Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia Limited

ABN 96 003 814 006

Pier 4/5 Hickson Road,
Walsh Bay, NSW, 2000
Australia

web: www.bangarra.com.au

Ph: 61 2 9251 5333
Fax: 61 2 9251 5266

email:
bangarra@bangarra.com.au

BANGARRA CONCLUDES 2002 WITH TOUR OF CHINA
AND A PERFORMANCE IN MONACO

Bangarra Dance Theatre will end 2002 with a tour of Corroboree to China, (Beijing, Hong Kong and Guangzhou) and a performance at the prestigious Monaco Dance Forum.

Stephen Page's triple bill, Corroboree, which embraces the Dreamtime, will be performed on the China tour: October 23 and 24 in Beijing at the 21st Century Theatre; November 1 and 2 at the Hong Kong City Hall; November 5 in Guangzhou at the Friendship Theatre.

The tour of China has been organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and the People's Republic of China. Rio Tinto Asia has joined as Presenting Sponsor for the Beijing leg of the tour with additional support from ABC Asia Pacific and Bangarra's Principal Sponsor Telstra to enable this key event to be held at Beijing's unique venue, the 21st Century Theatre. The company will also be participating in cultural exchange and dance workshops with the National Ballet of China and the Beijing Modern Dance Company.

Stephen Page, the company's Artistic Director said "This tour will mark a meeting of two ancient cultures. It is a unique opportunity for the people of China to learn more about Australian Indigenous culture and is a necessary exploration that carries people beyond stereotypes to form deeper connections. Corroboree is an inherently spiritual work which I am sure the Chinese audience will relate to."

The Australian Ambassador to China, David Irvine, agreed. "We are immensely proud to have Bangarra perform as the centrepiece of our cultural activities to celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations;" he said. "The tour gives the people of China the chance to experience first-hand the kind of stunning performance that captivated them in the Sydney Olympics opening and closing ceremonies. At the same time, it will present a more accurate and contemporary image of Indigenous Australia, combining traditional spirituality with modern themes."

"A respect for tradition, an appreciation of heritage and the quest for new languages that speak to today's audiences are common values embraced by Bangarra Dance Theatre and Hong Kong's New Vision Arts Festival." said Ms. Winsome Chow, Senior Manager, Festivals Office, Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong SAR.

After China Bangarra will travel to Monaco in France to perform at the Monaco Dance Forum on December 13 and 14, an international festival and congress which is being staged for the second time. Bangarra is amongst fifteen dance companies that will perform at the forum, also on the bill is Nederlands Dans Theatre, Akram Khan Dance Company and Bill T Jones.

2003 is also shaping up to be a very busy year for Bangarra Dance Theatre with a national tour of a new work, two regional tours and a tour of the United States and the United Kingdom all in the pipeline.

Thanks to Telstra, Bangarra's Principal Sponsor, you can view video excerpts of Corroboree at: http://telstra.com/multimediaguide/entertainment/bangarra.asp

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
CLARE McGREGOR, MARKETING and COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, BANGARRA