The Bangarra Dance Theatre, with the artistic direction of Mr Stephen Page are regular visitors to Tasmania and have performed here around every two years. In fact on in 2010 they performed a dance very relevant to Tasmania, the 1800’s true story of Mathinna was a production about the young Aboriginal girl who captured the attention of governor John Franklin and his wife Jane. They raised the young girl in western culture alongside their own daughter Eleanor; later when they returned to England Mathinna was taken to an orphan school. She left and returned to her Oyster Cove home … before the story ends in tragedy.
The Bangarra foundation develops Indigenous stories and translates them into dance. Stephen, who has won many awards and honours including Helpman Awards, NSW Australian of the year in 2008 and who has directed at the Sydney Olympics and choreographed the movie ‘Bran Nue Dae. Stephen is keen to continue the legacy and evolution of Bangarra. The aim of the company is to teach all Australians to appreciate our indigenous culture.
The newest production Stephen and Bangarra are bringing to Tasmania is ‘Kinship’ the story of a young girl from north east Arnhem land as she goes out before sunset to the bolga or crane feeding grounds. The production aims to show the close relationship between indigenous people and the animals and land and also to show how animals and nature are ‘mimicked’ in their dance. The production brings home to us how our indigenous cultures shape the land with their songs and dances and their relation to the earth as their mother.
The second part of the presentation is called ID and looks at how being indigenous is defined in contemporary Australia. In light of media discussion of bloodlines and what defines Aboriginality.
The name Bangarra comes from the Wiradjuri word ‘to make fire’ and Bangarra continues to make fire in our spirit and kindle kinship among Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
You can see Kinship and ID performed by Bangarra Dance Theatre at the Theatre Royal on Thursday, 12th September and Friday, 13th September at 8:00pm .
Paula Xiberras
