Lynden’s Score: 4.5 stars
30 Years of Sixty Five Thousand celebrates Bangarra’s 30th anniversary, highlighting old and new (for Bangarra) pieces.
Act one, Unaipon is a 2004 piece inspired by the life of David Unaipon, credited with being the first published Aboriginal author. He was an inventor, philosopher, writer and storyteller and so the piece is fittingly broken into ‘influenced’ sections – Ngarrindjeri (the traditional Aboriginal people of the lower Murray River of which Unaipon’s clan was apart), Science and Religion (Two powerful influences on his life and philosophies).
Outstanding work started the evening. After a recoding of Unaipon’s philosophical musings about our existence in the universe we see a beautiful piece, ‘Sister Blankets’ an amoebic, evolutionary movement motivate by the weaving culture of the clan. Most impressive was the following piece ‘String Games’ inspired by the technique elders passed on cultural knowledge. The technical skills and precision of this section was a joy to watch. Initially these performances were seen through the wonderfully patterned gauze which created a restriction between the audience and the dancers reflecting the restrictions of the blankets and the strings. Once these restrictions were removed, the dancers were freed to explore the next section inspired by Newtown’s laws of motion (another of Unaipon’s fascinations).
Act Two included the new work by Bangarra, “Stamping Ground” and a compilation piece “To Make Fires” – selections of past Bangarra stories..
Stamping Ground is a very special piece and I was thrilled to witness it. In 1980 (Before Bangarra even existed) Jiřà Kylián, a Czech dancer and contemporary dance choreographer was invited to witness a special week-long corroboree attended by over a thousand indigenous men, women and children from all over Australia. Kylián’s 1983 work was not an attempt to replicate the dance and movement that he witnessed but was inspired by it. When considering his request to witness the corroboree the leaders of the different groups said of Kylián, “He is a good dreamer”, as the only non-indigenous artist to have their work presented by Bangarra, the honour lives on. As a piece it is fascinating. Solo pieces and short interactive moments imply a simplicity of form, movement and rhythm that belie their complexity. At times the silence is electrifying.
One of the most modern in styles was Mathinna (2008). A story inspired by the attempted integration of a young Lowreenne Tasmanian girl taken from her home. There is a strong emotional undertone to this piece.
Nick Shlieper’s Lighting complimented the moments emotionally and physically. Not just lighting the dancers but creating an individual environment for each piece, expanding or isolating the space as necessary. David Page’s music was also a wonderful compliment to many of the pieces.  Jake Nash and Peter England’s set design and Jennifer Irwin’s costume design in To Make Fire was stunning.
If you have never made it to a Bangarra production, this a perfect introduction. Extraordinary storytelling, dancing, visuals and sound.
Running at the Sydney Opera House until July 13 followed by an Australian tour.
Lynden Jones, Theatre Now
Photography Lisa Tom (main image) and Daniel Boud
