What does it mean to keep the fire burning? For the Artistic Director of Bangarra Dance Theatre, Frances Rings, the answer to that question is profoundly multifaceted, but it ultimately comes down to hope – forging a path towards a more empowered future by drawing on the powerful legacies of First Nations people, and the invigorating energy of the next generation.
Every year in early July, NAIDOC Week prompts the nation to recognise and celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. However, for Frances – the custodian of one of Australia’s most highly regarded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts companies – this sort of just means business as usual. However, this year’s theme – Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud – is also a prompt to have a look around and take stock: of the work of Bangarra, her personal trajectory, and the power of her community. And with it being the first year after the disappointing result of the Voice to Parliament Referendum, this is especially poignant.
“Fire is our totem. Bangarra is a Wiradjuri word that means ‘to make fire’ – and I love that this year we are keeping our fire burning,” said Rings, when speaking with Arts & Culture Editor Alannah Le Cross.
Intersecting with NAIDOC Week is the inaugural season of Bangarra’s first-ever international cross-cultural mainstage show, Horizon, playing at the Sydney Opera House (closing July 13). This celebrated production is the result of a conversation that started many years ago, between Frances and Māori choreographer Moss Te Ururangi Patterson – and is one of many projects that started to hatch long before Frances took the reins of Bangarra in 2023, following the legendary Stephen Page’s 32-year tenure.
The position is something of a homecoming for Frances, who danced with Bangarra for 12 years and choreographed nine productions for the company, before stepping away for a time. “I felt like I needed to find my own identity, and that I wasn't really honouring what I should be doing at the company,” she said. And Frances made good use of that time, travelling and working all around the world, collaborating with the likes of renowned physical theatre company Legs On The Wall and West Australian Ballet, and being appointed Head of Creative Studies at NAISDA Dance College from 2016 to 2019. (Oh, and becoming a mother to two sons, now aged 15 and 17.)
“I had to reset my compass. When you hear that gut instinct that tells you, ‘Hey, are you being authentic to yourself? Are you really listening to yourself?’ Follow that… I think I was able to set some healthy goals and aspirations of what I wanted to do. Becoming the Artistic Director of Bangarra is a role I've had in mind probably since I left the company,” said Frances. “I looked around the industry, and I don't think there were any women holding those positions of power in any of the dance companies. I was really conscious about that, especially as an Aboriginal woman. I thought, ‘Is there an opportunity where I could work towards achieving that goal?’ I didn’t let go of that. I was always knocking on the door, saying ‘I’m here! I have the skills! I can take this on!’”
Read on for the rest of our conversation with Frances Rings…
Alannah: So does it all feel real yet, now that you’re well into your second year as the Artistic Director of Bangarra? Or does it feel like a dream?
Frances: “It's very real. Every day I'm reminded of how real it is, because of the challenges that go into this role. Everyone sees the romantic version of these beautiful works, these amazing clips that come out – and it's actually a lot of hard work. What I inherited was this incredible custodianship, a 35-year legacy of caring for a kinship of communities and cultural consultants and alumni and works – an incredible dillybag of richness. Not only are we looking forward to the new stories that we're telling, and who are the other communities that we're connecting with – but also, how do you care for what you’ve inherited? With the deep responsibility of that custodianship, you have to put that care and effort in every day.
I feel lucky every day to be in this role, but I'm also very conscious of who comes up behind me – making sure that I am cultivating the ground for them, so when they step into this position, they're ready.”
A: One of the first things you did when you took over as Artistic Director of Bangarra was bring back Dance Clan, which is all about debuting original choreography from young performers. Can you tell me a bit about that?
Frances: “Yeah, it had been ten years since Dance Clan was done. It was actually how I did my first choreographic work, in 2000. So I really understand how important that is, being in a safe place and having the skills of the dancers and people who you have a relationship with… [when choreography is] a whole new part of your artistic identity that hasn't been explored. And remember kind of asking myself, ‘Do I have to be like Stephen? Do I have to move like him? Or, do I create something new?’ But I knew from my experience of working with Stephen that he understood that I had my own style, I was kind of taking his ideas and then exploring them in my own way. I think he identified then that giving me the opportunity to create something for Dance Clan would really help me grow as an artist.
I worked with all the women in the company, and we also had this amazing group of women from the APY Lands in South Australia, and they came and we had this beautiful cultural exchange, really powerful. We just explored stories, contemporary First Nations women's issues, woven through with these traditional songs and dances from the APY Lands.”
A: Wow, that is such a great example of the work Bangarra does to share culture and history from all different parts of the land.
Frances: “Yeah, it's really important to us. When we create a work, wherever that idea or inspiration comes from, we build a relationship with that community, we follow protocols and ask permission, and then engage a cultural consultant who will help guide the creation of the work. We also go back to Country to do research and take our creators and dancers if possible, because they're the ones that carry the work, obviously, to give them that insight. Connection with people who have inherited and carry specific culture, law, history, language and customs is really important for our dancers – so that they can really draw it from an authentic place, as well as understanding their own identities and how that is an important part of telling the stories.”
A: It sounds like all these levels of collaboration and consultation that go into developing a Bangarra show make for an incredibly rich learning experience for your dancers and creatives – and by virtue, this is what makes it a really special experience for audiences.
Frances: “Audiences get to experience a production that takes them to Country, and gives them a glimpse into history. Our stories aren't in libraries, they're not in museums and galleries. A tiny part of that exists, but you know, they're shared orally, they're shared by passing those stories down through generations. But you have to go to community to hear those stories, and that's a real privilege.
There’s a real [importance of] understanding not only the impacts that have affected Indigenous people across Australia, but also the resilience and just the incredible ability to adapt and survive, and we always embed that in our works. There are stories that represent light and joy and beauty and strength – there are also stories that are representative of the shadow on our history, and we have to tell both. Bangarra’s duty of care is that there is that spirit of hope, of pride in our resilience, in our survival and that of our Elders, and empowerment for the living languages, customs and pride that exists in this younger generation today.”
A: There’s a real push here to tell richer stories that hone in on certain communities, which is kind of a breath of fresh air when most of the stories we hear treat First Nations peoples as one homogenous group, and focus more on pain and dispossession.
Frances: “Yes, it would be easy to sensationalise our experiences and to have that be the narrative, one that is based in poverty, negativity, violence, abuse and incarceration. But also, there's another side. An incredible side of empowerment, of our people that hold positions in all sectors of our industry and our society, and role models to our children. You know, we've been doing this for 35 years, telling First Nations stories and experiences with kinship of communities from around Australia. We understand the power of the platform of storytelling and production value. When somebody sits in a theatre and the house lights go out, you're able to embrace them, pick them up and take them on a journey. It's really important.
I had to give real credit to not only our choreographers, but the creatives that we work with, who so honour all of those important parts of these cultural stories and bring those elements to the stage. There's a great sense of respect and integrity, and having the right marriage of those elements takes a real skill.”
A: This is the first NAIDOC Week to come around since the Voice to Parliament referendum. How is the result of that referendum sitting for you now? What do you reflect on from that time?
Frances: “Well, I have to acknowledge the disappointment of that, collectively. However, I don't want to get negative, because I have already moved on, Bangarra has already moved on. We're really buoyed by looking ahead and by just doing the work that we do – we keep working with communities, telling stories, building our relationships, giving a platform to the uniqueness of who we are as Indigenous people. I think that's inspiring, and I’m not focused on that [the referendum] anymore. It's about moving forward.
That fire will never go out. We didn't get what we needed or wanted in the referendum, but it has only made the flame brighter. That fire that they lit at the Tent Embassy, that's never gone out. The fire that we carry, that's been given to us by our grandparents and our ancestors before, that will never go out – and that’s the fire that I will hand to my children… We've got leaders in Canberra, in our communities, and in society who are doing an incredible job. We [Bangarra] are doing our thing, and our message is on stage – that's our politics, that's the skill, that's the political skin that we live in with our storytelling.”
Bangarra’s Horizon is playing at the Sydney Opera House until July 13, before heading on a national tour. Find out more and snap up final tickets over here.
You can find more ways to recognise and celebrate First Nations excellence with our Guide to NAIDOC Week in Sydney.
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