Bangarra Dance Theatre was established in 1989 as a dance company that embraces, celebrates and respects Australia’s Indigenous people and their culture. Under the artistic direction of Stephen Page since 1991, Bangarra has emerged as Australia’s only national premier Indigenous performing arts company.
Stephen Page has developed an extraordinary signature body of work that has received a multitude of awards and secured the company’s national and international reputation. Stephen is committed to developing the next generation of Indigenous storytellers by mentoring emerging artists and providing opportunities for Indigenous employment across all areas of dance theatre production and administration. In 2008, Stephen was named NSW Australian of the Year.
The Sydney-based company, with 14 dancers, is chaired by Larissa Behrendt, a leading Aboriginal lawyer and academic named 2011 NSW Australian of the Year, and led by Executive Director Catherine Baldwin.
Each year, Bangarra performs to approximately 50,000 people around Australia and the world and its productions are regularly sold out.
At the heart of all of Bangarra’s productions is the musical creativity of award-winning David Page, who is one of the most successful Aboriginal contemporary composers in Australia. David’s music is the inimitable soundscape of Bangarra that lures audiences year after year.
Bangarra bases its creative spirit on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions and stories producing a powerful new language combining the traditional and the contemporary. This potent, original and distinctive style tells the stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples unifying the past and the present.
Bangarra’s influence continues to resonate throughout the world with the company earning a prominent place on the international touring circuit. A 16-city sell out tour of the USA in 2001 established the company as a global dance phenomenon. Since then, the company has returned to the US twice and performed in Monaco, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and New Zealand. In 2006, the company toured the UK, performing at London’s prestigious Sadler’s Wells Theatre, and in 2008 and 2009, mounted successful tours to London, Paris, Canada, Hungary, Austria and Germany. In 2011 Bangarra returns to Europe performing 23 shows in 17 cities in Italy, Germany and Switzerland.
In addition to their capital city, regional and international tours, Bangarra performs at private functions, major arts festivals and special events such as the opening and closing of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Underpinning all of Bangarra’s performances is the strong connection with the Indigenous communities and people that remain its core inspiration.
Bangarra is undertaking new initiatives to extend employment for Indigenous people through its artists-in-residence and traineeship program. The artists-in-residence are Frances Rings (choreographer), David Page (composer), Jacob Nash (designer) and Kathy Marika (cultural consultant). The traineeship program identifies young Indigenous people with the talent and potential to join Bangarra in structured learning and skills development in the areas of performance, stage management, music, marketing and administration.
In 2011, Bangarra will present its new program, Belong with Stephen Page’s ID and company choreographer and dancer Elma Kris’ new work About. Belong will tour Australian capital cities from July to September including 5 weeks at the Sydney Opera House from July 20 and 2 weeks at The Arts Centre, Melbourne from September 16.
www.bangarra.com.au
Bangarra Dance Theatre
Pier 4/5, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay 2000, Sydney, Australia
Phone: +61 2 9251 5333 Email: bangarra@bangarra.com.au
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