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Stephen Page: Staging indigenous culture

Australian choreographer takes his final bow in this epic-scale production

Wudjang: Not the Past is Stephen Page's swan song after 30 years at the helm of Australia鈥檚 First Nation company, Bangarra Dance Theatre. This production is their biggest yet; a contemporary corroboree of story, poetry, song, dance and music, told by 26 performers on stage.

This is a new work and as the last in Stephen鈥檚 long career as artistic director of Bangarra Dance, the pressure is on to create his crowning achievement in a short eight weeks where it will premiere at Sydney Festival, a huge cultural event that takes place across Sydney in January.

The work lives close to Stephen鈥檚 experience of family, drawing on his father鈥檚 lost language of Mibinyah from Yugambeh Country and the songlines of his Aboriginal heritage. It is a work that addresses ancestors and new knowledge and connects the past with the present. It is a fusion of form that elevates and strengthens the continent鈥檚 troubled culture and moves from the land and ritual to the stage.

Join Regina Botros as she follows Stephen in his creative process from conception to completion. She also talks to other creatives in this very collaborative production including; award winning co-writer Alana Valentine, composer Steve Francis, designer Jacob Nash and dancer Daniel Mateo.

Presenter/producer: Regina Botros
Executive producer: Rebecca Armstrong

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sun 30 Jan 2022 19:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Tue 25 Jan 2022 04:32GMT
  • Tue 25 Jan 2022 05:32GMT
  • Tue 25 Jan 2022 11:32GMT
  • Tue 25 Jan 2022 21:32GMT
  • Tue 25 Jan 2022 23:32GMT
  • Sun 30 Jan 2022 02:32GMT
  • Sun 30 Jan 2022 19:32GMT