Bangarra Dance Theatre facts for kids
Bangarra Dance Theatre at Australian Human Rights Commission event in 2011
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| Formation | 1989 |
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| Founder | Carole Y. Johnson, Rob Bryant, Cheryl Stone |
| Purpose | Indigenous Australian contemporary dance company |
| Website | https://www.bangarra.com.au/ |
Bangarra Dance Theatre is a special dance company from Australia. It focuses on contemporary dance and tells stories from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. It was started in 1989 by three amazing people. They were Carole Y. Johnson, an African American dancer, Rob Bryant, a Gumbaynggirr man, and Cheryl Stone from South Africa.
From 1991 to 2021, Stephen Page was the main artistic director. Now, Frances Rings has taken over this important role since 2022. The word Bangarra (pronounced bungurra) comes from the Wiradjuri language. It means "to make fire."
Contents
History of Bangarra
Bangarra Dance Theatre began in October 1989. Its founders were Carole Y. Johnson, Rob Bryant, and Cheryl Stone. Carole Johnson was an American modern dancer. She also started the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA). Rob Bryant was a Gumbaynggirr man and a NAISDA graduate. Cheryl Stone was born in South Africa and also studied at NAISDA.
Rob Bryant, also known as Uncle Rob Bryant, was a retired airman and a Vietnam veteran. Cheryl Stone moved to Australia as a teenager. She took part in a special Black Theatre workshop. This workshop was set up by Carole Johnson in Sydney in 1975.
Carole Johnson visited Australia in 1972 with a dance company. She decided to stay. In 1975, she became the first director of NAISDA. This school helps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people learn dance skills.
Carole Johnson had a big dream for Aboriginal dance. She wanted a school to train dancers. These dancers would perform and also teach. She also wanted to help dancers learn other skills. These included choreography (making dances) and managing tours. Most importantly, she wanted to keep traditional cultures alive. She mentored Cheryl Stone, who helped plan Bangarra. In 1989, Cheryl Stone became its first artistic director.
Stephen Page became the artistic director in 1991. Bangarra's first big show was Praying Mantis Dreaming in 1992. In 1994, Stephen Page created Ochres. Since 2000, they have created new shows every year. Many of their shows have been very popular in Australia. Some have even toured to the United States and the United Kingdom.
Bangarra also played a big part in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. They performed in both the opening and closing ceremonies. The company has won many awards for its amazing dance works.
In 2019, Bangarra celebrated its 30th birthday. They launched a special online archive and exhibition. It was called Knowledge Ground.
In December 2021, Stephen Page announced he would leave his role. Frances Rings took over as artistic director in 2022. She used to be a dancer and choreographer with Bangarra. Stephen Page's last show as director was Wudjang: Not the Past. It premiered at the Sydney Festival in January 2022.
In 2023, Frances Rings, a Kokatha woman, created a new show called Yuldea. This show tells the story of Ooldea, a town in South Australia. The town was important because it was near a water source called "Yooldil Kapi." This water source was used by Aboriginal groups like the Kokatha, Mirning, and Wirangu peoples. Frances Rings' mother was born nearby. Yuldea has four parts: Supernova, Kapi (Water), Empire, and Ooldea Spirit. The show included music by Electric Fields. It also featured voices from people in Yalata.
Key People at Bangarra
Many talented people have been part of Bangarra Dance Theatre.
Page Brothers
- Stephen Page AO: He was the artistic director from 1991 to 2021.
- David Page (1961–2016): He was a composer and the musical director.
- Russell Page (1968–2002): He was a dancer.
Other Important People
- Raymond D. Blanco: He was a lead dancer and featured in the film Jindalee Lady.
- Lillian Crombie: A talented dancer.
- Ella Havelka: A dancer.
- Elma Gada Kris: A dancer and choreographer.
- Banula Marika: A dancer and musician.
- Ningali Lawford-Wolf: A performer.
- Daniel Riley: A dancer and choreographer. He became artistic director of another company in 2021.
- Frances Rings: A dancer and choreographer. She became the artistic director from 2022.
Bangarra's Dance Works
Bangarra Dance Theatre has created many amazing shows over the years. Here are some of them:
- 1992 – Praying Mantis Dreaming
- 1995 – Ochres
- 1997 – Fish
- 1997 – Rites (with The Australian Ballet)
- 2000 – Skin (a film called Spear was based on this)
- 2001 – Corroboree
- 2002 – Walkabout
- 2003 – Bush
- 2004 – Unaipon
- 2004 – CLAN
- 2005 – Boomerang
- 2006 – Gathering with the Australian Ballet
- 2007 – True Stories
- 2008 – Mathinna (based on the life of a Palawa girl)
- 2008 — Rites (with The Australian Ballet)
- 2009 — Fire – A Retrospective
- 2010 – of earth & sky
- 2012 – Terrain
- 2013 – Blak
- 2014 – Patyegarang and Kinship
- 2015 – lore
- 2016 – OUR land people stories
- 2017 – Bennelong
- 2018 – Dubboo - life of a songman
- 2018 — Dark Emu
- 2019 — Spirit
- 2023 – Yuldea
Films Featuring Bangarra
Bangarra's work has also been featured in films:
- Jindalee Lady (1992): This film featured Raymond Blanco, a lead dancer from Bangarra. It was the first fiction film directed by an Aboriginal person.
- Spear (2015): This drama film was directed by Stephen Page. It was based on Bangarra's live performance Skin from 2000.
- Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra (2020): This is a feature-length documentary film about the dance company. It tells the story of Bangarra's first 30 years. It also focuses on the three Page brothers – Stephen, David, and Russell – and their roles in the company. The film won an award at the Adelaide Film Festival.
Awards and Recognition
Bangarra Dance Theatre has won many important awards for its outstanding work. These awards celebrate their excellence in dance, choreography, and storytelling.
They have received numerous Australian Dance Awards. These awards recognize the best in Australian dance. Bangarra has won for "Outstanding Performance by a Company" multiple times. Individual dancers and choreographers from Bangarra have also won awards.
The company has also been honored at The Deadly Awards. These awards celebrated the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Stephen Page and Bangarra won for "Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment" and "Achievement in Theatre or Live Performance."
Bangarra has also won many Helpmann Awards. These are Australia's top awards for live entertainment and performing arts. They have won "Best Ballet or Dance Work" for shows like Skin, Bush, Mathinna, Fire, Terrain, Sheoak, and Bennelong. Stephen Page and Frances Rings have won awards for their choreography. The company has also won for "Best New Australian Work" and "Best Regional Touring Production."
In 1993, Bangarra Dance Theatre received the "Group Award" at the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards. These awards recognize great achievements in the performing arts.
