Bangarra Dance Theatre Wins Golden Lion at Venice Danza Festival Ceremony

Australia’s Indigenous dance company becomes first First Nations and Australian organisation to receive Venice Danza’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement honour.

Australia's most widely recognized Indigenous dance troupe is the Bangarra Dance Theatre. On July 27, they will be honored for their service to the dance world at the Venice Danza Festival. They are the first Australian and First Nation organization to win the Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement award since its founding in 1995, making their victory at the festival extremely noteworthy. Some of the most renowned choreographers, including Pina Bausch and Merce Cunningham, are among the other honorees.

According to Frances Rings, a Mirning tribe member, this award is significant not only for Bangarra Dance Theatre but also for all Indigenous Australians. Like any storytelling, dance is not about winning prizes, but receiving recognition supports their goal of bringing First Nations stories from their homeland to worldwide platforms, said Frances. The support from the audience and the elders is the greatest joy for Bangarra, which doesn't do what it does for recognition; therefore, this is emotional.

Outgoing Artistic Director of Venice Danza Wayne McGregor praised Bangarra's global influence on contemporary dance, stating that Bangarra's use of dance has had a massive impact on how people understand cultural performance due to the power and transformational properties of Bangarra's work.

Bangarra, which was established in 1989, symbolizes the company's cultural objectives and means "to make fire" (Wiradjuri). More than 30 years later, the company is still touring the world with productions like Bennelong and Dark Emu, which combine modern dance with traditional narratives.

Bangarra will perform Terrain at Venice Danza, which examines the consequences of colonization in Australia and encourages Aboriginal peoples to rebuild a connection to their homeland. Later this year, Australia will host the debut of the new show Flora before it embarks on a nationwide tour. This historic achievement represents the start of an important worldwide recognition for Aboriginal people.