BANGARRA DANCE THEATRE

STUDY GUIDE FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY pays respect and acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet, create, and perform.

We also wish to acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples whose customs and cultures inspire our work.

INDIGENOUS CULTURAL AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (ICIP) Bangarra acknowledges the industry standards and protocols set by the Australia Council for the Arts Protocols for Working with Indigenous Artists (2007). Those protocols have been widely adopted in the Australian arts to respect ICIP and to develop practices and processes for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and cultural heritage. Bangarra incorporates ICIP into the very heart of our projects, from storytelling, to dance, to set design, language and music. © Bangarra Dance Theatre 2019 Last updated August 2019

WARNING Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this Study Guide contains names of and quotes from deceased persons.

Photo Credits Front Cover: Deborah Brown, photo by Greg Barrett Back Cover: Deborah Brown, photo by Greg Barrett

2 INTRODUCTION CONTENTS

Terrain is Bangarra Dance Theatre’s twentieth production and was the first full-length work for 03 the company by Choreographer and Associate Introduction Artistic Director, Frances Rings. 04 Using this Study Guide

Landscape is at the core of our existence 05 and is a fundamental connection between Contemporary Indigenous Dance Theatre us and the natural world. The power of that connection is immeasurable. It cleanses, 09 it heals, it awakens and it renews. It gives Bangarra Dance Theatre us perspective. It reminds us of something beyond ourselves and it frees us. But more 10 importantly when we are surrounded by Introduction nature we begin to understand our place and how we are a very, very small part of 12 a much larger, much bigger picture. Creating Terrain

Terrain is where spirit and place meet. 14 The Creative Team – Frances Rings, Choreographer, Terrain, 2012 16 Further Reading

3 Within Bangarra, and many Aboriginal and Torres Strait USING THIS Islander lives, there is a confronting duality: the balance of ancient and contemporary, STUDY GUIDE country and urban, saltwater and freshwater, success and sadness.

Our culture and our stories are more important than ever.

– , 2016

The purpose of this Study Guide is to lay the ground for an experience – an experience where inquiry, curiosity, emotion, imagination and response are free to be explored and expressed. In order to experience the dance theatre work Terrain, it is important to delve into the broader and deeper context of the work, taking into account what has gone Before, how we sense the Now, and how we use our experience to enrich the Future. The material in this Study Guide aims to lay the groundwork for how teachers and students might approach and discuss the dance work Terrain, and immerse themselves in its world.

We hope you enjoy the experience.

I believe storytellers play one of the most important roles in a society. They hold the history of the clan, the lessons learnt, they provide a vocabulary for change, they can entertain, educate, agitate, celebrate… storytellers excite a society, uniting them despite their differences by providing a single moment in time where you feel part of something bigger. – , ‘Smell the Air: The Inaugural Speech’, National Play Festival 2018

This Study Guide provides:

— Viewpoints, perspectives and background information on contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance theatre

— Information about Bangarra Dance Theatre, its history, and its current work

— Support material for the study of the work Terrain (2012, with a focus on the creative processes, and Creative Team involved in the creation of the work

— Additional reading/links to assist teachers and students in their experience and inquiry of the work Terrain

CROSS CURRICULUM PRIORITY TOPICS/THEMES Aboriginal and Torres Strait Indigenous perspectives Islander histories and cultures Contemporary Dance Sustainability Design Literature GENERAL CAPABILITIES Music Critical and creative thinking Storytelling Intercultural understanding Australian Cultures Ethical understanding Australian Society Environmental Science LEARNING AREAS Geography The Arts (Dance, Music, History Visual Arts) Human Rights Humanities and Social Science Religion (History, Civics and Citizenship) Scientific Inquiry Science

4 CONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS DANCE THEATRE

form, and are able to celebrate the PERSPECTIVES, resilience of Australia’s First Nations people and their ancestors through VOICES AND the sharing of works that depict Indigenous stories, cultures and CULTURES perspectives. The concept of contemporary Indigenous dance theatre cannot It is important to consider the be understood as a categorised language we use when talking genre or a particular form because and writing about Indigenous it exists as part of a continuum that cultures in the context of art: responds to a diversity of culture when it is made, how it is made and and developing perspectives. Any where the source material comes contemporary Indigenous dance from. The general application production that incorporates and understandings of the terms music/sound, design and other ‘traditional’ and ‘contemporary’ conventions of the theatre will can be problematic when critiquing inevitably have a deep purpose Indigenous dance theatre. By fixing and an essential spirit that is, and the term ‘contemporary’ to the will always be, about Aboriginal form, it could be argued that we are and Torres Strait Islander cultures. implying ‘post-colonial’, ‘modern’ While drawing on traditional or ‘non-traditional’. Yet with many stories and cultural ways of new works sourcing their inspiration being, Indigenous dance theatre from the Indigenous cultures that provides an important platform for have existed since ancient times, Indigenous people. It gives voice to what is ‘traditional’ and what is the experience of living in a modern ‘new’ can exist simultaneously. world that experiences constant This is often expressed by saying change, where the threat to cultural Indigenous Australian cultures are identityis relentlessly present. the oldest living, and continuous cultures in the world. The growth in availability of technical resources, an increasing number of performance venues, FORM, and the proliferation of new arts festivals and digital platforms, has ACTIVATION greatly supported the development of new Indigenous dance theatre, AND PROCESS as well as the careers of the many One way of exploring the creative artists involved. As more development of Indigenous dance new work is created, support for theatre over the last three or four the infrastructure and training that decades is to trace the journeys of underpins these forms has also some of the artists who have been grown, resulting in a critical mass significant contributors to that of professional artists involved in development. It should be noted producing high quality productions that while many opportunities have that increase the demand we been opened up for Aboriginal and currently see from audiences in Torres Strait Islanders to develop Australia and internationally. One in their choreographic work and of the most important outcomes of their leadership roles, the true force these developments is the fact that behind this development has been more Aboriginal and Torres Strait the commitment and determination islander people are able to see their of the individual artists themselves. Choreographer Frances Rings with cultures reflected in this unique Deborah Brown, photo by Greg Barrett 5 Artists and leaders like Carole Y. consider themselves activists, and ownership and other interests in Johnson, Stephen Page, Frances there is no doubt that their work has land have been closely associated Rings, Raymond Blanco, Vicki van had a significant impact on the way with human rights, where groups Hout, Gary Lang, and Marilyn Miller, non-Indigenous people have learned can show a perpetual connection are some who have paved the way. about Indigenous cultures and the to the land in order to justify their More recently Elma Kris, Deborah ongoing political struggle of First right to occupy. Brown, Yolande Brown, Daniel Riley, Nations people in the context of Mariaa Randall, Sani Townsen, Jacob post-settlement life. At a community level, the concept Boehme, Ghenoa Gela, Thomas of public, private, individual, or E. S. Kelly, Joel Bray, and Amrita The creative processes of any artist collective ownership of property Hepi are contributing to the ever- tend to emerge through a range of (e.g. land, a house, a business) has growing critical mass of Indigenous influences, discovery and personal developed over just a few thousand contemporary . experience. Yet for Indigenous artists, years. The right to own property these processes are more complex. that has a capital value, possesses Building a skills base has been Respect for cultural protocols, the certain features and resources, can both a challenge and a significant need for community engagement, be bought and sold for profit, and contributor to the development of and a strong commitment to enforce the protection of these interests Indigenous contemporary dance and care for traditional knowledge that and capacities by law, is the dance theatre. The establishment is shared, and/or provided through enduring assurance of the of training institutions like National a process of request, invitation, western capitalist system. Aboriginal Islander Skills Development permission and transmission, are all Association (NAISDA) Dance College things that need to be considered and The concept of Country and Land for in Sydney, and Aboriginal Centre upheld as new expressions are created Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander for Performing Arts (ACPA) in by Indigenous artists. Navigating all people is extremely different. , have been fundamentally these considerations is complicated important to increasing technical and takes time. However, the The spiritual dimension of Country skills to support the creation of ongoing development of Indigenous cannot be detached from the new works. Market development dance (and other contemporary physical. Country can mean a initiatives, the growth of touring art forms) is dependent on these person’s Land where they were networks, and a range of strategic protocols and practices being born, as well as the sea, sky, rivers, programs to address identified gaps observed and implemented to sacred sites, seasons, plants and in the infrastructure, have been and ensure cultural continuity. Stories, animals. It can also be a place of continue to be critical to the growth songs, dances, and connection to heritage, belonging, and spirituality and sustainability of this work. Place are sacred, and are passed on that is inseparable from the land. through oral transmission, so there Hence, the impact of displacement From the mid-20th Century, is no central knowledge source, from Country, and the disruption contemporary forms of Aboriginal and written information is usually to that sense of belonging to one’s and Torres Strait Islander expression second hand. Indigenous Cultural & Country, can be catastrophic for emerged across all art forms and Intellectual Property (ICIP) rights are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander began to infiltrate mainstream arts variously enshrined both Australian people and their cultural and programs that largely drew on and international conventions and economic wellbeing. Story, song, western cultures and/or western statements, and are an important dance, and ancestral lineage provide forms of presentation. By the safety net that seeks to ensure the foundation for an existence on 1960s, young black theatre makers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait this earth, and a passage to and playwrights, writers and actors were cultures survive and thrive. from the worlds beyond life on earth creating works that reflected their – and those stories and songs all link culture in both the pre-colonial and to Country as a home for Culture. post-settlement worlds. Writers COUNTRY, and Jack Davis, and For Indigenous people, these actor/directors Bryan Syron and RELATIONSHIP complex relationships are like Bob Maza were among some of threads in a tapestry of exploration the black theatre makers who AND that has no beginning and no end, lay the foundation for the strong yet is founded on, and maintained Indigenous theatre scene that exists CONNECTION through, specific information that is today. Novelist Faith Bandler, and transmitted by ‘walking on Country’, poet/artist/educator Oodgeroo ‘Country’, as a western construct, oral transference and a range of Noonuccal (Kath Walker) were also is mostly understood as a defined other traditional practices. strong voices in the new wave of place, marked by borders, (natural Indigenous writers whose works and/or imposed), and operating When artists draw from the concept now form part of Australia’s rich on principles of sovereignty and of Country, they are the bearers and diverse literary landscape. The the governance of the nation of Culture, illustrated and made wave of contemporary Indigenous by the state. Ethnicity, religion, meaningful in many ways to many artists that followed in the wake of environment, and histories different people. In this way, the the Papunya Tula art movement in of colonisation and conflict dance theatre worlds within Terrain the 1970s has seen Aboriginal and are signifiers that overlay the provide the opportunity to delve Torres Strait Islander work acquired identification of a ‘country’. As into the concept of Country and all for major collections around the history shows, these factors have it holds in the way of knowledge, world, which command impressive often been the cause of conflict spirituality and cultural meaning. prices in auction houses globally. between groups who claim their Many, if not all, of these artists also right to a ‘land’ is justified. Land

6 Daniel Riley in ‘Salt’, a section of Terrain, photo by Greg Barrett

7 CULTURAL CONSULTATION RESOURCES INHERITANCE AND AND TRANSFERAL OBSERVANCE OF

OF KNOWLEDGE PROTOCOLS Burridge, Stephanie & Dyson, Storytelling in Aboriginal and For all of its productions, Julie (ed.). ‘Shaping the Landscape: Torres Strait Islander life is the the Bangarra Creative Team celebrating dance in Australia’. Routledge, New Delhi, India & means by which cultural systems, researches and explores the Abingdon, UK, 2012. values, and identity are preserved stories of Indigenous cultures in and transferred. Telling stories close consultation and collaboration Dunbar-Hall, Peter & Gibson, Chris. through song, music and dance, with their traditional custodians, ‘Deadly Sounds, deadly places: in order to connect people to land, before embarking on the process of Contemporary Aboriginal Music in and teach them about their culture creating the production. Each year, Australia’. UNSW Press, Sydney, 2004. and the traditions of their ancestors Bangarra spends time in specific is the way knowledge is passed Indigenous communities, meeting Thompson, Liz (Compiler). ‘Aboriginal Voices: Contemporary from generation to generation. with Elders and traditional owners Aboriginal artists, writers and Knowledge about Aboriginal and and living with the people of that performers’. Simon & Schuster Torres Strait Islander totemic community – learning about the Australia, Sydney 1990. systems, the histories of peoples, stories that connect the people, clans and tribal associations, the land, the language, and the language, land, and concepts creatures of the land. Everyone and connections of kinship, are who works at Bangarra feels very maintained though these stories. strongly about their role in the company’s work. They make sure The Deep Archive: Wesley Enoch Many of Bangarra’s productions that the stories they tell are true on Contemporary Indigenous Arts are based on or include stories from to the traditional owners of those Practice. Real Time Arts, 2017. the Dreaming, which are allegorical stories and uphold the integrity https://www.realtime.org.au/ representations of contemporary of the stories’ meanings. the-deep-archive-wesley-enoch- on-contemporary-indigenous-arts- existence and the future of practice/ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and people. Expressing EXPERIENCING Johnson, Carole Y. (1940-). and maintaining culture through National Library of Australia contemporary interpretations and DANCE IN A https://trove.nla.gov.au/ rich theatrical realisations enables people/1491391?c=people the world of Australian Indigenous THEATRICAL culture to be shared with the full diversity of today’s audiences. CONTEXT It is important to note that dance THE DREAMING theatre works are essentially artistic Carole Johnson — Delving into Dance invention, and are created to with Ausdance Victoria (2017) Indigenous spirituality exists in express a broad range of ideas and https://www.delvingintodance.com/ the concept of the ‘Dreaming’. thoughts. While some information podcast/carole-johnson?rq=carole%20 Dreaming connects Indigenous is provided in the program notes johnson people to the past, creates of each production, the viewer is relevance to the present, and free to interpret the work according guides them for the future. to their individual perspectives, Dreaming stories can illustrate emotional responses, and level the phenomena of creation, of experience in the viewing transformation, natural forces, of performing arts. Repeated Bangarra Dance Theatre YouTube Channel - interviews with Artistic and life principles. They are viewing of the work, along with Director Stephen Page and other specifically related to landforms, the cumulative process of learning Bangarra Creatives. places, creatures and communities. about the themes, source material, https://www.youtube.com/user/ The ancestral beings that populate cross-referencing of the range bangarradancetheatre the stories form the spiritual of subject matter and creative essence of the stories. Bangarra’s processes involved in the making portrayal of stories of the Dreaming of the work, contributes to personal through the contemporary dance and critical responses to the work. theatre form requires a diligent Bangarra invites its audiences to process of connecting and building share, learn, and appreciate the a relationship with the traditional critical importance of Aboriginal custodians of those stories so and Torres Strait Islander cultures that the integrity and authenticity in order to understand their own is respected. relationship with the cultures and the people of Australia’s First Nations.

8 BANGARRA DANCE THEATRE

Frances Rings, Djakapurra Bangarra Dancers, photo by Carole Y Johnson, Matthew Bangarra Dancers and Crew, Munyarryun, and Marilyn Miller, James Morgan Doyle, and Phillip Lanley, photo by Tiffany Parker photo by Greg Barrett photographer unknown

culture in both its pre-colonial and post- Based in Sydney, Bangarra presents BANGARRA’S settlement states (see Form, Activation performance seasons in Australian and Process, p. 5) capital cities, regional towns and remote BEGINNINGS areas, and has also taken its productions By the 1980s, NAISDA had developed to many places around the world Bangarra Dance Theatre was founded a performance arm called the Aboriginal including Europe, Asia and the USA. due to the efforts of an American Islander Dance Theatre, which woman, Carole Y. Johnson, who toured to showcased the development of students Bangarra provides the opportunity Australia in the early 1970s with the Eleo into professional Dancers and also gave for people of all cultural backgrounds Pomare Dance Company from New York. opportunities for these Dancers to to share knowledge about, and have develop as Choreographers. Raymond a contemporary experience of, the Johnson had experienced the full Blanco, Marilyn Miller and Dujon Nuie world’s oldest living cultures. Bangarra impact of the civil rights movement were some of the artists who took on has nurtured the careers of hundreds in the 1960s, and been a part of the the role of Choreographer and paved of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander proliferation of new modern dance the way for many more to come. professional artists, including Dancers, exponents across America, who Choreographers, Composers and were focused on freeing dance from In 1989, Johnson founded a new Designers. its institutionalised bases and using company, Bangarra Dance Theatre. dance to make commentary on the Bangarra is a word meaning Since 1989, Bangarra has produced contemporary world. She studied at the ‘to make fire’. In 1991, the artistic dozens of original works for its prestigious Juilliard School in New York directorship was handed to Stephen repertoire, collaborated on the and was awarded scholarships to work Page and he premiered his first work, creation of new productions with other with communities in Africa. Johnson Up Until Now for the company in Australian performing arts companies knew the power of dance as a practice, October of the same year. such as and the and as a communication platform. , and played an integral role in opening ceremonies During her time in Australia in 1972, of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games she was asked to conduct dance BANGARRA and the . workshops. These were very successful In 2016, Bangarra created its first and resulted in a Johnson’s new dance TODAY feature film, SPEAR. production that depicted Australia’s Today, Bangarra is one of Australia’s own civil rights actions. The Challenge Bangarra’s Dancers and collaborating leading performing arts companies, – Embassy Dance was about the artists come from all over Australia, widely acclaimed nationally and around Moratorium for Black Rights initiated including the major groups in relation the world for its powerful dancing, by workers’ unions in 1972, and the to location, for example: Torres Strait distinctive theatrical voice and utterly challenge to uphold the presence of Islanders, (Murri), New unique soundscapes, music and design. the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. South Wales (Koori), Victoria (Koorie), The company is recognised globally for South Australia (Anangu and Nunga), critically-acclaimed theatre productions Johnson quickly realised that there Arnhem Land, Northern Territory that combine the spirituality of was a lack of contemporary dance (Yolngu), Coast and Midwest Western traditional cultures with contemporary expression in the Australian sociocultural Australia (Yamatji), Southern Western forms of storytelling though dance. environment, and decided that she Australia (Nyoongar), Central Western Bangarra is supported with funding would do something about it. On the Australia (Wangai) and Tasmania through the Australia Council for the back of her workshops, she established (Palawah). Some of the Dancers are Arts (the federal Government’s arts the Aboriginal and Islander Skills graduates of NAISDA Dance College funding and advisory body), Create Development Scheme in 1976, which was (NSW), or Aboriginal College of NSW (NSW arts policy and funding to later become the National Aboriginal Performing Arts (QLD), and others are body) and a number of private Islander Skills Development Association graduates of dance courses delivered philanthropic organisations and donors. – known today as NAISDA Dance by universities around Australia. College. At the same time, black theatre The company also derives earnings makers, playwrights, writers, and actors from performance seasons, special were creating works that reflected their events and touring.

9 INTRODUCTION

Lake Eyre, SA, photo by Jake Nash

Terrain is an homage to Country, of South Australia. As a closed THE ARABUNNA PEOPLE inspired by the power of natural inland drainage basin with an area forces and the vulnerability of of 1,140,000 km2, the Lake Eyre The Arabunna people have existed ecosystems within a landscape basin is one of the largest areas of and maintained deep connection that has existed and evolved over internal drainage in the world. with the Lake Eyre basin for many millennia. It has a vastness and diversity like thousands of years and recently no other landscape in the world. won land rights for Lake Eyre and Terrain illustrates the fundamental To the Aboriginal people of this its surrounds. Their understanding connection between People and land, it is known as Kati Thanda. of the landscape, and all the Land – how we treat our land, variances of its ever-changing how we understand its spirit, and Kati Thanda is the home of the behaviour enables the Arabunna how we regard its future. Terrain Arabunna people who have lived to read the landscape, know its presents the vastness and the in the area for many thousands purpose, and be able to share with diversity of a landscape like no of years, maintaining a deep us; stories of how Kati Thanda other. It’s about the power of connection to the area through survives and thrives through its natural forces and the vulnerability their cultural inheritance. In Kati very dramatic natural cycles of of ecosystems within a landscape Thanda, days are measured by the flood, drought, and everything in that has existed and evolved as long length of shadows, or when the between. Even more importantly, as the Earth itself – a landscape afternoon clouds roll in; months are this knowledge serves to maintain from which human beings draw life measured by the level of salt crust the cultural life and relationships and express meaning to that life. on the surface of the lake; and years between people and Country that Terrain looks at the area of Australia are measured by the rise and fall of have existed for tens of thousands known as Lake Eyre. Lake Eyre is waters that sweep through ancient of years. a great salt lake of tectonic origin river systems, transforming the situated in the remote north west desert and bringing new life.

10 Terrain is presented as nine interconnected sections or ‘states of experiencing’ the area known as Lake Eyre. The audience is guided though Lake Eyre’s cultural and environmental relevance, as well as the Choreographer’s thoughts about the concept of ‘place’ and the emotional experience that ‘place’ has for Aboriginal people. RED BRICK SHIELDS REBORN Looking beyond Reflecting on the Land is passed down For example: urbanscape to hear struggle for Land Rights through the lineage — How Aboriginal people an ancestral calling and Recognition that along with knowledge feel and acknowledge to Country continues to affect and customs. connection to ‘place’. Indigenous people today

— How we experience the emotion and the power of an untouched landscape.

— How we sense our responsibility to a landscape.

— How we hear and share the stories that emanate through the traditional Dreamings of the Arabunna SPINIFEX SALT SCAR people. Inspired by the trees Beyond the white salt The impact of man’s in and around Lake vastness lies an abstract actions scar and Eyre that resemble landscape that resonates disrupt the delicate the gatherings of an ancient power balance between man spirit women waiting, and environment suspended in time

LANDFORM REFLECT DELUGE Through each evolution, Traversing the horizon Waters begin their the land regenerates and to glimpse the sacred journey towards Lake heals, awakening the realm where earth and Eyre bringing with it cultural ties that connect sky meet transformation and Photo credits: people to place. ensuring the life Greg Barrett, 2012 cycle continues. 11 CREATING TERRAIN

Storytelling through dance theatre with story and cultural meaning. Team (Choreographer, Composer, is one of the most powerful means As cultural consultant for Terrain, Designers, Dancers) collaborates to communicate cultural, social Uncle Reginald is vitally important closely during the entire creative and political issues. Dance is a to the whole development and process to enable the dance to visceral and effective way to give presentation of the work. He guides reflect the overall focus of the a story life, and storytelling is and supports the artists, making sure Choreographer’s ideas. the mainframe of cultural life for their interpretations reflect his own . Navigating sense of responsibility to Country. As the choreography starts the pathways of the creative to take shape and order, the process through consultation, being Choreographer works with the Frances Rings on the shore of Lake on Country, spending time with Eyre in 2012, photo by Jake Nash Rehearsal Director and Dancers to Elders and traditional custodians, refine the more nuanced elements and absorbing the stories and the of the choreography. Getting the environment, are all part of a long right dynamic into a movement, and considered process. perfecting the technical aspects, building the relationships between THE COMMISSIONING the performers – all of these aspects need to be worked PROCESS on and consolidated. Over the three decades of Bangarra Dance Theatre’s existence, IN RINGS’ WORDS The music and design elements numerous senior artists in the need to be in sync with the company have been commissioned Being with Uncle Reg on his Country and hearing his stories development of the choreography. to create new works for the As all the creative processes repertoire, as part of Bangarra’s made me think deeply about Indigenous people like myself come together the Director/ commitment to professional Choreographer has to hold onto development of the artists and who live in urban areas and our relationship to Country. I realised the essence of the story, the to nurture future generations of concepts they want to illustrate storytellers. Frances Rings is one of that although the location may be different, the connection is and communicate, and the way these artists, and over the course of they wish to do this. her career has been commissioned the same. We have a profoundly several works for Bangarra. visceral understanding of Country that goes beyond brick walls, DANCE TECHNIQUE AND concrete and an urbanised lifestyle. RESEARCH AND PERFORMANCE SKILLS Using their dance technique, the PREPARATION The journey of discovery and Dancers work collaboratively to Prior to working with the Dancers the creative process involved in blend and refine the movements in the studio, Frances Rings the making of Terrain are closely to provide clarity, texture and (Choreographer), Jacob Nash linked, not in a literal sense, but consistency in execution before (Set Designer) and more in the way of emotional settling on a final version of the (Composer) travelled to Lake Eyre responses and processing of ideas. choreography. The Dancers and to spend time on Country. Here Choreographers use all the elements they were introduced to Arabunna of dance at their disposal, not Elder Uncle Reginald Dodd, who THE CHOREOGRAPHIC necessarily in a conscious way but led the artists onto his Country and as part of the lexicon they know shared his knowledge about the PROCESS and the new movement language land, the resources, and why it is Once the initial period of research and discussion is well developed, that they create. The Rehearsal so important to preserve the Lake Director is present throughout Region for future generations. The the Choreographer will start to work with the Dancers and together this process in order to be able to artists experienced the landforms, guide the Dancers in the rehearsal the colours, the air, the animal they will explore the movement language that will tell the story process, so that the key qualities life – but most importantly the and details of the choreography, spiritual presence of ancestors, and in a way that is evocative and captivating. The whole Creative as set by the Choreographer, are the stories that embed the land retained and remembered as they

12 progress from section to section. When the production moves closer to its premiere date, the Rehearsal Director will work with the Dancers to make sure the Dancers will Tara Gower in rehearsal for Terrain, Ella Havelka in rehearsal for Terrain, perform the work to the highest photo by Greg Barrett photo by Greg Barrett standard possible. Also during this stage, the technical elements of the costume, set and lighting design start to be incorporated.

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS In the week of the premiere, the Dancers, Rehearsal Director, Creative Team and Production Crew move from Bangarra’s studios to the theatre where they spend a day or two rigging the set, positioning and programming the lighting, checking the sound levels, and making necessary adjustments to the choreography to fit the space of the stage. This is called the ‘bump-in’ and the Production Sets in progress, photo by Jake Nash Crew is largely responsible for coordinating this stage of the Choreographer Frances Rings with Deborah process. Until the night of the Brown, photo by Greg Barrett premiere, no one has actually seen the finished production. This can be quite stressful but is also extremely exciting.

EXTENDING THE LIFE OF A DANCE THEATRE WORK During the lengthy process of creating a new Bangarra production, ideas will change and surprising shifts in the original plans will occur. This is not unusual and probably one of the most exciting things about making a new work. Importantly, the things that do not change are the traditional elements – cultural information must always remain respected and intact. As the dance is performed over time, these stories are passed down from one Dancer to another as new Dancers are taught the choreography, and perform the roles.

13 THE CREATIVE TEAM

CULTURAL CONSULTANT: CHOREOGRAPHER: COMPOSER: UNCLE REGINALD DODD FRANCES RINGS DAVID PAGE Uncle Reginald (Reg) Dodd is an -born Frances Rings is a David Page was a descendant of the Arabunna Elder who was born descendant of the Kokatha Tribe people and the Munaldjali on Finniss Springs Mission at the and is also of German descent. clan of the Yugambeh tribe from southern end of Lake Eyre. After Frances joined Bangarra Dance southeast Queensland. David some early years working as a Theatre in 1993 after graduating was born in Brisbane and studied stockman, followed by several from NAISDA Dance College. saxophone, voice, composition, and decades working on the railways, song at the Centre for Aboriginal Uncle Reg has been running tours Terrain was Frances’ first full- Studies in Music (CASM) at through the Lake Eyre region. Uncle length work for the company, Adelaide University. David has Reg is also active on the Marree following the success of six other composed music for many of Progress Committee Inc. works – Artefact (2010), X300 Bangarra’s major works: Praying (2007), Unaipon (2004), Bush Mantis Dreaming (1992), Ochres Bangarra thanks Uncle Reg for (co-choreographed with Stephen (1995), Ninni (1996), Fish (1997), his guidance and generosity in Page, 2003) and Rations (as part Skin (2000), Corroboree (2001), sharing his knowledge of his of Walkabout 2002). Bush (2003), Unaipon/Clan (2004), Country with the Creative Team. Boomerang (2005), X300 (2007), Terrain is Bangarra’s gift back to Frances choreographed Sheoak Mathinna (2008), of earth and sky the Arabunna community. In 2016, as part of Lore in 2015, and was (2010), Belong (2011), Warramuk Bangarra took the work back appointed to the positon of - in the dark night (2012), Terrain to Lake Eyre and the Arabunna Associate Artistic Director in 2019. (2012), Blak (2013), Dance Clan 3 community with performances in (2013), Patyegarang (2014), and Marree, South Australia. Lore (2015). David was also an ON TERRAIN actor and the recipient of many awards including 4 Deadlys and the “I believe Country reveals inaugural Sidney Myer Indigenous to us the natural laws that Artist Award in 2000. govern our existence and

that as people, no matter ON TERRAIN what our background, we “Lake Eyre is a place of all have an innate longing heritage, mystery, threat to sink our feet into and natural beauty and has the sand, for our hands given me, and the Creative to splash water and to Team the opportunity to connect with the natural explore the vastness of world.” spirit, colour and sound.”

14 SET DESIGNER: COSTUME DESIGNER: LIGHTING DESIGNER: JAKE NASH JENNIFER IRWIN KAREN NORRIS Jake is a Murri man who grew up Jennifer Irwin has designed and Karen Norris has worked extensively in Brisbane. He graduated from the constructed costumes for drama, as a lighting designer for dance, National Institute of Dramatic Art opera, film, and in particular for theatre and music in Australia (NIDA) Design Course in 2005, and dance and ballet. She has worked and Europe. Her lighting designs is Head of Design at Bangarra. with Bangarra since its inception. for Bangarra include Skin (2000), Terrain (2012) and Lore (2015).

ON TERRAIN ON TERRAIN “The challenge as the set “Being inspired by so many ON TERRAIN designer of Terrain was beautiful images of Lake “On a site visit to Lake to create a design that Eyre I was captured by its Eyre, I was confronted by was not obvious, almost surrealism and vastness. a vast, immense landscape unknown; to create a I focused on the textural – places in the middle language that was truthful elements of the materials of nowhere – this pink to the place and the stories I was working with, encrusted jewel: Lake that Frances was telling. abstracting the narrative – Eyre. Apart from being We wanted to achieve the continual changing of awesomely emotive in a ‘world’ that is always the landscape; the cracked its history – present and alive like the lake itself – salt lake and earth that has past – it was bathed in always within a cycle that avoided human influence.” this undulating, will never stop, it is an fragmented light.” everlasting continuum.”

15 FURTHER READING

Dodd, Reginald. Lockyer, Paul. Angus, Michael. ‘Arabunna Tours’ ‘Lake Eyre: A journey through Salt, http://www.arabunnatours.com.au the heart of the continent’, Jerrycan Films, 2009. HarperCollins Publishers, Austin, Luke; Hoelen, Paul; Pala- Sydney, 2012. Bangarra Dance Theatre. cios, Ignacio; & Williams, Adam. ‘Terrain Playlist’, ‘20 Stunning Aerial Photos of YouTube. Lake Eyre’, Australian Geographic https://www.youtube.com/play- https://www.australiangeographic. list?list=PL946F6294A987D0DC com.au/topics/science-environ- ment/2016/08/20-stunning-aeri- Lockyer, Paul. al-photos-of-lake-eyre/ Lake Eyre: a 90 retrospective of Lake Eyre, Australia’s outback Austin, Luke; Hoelen, Paul; Palacios, wonder and Return to Lake Eyre, Ignacio; & Williams, Adam. ABC DVD, 2012. ‘Aerial view: the pink hues of Lake Eyre’, Australian Geographic Terrain is available for purchase on https://www.australiangeographic. DVD https://my.bangarra.com.au/ com.au/topics/science-environ- dvd/terrain, ment/2017/06/aerial-view-the-pink- as well as via digital streaming hues-of-lake-eyre/ on Clickview https://www.clickview.com.au/ Sheldon, Fran & Kingsford, Richard. curriculum-libraries/video-de- ‘Unknown wonders: tails/?id=3713730&cat=3708520&li- Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre’, brary=secondary and Kanopy The Conversation https://www.kanopy.com/product/ https://theconversation.com/ terrain. unknown-wonders-kati-than- da-lake-eyre-13523

16 17 BANGARRA DANCE THEATRE AUSTRALIA

ABN 96 003 814 006

Tower Three, International Towers 300 Barangaroo Avenue Barangaroo NSW 2000

Phone +61 2 9251 5333 Email [email protected]

@bangarradancetheatre #bangarra

/bangarra

@bangarradance

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