Australia Dancing - Bangarra Dance Theatre (1989

Bangarra Dance Theatre (1989 - )

Webster, Tim: Stephen Page with poster for 'Praying Mantis Dreaming', 1992

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Bangarra Dance Theatre was founded in 1989 by Carole Johnson, an African-American dance leader who was a founding director of NAISDA College (National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association). Bangarra's vision is to provide opportunities for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to explore, express and present the identity of Australia's indigenous cultures through dance and theatre performances. Bangarra means 'to make fire' in the Wiradjuri language of New South Wales. The company's program notes for its 2003 work Bush affirm that 'Bangarra Dance Theatre speaks with an ancient yet completely contemporary voice to people everywhere'.

Stephen Page, himself an alumnus of NAISDA, was appointed artistic director in 1991 and in 1992 created the company's first full-length work, Praying Mantis Dreaming. Under Page the company developed a particular style of performance that drew on both traditional and urban Aboriginal cultures. The company works in close collaboration with a cultural consultant, who is the source of Bangarra's traditional knowledge. For a significant number of years from the early 1990s that consultant was Djakapurra Munyarryun, a member of the Munyarryun clan of north-east Arnhem Land. In 2003 Kathy Balngayngu Marika, a senior woman of the Rirratjingu clan, took on the role of cultural consultant working with Bangarra on the creation of Bush.

In addition to Praying Mantis Dreaming other landmark productions have been Ochres (1995), choreographed by Page and Bernadette Walong; Fish (1997), staged first at the Edinburgh Festival prior to a season at the Festival of the Dreaming in Sydney; Rites (1997), a collaboration with the Australian Ballet; Skin, created for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival; Corroboree (2001), a triple-bill choreographed by Page; Walkabout (2002), and Bush (2003), both choreographed as collaborations between Page and Frances Rings; Unaipon (2004) by Rings; Boomerang (2005) by Page; Amalgamate (2006), a second collaboration with the Australian Ballet presented with Rites in a program entitled Gathering; and True Stories (2007), a double bill consisting of x300 by Rings and Emeret Lu by Elma Kris.

Bangarra's international acclaim began with a 16 city sell-out tour to the United States in 2001. In 2002 the company appeared at the Monaco Dance Forum, in 2004 again in the United States, performing in New York and in Washington by special invitation, in 2005 in Japan and New Zealand and in 2006 in the United Kingom.

Bibliography:

Stephanie Burridge, 'Dreaming the future: the emergence of Bangarra Dance Theatre', Australasian Drama Studies, 41 (October 2002), pp. 77-89; Celia Weiss, 'Story space in Bangarra's Pride: an imperative for reconciliation', Australasian Drama Studies, 41 (October 2002), pp. 90-100.

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Find more about Bangarra Dance Theatre in:

Internet - Google
Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
Pictures - Picture Australia