You can catch Bangarra Dance Theatre at Sydney’s Vivid Festival from Friday 25 May to 16 June, when Eora – Dark Emu, a large-scale projections designed especially for the Sydney Harbour Bridge’s southern pylon is unveiled.
Fusing Aboriginal history, dance, art and architecture, the projection was created by Bangarra’s Artistic Director, Stephen Page, and Head of Design, Jacob Nash. It features Bangarra dancers Tara Robertson, Yolanda Lowatta, Rika Hamaguchi, and Tyrel Dulvarie and shows the unbreakable connection between earth and sky.
The projection is inspired by Bruce Pascoe’s award-winning book, Dark Emu, which explores the vital life force of flora and fauna and challenges the “hunter-gatherer” myth of pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians.
“EORA – Dark Emu was created using abstract moving images of four dancers, evoking the Spirit Emu, who left the earth after its creation to reside as a dark shape in the Milky Way,” says Jacob Nash. “The result is ethereal and unlike anything we’ve created before.”
EORA – Dark Emu is the fifth in a series of EORA stories told by Bangarra as part of Vivid Sydney, following EORA – Bennelong (2017), EORA – The Land (2016), EORA – The Fisherwoman (2015) and EORA – The Spirit of Patyegarang (2014).
EORA – Dark Emu projection loop will be on show each night during Vivid Sydney from 6pm to 11pm.
Bangarra’s stage show Dark Emu opens in Sydney next month, playing 14 June – 14 July, and will tour to Canberra (26-28 July), Perth (2-5 August), Brisbane (24 August – 1 September) and Melbourne (6-15 September.
Find out more at www.bangarra.com.au/whatson/productions
Top: Tyrel Dulvarie filming 'Eora: Dark Emu'. Photo: Daniel Boud.