Bangarra: 30 Years of Sixty Five Thousand

Bangarra Dance Theatre celebrates its landmark 30th anniversary season with Bangarra: 30 years of sixty five thousand featuring 3 spectacular contemporary works at QPAC from August 23 to 31.

Bangarra is Australia’s only major performing arts company with its origins in the land, inspired by 65,000 years of culture and the continual evolution of Indigenous storytelling. Now entering its fourth decade, the internationally-acclaimed dance company will deliver a unique three-part program highlighting the breadth, power and beauty of Bangarra's choreographed creations.

One of Bangarra’s monumental works, Unaipon (Clan, 2004) will be re-staged to mark this milestone anniversary, in recognition of the talent that has come through the world-class dance company. From the shores of Lake Alexandrina within the Ngarrindjeri nation to his place on the Australian fifty-dollar note, David Unaipon (1872-1967) was a man fascinated with science and the great philosophies and cultures of the world. In Unaipon, Frances Rings has choreographed a rich dance portrait of the man who made the connection between aerodynamics and the flight pattern of the boomerang, and between his own cultural traditions and those of all humans.

For the first time in Bangarra's history, the dance company will present the work of an international guest artist, acclaimed Czech choreographer Jiří Kylián. In 1980, Kylián (who was then Artistic Director of Nederlands Dans Theater) attended a gathering of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tribes on Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria, North East Arnhem Land. The experience led to the creation of one of Kylián’s defining ballets, Stamping Ground, which was last performed in Australia by Nederlands Dans Theater in 1986.

Rounding out the diverse program is to make fire, a powerful collection of dance stories from the company’s 30-year history. Curated by Bangarra Artistic Director Stephen Page and Bangarra’s Head of Design Jacob Nash, this stunning performance draws on stories and songlines from all over Australia.

Don't miss this fitting tribute celebrating 30 years of authentic storytelling, outstanding technique, and deeply moving performances by Australia's premier Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing arts company. 

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