Stephen Page facts for kids

Stephen George Page is a famous Aboriginal Australian dancer, choreographer, and film director. He was the artistic director of the Bangarra Dance Theatre from 1991 to 2022. This is a special dance company that shares Indigenous Australian stories through dance.

During his time with Bangarra, Stephen Page created many amazing dance shows. He also helped direct parts of the opening and closing ceremonies for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. He was also in charge of the 2004 Adelaide Festival of the Arts, a big arts event. Stephen Page has also worked on plays and movies.

Growing Up and Learning to Dance

Stephen George Page was born in Brisbane, Australia, in 1965. He was one of 12 children and grew up in a suburb called Mt Gravatt. His family comes from the Nunukul and Munaldjali people of southeast Queensland. However, his parents lived at a time when they couldn't openly celebrate their Aboriginal culture. Stephen describes his dad as a very skilled person who could do many different jobs.

Stephen went to Cavendish Road State High School in Brisbane. He felt lucky to go to high school, as his older sisters had to leave school early to help the family earn money. At school, he learned music and some dance.

He first worked as a trainee in a law office that helped Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. He thought about studying law at university. But then he saw a poster about an Indigenous dance college. When he was 16, he moved to Sydney to train at the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre. This school later became the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA). He finished his training in 1983. In 1984, he created his first big dance piece called Warumpi Warumpi.

Stephen's Dance Journey

Starting Out

In 1986, Stephen Page started dancing with the Sydney Dance Company. He performed in many of their shows and toured to countries like Greece, Italy, and Japan.

In 1988, Australia celebrated its 200th birthday. This was a time when many Indigenous people spoke up for their rights. Stephen decided he wanted to dance in an Indigenous company. So, he went back to NAISDA to teach and create dances. He toured with the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre (AIDT) to Germany and Finland. In 1989, he was the artistic director for the college's end-of-year show, Kayn Walu. This was the same year that the Bangarra Dance Theatre was started.

Stephen also continued to work with the Sydney Dance Company. He says this helped him learn a lot about choreography, which is the art of creating dance moves. In 1991, he created dances for the Sydney Dance Company and for Opera Australia.

Leading Bangarra Dance Theatre

In 1991, Stephen Page became the main choreographer for Bangarra Dance Theatre. By the end of that year, he became the artistic director, which means he was in charge of all the artistic choices. His brothers, Russell and David, also joined Bangarra around this time.

In 1992, Stephen created Praying Mantis Dreaming, Bangarra's first full-length show. It toured to many places in Australia and around the world, including China, New York, and London.

In 1996, he also worked with the Australian Ballet, creating a dance called Alchemy. His brother David wrote the music for it. The next year, Stephen brought the Australian Ballet and Bangarra together for a show called Rites. This show mixed different dance styles with Indigenous dance.

He then helped create Ochres, a show about the earth and its elements. Fish followed, focusing on water. Fish was later made into a film and shown on SBS Television.

In 2000, Stephen choreographed Bangarra's Skin for the Sydney Olympic Arts Festival. This show explored family connections across Aboriginal communities. It won awards for its powerful message.

Bangarra's show Corroboree, created by Stephen and his brother David, toured internationally in 2001 and 2002. It was very popular in the US, selling out shows in New York and Washington DC. Stephen won an award for Best Choreography for Corroboree.

Other important shows he created for Bangarra include:

• Walkabout (2002)
• Bush (2003), which toured to the US, Japan, New Zealand, and the UK.
• Clan (2004), another popular show.
• Boomerang (2005)
• Gathering (2006), with the Australian Ballet.
• Kin (2007)
• Mathinna (2008), a show inspired by a young Tasmanian girl's journey between cultures. It won awards for Best Dance Work and Best Choreography.
• Fire – A Retrospective (2009), celebrating Bangarra's 20th anniversary.
• Patyegarang (2014), for Bangarra's 25th anniversary.
• Bennelong (2017), which won an award for Best New Australian Work.
• Dark Emu (2018), inspired by a book and became Bangarra's most successful show.
• Sandsong (2021), honoring the legacy of Ningali Josie Lawford-Wolf.

In December 2021, Stephen Page announced he would leave his role as artistic director of Bangarra at the end of 2022. His last show with Bangarra was Wudjang: Not the Past, which premiered in January 2022. He created or choreographed 33 works for Bangarra during his time there.

Stephen also helped young dancers through Bangarra's "Rekindling" program. This program helps young Indigenous people connect with their culture through dance.

Other Exciting Projects

Stephen Page has worked on many other big events:

• In 1996, he choreographed the flag handover ceremony for the Atlanta Olympic Games.
• In 2000, he helped direct parts of the opening and closing ceremonies for the Sydney Olympic Games. He worked with many Indigenous people from different parts of Australia to create a powerful segment called Awakening.
• He was the artistic director of the 2004 Adelaide Festival of the Arts, a major arts festival.
• In 2006, he created a special dance project called Kin with his son, Hunter Page-Lochard, and nephews. This was for the opening of the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane.
• In 2007, he directed a traditional smoking ceremony to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• He directed an opera called Orphée et Eurydice in Melbourne in 2007.
• In 2018, he directed or choreographed work for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. He has also created dances for the Australian Football League.

In 2023, Stephen directed Waru – journey of the small turtle, a children's show written by his son Hunter. It was Bangarra's first show for children and won an award.

In 2024, Stephen created a new work called Baleen Moondjan for the Adelaide Festival. This show explored the connection between baleen whales and First Nations totem systems. It combined dance, storytelling, and songs in different Indigenous languages.

Theatre and Movies

Stephen Page has also worked a lot in theatre and film:

• He directed his brother, musician David Page, in a one-man show called Page 8, which toured Australia and the UK.
• In 2008, he was the choreographer for the movie Bran Nue Dae.
• He worked on the film Black River and adapted his Bangarra dance work Fish into a film.
• He directed a part of the 2013 film The Turning and choreographed the movie The Sapphires (2011).
• In 2013, he was an associate director for the play The Secret River.
• In 2015, he directed his first full-length movie, Spear. His son, Hunter Page-Lochard, played the main character.

Stephen's Family Life

Stephen Page's brothers, David (who wrote music for Bangarra) and Russell (a dancer), both passed away. Stephen has said that his creative work helped him cope with their loss. He believes art can be like medicine.

His son is the actor Hunter Page-Lochard (born in 1993). Hunter's mother, Cynthia "Sabine" Lochard, was a dancer. Stephen also has a stepdaughter, Tamika Walker. Stephen and Cynthia separated around 1998, but they have always worked together to raise their children.

In 2023, Stephen's family history was explored on the TV show Who Do You Think You Are? He discovered new family members who are South Pacific Islanders.

In November 2023, he spoke on a podcast about how being raised by women helped him become a good father.

Awards and Recognition

Stephen Page has received many awards and honours for his amazing contributions to dance and culture.

His old high school, Cavendish Road State High School, even named one of its school houses "Page" in his honour. The house colour is purple, and they call themselves the "Page Pythons"!

• In 2001, he received a Centenary Medal for his service to Australian dance.
• In 2008, he was named New South Wales Australian of the Year. This award recognised his efforts to bring cultures together through art and to guide young Indigenous storytellers and dancers.
• In 2015, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Technology Sydney. This is a special degree given to people who have achieved great things.
• In 2017, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). This is a very high honour given for distinguished service to the performing arts and for sharing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts with the world.
• In 2023, he gave a special lecture called "Clanship" at the National Portrait Gallery. He spoke about family, Aboriginal kinship, and connections with other Indigenous peoples around the world.

Awards and Nominations

Bangarra Dance Theatre has won many awards, including Helpmann Awards. Stephen Page has also won several individual awards.

Australian Dance Awards

These awards celebrate excellent dance in Australia.

Deadly Awards

The Deadly Awards celebrated the achievements of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Helpmann Awards

The Helpmann Awards celebrate live entertainment and performing arts in Australia.

NAIDOC Awards

The NAIDOC Awards celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Other Awards

Stephen Page has also received these awards:

• 1993: Mo Award for Dance Performance of the Year
• 1993: Paris Opera Screen Award, Grand Prix for Black River (film)
• 2002: Matilda Award for Contribution to the Arts in Queensland
• 2003: Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award, Individual Award
• 2004: Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award, Individual Indigenous Award
• 2017: Australia Council Dance Award
• 2022: Red Ochre Award
• 2022: Inaugural Wendy Blacklock Industry Legend Award, presented by PAC Australia
• 2022: Global Sydney Award