home | news l

Bangarra Troupe prepares for central Europe tour

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

19 March 2009 - Transcript

Reporter: Anne Maria Nicholson

Australia's leading Indigenous dance company is turning 20. The Bangarra Troupe is preparing to mark the milestone with its first tour of central Europe and the unveiling of a major new work showcasing the best of the old, and the new.

LEIGH SALES: Australia's leading Indigenous dance company is turning 20.

The Bangarra troupe is preparing to mark the milestone with its first tour of central Europe and a major new work showcasing the best of the old and the new.

Anna Maria Nicholson reports.

ANNE MARIA NICHOLSON: The company kicked off its birthday celebrations, doing what it does best - showcasing its talent on the dance floor

DEBORAH MAILMAN, ACTRESS: You know, there's a really grounding of story, and of connection to where those dancers come from. But also it's celebrated in a way that's, that pushes beyond people's expectation of what Aboriginal dance is.

ANNE MARIA NICHOLSON: Supporters like actor Deborah Mailman says the company helped shape the identity of many Aboriginal artists, including her own.

DEBORAH MAILMAN: I sit there with so much envy.

ANNE MARIA NICHOLSON: The company grew out of an Indigenous dance school but its graduates struggled to find work.

When they found their feet, there was no stopping them. A highlight being an audience in the billions as part of the opening and closing ceremonies for the Sydney Olympics.

Just weeks after the terrorist attacks in September 11, 2001, they joined the mourning in New York with a smoking ceremony.

Over the years they tackled tough issues. Its artistic director Stephen Page incorporating hard realities like deaths in custody, substance abuse and Stolen Generations into the choreography.

Since 1989 Bangarra has brought its distinctive style to audiences around the country and the world. And it's gearing up for more. This year they'll tour central Europe for the first time with their production of True Stories

STEPHEN PAGE, BANGARRA DANCE THEATRE: It's been exciting, it's been rejuvenating as well because you start to think about the evolution of where you started and where you come from, and how times have changed.

ANNE MARIA NICHOLSON: Bangarra means "making fire" and Stephen Page is doing just that, creating a show called Fire that will incorporate the hottest moves of the last two decades.

Anne Maria Nicholson, Lateline.

FOR TOUR DATES SEE http://www.bangarra.com.au/home.html

Source: ABC

Further information: BANGARRA