Students from Years 9, 10 and 11 Dance attended a matinee performance of Sheltering by Bangarra Dance Theatre at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday 10 June.
As one of Australia’s leading performing arts companies, Bangarra is celebrated for telling contemporary stories through movement while honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and perspectives. Sheltering is a triple bill comprising three works – Keeping Grounded, Brown Boys and Sheoak – each exploring themes of connection, identity, resilience and relationships with Country from First Nations perspectives.
The performance offered students authentic examples of the choreographic devices, movement qualities and theatrical elements they study in the classroom. Watching highly skilled professional dancers perform live gave students valuable insight into the physical and expressive demands of dance at an elite level.
Following the performance, students took part in a Q&A session with Bangarra dancers who spoke candidly about their experiences as artists within the company and how they use movement, production elements and cultural symbolism to communicate meaning through dance.
The excursion supported student learning across composition and performance, and provided a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the significance of First Nations voices in Australian performing arts – and the vital role dance plays in sharing culture, history and lived experience.
