Two Dance Companies Join Forces After Failed Referendum

Topic: Dance

Flora brings 16 dancers from Bangarra and 19 from the Australian Ballet together.

Frances Rings danced with the Australian Ballet in 1997.

Rings was part of Bangarra Dance Theatre when it collaborated with the Australian Ballet on Rites.

The show combined ballet and Indigenous dance to explore natural forces.

It toured Sydney, New York, Paris, and London.

Rings says it was a game-changer, with two unique companies sharing the stage.

Now, Rings leads Bangarra in a new collaboration with the Australian Ballet, Flora.

Bangarra won the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at Venice Danza.

Making Rites

Rites premiered as Bangarra rose to mainstream recognition.

People paid attention to Bangarra, and audiences came to see its work.

Page warned dancers that collaborating with the Australian Ballet would be different.

Frances Rings is in rehearsals for Rites with Bangarra and the Australian Ballet.

Rings recalls Page saying they had to find a meeting place and move through discomfort.

It was about reconciling identities to find a shared voice.

The rehearsal room was silent when the dancers first met.

Rings wondered how to bridge the gulf between the companies and communities.

Bangarra's artistic director talks about Flora on ABC Radio National.

Yolngu songman Djakapurra Munyarryun guided the dancers through their first meeting.

He sang and played the yidaki, giving them space to let go and step into the story.

A songman for Flora

Flora combines ballet and Indigenous storytelling, exploring plant life and its relationship with Indigenous peoples.

Bangarra won a lifetime achievement award at Venice Danza.

ARIA-winning composer William Barton collaborates with Bangarra and the Australian Ballet on Flora.

Barton plays yidaki and guitar, and has collaborated with orchestras worldwide.

He learned yidaki from his uncle and dedicated himself to music at 11.

Barton has performed for the British royal family and with musicians like Jimmy Barnes.

William is an incredible artist, says Rings.

Barton brings his understanding of orchestras to Flora, something new for Rings.

Flora is a meeting place of traditions, pairing classical scores with Bangarra's choreography.

William Barton reflects on heritage, classical music, and the yidaki.

Rings felt terrified hearing the stripped-back score for the first time.

She was unsure if she could do it, but Barton encouraged her to trust him.

Barton said it would sound better, and Rings recalls it being amazing.

I had to educate myself, but I love it now.

Collaborating to make change

Rings, Barton, and the dancers are ready for the challenge of Flora.

It's all about timing and knowing when it's right, says Rings.

Rings and the Australian Ballet's artistic director David Hallberg had been in conversation since before the Voice to Parliament referendum.

Hallberg reached out to Rings for insight into Bangarra's culturally embedded process.

He loved Bangarra, and was in awe of First Nations peoples and their relationship with Country.

Rings suggested the two companies collaborate again, as they had on Rites.

We were both keen to explore it, says Rings.

But it was the failed referendum that proved a turning point.

I was fired up a little bit, says Rings.

I felt disappointed in myself and in the lack of awareness about First Nations people.

Beauty and truth-telling

Bangarra and the Australian Ballet resolved to work together on a new show.

Australian Ballet principal artist Callum Linnane stars in Flora.

While truth-telling is part of Flora, Rings reassured Hallberg it would also be about beauty.

It can be about celebrating the unique diversity of flora, says Rings.

Flora highlights the kinship between Indigenous peoples and plants.

They hold cultural significance, nourish us, and indicate seasonal change.

They are used for expressions, ceremonies, tools, transportation, and shelter.

Rings stresses there's a political message beneath the celebration.

Almost 1,500 plant species are threatened, and 35 are extinct.

We are in a climate emergency, says Rings.

The link between plants and First Nations cultures ties back to colonisation.

Meriam Mir fashion designer Grace Lillian Lee created the costumes for Flora.

Through the lens of flora, we look back at the impact of colonisation.

Flora celebrates the beauty of flora, but also explores its impact on people.

Rings hopes audiences are excited to see something different and are moved by Flora.

I hope they open their hearts and minds to our stories, says Rings.

At the centre is a message about caring for Country, which is everybody's responsibility.

Flora is at the Sydney Opera House until April 18.

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