Legacy and innovation in Bangarra's Wudjang: Not the Past

By Chantal Nguyen, 22 January 2022

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“Australia would not be the same without Bangarra – a triumphant story of vision, voice and talent”

Reviewed at Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney on 19 January 2022

Wudjang: Not the Past (Stephen Page)

Bangarra

Alan John, Conductor

Jacob Nash, Set Designer

Jennifer Irwin, Costume Designer

Nick Schlieper, Lighting Designer

Elma Kris, Dancer

Kirk Page, Dancer

Lillian Banks, Dancer

Jessica Hitchcock, Dancer

Justin Smith, Dancer

Elaine Crombie, Vocals

Tessa Nuku, Vocals

Gifts of gold: Bangarra's SandSong

Chantal Nguyen, 11th June

Bangarra's first full-length work in three years is a treasure trove of cultural and historical insights about Australia's vast and mysterious Kimberley region. Not to be missed.

****1

History in the making: Bangarra's 30 years of sixty five thousand

Chantal Nguyen, 14th June

Bangarra celebrates its 30th anniversary, with the momentous return of Jiří Kylián's Stamping Ground to its Indigenous roots.

****1

Bangarra: The darkness between the stars

Chantal Nguyen, 16th June

Dark Emu is a beautifully choreographed dance response to Bruce Pascoe's award-winning book. In combining current debate with millenia-old living tradition, it is both topical and profoundly poetic.

****1

Netia Jones directs Pinchgut Opera in a well-oiled Fairy Queen

Jeremy Eccles, 7th June

A rare 17th-century English Baroque spectacular, designed to delight the Restoration crowd, is given a contemporary twist in Sydney.

****1

Sydney Dance Company’s Twofold: a quirky bulldozer of authenticity

Katie Lawrence, 24th September

Sydney Dance Company premieres Melanie Lane’s Love Lock, alongside existing repertoire Impermanence by Rafael Bonachela. It’s a work of bold genius and a dazzling double bill that's not to be missed.

*****

Skid/Saaba: a thrilling free fall into contemporary dance

Katie Lawrence, 24th January

Swedish contemporary dance company GöteborgsOperans Danskompani pushes the audience off balance with a quirky, compelling, and innovative double bill.

****1

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Chantal Nguyen

Chantal has a background in ballet and contemporary dance, and was the first Australian to complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in Higher Level Dance. She has completed violin studies, and plays regularly in Sydney ensembles. She also dabbles in folk songs and subversive musical parody.