Cheryl Stone’s is a dancer, arts administrator, and strategic thinker. Born in South Africa and raised in Cape Town before migrating to Australia as a teenager in 1969, Stone became deeply embedded in the social, cultural and political movements that shaped contemporary First Nations dance in Australia during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1975, a performing arts course was held at Black Theatre Arts & Cultural Centre in Redfern - placing her at the centre of a seminal moment in Aboriginal performing arts, when dance, theatre and activism converged to create new cultural futures.

This course led to the establishment of NAISDA’s full‑time dance training program, under the leadership of Carole Y. Johnson. Cheryl was part of the first cohort of five students - a generation that helped define contemporary Indigenous dance practice in Australia.

In 1989, Stone was one of the leading pioneers who co‑founded Bangarra Dance Theatre. Significantly, Bangarra was conceived in Stone’s Glebe home. From these beginnings, she helped shape Bangarra’s ethos as a First Nations‑led company grounded in cultural respect, contemporary expression and long‑term responsibility to community. Her work helped create pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dancers to train, perform and lead - outcomes that remain central to Bangarra’s identity today.