'Spirit' Regional Program

2021 REGIONAL TOUR TO NSW Griffith Regional Theatre 13 Feb Orange Civic Theatre 17 Feb Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre 20 Feb The Art House, Wyong 24 & 25 Feb ABOUT BANGARRA Bangarra is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation and one of Australia’s leading performing arts companies, widely acclaimed nationally and around the world for our powerful dancing, distinctive theatrical voice and utterly unique soundscapes, music and design.

Led by Artistic Director Stephen Page and Associate Artistic Director Frances Rings, our dance technique is forged from over 65,000 years of culture, embodied with contemporary movement. The company’s Dancers are dynamic artists who represent the pinnacle of Australian dance.

Our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are at the heart of Bangarra, with our repertoire created on Country and stories gathered from respected community Elders. It’s this inherent connection to our Land and people that makes us unique and enjoyed by audiences from remote Australian regional centres to international cities such as Paris, Berlin, Toronto, New York and Tokyo.

Discover more about Bangarra at www.bangarra-knowledgeground.com.au where you can explore our productions, delve deeper into our stories, enjoy profiles of our Dancers, Creative Team, and Cultural Consultants, and immerse yourself in our 31-year history.

REGIONAL TOURING Regional touring is a crucial part of the company’s annual calendar, connecting Bangarra with the communities that inspire its stories, as well as exposing new audiences to a positive representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures BANGARRA EXECUTIVE Artistic Director Stephen Page Executive Director Lissa Twomey Associate Artistic Director Frances Rings Rehearsal Director Daniel Roberts BANGARRA DANCE ENSEMBLE Elma Kris Lillian Banks Beau Dean Riley Smith Bradley Smith Nicola Sabatino Courtney Radford Rikki Mason Kassidy Waters Rika Hamaguchi Kallum Goolagong Tyrel Dulvarie Gusta Mara Glory Tuohy-Daniell Kiarn Doyle Baden Hitchcock Maddison Paluch Ryan Pearson Daniel Mateo PRODUCTION TEAM Director, Technical & Production John Colvin Production Manager Cat Studley Company Manager Cloudia Elder Stage Manager Stephanie Storr Head Electrician Ryan Shuker Head of Wardrobe Monica Smith

SUPPORT US… bangarra.com.au/support-us FOLLOW US... bangarra.com.au /Bangarra /bangarradancetheatre /bangarradancetheatre @BangarraDance

Photography by Daniel Boud

Bangarra Dance Theatre would like to pay respect and acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather. Bangarra also wishes to acknowledge the traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples whose customs and cultures inspire our work.

SPIRIT A RETROSPECTIVE 2021

“A memorable program as Bangarra looks back on three decades of dance” THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

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A NOTE FROM OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR STEPHEN PAGE & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LISSA TWOMEY

Spirit: a retrospective 2021 is the first work that Bangarra has performed on stage since the pandemic began. After ten months working quietly, nurturing ideas and reflecting on our purpose and value as a Company, we were honoured to perform this powerful work as part of Sydney Festival in January this year. The response from audiences was phenomenal – there was a raw hunger for cultural connection, sustenance and healing. We feel so fortunate to be able to bring Spirit to regional NSW, to connect in person and to share these stories on stage in venues across Wiradjuri Country, Kamilaroi Country and Darkinjung Country. This wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of The Balnaves Foundation and the NSW Government through Create NSW as part of Arts Restart. We thank them for their commitment to help ensure that all Australians are able to gain access to, and engage with our shared cultural heritage as a nation.

Never has the importance of gathering together – whether online or in person – for the purpose of sharing and uniting through

story, felt more fundamental. The power of storytelling allows us to make sense of the world, to address the past and the present, to cleanse, and to heal. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and stories have never been more relevant or needed, and the selection of works performed in Spirit powerfully communicate the complexities, diversity and sophistication of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and philosophy.

Many of the works are inspired by the sacred lands and wisdom of the Yolngu people of Northeast Arnhem Land, from whom we are taught about our role and responsibilities within the greater life cycle of birth, death and rebirth. In Spirit we learn about the important role that cultural ceremony plays in connecting people to spirit and Country, ensuring that the cycle of life is able to continue, and that hope is able to prevail.

We hope that at this time especially, Spirit is able to be a shared experience that energises and fortifies, as we walk forward together through this changing world.

CREDITS

Choreography Stephen Page, Bernadette Walong-Sene

Set Design Jacob Nash

Traditional Choreography and Music Djakapurra Munyarryun

Brolga Cloths John Matkovic, Stephen Page

Music David Page, Steve Francis

Lighting Design Nick Schlieper, Karen Norris, Joseph Mercurio Matt Cox

Costume Design Jennifer Irwin

SPIRIT A RETROSPECTIVE 2021

BANGARRA IS PROUD TO BRING SPIRIT: A RETROSPECTIVE 2021 TO REGIONAL NSW, AS PART OF A FOUR-STOP TOUR TO GRIFFITH, ORANGE, TAMWORTH AND WYONG. Directed by Bangarra’s Artistic Director Stephen Page, Spirit is a powerful collection of dance stories chosen from Bangarra’s 31-year repertoire.

Featuring the full Bangarra ensemble of 18 dancers, Spirit draws from a selection of the company’s most celebrated works, comprising of Brolga (Corroboree), Black (Ochres), Yellow (Ochres), Dingo (Skin),

White (Ochres), Moth (Bush), Two Sisters (Bush), The Call (Walkabout), and In her Mind (Nyapanyapa).

Set to a haunting score, Spirit invites audiences to connect with stories and Songlines drawn from all over Australia, in a celebration of First Nations Peoples’ unbroken connection to the Land.