For 25 years, Dance Clan has fostered the talents of a new generation of Bangarra storytellers, designers, dancers and choreographers. This year, three of our artists will tell their own stories, developing two original dance works and one dance film.

It’s your chance to see our tomorrow: the future of Bangarra Dance Theatre on our stage on Gadigal Country in Sydney’s Walsh Bay. Dance Clan is one of the ways we cultivate the ground to raise the next generation of Cultural leaders.

Lillian Banks and Kallum Goolagong both choreograph original works, performed by the Bangarra Dance Theatre Dancers, and Daniel Mateo choreographs and stars in a dance film co-directed by Cass Mortimer Eipper. Dance Clan is a coveted opportunity for three of our most compelling artists to discover, nurture and express their creative voice, with the support of their Elders and peers. Each step they make crafts a new Songline for Bangarra, a path to follow into the future.

Current and former David Page fellows James Howard, Leon Rodgers and Amelia Thompson will compose the score for each piece under the mentorship of Composers Brendon Boney and Steve Francis. Set Designer Annaliese McCarthy will create the design elements of the show under the guidance of Designer Elizabeth Gadsby. Choreographers will be mentored by Independent Artists Raghav Handa and Bangarra alumna Jasmin Sheppard, with lighting design by Matt Cox. Also joining the creative team are Director of Photography Liam Brennan and Producer Michaela Le.

“We are creators, we are movers, we are storytellers." - Daniel Mateo

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METAMORPHOSIS

Choreographed by Kallum Goolagong, this work explores themes of transformation, heavily influenced by Zen philosophy and Kallum’s own life experiences.

This story has sat with me for nearly two years, during which I’ve experienced a significant shift. I’ve been striving to adopt a more positive outlook on life, a different outlook. I have gone through my own metamorphosis. Metamorphosis was a reoccurring word for me – it is such a rich idea; you can grab so much from it. It really resonated with me as I have evolved. This piece speaks to the importance of nurturing yourself. It is about keeping calm and letting change happen, even when faced with the unknown, disruptions, or challenges. If you don’t find that change within yourself, then you just repeat the same cycle.

BROWN BOWS

Co-directed by Daniel Mateo and Cass Mortimer Eipper, Brown Boys is a film inspired by a collection of Daniel Mateo’s poems that explore a sense of home and comfortability in our own bodies.

For Daniel, telling this story is very important. It’s a dance film about connection and highlighting the beauty of this unspoken vibration between land and body. It carries the holistic and physical nourishment needed to heal us as Indigenous people.

YAWURU BURU

Lillian Banks explores identity, belonging, and the enduring ties to culture and home.

Yawuru Buru, meaning “Yawuru Country” in the Yawuru language, delves into the experience of being far from home while maintaining an unbreakable spiritual connection to it. The work highlights the strength and resilience of her people, showing that distance does not diminish her roots. Lillian describes the creative process
as a form of healing, reflecting on her journey since leaving her home in Broome.

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Dance Clan Premiered in 2024