What is in this RESOURCE?

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2 What is in this RESOURCE? This resource has been designed to assist teachers in providing background and information to students prior to viewing a live performance of Bangarra Dance Theatre s 2015 production, Ochres. When viewing a Bangarra performance, the audience is engaged in a conversation about Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, about contemporary reflections on ancient traditions and about the relationship between cultural inheritance and cultural renewal. The audience is granted access to the Australian Indigenous world through story-telling and theatrical presentation. This access can be referred to as outside knowledge knowledge that may be shared, as opposed to inside knowledge - knowledge that is not to be shared. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and language groups around Australia work to maintain this knowledge, and ensure its integrity for future generations. Bangarra plays a vital role in making sure that our whole society is aware of, and feels a sense of mutual responsibility in maintaining cultural knowledge, sharing in its richness and recognising its vulnerability in contemporary times. We hope that the information, suggested activities and additional references in this resource will assist in enriching students experience of the performance, while offering a range of study options related to the Australian Curriculum cross-curriculum priority Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island histories and cultures; General Capabilities; Intercultural Understanding, Critical and Creative thinking, Literacy, Personal and Social capability), and the Learning/subject areas of Arts (dance, music, visual arts), Aboriginal Studies, History, English, Science and Technology. Contents About Bangarra Dance Theatre page 3 Background to Ochres page 3 Creating Bangarra s Ochres page 5 (Premiered in 1994, Re-imagined in 2015) The Creative Team page 6 Further references page 7 Syllabus links page 8 Activities: Explore, Reflect, Respond page 9 Additional Bangarra Education Resources page 10 Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia 2015 Ochres Teachers Resource pg. 2

3 About Bangarra Bangarra is an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander organisation and one of Australia s leading performing arts companies, widely acclaimed nationally and around the world for its powerful dancing, distinctive theatrical voice and utterly unique soundscapes, music and design. Recognised nationally and internationally for distinctive theatre productions that combine the spirituality of traditional culture with contemporary forms of storytelling though dance, Bangarra was founded in 1989 by American dancer and choreographer, Carole Johnson. Since 1991, Bangarra has been led by Artistic Director and choreographer Stephen Page. The company is based at Walsh Bay in Sydney and presents performance seasons in Australian capital cities, regional towns and remote areas. Bangarra has also taken its productions to many places around the world including Europe, Asia and USA. Bangarra creates a foundation for the care and celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural life. Through its performance seasons and touring of dance theatre productions, Bangarra provides the opportunity for all people of all cultural backgrounds to be able to share knowledge about and have a contemporary experience of the world s oldest living culture. Bangarra has nurtured the careers of hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait professional artists, including dancers, choreographers, composers and designers. In over two decades, Bangarra has produced over thirty original works for its repertoire. Bangarra has also collaborated on the creation of new productions with other Australian performing arts companies such as The Australian Ballet and the Sydney Theatre Company. Bangarra s dancers and collaborating artists come from all over Australia, including the major groups in relation to location, for example: Torres Strait Islanders, Queensland (Murri), New South Wales (Koori), Victoria (Koorie), South Australia (Anangu), Arnhem Land, Northern Territory (Yolngu), Coast and Midwest Western Australia (Yamatji), Southern Western Australia (Nyoongar), Central Western Australia (Wangai) and Tasmania (Palawah). Some of the dancers are graduates of NAISDA Dance College (NSW), while others received their training at the Aboriginal College of Performing Arts (Qld), and others are graduates of dance courses delivered by universities around Australia. For more information about Bangarra and its productions go to: For specific Australian National Curriculum resources go to Bangarra Education Resources page: Background to Bangarra s Ochres "Ochres plays an essential part in Aboriginal traditional life. Working with cultural consultant/dancer Djakapurra Munyarryun has provided us with valuable insight into the presentation of traditional paint up and preparation. As a substance ochre has intrigued us. Its significance and the myriad of purposes, both spiritual and physical has been the driving force behind this collaboration. The portrayal of each colour is by no means a literal interpretation, but the awareness of its spiritual significance has challenged our contemporary expressions." Stephen Page, Bangarra s production Ochres, was officially premiered in Sydney in As the work was being developed, sections were shown in September 1994 at Belvoir St Theatre s Nambundah Festival and again in October of the same year at the National Gallery Canberra for the launch of then Prime Minister Paul Keating s Creative Nation policy. Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia 2015 Ochres Teachers Resource pg. 3

4 The success of the work was remarkable for such a young company. Following sell-out shows in Australia the company received numerous invitations to take their work to overseas audiences. Ochres is a work in four parts (plus a prologue) which explores the spiritual significance, the traditional uses and medicinal power of ochre, while also illustrating the essence of culture its strength, its contemporary relevance and its power to heal and nurture. PROLOGUE Ochres Spirit The Light Performed by Djakapurra Munyarryun Music: David Page YELLOW: The land can be imagined as the mother. Her flowing rivers cleanse her, and the yellow ochre is what she dresses in. It also represents the sun and the seasons that nourish the land where people gather, make their home and raise their children. Music: David Page; featuring Tjipari Dreaming Western Desert Women Ngarti Language Group and Women s Funeral Dance North West Cape York Etanyanu Language Group. BLACK: An ash storm has blown over. The call and pain of the initiation can only be viewed from a distance - Men's Business. Music & Vocals: David Page and Djakapurra Munyarryun Featuring traditional songs; Buffalo Dance and Stick Dance from Yirrkala. Vocal and Yirdaki - Djakapurra Munyarryun Torres Strait Island Language from Murray Island Pinau Ghee RED: Youth, Obsession, Poison, Pain Custom, Law and Values are placed on the relationship between women and men. They have been on a path of change since time began. In these relationships there are responsibilities to each other and to family, as well as observance of traditional law. Music & Vocals: David Page. Featuring Yirrgambeh Language Group. Yirdaki and Vocals - Djakapurra Munyarryun Torres Strait Language and Vocals from Kala Kawaw Ya Language Group Glenda Aragu. WHITE: At dawn Mother Earth yawns, her call engulfs the white ochre spirits to spiritually guide them in their journey. Music and Vocals: David Page and Djakapurra Munyarryun Vocals and Yirdaki - Djakapurra Munyarryun Featuring traditional Ochre song from Yirrkala. What is ochre? Ochre is a natural substance found in many parts of the world including Europe, Britain, North America and Australia. Typically, ochre is made up of two forms of iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 and FeO) that is often found mixed with clays, silicates and other minerals such as hematite, goethite or limonite. The colours can range from deep purple to light yellow with the most common form being red. Ochre is found in sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks, in weathered products and soil. Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia 2015 Ochres Teachers Resource pg. 4

5 Ochre has been used in many ancient cultures as a colouring and/or painting substance for cultural expressions including art, ceremony, decoration and body painting. Paints are made by grinding the source rock to a powder and then mixing with fluid (water, saliva, blood, the fat of fish, emu, possum or goanna, or occasionally orchid oil) to form a fixative so that the pigment can be painted on rock, skin, tools and ceremonial objects. Ochre is extremely significant in traditional practices. The themes in Bangarra s production Ochres are portrayed as separate colours. This is not a literal interpretation, but is themed to illustrate ancestry, culture and people. For example, red ochre is often used to portray the blood of ancestral beings, and with its application in art and ceremony it represents strength and protection. Ochre has been mined by Aboriginal people in various quarries (or pits) across Australia for over 40,000 years, and continues to be extracted and used for art and ceremony. There are over 400 recorded Aboriginal ochre pit sites all over Australia, with many more yet to be discovered. Most mines were open cut. Some were small operations while others quite extensive and up to 20 metres deep. The mined ochre was excavated with stone and wooden tools and traded across quite vast distances between tribes. Creating Ochres (1994) Bangarra s Ochres is a dance theatre work, created by the choreographers in collaboration with the dancers, the cultural consultant Djakapurra Munyarryun, the composer of the music, and the costume, set and lighting designers. As with all of Bangarra s productions, the whole creative team works together to develop the ideas of the choreographers, interpreting the material that is brought to the process by the cultural consultant. The choreographers, the rehearsal director and the dancers work together in the Bangarra dance studios over several weeks to create the choreographic elements for the dance - exploring, inventing and shaping the movements into sequences that slowly build into the fully structured dance work. What is dance theatre? Bangarra s productions are often described as dance theatre. Dance theatre, as a genre, involves a range of artistic disciplines, including dance, that come together in a collaborative process to create a rich palette of physical, visual and sonic sensations. While abstract in form, dance theatre productions can be highly compelling and emotionally charged. Dance theatre works may include narrative interpretation of fictional or true stories, a viewpoint regarding an issue (or issues) of social, political or cultural theme, or they can simply be works of performance art created to communicate intangible and/or abstract concepts. The term dance theatre emerged with the development of new dance performance works that emerged in the early 20 th century, primarily in Germany and Austria. This form was also termed Expressionist Dance (Ausdruckstanz) and distinguished itself from classical ballet and traditional folkdance practice though its inventive use of movement language, form, sound and other theatrical elements. Over time the term has been applied as a common description for performance works that incorporate a broad range of movement techniques that also involve dramatic, technological, textual and literary disciplines. Contemporary dance theatre is a form that is constantly evolving, challenging audiences perceptions and incorporating a broad range of new technologies as they become available. Dance technique and performance skills Using their dance technique skills, the dancers work with the choreographer and rehearsal director to blend and refine the movements to provide clarity and consistency in how they execute the movements, before settling on a final version of the choreography. The rehearsal director guides the dancers in the rehearsal process, so that the key qualities and details of the choreography, as set by the choreographers, are retained and remembered as they progress from section to section. When the production moves closer to its premiere date, the rehearsal director will work with the dancers to make sure the dancers will perform the work to the highest standard possible. Also during this stage, the technical elements of the costume, set and lighting design start to be incorporated. Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia 2015 Ochres Teachers Resource pg. 5

6 Production processes In the week of the premiere, the dancers, rehearsal director, creative team and production crew move from Bangarra s studios to the performance venue where they spend a day or two rigging the set, positioning and programming the lighting, checking the sound levels and making necessary adjustments to the choreography to fit the space of the stage. This is called the bump-in and the production crew is largely responsible for coordinating this stage of the process. Re-imagining Ochres in When a work is re-staged some years after its premiere, certain original ideas are reconsidered as a result, some changes to the original choreography may occur. This is neither unusual nor unexpected. Ochres, re-imagined in 2015, is no exception. The choreographers of Ochres are revisiting the creative process after twenty more years of creative experience behind them, however, despite any subtle differences to the original version of the choreography, the things that do not change are the traditional elements. The cultural information must always remain respected and intact, and this is why the guidance and collaboration with cultural consultant, Djakapurra Munyarryun is critical to the restaging of Ochres. The Creative Team The 2015 re-imagining of Bangarra s 1994 work Ochres will re-unite the original creative team along with Jacob Nash who will re-design the backdrops and set. Full biographical information can be found at: Choreographer Stephen Page Stephen Page is a descendant of the Nunukul people and the Munaldjali clan of the Yugambeh Nation from SE Queensland. Stephen was appointed Artistic Director of Bangarra in 1991 and he continues to lead the company, now in its 26 th year, and create most of the new works for its repertoire. Choreographer Bernadette Walong Bernadette Walong is from Oakey, Queensland. Walong graduated from NAISDA Dance College in 1989, and went on to perform with Dance North and create works, (including film works) with various independent dance artists. Cultural Consultant Dkakapurra Munyarryun Djakapurra Munyarryun is a member of the Munyarryun clan from Yirrkala in North East Arnhem Land. In 1991 he joined Bangarra Dance Theatre as both cultural consultant and performer in numerous productions including Praying Mantis Dreaming, (1992), Ninni (1994), Ochres (1995) and Fish (1997). Munyarryun performed in the Bangarra/Australian Ballet co-production Rites (1997), which went on to tour to New York in 1999, and in 2000 he performed a central role in the opening ceremony for the Sydney Olympic Games. Composer David Page David Page is a descendant of the Nunukul people and the Munaldjali clan of the Yugambeh tribe from SE Queensland. Over the last 25 years, as resident composer with Bangarra, David has created the music for many works within the company s repertoire including Ochres, Fish, Skin, Corroboree, Bush, Unaipon, X300, Mathinna, Terrain, ID, Patyegarang and Lore. Costume designer Jennifer Irwin Jennifer Irwin s career spans 30 years designing and constructing costumes for drama, opera, film, and in particular for dance & ballet. Her designs for Bangarra include Ochres, Fish, Corroboree, Mathinna, Walkabout, X300, Uniapon, Bush, Skin, True Stories, Fire: A Retrospective, Terrain, Dance Clan 3 and Lore. Lighting designer Joseph Mercurio Joseph Mercurio has enjoyed over 20 years working as a lighting designer across of range of dance and theatre productions including Bangarra, The Australian Ballet, Black Swan Theatre and West Australian Ballet. He is currently a lecturer in lighting design at the Victorian College of the Arts. Set design 2015 Jacob Nash Jacob is a Murri man who grew up in Brisbane. Jake was appointed as a Bangarra artist-in-residence in 2011, and to date has created the design for Bangarra s productions of earth & sky, Belong, Warumuk in the dark night, Terrain, Blak, Dance Clan 3, Patyegarang and Lore. Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia 2015 Ochres Teachers Resource pg. 6

7 Further references Film/DVD Ochres (Bangarra Dance Theatre, 1996) Larrikin Entertainment/ABC Director: Stephen Burstow Executive Producer: Peter Butler. Recorded at the Sunken Garden amphitheatre of the University of Western Australia during the 1996 Festival of Perth. Available for purchase from the ABC. Books. (non-fiction and fiction) Images in Ochre: The Art and craft of the Kunwinjku Parker, Adrian Kangaroo Press, Rosveille NSW, Websites Aboriginal Art Online Mining by Aboriginal people data/assets/pdf_file/0008/109817/mining-by-aborigines.pdf Yellow Black Red White Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia 2015 Ochres Teachers Resource pg. 7

8 NSW Syllabus Links for the Australian Curriculum CROSS-CURRICULUM PRIORITY Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. GENERAL CAPABILITIES Creative and Critical Thinking, Intercultural Understanding. LEARNING AREAS - Stages 4 & 5 (Years 7 10). 1. CREATIVE ARTS Dance Appreciation Visual Arts Critically and historically appreciate art: Practice Music Listening 2. SCIENCE Skills Working Scientifically planning Investigations Knowledge and Understanding Physical world Knowledge and Understanding chemical world 3. HISTORY Stage 5 Stage 5 Stage describes dance performances through the elements of dance identifies that dance works of art express ideas values and appreciates their involvement as a dance performer, composer and audience member and how their involvement contributes to lifelong learning describes and analyses dance as the communication of ideas with a context values and appreciate their involvement as a dance performer, composer and audience member and how their involvement contributes to lifelong learning 4.7 explores aspects of practice in critical and historical interpretation of art. 5.7 applies their understanding of aspects of practice of critical and historical interpretations. 4.7 demonstrates an understanding of musical concepts through listening, observing, responding, discriminating, analysing, discussion and recording musical ideas demonstration and appreciation, tolerance and respect for the aesthetic value of music as an art form. 5.7 demonstrates an understanding of musical concepts through the analysis, comparison and critical discussion of music form a different stylistic, social, cultural and historical contexts demonstrate and appreciation, tolerance and respect for the aesthetic value of music as an art form. Locating possible sources of data and information, including secondary sources, relevant to the investigation. Describe the scientific principles used in some traditional technologies used and developed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Research how the knowledge of physical properties of natural materials is used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in everyday life, e.g: tools, weapons, utensils, housing and bush medicine. Knowledge, Understanding skills. and Stage 5 HT4-7 identifies and describes different contexts. Perspectives and interpretations of the past. HT4-8 locates, selects and organises information from sources to develop an historical inquiry. Depth Study 1: Investigating the ancient past. HT5-5 identifies and evaluates the usefulness of courses in the historical inquiry process. 4. ENGLISH Objective C EN4-5C thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information, ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts. Objective C Stage 5 EN 5-5C thinks imaginatively, interpretively and critically about information, ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts in a range of contexts. Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia 2015 Ochres Teachers Resource pg. 8

9 Activities Pre-performance activities Explore Have students become familiar with Bangarra s work, if they are not already. Visit the Bangarra website: You might like to focus on the Ochres webpage. For specific Australian National Curriculum resources go to Bangarra Education Resources page: Refer to further resources list page 7 Error! Bookmark not defined.of this resource, and explore other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and culture resources on Education web platforms. Eg: Scootle, TaLe, TES Australia and ABC Splash. (ABC Splash site includes Bangarra specific resources) For a comprehensive archive collection of Bangarra s productions over the last 25 years, including video, images and information about the works, go to: Reflect Students can then be introduced to topics related to the significance of ochre for Aboriginal people and their traditional culture as well as its mineral content, extraction and use. Ochre has been used by Aboriginal people for rock painting, body painting and other ceremonial purposes. Ochre is a mineral substance found in rocks, clays and soils in many parts of the world. Ochre has been mined by Aboriginal people for tens of thousands of years. Ochre is found in many shades of yellow, black, white, red, purple, and is mixed with other substance to be used as a pigment of painting. Some questions for discussion: 1. How is ochre used by Aboriginal people? 2. What is ochre and where is it found? 3. How is it prepared for use and for what purposes? Post-performance activities Respond After attending the performance, students will have a more tangible sense of the production, Ochres. Their responses can be captured and explored in the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island perspectives, histories and cultures as well as Creative Arts, Science, History and English. For example, students could be asked to create one or more of the following: 1. A dance specific response devise a choreographic framework for a dance composition piece. What type of movements would illustrate the chosen subject matter, what elements of dance might be incorporated and what range of dynamics might be explored? This task could be approached as exploration of an idea, performance of key movement phrases and/or discussion. 2. A short essay that identifies how story is illustrated through dance and how distinguishing choreographic features of the production (e.g. how the sections relate, how the design, sound, movement are integrated) and how a contemporary dance language is ʻspokenʼ though expression of cultural knowledge and tradition. 3. A visual/graphic arts response in the form of a poster, painting, drawing, animation, postcard, collage, short film or other medium. 4. A critical or creative writing response in the form of a critical review, short story, short play, poem or a letter. Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia 2015 Ochres Teachers Resource pg. 9

10 Students can investigate their response to their understanding of the creative process used in the making of dance theatre by asking the questions, based on their observations of the performance of Ochres. For example: 1. How are the 4 sections (and Prologue) it he work Ochres connected or separated and what linking techniques are used? 2. What is the significance of the Prologue performed by the solo dancer? 3. In what ways do the different sections reflect the themes of the four different colours/ochres? 4. How important is it for the dancers to contribute to the process of making the movements to tell the stories and is this evident in the work? 5. How are elements of dance incorporated into the choreography? 6. How are props and costumes utilised to tell the stories and enhance the choreography? 7. What use of technology is involved in the performance and how effective is it? 8. How does the music interact with the dance and assist with the story-telling and in your view what styles, vocal and musical content are most effective? 9. In what ways does the choreographer use individual solo performers, duets and the full ensemble to reflect ideas about culture, gender, personal life experiences and/or communities? Additional Bangarra Education Resources Bangarra has a suite of online Education Resources suitable for Years 3 to 10 that are aligned with the new Australian Curriculum The Arts. This online library of free resources can be accessed from the Bangarra website, and includes filmed excerpts, background information and class activities based on selected Bangarra repertoire. The resources aim to provide teachers and students with rich content for the teaching of the Arts curriculum well as cross curricula learning areas related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. Online resources have been available from August 2013, and many teachers in primary and secondary schools around Australia have been accessing the material and building it into their lesson plans, resulting in some wonderful learning outcomes. DVDs Also available (for purchase) are selected full-length works on DVD accompanied by extended interviews with the choreographers. Study Guides for the works on DVD are downloadable from Bangarra website. Image Credits Title Page 1:... photo by Greg Barrett Page 7 (top left):... photo by Jeff Busby Page 7 (top right):... photo by Roger Stonehouse Page 7 (bottom left):... photo by Roger Stonehouse Page 7 (bottom right):... photo by Danielle Lyonne Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia 2015 Ochres Teachers Resource pg. 10