Company Profile
Bangarra Dance Theatre is a company of professional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performers.
We are storytellers. We are fire makers.
As one of Australia’s leading performing arts companies, we share our culture with Communities and audiences across Australia and the world.
We are contemporary dancers, drawing on 65,000 years of culture. We create powerful works of theatre with dance, music, poetry and design. We tell the stories of our Elders, create works on Country and return the works we create to the place they were made.
Each of our dancers is a professionally trained, dynamic artist with a proud Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background. Together, they represent the best of Australian talent.
We have been making our indelible marks on the Australian theatre landscape for 34 years. Bangarra was born in 1989 from the energy of NAISDA (National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association). We acknowledge the efforts and vision of, Rob Bryant, Cheryl Stone, Carole Y. Johnson, and NAISDA graduates in their pursuit to create a professional First Nations dance theatre company.
Stephen Page, Artistic Director for more than 30 years, is a creative icon. His vision and tenacity has made Bangarra one of the most successful Indigenous performing arts companies in Australia. His exceptional contribution to First Nations arts and the national cultural landscape will be felt for generations to come.
Today, Artistic Director and co-CEO Frances Rings and Executive Director and co-CEO Louise Ingram lead the company in our mission to promote awareness and understanding of our cultures.
Every year, we tour a world premiere work across the nation and embark on an international tour. We are at home performing on Country, in tiny venues in regional centres and on Australia’s most iconic stages. We run education workshops, programs and special projects to nurture the next generation of storytellers.
We are for the hundreds of First Nations Communities across Australia — and for anyone who wants to be a part of our story.
Our Purpose
We, Bangarra, are ignited by our obligation to Country and Community, to nurture the transmission of Story, knowledges, history and experiences of our First Peoples to effect change and create lasting impact.
“The fire ignites us, the spear directs us, the digging stick grounds us, a coolamon of knowledge is passed and compels us to aspire to our cultural obligation to Community and Country.”
Frances Rings, Artistic Director and Co-CEO
BANGARRA VALUES
Reciprocity & Mutual Obligation
Our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are our most precious resource/inspiration, that inspire and set the foundation of our work. With this comes the responsibility to give back to our communities..
Cultural Exchange & Collaboration
We facilitate cultural exchange to share story and perspectives to foster mutual understanding, embrace diverse communities and encourage inclusion.
Cultural Protocols
We uphold the integrity of cultural storytelling by abiding by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocols.
Care for Country
To integrate sustainable practices across all our activities and to care for country for future generations and the thriving of our culture.
Kinship & Respect
We are committed to supporting and nurturing the Bangarra clan by providing a safe and healthy work environment that is respectful and empowering.
Resilience
We acknowledge 65,000 years of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural life and the vital role we play to shift societal attitudes, to promote understanding and create positive change.
