NAAAP Chicago | Bangarra Dance Theatre

Event Details

Panel Discussion
Tuesday, November 19
11:00AM
Featuring Bangarra Artistic Director Stephen Page,
company member Elma Kris, and Field Museum
Curator of Pacific Anthropology John Terrell.
Moderated by Harris President Patricia Barretto.
Field Museum James Simpson Theatre
1400 South Lake Shore Drive

Opening Night
Friday, November 22
7:30PM
Please join us for a VIP reception with
the artists following the performance.
Harris Theater for Music and Dance
205 East Randolph Drive

Exelon Family Series
Saturday, November 23
2:00PM
A special program to introduce young audiences
to the movement and storytelling of Bangarra.

Bangarra is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organization and one of Australia’s leading performing arts companies, widely acclaimed around the world for its powerful dancing, distinctive theatrical voice, and utterly unique soundscapes, music, and design.

Led by Artistic Director Stephen Page, Bangarra’s work is forged from over 65,000 years of culture, embodied by contemporary movement. Each Bangarra dancer has a proud Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background, and each piece in the company’s repertoire draws on stories gathered from respected community elders. The company’s inherent connection to the land and people make it unique and enjoyed by audiences from remote Australian regional centers to major cities in North America and Europe. The company will make its Chicago debut at the Harris.

Spirit is a powerful collection of dance stories by Artistic Director Stephen Page, drawn from the company’s 30-year history. Set to a beautiful and haunting score composed by David Page and Steve Francis, Spirit invites audiences to connect with stories and songlines drawn from all over Australia, in a celebration of First Nations Peoples’ unbroken connection to the land. In a series of shifting incarnations, the work has been performed to audience and critical acclaim in Tokyo, Copenhagen, Bonn, New York, Vietnam, Mongolia, and China. Spirit is a true celebration of Australia’s rich culture and history, fused with outstanding dance technique.

The beautifully textured paintings of Yirrkala artist Nyapanyapa Yunupingu are brought to life in Nyapanyapa by Artistic Director Stephen Page. First premiering in 2016 as part of the triple-bill program OUR land people stories, Nyapanyapa illuminates and celebrates the North East Arnhem Land artist’s incredible creative gifts and brings her energy and joyful spirit to new audiences. Featuring Bangarra’s distinctive dance language, immersive
soundscapes, and exquisite design, Nyapanyapa is inspired by the culture and history
embedded in the land, and in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ connection to
Country.

This engagement is recommended by Dance Magazine, the Chicago Sun-Times, Splash Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, and Newcity Stage.

For more information about accessible services at the Harris, please visit our Accessibility page.