Bangarra dancing the stories of Oceania in world-first collaboration

Posted on 25 June, 2024

There is a place between sea and sky – a sacred realm, where the sun rises and falls, and the light is new.

Australia’s leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing arts company, Bangarra Dance Theatre, is bringing their first ever mainstage cross-cultural collaboration Horizon to Canberra next month as part of a celebrated national tour.

This powerful new work comes from two of the world’s great First Nations choreographers, Māori choreographer and Arts Laureate Moss Te Ururangi Patterson and Bangarra alumna Deborah Brown.

Moss Te Ururangi Patterson and Deborah Brown

Together, they guide the company’s award-winning ensemble in stories that honour their mother countries and the spirit that guides them home.

Horizon honours the First Peoples of the Oceania region, spanning across the continent now known as Australia, the Torres Strait Islands and our southern neighbour, Aotearoa. This story of resilience explores the cultural forces that bind us together, across oceans and eons.

Bangarra Artistic Director, Frances Rings said “Horizon represents a fresh and dynamic new chapter in Bangarra’s artistic and cultural Songline by supporting new Indigenous choreographic voices and building relationships with international First Nations artists to share story, song and dance.”

“I believe that opportunities like this, open us to a broader global First Nations perspective on issues that impact our People and Country, and the responsibility we carry to give a platform to the uniqueness of our stories through contemporary and cultural expressions,” she said.

Having taken on the role as creative director in 2023, Frances said this was the first major works undertaken by the company since the failed Referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament and it came at a time the new New Zealand National Government was repealing a number of Maori language policies and race relations were becoming increasingly inflamed.

Bangarra’s artistic director Frances Ring during rehearsals

Frances said she and Moss strongly identified with each other.

“You hold each other up, you have a safe place in which you can share those issues and concerns. And it’s been, that’s something that has inspired me…We are sensitive to two wounded societies, and I have been talking to Moss about what is happening in New Zealand and he knows we stand in solidarity.”

Moss is a proud mokopuna (grandson) of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa tribe, was born near Lake Taupō. He has created a significant body of work for Atamira Dance Company; New Zealand’s pioneering contemporary Māori dance theatre and this year, brought his extensive experience to the role of Chief Executive and Artistic Director at The New Zealand Dance Company. Throughout his career, Moss has choreographed for major events and grassroots levels with acclaimed Indigenous artists and has been honoured with choreographic awards from Tempo Dance Festival, Toi Māori, and Creative New Zealand.

Deborah is a proud descendant of the Wakaid Clan and Meriam people in the Torres Strait with Scottish heritage. A Senior Dancer with Bangarra for thirteen years, Deborah was awarded the Helpmann Award for her performance in Frances’ critically acclaimed Terrain. In 2013, Deborah made her choreographic and directorial debut with Dive. Since then she has collaborated with leading artists across the country in works of powerful storytelling.

Horizon will open with the expanded iteration of Saibailayg (Saibai Islander) Sani Townson’s acclaimed work Kulka, which debuted as part of Dance Clan in 2023. This work pays homage to Sani’s grandfather and his Torres Strait heritage. Sani is a descendant of the Saibai Koedal and Samu Clans of Saibai Island. He joined Bangarra Dance Theatre as a Dancer in 2001, and currently works within the Youth Program Team at Bangarra. As an independent artist, Sani has collaborated with Qantas on their “I Still Call Australia Home” campaign, with Gondwana Choirs on the first ever Indigenous Children’s Opera, the Arafura Games in Darwin, NAISDA Dance College and internationally at the Shanghai World Expo.

Horizon is a double bill opening with Kulka by Sani, followed by the primary piece, The Light Inside (comprising two parts, Salt Water and Fresh Water), choreographed by Deborah and Moss respectively.

Frances said the greatest challenge of the ambitious work was to give adequate time and respect to each of the choreographers so their vision could be fulfilled and all elements of the performance could claim the space they deserve.

But she paid tribute to the company for succeeding bringing a cohesive and visually arresting performance to life.