Bangarra Dance Theatre celebrates in Melbourne!

Bangarra Dance Theatre invites the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in Victoria to join them in celebrating 25 years of surviving and thriving!


Tickets for ‘Community Night’ and ‘Koorie Kids Day’ in Melbourne on sale now !
Bangarra Dance Theatre will take to the Playhouse stage at Arts Centre Melbourne from 28 August 2014 with the Melbourne Premiere of its new work Patyegarang. Choreographed by Artistic Director Stephen Page,
Patyegarang commemorates the story of a young Eora woman who shared her culture and language with one of the first settlers in the place we now call Sydney.

Paying homage to the land and people that Bangarra has called home since it began 25 years ago, Patyegarang is an important Australian story based on historical events and documents. As the colonial fleet
arrived on Eora country in the late 18th Century, Patyegarang befriended first settler Lieutenant William Dawes, gifting him her language in an extraordinary display of trust and friendship, which now sparks our imaginations about ‘first contact’.

During the Melbourne season of Patyegarang, Bangarra will host a series of events specifically for Victoria’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to celebrate Bangarra’s 25th anniversary.

Community night!
A Community Night performance of Patyegarang will be held on Wednesday 27 August at 8pm with discounted tickets made available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences, supported by BHP Billiton. As with previous Bangarra Community Nights in Melbourne, this will be a special experience for audiences as well as the artists of Bangarra themselves. Book now to ensure you don’t miss out as tickets are selling fast!!

Koorie Kids Day (performance and post show Q&A)!
Bangarra will also host a Koorie Kids Day in conjunction with a matinee performance of Patyegarang on Wednesday 3 September at 1pm. Thanks to BHP Billiton, Indigenous secondary school students from the city and outer metropolitan areas are invited to purchase heavily discounted tickets, providing an invaluable opportunity for these young people to experience an inspirational performance in a major arts venue. After the
performance, students will have an opportunity to engage with Artistic Director Stephen Page and other Patyegarang creative team members during a Q&A session. The students will then have the chance to meet
members of Bangarra in the foyer. A study guide is available for download from the Bangarra website along with other education resources.

Bangarra’s Artistic Director Stephen Page says of these upcoming events, “I look forward to sharing Patyegarang’s remarkable story with the communities of Melbourne and Victoria. Surviving and thriving, strength and resilience, this spirit we share and celebrate every day.” Bangarra Dance Theatre is Australia’s leading national Indigenous performing arts company. Under the brilliant and inspirational artistic direction of Stephen Page, Bangarra has strived to maintain the cultural integrity and spirit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tradition, combining it with contemporary expressions of stories, dance and music to create unique theatrical experiences, and to deliver these experiences to audiences across Australia and around the world.

Patyegarang

Choreography: Stephen Page
Music: David Page
Set Design: Jacob Nash
Costume Design: Jennifer Irwin
Lighting Design: Nick Schlieper
Show duration: approx 75 minutes

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL!
Melbourne Community night – Wednesday 27 August 2014 at 8pm
Tickets: $15.00
Koorie Kids Day – Wednesday 3 September 2014 at 1pm
Tickets: $10
Email community@bangarra.com.au or phone 02 9251 5333
Melbourne season tickets from August 28 to September 6 2014:
Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au
p 136 246
Ticket prices: $29 – $89 plus transaction fees!
Video highlights from the 2013 Community Outreach Program can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNxrSyGIOJw