PA/16/18 18th October 2018
Australia’s Bangarra Dance Theatre set to embark on India tour
Australia’s leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance company, Bangarra Dance Theatre, will embark on a multi-city tour of India this month as part of Australia Fest.
Australia’s High Commissioner to India, Her Excellency Ms Harinder Sidhu, said “We are proud to present one of Australia’s greatest cultural ambassadors, Bangarra Dance Theatre, as the centerpiece of Australia Fest. Bangarra’s visit to India is a great opportunity to share our Indigenous culture and history with Indian audiences.”
Bangarra are internationally acclaimed for combining more than 65,000 years of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture with powerful contemporary dance, immersive soundscapes, music and design. The company’s dancers are dynamic artists, each of whom has a proud Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background.
In India, the company will stage Spirit 2018 - a powerful collection of dance stories by Artistic Director Stephen Page, drawn from the company’s 29-year history. Spirit 2018 is a true celebration of Australia’s rich culture and history, fused with outstanding dance technique.
The company’s India tour will take off with a spectacular dance performance set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Qutb Minar in New Delhi on 25 October, presented in partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India. The company will then head off to captivate audiences with their performances in Bengaluru and Mumbai.
Complementing Bangarra’s multi-city tour will be a series of community engagement workshops with Indigenous groups across the country. Bangarra will travel to Purulia, home of the Chhau mask dance, Bhopal, the site of the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (National Museum of Humankind), and Aizawl in Northeast India, to learn and experience a variety of traditional dances in a series of artistic collaborations with these communities.
“International touring is an essential part of our role as ambassadors for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and we are excited to be embarking on this significant tour, made possible with the generous of support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Communications and the Arts. Cultural exchange enables us to share, learn and grow as a company, and we are deliberately increasing the number of community engagement activities we undertake to set a new benchmark for the future. We’re proud to share the resilience and strength of Australia’s First Nation people with other Indigenous communities and groups, and are looking forward to exploring cultural exchange in these remote regions and continuing our tradition in sharing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture globally,” said Bangarra’s Executive Director Philippe Magid.
“I am delighted that the dancers are also able to undertake a series of community engagement opportunities with Indigenous groups in India, which will not only help inspire the next generation of performers and storytellers, but also promote meaningful cultural exchange,” added Ms Sidhu.
BANGARRA DANCE THEATRE – INDIA TOUR
|
When |
Where |
Tickets/Passes |
|
7.30pm | 25 October 2018
7.30pm | 29 October 2018
7.30pm | 1 November 2018 |
Qutb Minar, New Delhi
Dr Ambedkar Bhavan, Bengaluru
NCPA, Mumbai |
https://in.bookmyshow.com/events/bangarra-dance-theatre-delhi/ET00085922 (Free registration)
https://in.bookmyshow.com/events/bangarra-dance-theatre-bengaluru/ET00086143
https://in.bookmyshow.com/events/bangarra-dance-theatre-mumbai/ET00085765 |
About Australia Fest:
On 18 September 2018 Australia’s High Commissioner to India Her Excellency Ms Harinder Sidhu, launched Australia Fest, a six month long celebration of Australian culture and creativity. Australia Fest has been made possible with the generous support of our partners in three major categories: Platinum: State Governments of Victoria and New South Wales; Gold: Deakin University; Silver: ANZ Banking Group, Ashok & Mariam Jacob, CQ University Australia, FCM Travel Solutions, Mahindra, Northern Territory Government, Tata BlueScope Steel, Telstra, Tourism Australia and Woodside Energy. Australia Fest’s hotel partner is the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), airline partner is Singapore Airlines, wine partner is Jacob’s Creek, and promotion partner is BookMyShow.
Follow us for updates – www.australiafest.com
Twitter: @AusHCIndia Instagram: @aushcindia Facebook: AustraliainIndia
About Bangarra Dance Theatre:
Bangarra Dance Theatre is Australia’s leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance company, acclaimed worldwide for its moving performances, distinctive voice and authentic storytelling. Bangarra is internationally acclaimed for combining more than 65,000 years of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture with powerful contemporary dance, immersive soundscapes, music and design.
Relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are at the heart of Bangarra, with its repertoire created on Country and stories gathered from respected community Elders. It is this inherent connection to land and people that makes Bangarra unique and enjoyed by audiences from remote Australian regional centres to Tokyo, New York and Paris.
Spirit 2018:
Spirit 2018 is a powerful collection of dance stories by Artistic Director Stephen Page, drawn from the company’s 29-year history. Set to a beautiful and haunting score composed by David Page and Steve
Francis, Spirit 2018 takes audiences into a mysterious and secret space to witness nature’s sacred poetry. With stories and songlines drawn from all over Australia, it celebrates the spirit of the dingo, the ephemeral life of the moth, and throughout, Indigenous peoples’ unbroken connection to the land.
Choreography: Stephen Page and Bernadette Walong-Sene
Traditional Choreography and music: Djakapurra Munyarryun
Music: David Page and Steve Francis
Costumes: Jennifer Irwin
Lighting Design: Nick Schlieper, Karen Norris, Joseph Mercurio, Matt Cox