SCAS News

Bangarra is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation and one of Australia’s leading performing arts companies. They are widely acclaimed nationally and around the world for their powerful dancing, distinctive theatrical voice and unique soundscapes, music and design.

Our Years 10, 11 and 12 students had the opportunity to both workshop with the group, and also attend a live performance by the company at The Glasshouse Theatre.

As part of their regional Australia tour, Bangarra presented ‘Bennelong’. Created by Artistic Director Stephen Page, Bennelong explores the life of one of history’s most iconic Aboriginal figures, Woollarawarre Bennelong, who was a senior man of the Eora, and led his community to survive a clash of cultures.

Both the workshop and the performance were an invaluable experience for our students.

Year 11 student Danika Clarkson reflected on the experience:

” A powerful performance. It gave a younger generation from various cultures insight into Indigenous Australian history and their traditional culture. Bennelong achieved this through artistic representation using a unique dance style Banngara is renowned for. Bennelong shares the narrative of a significant Indigenous man that expresses the themes of community and distance as well as relationships. It explores the relationships between the Eora people as well as the relationships between the European settlers and the First Australians. This is conveyed through dynamic choreography that is grounded and connected to Country. A spiritual experience for the audience witnessing this masterpiece from the strong, breathtaking dancers of the company.”

Danika Clarkson – Year 11 Dance Student