The Bangarra dancers have just emerged from two weeks back home in our little creative cave, the studios on the wharf, where we have had the much needed time to pay attention to our bodies, regaining strength and energy, and resting those parts of the body affected by repetitive strain. We also had the pleasure of changing our focus to the regional tour program Kinship, rehearsing Brolga undergoing some sort of metamorphosis, melting into a flock of birds. The process is treasured especially by those of us who have birds as traditional totems, mine is the black cockatoo so to be a bird must be deep within me somewhere!

We spent most mornings running Blak, and I found that running the show repetitively but without performance quality made me focus more on my execution of the movements. In addition, the extra time out of the theatre encouraged most of us to spend extra time strengthening and stretching our bodies, giving that never ending reach for perfection in technique a little attention. I must say that Robert Curran, with his wealth of ballet knowledge, and general understanding of the body, has prompted a physical change in all of us – we are on the road to a better understanding of our dancing bodies!

The focus shifted last week, however, as we prepared for the Sydney opening night last Friday. We are back at the Opera House and the familiarity is wonderful. We settle in, and sink back into our Opera House routine. It is very special to perform to Sydney city, the town that has been home to the company since its birth. So it’s heads down tails up as we work hard to make Blak a beautiful soul experience for our audiences at the Drama Theatre.

                                                                                                                        Jasmin Sheppard 

Image: Jasmin Sheppard, Yearning from Blak 2013, photo by Greg Barrett

From November 14 to 24, 2013 the Corroboree program will feature curated events such as a Kids Street Parade, a Firelight Ceremony, Family Day in the Domain, Black Arts Market at pier 2/3, First Peoples’ Conference as well as exhibitions, workshops, behind-the-scenes experiences at Sydney’s major cultural organisations.

The Marketing & Communications Director is responsible for all aspects of marketing, PR, media and communications for Corroboree including supervision of external contractors and staff.  Download the full job description HERE

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Blak was entirely fresh and raw when we opened in Melbourne, but although we felt incredibly nervous, our audience was more than supportive and encouraging.

When we finally perform the premier of any show, it’s akin to an enormous exhale after holding one’s breath for weeks on end. The night before had a little more comfort to offer us in our state of anxiety; Koorie Community Night in Melbourne!! The familiar faces and unconditional love of our mob gave us the extra push to get us through till the last dance on opening night. And the show is definitely up and running now! Like a baby it grows, evolves, changes, and feels more settled into life on the stage after birth. We have a lengthy season ahead of us, and thus I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to see where I can go within this work.

Deep in thought the other day I pondered on the time when I performed in smaller scale productions and only had one or two week long seasons. It was the ultimate ideal (and still is) to have the show at its very best from the first performance. Though we strive for that now, I get a chance to discover what is possible for Blak. We have just arrived in Wollongong and here is our new chance to grow along with Blak. Time to hone in on rehabilitation for bodies that are now rested and recovering from injuries, and time to give to the wonderful crowds here in the ‘Gong…always a pleasure to be at IPAC!

                                                                                                                 Jasmin Sheppard

Image: Jasmin Sheppard in Yearning from Blak 2013, photo by Greg Barrett

A week before leaving for Melbourne our stress levels were through the roof. We had so much yet to choreograph, and my brainpower was beginning to wilt. By the last Saturday however, we had finished choreographing the last parts of the show and, with little if not any hiccups, we satisfied our worries by doing a complete run of the show. So much can change with a few days! I had been losing sleep with anxiety, trying to hold on to that faith and trust in my choreographers that I spoke of in my last entry, but it was fading with my own doubts and my failing mental capacity to retain choreography! After our first full run, I was filled with a renewed positive outlook. I should have taken my own advice – trusted that is would all come together in the end, because it did.

We had a huge week ahead of us, but the stress of long hours and nervousness I felt for opening night couldn’t swamp my excitement for performing a show that I truly believe in!

                                                                                                                 Jasmin Sheppard

Photo: Tiffany Parker

We wanted to share this great photo of our artists with students from Reservoir High School, Princess Hill Secondary College and Northern College of the Arts and Technology at their workshop at the Arts Centre Melbourne last week. The Company is currently on the road to Wollongong where they have 3 performances of Blak this weekend. You can book tickets for Wollongong here: http://merrigong.com.au/shows/blak.html

                                                                                                      

Men and women reunite! Together again in the one studio, Bangarra are once again an entirety. How lovely it is to be fusing our polar opposite energies and begin to work in a team.

We still haven’t seen the men’s work Scar, and they haven’t seen ours Yearning, and I must say that I really can’t wait to see what they’ve been working on! But there’s plenty of time for that. We are two weeks out from the premiere of Blak in my own hometown of Melbourne.

A tension creeps through the air, a common thought, that, with about two weeks till opening night, and a fair amount to choreograph as of yet, will we get it all done in time? Will we be ready to share this story with confidence to our Melbourne audiences? Though not always shared openly, I know this worry plagues a good majority of us!

Things do however, as the cliché goes, come together in the end, and this point in the creative process comes for all dancers. It’s a time when you must return to that ultimate trust in your choreographer, which I have entirely in Stephen, and in Dan. All throughout the creation of a work, that trust enables me to create and contribute, even when I’m unsure of the direction the work is going in. That trust in a choreographer is why I chose this company to begin with. And why I know we will arrive at completion. So I’m putting the energy out there into the studio…it will all come together in the end!

                                                                                                            Jasmin Sheppard

Image: Stephen Page and artists rehearsing Blak, photo Greg Barrett

Although it’s Autumn, I’m still sweating such a great deal throughout my day that one would think it is still the depths of Summer. Is it due to the unusually pleasant weather? Or is it that we are plunging all our energy, physical and emotional, into our creative workshopping of Blak? Perhaps a little of option A and B.

We are in the thick of developing the new work. I treasure the creative development process, it is constant food for the mind, and provides new challenges for our muscles.  Men and women have been separated into two different rooms for the creation of the first two parts of Blak. After almost 5 weeks of segregation into a men’s camp and a women’s camp, it seems as though the boys are getting more boyish and the girls are getting girlier. I’m uncertain if that is fact, but it’s definitely feeling as such!

Our strenuous ballet classes bring us altogether under the watchful eye of our dedicated Rehearsal Director, Robert Curran (affectionately known by his full name at work also). His wealth of ballet knowledge is giving us a strong base with which to then thrash about, or languidly melt into our familiar contemporary style. Excitement abounds in the Bangarra studios as we discover more of what Blak is, and will be.

                                                                                                              Jasmin Sheppard

Image: Jasmin Sheppard in Blak rehearsals photo Greg Barrett

It’s a far journey from Northeast Arnhem Land to Vietnam, but within a month we find ourselves here in Hanoi and in a few days, Ho Chi Minh City. From dancing traditional creation stories on the sandy beaches by open fire at Banu Banu (Bremmer Island near Dhalinybuy), our bodies and therefore our spirits find ourselves dancing the same traditional dances for the Vietnamese people. We grew in our cultural knowledge of these dances while spending time with the much loved communities – learning from our cultural tutors, and I felt that the trip enabled us to carry that freshness with us, and truly give to our audiences.

Our days were filled with warm friendliness from the Vietnamese people, during workshops at dance universities in both cities, and also within the theatres during performances. Sharing with other dancers from another culture teaches that communication transcends language alone. We shared the language of dance, and the enthusiasm of creativity. We understood each other in our common passion. Performing for them put the icing on the cake. To witness another dancer from an entirely different culture truly understanding the stories we tell makes it all the more evident that the entire planet is unified, even if we don’t see it sometimes. Spirit truly is a special program, tying together a lot of what makes this company unique, and I feel that it expresses the heart of Bangarra.

One Vietnamese guide shed light on her own experience of attending Spirit in Hanoi, saying that although she has never had the opportunity to visit Australia, she felt that through our performance she was given the chance to see the land, feel the country, its colours, sounds and people.

                                                                                                     Jasmin Sheppard

Image: Female ensemble with Kathy Balngayngu Marika, Spirit, Hanoi Opera House, photo Roger Stonehouse

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Rekindling selection workshops have now taken place across NSW in Wellington, Moree, Kempsey and Blacktown. In the Wellington Times last week, Member for Orange Andrew Gee MP, wrote about his visit to the Wellington Rekindling selection workshop saying “Watching the young dancers in action really brought home to me what an incredible opportunity this was for them.”

This photo of Rekindling Workshop Leader Chantel Kerr was taken by Greg Barrett at the Moree selection workshop. A second selection workshop will be held for the Darug language group in Blacktown on 9 March. You can find out more HERE and register for the selection workshop HERE.

Read more HERE.

We started the year gently finding our dancing bodies again, we revelled in the freshness of the new year, and have all returned to Sydney after our first adventure for 2013.

Just over ten days ago we set off to Nhulunbuy in northeast Arnhem Land, which is like a base camp for trips to and from different communities in the region. I awoke early one morning to attempt a sunrise yoga, but was soon eaten alive by the local mozzies who were thriving in the wet season’s humidity. Back to the room I went! A couple of hours later, and after joyful reunions with old friends from the community, we set out to Dhalinybuy, homeland of Djakapurra Munyarrun, a Bangarra founding member. What touches our hearts the most is seeing members of the community who we formed special bonds with over past visits, and spending time with them eating, swimming at fresh water holes (a small amount of worry creeps up on us when we think about the possibility of meeting baru – crocodile!) and playing with the kids during dance workshops.

Night fell on our final night and we blasted the headlights on the four wheel drives to get together for a bungle (dance). After almost 10 years of learning and performing Yolngu bungle, I was once again humbled by the children, with them taking the role of teacher and showing us the way, while we kept keen eyes on their styles and tried to make the community proud. After two nights in Dhalinybuy, we headed back to town and were invited to attend one night of the funeral ceremony of a special lady. I admit I was both incredibly honoured and nervous. I wanted to do my adopted family of Yirrkala proud and dance with respect!

                                                                                                               Jasmin Sheppard

Download the Rekindling brochure or visit the Rekindling page to Register in the selection workshops

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Jasmin Sheppard

Jasmin Sheppard

Jasmin Sheppard

Jasmin Sheppard

Our two performances of Spirit were received so well, and we definitely made lasting connections with many people from Ulaanbaatar. Our last free day, spent amongst mountain ranges, rocky hills and vast plains at Terelj national park was a treat for our minds, bodies and spirits, and to perform Spirit again…..well what more could you ask for in a week of work. Bliss. 

Jas

Three weeks ago to the day, we gathered together as a clan at Sydney international airport for our much anticipated trip to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. I was not fully educated on the country, and what we were to expect once we arrived. But what we did find was beautiful, open, friendly people who were so excited and overwhelmed by our presence there. We were given the evening we arrived and the following day off, to sight see, and get a feel for the city. Through my eyes, and experiences, what I discovered was a city that is still developing. Skyscrapers and apartment complexes on every block growing and reaching for the sky, roads under development trying to keep up with the ever expanding car market, and locals on the side of the road with their fruit stalls making a living any way they can. The theatre where we were to perform was situated in the heart of the city, and was an interesting old theatre. Technologically a little dated, but, we got by, and with our always adaptive production crew we worked around what we were offered to make the show look as best we could with what we had. Language barriers were a daily occurrence for the crew, but with the help of the staff from the Mongolian Arts Council they found a middle ground and got the job done. Performing for the audience there was a real treat and rush. We may have freaked them out a bit, with our head to toe of ochre and our blankets, but I feel as though we made a great impression on the local arts community that will linger for years to come. Spirit is such a great show to perform, and to showcase what we as a company are about. It has everything from traditional dance, to the fusion of contemporary, to the presence of Aunty Kathy Marika to help connect the entire through line of the show. Mongolia wasn’t on my list of places to visit, but I feel lucky to have been able to experience it as a country, and get a brief look and feel into their culture.

Now TERRAIN is done and dusted, the next step is to remount of earth & sky for our regional tour of WA and NSW. The first half of the show is a work called Riley, that incidentally, I created and choreographed with the help of the dancers back in 2010. Getting to see and remount it again is going to be a pleasure. I’ll also be performing in it this time around which will be a new experience. Finally I’ll be able to fully understand what I put the dancers through the first time around and experience it from the inside, as opposed to a voyeur, viewing it from afar. I’m also eagerly awaiting to see Michael’s [Riley] cloud series again, projected up at the rear of the space, to remind me of what I created, and to continue to inspire myself and the dancers as we share the story of his images with our regional audience.

I would also like to put it out there, that if there are any questions that you as readers and avid fans of Bangarra would like answered, please don’t hesitate to ask. Sometimes Jas and I get a little stuck as to what to write. So a question here or there would aid us greatly. And we can help inform our readers of what we do in the process. Either ask away on Facebook, or comment on our blog posts and either Jas or I will attempt to answer them for you.

Dan

The lake itself was beautiful and mystical. As we stepped out onto the earth surrounding the lake, with the sound of crunching salt beneath our shoes, we knew there was something special about this place. The energy and feel of the area with its colourful land made it feel slightly surreal. There was such a stillness or even a sacredness about it. Walking the shores of the lake I gained new inspiration for some of the choreography I perform. The first being Salt, where I represent the salt spirit of the lake and Kaine as my shadow. The salt formations made such beautiful patterns on the earth and sparkled under the sunlight. The crunching of the salt and the crystallised formations it made reminded me of the first passage of choreography where the movement is sharp, angular and twitchy. The salt also made me think of my costume for that section, which is a bolero jacket covered in triangles to make it look as though i have just rose from the salt planes of Lake Eyre and my upper body is crystallised in salt.

While we were out in Maree we conducted workshops for the local community kids from Maree Aboriginal School. As with most workshops we conduct the kids are always a little hesitant one the first day. They try to wrap their head around having to learn choreography and count music, and it sometime seems as though they aren’t having fun, that its work. But a mutual respect was gained by the second day and a lot of fun was had by all. The choreography they learned on the first day seemed to sink deeper into their memories over night, and they seemed to be absorbing more information. To end the workshops we put together everything they had learned as a little performance for some of the community members and local elders to come watch and see what we had all been working so hard so. Tara G, Jasmin, Ella, Amy, Lenny, Waangenga, Kaine and myself felt so fortunate to be able to be apart of the Maree community for those four days. It is such beautiful country out there, the sun rises and sun sets were unlike any I had seen either here in Australia or abroad. We were super proud of the kids and their accomplishments and we hope they take their experience with us into their future.

Now…back to Sydney, for a little under forty eight hours, as early Monday morning we are all convening at the international airport for our trip to Mongolia, via an overnight stop in Hong Kong. This trip seems like it was never going to happen and it has been in the back of our minds, until now. With little time at home, we are thinking about what needs to be packed and what needs to be bought before our trip, and organise our home lives before venturing overseas. Excitement has started to creep up on us, and we are looking forward to the adventure we are about undertake.

 I had a great conversation with a gentleman at the pub in Maree. He said he was proud of us as a company and the way we represent our country, land and culture. First of all I was so surprised that he had heard of us, but he later told me he had seen a show when he was in the city once and has since watched all our YouTube videos. So safe to say he was up to date with our performance programs. I’ll end with what I told him as we were saying our farewells. We don’t take what we do, what and who we represent lightly. We are well aware how important our work overseas is, and are always sure to give Australia good representation, both on stage and off.

Daniel Riley McKinley

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My time in Maree was so special instead of mere blogging I thought I’d put in a couple of poems.

Throwing balls of energy
Back and forth, back and forth,
With small children,
And adolescents.
Shining faces home to hungry eager eyes.
Deep brown pools of possibility.
We tread hard on wooden floors,
Pounding the earth to retrieve her energy,
Bringing light, forming connection,
Then thank her, in the hope we can give something back.

Small prepubescent lumps rise on the horizon.
Nothing. For miles and light years.
Only grey, khaki, grass green, straw and salmon.
The tufts of life springing up,
Almost starved of liquid, but not quite.
Then the curves arise.
Like a giant fist from beneath has struck the earth,
And up they heave.
Creating curves in the distance like sleeping women,
Their pelvic tips and breast crescents reaching and touching the blue sky,
Caressing the cool breeze.
Catching the birds as they fly past, collecting them in the curve of their waists,
Inviting them to take a moments rest from flight within their desert scrub.

Jasmin Sheppard

Jasmin Sheppard

Yolande, Ella, Jhuny and myself conducted a masterclass today at the Adelaide College of the Arts for some dance students there and some high school students from a local school. It’s always such a pleasure to teach and help in the education of students who are choosing to take dance on as a career. I remember being a university student – in their shoes – and being so hungry for other information along with new and different styles and techniques. They were so welcoming and so open to anything and everything we had to say. It was really refreshing to teach them and hopefully give them some more inspiration to get through their training. University can be such a struggle and uphill battle, it feels like some days you’re not going anywhere, you don’t feel the advancement of your own personal technique, like you’re a mouse in a wheel. But once you’re out, and free to go where you choose, train with who you choose, you’ll notice it, and it will be a comfort to know that you have it in your back pocket should you need it. Thank you students at A.C. Arts, you all inspired me today.

Daniel Riley McKinley

There’s an unsettled feeling that circulates through the company once we start on the road. We’re always looking forward to the next venue, knowing that we are only in Wollongong for three nights before we head home for two sleeps in our apartments or houses, with our loved ones, in our beds, under our sheets, eating out of our bowls over breakfast at our tables. It’s this familiarity that we miss the most while we are away, sharing our work with other audiences. On the other hand we are very lucky to be able to see the places we do, and share our work with our fans elsewhere. We just have to learn to look at the glass as half full, rather than half empty.

Daniel Riley McKinley

Jasmin Sheppard

Every now and then Bangarra gets approached to perform at an awards ceremony, a national holiday concert, or more recently a corporate awards ceremony. The gig was for Microsoft and was an awards ceremony where young computer programmers from around the world competed to design and create programs for any number of things. Waangenga, Jhuny and myself performed a shortened version of Black, which heralds back from Ochres. This piece is perhaps my favourite piece of Bangarra’s choreographic repertoire to perform. I never tire of it, and thoroughly enjoy revisiting it. It’s like a favourite t-shirt or a tailored suit: it just fits perfectly and feels so right.

Daniel Riley McKinley

Jasmin Sheppard

Opening night last night was also a huge success. There was a good turn out and we even had the privilege of performing for the Governor General, the Governor of NSW and the Premier of NSW, along with friends, family, supporters of Bangarra and our Bangarra staff. There is always a certain amount of nerves associated with opening night. The challenge is to rise above it and not to think about it too much, yes it’s opening night, but it should be no different to other shows and performances I give. Personally, last night was an excellent show. We came together to give Frances’ work a new level of performance and storytelling. As a show, it is definitely starting to sink into our bodies and feeling more natural and I’m able to enjoy performing it more.

We all have different ways to treat a tired, worn out body after a long few days of rehearsals and important performances. This morning, after sleeping very well, and a breakfast of muesli and yoghurt, i made my way to my local aquatic centre for a relaxing swim. Since I bulged a disc in my lower spine early last year, swimming was a huge part of my rehabilitation and since then has been my activity of choice to escape dancing and to ease out the impact of performances and rehearsals. It’s low impact and makes my body feel great and resets my body for another show. I enjoy the peacefulness and meditative state I go into whilst swimming. I’m able to clear my head and think about nothing but my breathing and the black line on the bottom on the pool.

Daniel Riley McKinley

Jasmin Sheppard

After two weeks away from home, long hours in the theatre, and ten performances, all our bodies are craving, is time off and away from the stage and dancing. The first season is always the most difficult, in both body and mind. Our bodies are adjusting to a new show, to new repertoire and to new daily challenges. New bruises develop, and soreness and tiredness sets in to new and different muscles. There is a new discovery of having to come up with new ways to prep our bodies before each show, as each show is a different physical challenge from the last. During the season our minds continued to adjust to locking in the new show and finding ways to deliver the show at our peak performance levels for the next three months. Finding the nuances both big and small and allowing our bodies to really sink into the movement is what the first season is all about. What movement can we push further and what do we have to pull back to enhance the work are questions that were continually answered during Melbourne. Figuring out how to maintain our bodies during the season was also something that needed to be discovered whilst we were in Melbourne, and is something that we will continue to explore once at the Sydney Opera House next week.

Daniel Riley McKinley

Jasmin Sheppard

Dan

So now the company is back at Qantas domestic and on our way to Melbourne. As I’m sitting here I am hoping that by opening night my body heals so that I can give Terrain everything it deserves. But even if it doesn’t then I’ll need to draw from the well within, from where my stories and connection to Fran’s work comes.

Jasmin Sheppard

Daniel Riley McKinley

Jasmin Sheppard

New York was a whirlwind fast paced adventure. After the very long 23 hours of traveling from door to door, we were all eager to get out and get lost in the city. It is such a fantastic, exciting city, although a very tiring one. Each day felt like two days, as we were trying to jam pack it full of everything New York had to offer.

Our performances at Lincoln Centre were very special and memorable. Being invited to share the stage with The Australian Ballet was not only fantastic in itself, but what really made the performances for me was that together we were sharing, and telling traditional Yolngu night stories to the city that never sleeps, and receiving a standing ovation whilst doing it. Supposedly that never happens in New York, so for us to achieve that together was a huge milestone.

I feel as though my feet and body haven’t had time to feel planted on the ground I call home, which is Sydney. After having spent 6 weeks in Melbourne at the beginning of the year creating and performing Warumuk then a short season at the Sydney Opera House, we were all greatly looking forward to being home and settled for a while and being involved in a new story under the directorship of Frances and her ideas. We have been discovering TERRAIN is about a greater connection to earth, to country and an exploration of the relationship we, as Indigenous people, have to the landscape of our beautiful country.

Considering our circumstances leading up to the creation we had spent 7 weeks not at home and in the past month of June have been in a different city each week, the idea of exploring our connection to earth and to our landscape, could not be more poignant.

Daniel Riley McKinley

Stephen Page has worked closely with cinematographer Bonnie Elliot and editor Rochelle Oshlack to create a Bangarra digital experience.

“Playing with a moving camera and eight of our wonderful dancers one Saturday, I looked for the essence within each individual – their special movement quality that reflects each personality and their own creative journey”. Stephen Page.

Bangarra’s new work TERRAIN premieres in Melbourne on June 29 and then continues nationally in 2012

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Patrick’s retirement comes as he celebrates a long and successful decade with Bangarra. Since joining Bangarra in 2002, Patrick’s face has become synonymous with the company and critics and audiences alike have lauded him for his extraordinary featured performances across Bangarra’s repertoire.

Bangarra’s Artistic Director Stephen Page said “Patrick has been a core member of the company for the past ten years and his work deserves to be celebrated. His passion for and commitment to Indigenous dance has been a driving force within the company and he is a point of inspiration for the younger dancers. I hope that after a well deserved break Patrick will return to Bangarra in a different role.”

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The 10th annual Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) was hosted in Adelaide from 26 February to 1 March where Stephen Page delivered the keynote address to an audience of over 600 Australian and International delegates, artists and programmers. APAM presents Australia and New Zealand’s best new performing arts with over 30 excerpts and full length performances ready to tour nationally and internationally. Stephen spoke about how Art is Medicine and discussed his own personal experiences of working in the Australian Arts industry.

READ STEPHEN’S SPEECH

WATCH APAM’s Indigenous Producers Showreel

Find out more about TERRAIN

Book tickets