After its acclaimed premiere in 2024, Australia's leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing arts company, Bangarra Dance Theatre, is set to bring their first cross-cultural collaboration, Horizon, to the Pilbeam Theatre on August 26th as part of its Regional Tour.
The engaging work from three choreographers of the world's great First Nations cultures will visit Darumbal Country and Wulgurukaba of Gurambilbarra and Yunbenun, Bindal, Gugu Badhun and Nywaigi Country in August and Yuwi Country in November.
Māori choreographer and Arts Laureate Moss Te Ururangi Patterson joins beloved Bangarra alumna Deborah Brown to guide the company's award-winning ensemble in stories which honour their mother countries and the spirit that guides them home.
Horizon will open with the expanded iteration of Saibailayg (Saibai Islander) Sani Townson's acclaimed work Kulka, which debuted as part of Dance Clan in 2023. This work pays homage to Sani's grandfather and his Torres Strait heritage.
Horizon honours the First Peoples of the Oceania region, spanning across the continent now known as Australia, the Torres Strait Islands and our southern neighbour, Aotearoa.
This story of resilience explores binding cultural forces across oceans and eons. Patterson, a proud mokopuna (grandson) of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa tribe, was born near Lake Taupō.
He has created a significant body of work for Atamira Dance Company; New Zealand's pioneering contemporary Māori dance theatre and this year, brought his extensive experience to the role of chief executive and artistic director at The New Zealand Dance Company.
Throughout his career, Patterson has choreographed for major events and grassroots levels with acclaimed Indigenous artists and has been honoured with choreographic awards from Tempo Dance Festival, Toi Māori, and Creative New Zealand.
Brown is a proud descendant of the Wakaid Clan and Meriam people in the Torres Strait with Scottish heritage.
A Senior Dancer with Bangarra for 15 years, Deborah was awarded the Helpmann Award for her mesmerising performance in Frances Rings' critically acclaimed Terrain.
Townson is a proud descendant of the Saibai Koedal and Samu Clans of Saibai Island. He joined Bangarra Dance Theatre as a Dancer in 2001, and currently works within the Youth Program Team at Bangarra.
As an independent artist, Townson has collaborated with Qantas on their 'I Still Call Australia Home' campaign, with Gondwana Choirs on the first ever Indigenous children's opera, the Arafura Games in Darwin, NAISDA Dance College and internationally at the Shanghai World Expo.
"Horizon represents a fresh and dynamic chapter in Bangarra's artistic and cultural Songline supporting new Indigenous choreographic voices and building relationships with international First Nations artists to share story, song and dance," Bangarra Dance Theatre's artistic director, Frances Rings, said.
"This tour is an opportunity to open audiences up to a broader global First Nations perspective, sharing issues that impact our People and Country across the ocean.
"I can't wait to share this story with the communities across regional Queensland."
Rings said Horizon is about generations of people who have lived and had deep roots and relationships and cultural kinship.
"This work also is about generations of people who have lived and had deep roots and relationships and cultural kinship with water and also with sky, with navigating water and also what does home mean? What is that calling to home, whether it be your ancestral home, your urban home or home that you carry," Rings told Style Up.
Ahead of Bangarra's return to Rockhampton, dancer Dontá Whitlam reflected on his local roots, his connection to the Pilbeam Theatre and the significance of bringing Horizon home.
"Returning to Rockhampton feels incredibly special. I grew up on Darumbal Country in Yeppoon, attended Emmaus College in Rockhampton and trained at Capricorn School of Dancing, so this region played a huge role in shaping who I am as both an artist and a person," she said.
"The Pilbeam Theatre has been part of my journey since I was four years old, and it's meaningful to return to a stage that has witnessed so many milestones in my life and career.
"Some of my fondest memories are of the Rockhampton dance community.
"There was such a strong sense of connection between local studios, whether we were competing at eisteddfods or travelling together to competitions.
"Those experiences created lasting friendships, helped ease the nerves that come with performing and fostered a real sense of support and belonging.
"Horizon was the first work I created with Bangarra, and this tour marks its fourth season. What I love most about the production is that each performance reveals new layers of its story.
Whitlam said through the creative process and ongoing performances she's developed a deeper understanding of the history behind the work and a stronger connection to the stories shared on stage.
"That's what makes Bangarra so special - the richness of storytelling continues to unfold for both performers and audiences alike," she said.
"I'm excited to bring Horizon home to Rockhampton because it's an opportunity to share not only an important story, but also my own journey and growth as an artist.
"Coming back to perform in front of a community that has supported me from the very beginning makes this tour especially meaningful."
For more fashion, arts, culture and lifestyle news subscribe for free to the Style Up newsletter.
