First Nations Bangarra Dance Theatre company brings indigenous stories to Aotearoa’s stage

The widely acclaimed First Nations Bangarra Dance Theatre company is appearing in Aotearoa with its latest show Sandsong: Stories from the Great Sandy Desert.

Starting today, the show is on until Saturday at the ASB Waterfront Theatre in Tamaki Makaurau.

The company draws on the extreme hardship faced by the Aboriginal people over many years and channels that into art and theatre.

Stephen Page has been the artistic director of the company for more than 30 years. The descendant of the Nunukul people and the Munaldjali of the Yugambeh people from south Queensland says the idea for Sandsong came after a meeting between him and fellow choreographer Frances Rings. They saw it as a way to honour the late Aboriginal actress of Rabbit-Proof Fence fame, Ningali Josie Lawford-Wolf and her family. The Kimberley is a great desert, where Lawford-Wolf was from and is the setting for Sandsong.

“Ningali is from the Kimberleys in Western Australia and she always contributed to Bangarra in her stories. She always wanted to work with Bangarra,” Page says.

“Sandsong is about the Kimberleys, the great sandy desert. It deals with subjects like black social issues, about her mob and her people being displaced from their lands, the cultural significance of landmarks, and it celebrates a variation of stories through her connection to country.”

Jila, the Living Water that exists in desert waterholes all across the area and forms the foundation of cultural beliefs and traditions, is the essence of the Kimberleys. Sandsong narrates the particular tale of this location and the perseverance of its people.

“Obviously there are similarities with First Nations people globally. I think it’s when First Nations people have that beautiful connection of really understanding the truth of land, the relationship with land, people, water and sky.”

Page says there could be cultural collaborations between Māori and First Nations performers to make a theatre piece in the future.

Showtimes are 7.30pm each Wednesday to Friday and 2pm Saturday.