Bangarra Dance Theatre


Bangarra Dance Theatre is an Indigenous Australian contemporary dance company.

History

Bangarra Dance Theatre was founded in October 1989 by Carole J. Johnson, an African-American modern dancer and founder of the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association, Rob Bryant, a Gumbaynggirr man and graduate of NAISDA, and Cheryl Stone, a South African-born student at NAISDA.
Johnson toured Australia in 1972 with American choreographer Eleo Pomare and his company, and remained in Australia. In 1975 Johnson became the founding director of the Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Scheme, now known as the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association.
Johnson had a three-part plan for Aboriginal dance in Australia, including establishing a school to give academic qualifications and train dancers as members of a student and graduate performing company that would also teach. It would further provide a path for the dancers to other dance-related jobs, including choreography, tour management, and all front and back of house skills. Thirdly, a vital part was to maintain authentic cultural continuity, friendships, and close ties to traditional communities. Johnson mentored Stone, who studied alongside the dancers. She planned the formation of Bangarra and in 1989, became the founding Artistic Director of Bangarra Dance Theatre.
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, in 1994 Stephen Page with Bernadette Walong as Associate Director created Ochres and productions have followed annually since 2000. 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.
The company has received the Helpmann Award for Best Ballet or Dance Work multiple times.
In 2019, the company marked their thirty-year anniversary with the launch of a digital archive and exhibition named Knowledge Ground.

Works