BANGARRA
DANCE THEATRE ne of Australia’s leading Indigenous performing arts companies, Bangarra Dance Theatre, is known for its unique fusion of traditional Indigenous Australian history and culture with contemporary dance technique. In thisWorking Rehearsal, Bangarra will show how it combines respect for tradition with new ways of expressing the stories, hopes and concerns of their culture.
Welcome to Cuesheet, your guide to Bangarra Dance Theater’s Working Rehearsal of Awakenings. Cuesheet is published by the Education Department of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
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This is a two-part program; together, the pieces illustrate the joys and obstacles “Awakenin encountered as the present generation Bangarra D gs” USA/Canada 2008 ance Theatre C ompany strives to respect its ancestral past. DIREC TOR’S NOTES
ACT ONE – 44 MINUTES “BOOMERAN G” This
Many of the characters that appear in Aboriginal stories take the form of animals that are particular to Australia, like the brolga, or Australian crane.
work uses movement an “Looking” (Nam d a) rec all ag e-old spiritual connection song to A family return s to the earth. s to the land – looking throug h the eyes of th eir spiritual elde “Canoe” (Nuk urr) rs. A fusion of the old and new – men reflect on the way their br others and fath “Manta Ray” (M ers hunted in th alarrar) e past. Explores the sig nificance and sy mb olic protector many roles of the Manta Ray – totem, prey, “Hunting and and medicine. Gathering” An abstract po rtrayal of traditi onal hunting an women who nu d gathering m rture and maint ethods, inspired ain the land – the harsh Austr by Aboriginal drawing nourish alian earth. ment and med icines from “Black” Aboriginal boys are taken from their mothers manhood. It is for their ritual a journey whe passage from ch re they are show the initiation ca ildhood to n secret-sacred ce n only be view remonies. The ed from a distan pain of ce… this is men ’s business. The dancers tell the stor y of initiation into womanho a young girl's od, revisiting he
ACT TWO – 35 MINUTES “BROLGA” (G udurrku)
r tra
nsformation at a sacre Inspired by a vi d site where the river me sit to the Brolg ets the sea. a Pl ai the saltwater, th ns in NE Arnhe is piece tells th m Land, where e th an e ci belongs to the fresh water m ent story of brolga. Also know n as the Australia a young girl who enters a sacred groueets n crane. nd that
She mimics th e birds, and di scovers their be auty and grace. The traditional But she has to spirit guides an her on this jour learn to respec d protects her, t the secret ney from child but he has also hood to adulth posed a challe ood. nge for The gu
brolga knowledg e.
ide sings her to sleep, recalling spiritually for th another realm e ritual paintin in the Dreamtim g. She emerge She is transfor e. He prepares s with the tote med. The stories her m markings of of the Aboriginal People the brolga. ar e of ten ro oted in There
the Dr are many stories that lin k the creation of Austra eamtime, the time of creation. lia’s lan animals, spirits, events and people in the Dreamt d to the actions of ime.
What is a Work in
g Rehearsal?
Touring artists ofte n have little time before their first pe theater. A Working rformance to get to Rehearsal is a tim know an unfamili e for a company to w ar to a new space, an ork out last-minut d refine sections of e de ta ils , ge th ei t used r program. There ar technical adjustm e sometimes interr ents, but usually, uptions for a Working Rehear sal looks like any ot her performance. Unlike ballet, which strives to create an illusion of weightlessness through lifts, leaps and pointe work, modern dance celebrates the connection of the dancer to the ground with drops, floor work and other emphasis on gravity. For Bangarra, this relationship between the ground further underlines their Indigenous roots.
BANGARRA
DANCE THEATRE
Cultural Preservation, Cultural Revelation M
usic, song and dance have been an essential part of Indigenous culture for thousands of years. But it is a complex balancing act to simultaneously preserve and honor Indigenous arts while creating new, contemporary dance works. The artists of Bangarra are experienced in both Aboriginal and Western forms of theater, dance and music, allowing them a great deal of flexibility as they create new works. Bangarra’s success can also be linked to the National Aboriginal & Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA), a group started in the 1970s to help advance and preserve dance among Indigenous people and their descendents, and where most of Bangarra's dancers trained. In addition, many of Bangarra’s works are developed in consultation with Clan elders, who form the source of the company’s traditional knowledge. Stephen Page, himself an alumnus of NAISDA, was appointed artistic director in 1991; under Page, the company has developed a style that draws on both traditional and urban Aborginal cultures.
Think about
Resources Company Web site www.bangarra.com.au/ Australia Country Information www.palclub.org/worldonline education/australia.htm ABC Education pages www.abc.net.au/indigenous/ education/default.htm
Stephen A. Schwarzman Chairman Michael M. Kaiser President Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education Cuesheets are funded in part through the support of the U.S. Department of Education; Verizon Foundation; Estate of Joseph R. Applegate; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; the Carter and Melissa Cafritz Charitable Trust; Citi Foundation; DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Mr. Martin K. Alloy and Ms. Daris M. Clifton; the Harris Family Foundation; Newman's Own Foundation; the Clark Winchcole Foundation; Chevy Chase Bank; The Clark Charitable Foundation, and the President's Advisory Committee on the Arts.
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A key historical distinction between traditional dance and contemporary Western dance is its function. Indigenous or traditional dance is closely linked to spiritual and cultural practice, and the movements and narrative are often part of rituals or community life. Contemporary theatrical dance, on the other hand, is designed for the stage; while it can be based on ritual and life experiences, it is a performance, presented for an audience to observe. How does Bangarra fuse Western dance and the traditions of Australia’s Aboriginal people?
Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, a program of the Kennedy Center Education Department. Designer: Carla Badaracco For more information about the performing arts and arts education, visit our Web sites: www.kennedy-center.org/education www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org Questions, comments? Write us at cuesheets@artsedge.kennedycenter.org. © 2008, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The U.S. Department of Education supports approximately one-third of the budget for the Kennedy Center Education Department. The contents of this Cuesheet do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.