Bangarra Dance Theatre
Encyclopedia
Bangarra Dance Theatre is an Indigenous Australian contemporary dance
company founded in 1989 by Carole Johnson, an African-American and founding director of National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association
(NAISDA). Bangarra is the Wiradjuri
word meaning "to make fire".
Stephen Page
has been the artistic director since 1991. Bangarra's first full length show Praying Mantis Dreaming was produced in 1992, and 11 productions have followed. All have been successful within Australia and some have toured the United States
and the United Kingdom
. The group also made significant contributions to the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2000 Summer Olympics
.
Contemporary dance
Contemporary dance is a genre of concert dance that employs compositional philosophy, rather than choreography, to guide unchoreographed movement...
company founded in 1989 by Carole Johnson, an African-American and founding director of National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association
National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association
The National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association Dance College was established in 1975 to train Indigenous Australians in dance....
(NAISDA). Bangarra is the Wiradjuri
Wiradjuri
The Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
word meaning "to make fire".
Stephen Page
Stephen Page
Born in Brisbane in 1965, Stephen Page is a descendant from the Nunukul people and the Munaldjali clan of the Yugambeh tribe from southeast Queensland...
has been the artistic director since 1991. Bangarra's first full length show Praying Mantis Dreaming was produced in 1992, and 11 productions have followed. All have been successful within Australia and some have toured the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The group also made significant contributions to the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Works
- 1992 - Praying Mantis Dreaming
- 1995 - Ochres
- 1997 - Fish
- 1997 - Rites with the Australian Ballet
- 2000 - Skin
- 2001 - Corroboree
- 2002 - Walkabout
- 2003 - Bush
- 2004 - Unaipon
- 2004 - CLAN
- 2005 - Boomerang
- 2006 - Gathering with the Australian Ballet
- 2007 - True Stories
- 2008 - Mathinna : based on the life of MathinnaMathinna (Tasmanian)Mathinna was an indigenous Australian girl, who was adopted and later abandoned by the Governor of Tasmania, Sir John Franklin.Mathinna was born as Mary on Flinders Island, Tasmania to the Chief of the Lowreenne tribe, Towgerer, and his wife Wongerneep but the tribe was captured by Robinson, the...
an indigenous Tasmanian girl - 2008 - Rites (with The Australian Ballet)
- 2009 - Fire – A Retrospective
- 2010 - of earth & sky