Bangarra Dance theatre
Canberra Theatre – 17-19 July 2014
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
Bangarra
Dance Theatre is like no other dance company performing in Australia today. It
dances to the beat of its own drum, guided by the clear-eyed vision of Artistic
Director, Stephen Page. Page is not only one of the country’s most respected
and innovative choreographers, but also able to clearly and ingenuously
articulate his vision, as demonstrated in the standing-room only first-night
pre-show forum.
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| Jasmin Sheppard as Patyegarang |
For his
newest work, made to celebrate Bangarra’s 25th Anniversary, and presented in Canberra
directly after its inaugural six-week Sydney season, Page has incorporated all
the elements which make Bangarra unique. Highly -skilled dancers with a distinctive
movement vocabulary, fluid, idiosyncratic choreography, superb design, original
music, and excellent production values are all on show.
Determinedly
abstract in its telling of the relationship between an Eora woman and an
officer in the first fleet, and performed to a stunning soundscape by David
Page which includes snippets of the Darug language, “Patyegarang” is both
visually and aurally arresting. Within an evocative textural landscape created
by Jacob Nash and lighting designer, Nick Schlieper, and echoed in Jennifer
Irwin’s gorgeous sculptural costumes, the work moves fluidly and seamlessly
through a series of mesmerizingly beautiful episodes, which include at one
point, the smell of burning eucalypts.
 |
| Thomas Greenfield as William Dawes |
Jasmin
Sheppard is luminous as Patyegarang, and Thomas Greenfield, the only
non-indigenous member of the cast, impresses as William Dawes. Both Waangenga
Blanco (Ngalgear) and Elma Kris (Burulalalalung) are stand-outs for their
strong presence in what is essentially an ensemble masterwork.
