bit and just accept, try not to abuse what’s around us and adopt some of the indigenous spirit.”

On asking the same question on a more personal level he chose to respond on behalf of Bangarra, “It’s about a maintenance of the spirit. We’re caretakers of the spirits of our ancestors. It’s about respect for the land which has shaped the people. A diverse land creates a diversity of people, and we respect that.”

Bangarra is a high profile indigenous cultural export and has been highly acclaimed in various countries around the world. The audience response has been overwhelming. “In Germany we received no less than four standing ovations per night, and it was the same at the Kennedy Centre in the US. I think we all have the desire to connect on a different level, on the spiritual level. The audience comes away with history and feels something. In Germany there was an awe-struck silence through the performance and during intermission a mad flapping of pages as they digested the programs.”

We asked Page what he hopes the audience will take with them from a Bangarra performance. “A consciousness, hopefully we’ll awaken their spiritual consciousness, a different aesthetic. Humans have to face many facets of emotional and social struggles, so on the one hand we try to cleanse and heal through our works. And then on the other hand in some of my other works I want to confront but also allow a healing.”

Touring throughout regional Australia allows Bangarra to engage with various indigenous communities.  Goss outlines the active involvement of Bangarra.” We have an education program which involves workshops with local indigenous school children when we do our regional tours. The dancers are effectively mentoring these children and showing them the possibilities for a creative career”.

Added to this is Bangarra’s Dance Safe Program that provides a structured approach for the dancers’ strengthening and rehabilitation in order to minimize disruptions caused by injuries. Goss oversees the program and explains. “Australia leads the world in terms of dancer care and Bangarra decided to have a more formalised program rather than calling physios when dancers needed them. So now, we have a physiotherapist on board three hours per week and a massage therapist once a week. Even when we’re on tour we ensure we have access to physios and massage therapists.”

Bangarra Dance Theatre continues to flourish with the recognition that it has definitely come of age. Asked if he was happy to continue after 19 years at the helm Page says “nothing’s shifting me at the moment…and there is a strong cultural purpose. Time will tell…when the spirit moves”.

Like the winds that sweep across the sand, sea and sky get ready to experience the spirit of Bangarra as they tour both nationally and internationally.

Belong
Brisbane, Playhouse Theatre, QPAC  1 – 9 July
Sydney, Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House  20 July – 20 August 
Perth, Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of WA   25 – 28 August
Canberra, Canberra Theatre Centre  2 – 3 September
Wollongong, Merrigong Theatre Company, IMB Theatre, IPAC  8 – 10 September
Melbourne, Playhouse Theatre, The Arts Centre  15 – 24 September

www.bangarra.com.au

Photos: Jason Capobianco

The Arts Centre, State Theatre
Sunday June 20th

By Deborah Searle.

What a night of nights! This year’s Awards Gala was a celebration of all things dance by a growing and excited Australian dance industry. As media sponsor, Dance Informa was there to applaud the industry it loves. Hosted by Neil Pigot and Auslan presenter Anna Hruby, the evening paid tribute to the country’s dance and choreography achievements of 2009. We were treated to performances by Buzz Dance Theatre, Tracks Dance Company and The Australian Ballet, amongst others.

The evening opened fittingly with Bangarra Dance Theatre presenting Black, choreographed by Stephen Page, who was later to win an award for Services to Dance. Bangarra also took out the award for Outstanding Performance by a Company for Fire – A Retrospective.  In Black the men of Bangarra showed us their special and almost animalist movement as we caught a glimpse into sacred Aboriginal Men’s Business. It was intriguing and beautiful and well received by the audience.

The highlight of the evening was a performance of Untrained by Lucy Guerin Inc. Comical and interesting, Untrained explores the differences between two trained and two un-trained dancers. The audience was very appreciative of all the dancers, who possessed performance flair, no matter how awkward they were. Untrained was laugh-out-loud funny and very ingenious.  It was the talking point of the evening for those who had not seen the work before.

A wonderful surprise for the evening was a performance by new Perth based company Ludwig. Presenting Soul Searching, Ludwig showed real talent and a promising future ahead. The dancers were strong and technically sound, and the choreography displayed great musicality and a fresh flavour.

To end the evening, a barrage of Melbourne’s young dancers entered the stage with ‘One’ from A Chorus Line. Choreographed by Jason Coleman and Troy Phillips, the piece featured ballet, jazz and hip hop and was led by an adorable young girl, who looked only about eight years old.  It was a fun and energetic number, followed by an explosion of streamers from above, covering the excited audience.

Congratulations to Ausdance Victoria, for another wonderful celebration. We look forward to the Dance Awards in Brisbane next year.

And the winners were….

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
William (Bill) Akers AM

SERVICES TO DANCE
Stephen Page

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE EDUCATION
Maggi Phillips

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUTH OR COMMUNITY DANCE
Restless Dance Theatre for Bedroom Dancing

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHOREOGRAPHY
Meryl Tankard & Paul White, The Oracle (independent)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A COMPANY
Bangarra, Fire – A Retrospective

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN INDEPENDENT DANCE
Sue Peacock, Questions Without Notice

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE DANCER
Lana Jones in Firebird  (The Australian Ballet)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE DANCER
Paul White in The Oracle (Meryl Tankard and Paul White)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A STAGE MUSICAL
Caroline O’Connor, Chicago

Photo: Bangarra Dance Theatre. Photography by Belinda www.dancephotography.net.au

Bangarra Dance Theatre are in Melbourne to perform Fire –  A Retrospective.
Below David Wyatt shares his amazing camera work with us.
Copyright David Wyatt capturingimages.photography@gmail.com www.capturingimages.com.au