From stunning dance pieces inspired by natural phenomena, to a poetic meditation on Blak boyhood, three emerging artists take charge of their own stories in the latest edition of Dance Clan in 2025. A showcase of three brand-new performance works from Bangarra Dance Theatre, Dance Clan is dedicated to platforming and developing the next generation of Indigenous choreographers and creatives.
Upon taking the reins of the respected company in 2023, bringing Dance Clan back from a decade-long hibernation was a top priority for Artistic Director Frances Rings, whose own choreographic career was springboarded by the program. This is the second edition to be produced in as many years, and the calibre of work on show is nothing short of superb.
Yawuru woman Lillian Banks and Wiradjuri and Darkinjung man Kallum Goolagong have both choreographed original works performed by the company’s dancers, and in a first for Dance Clan, Gamilaroi and Tongan man Daniel Mateo choreographs and stars in a dance film co-directed with longtime Bangarra collaborator, Cass Mortimer Eipper.
Each piece incorporates an original score, as well as custom fashion and design elements – every element of which has brought together early career creatives with industry mentors and community elders. Every aspect of production is pristine in its execution, while the multigenerational aspect adds a layer of reverence – there’s the sense that the audience gathered in the dark is witnessing something special, something important. This includes the brief introductory videos that proceed each performance, which provide insightful and personal context into each piece.
Daniel Mateo’s choice to branch out into film is an intriguing risk – and it pays off...
Kallum Goolagong kicks things off with an unexpected but thrilling twist – his piece, titled Metamorphosis, draws influences from Zen philosophy and the symbolism of the butterfly. The dance begins in relative darkness, and the black ochre smeared across the dancers’ bodies could easily be mistaken for traditional Japanese-style tattoos – which wouldn’t be entirely out of place with the monochromatic, goth-like costumes and the music, which swells into a thrumming, heavy-rock-inflenced rhythm at times. Inspired by recent changes that Goolagong has experienced in his own life, Metamorphosis is an astute and moving depiction of what emotional turmoil feels like in the body and the soul. Growth is a necessary and wonderful thing in anyone’s life, no matter what your story is; and this piece perfectly captures the tumultuous, painful, and ultimately cathartic nature of this process.
Sandwiched in the middle of the showcase, Daniel Mateo’s choice to branch out into film is an intriguing risk – and it pays off. Drawing from his personal collection of poems, Brown Boys carefully pairs spoken word with a tender solo dance performance. Lovingly, the piece holds space for the beauty of Mateo’s identity, and every boy who walks a similar path in life; as well as the pain and the grief. One line that stands out like a wound goes something like: "...our mothers calling us in, when we've stayed out past the colour of our skin". The dance begins from inside a woven grass structure, which is peeled away as a gentle stream of soil rains down over Mateo. In the final scene, he stands up proudly, shoulders back, in a waist-high mound of earth, which takes the shape of a billowing skirt – an unexpected and beautiful sight. With nods to femininity and queer identity, this final shot wouldn’t be out of place in something like a Beyoncé music video.
Lillian Banks brings it home with Yawuru Buru (meaning “Yawuru Country” in the Yawuru language), a piece in which she delves into her spiritual connection to family and home in Broome, hooked to memories of her father taking her fishing for pippies on the beach. Before the lights even come up, the cleansing scent of charred leaves fills the theatre, setting the scene. A fine mesh structure hangs over the stage, and it magically evokes the world that lies beneath shallow ocean waters as it is lowered and raised, interplaying with the stage lighting. Three relatively large, triangular structures represent pippies, and the dancers manoeuvre these overgrown molluscs around the stage – the visual is especially effective in a moment where the blocks are gently manipulated so that the metallic surface glistens in the light; it’s a perfect imitation of the movement of a pippie as it burrows into the sand. While the narrative may not be as simple to follow as the other, the piece is still an extremely evocative work of beauty, nonetheless.
Critic Vaanie Krishnan said it best, in her review of the 2023 revival of Dance Clan: “For a company that is known for its meticulous curation of its brand, movement and storytelling, Dance Clan is a wildly exciting start to…Ring’s reign, as we see three starkly different visions come to life. A snapshot of the future of contemporary dance in Australia? I think so, and what a future it will be.”
Dance Clan is playing on Gadigal Land at Bangarra’s Studio Theatre, Walsh Bay, until December 14. The production runs for 65 minutes. Tickets are $59 (under 30s and community pricing available) and you can purchase them over here.
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