Bangarra Dance Theatre's annual Russell Page Graduate Program has been enhanced for 2021, with two young dancers welcomed into the company and a new Youth Programs Trainee role introduced to support the important work of the company’s Youth Programs Team.
The 2021 Russell Page Graduates are Daniel Mateo, Maddison Paluch, and Mitchell J Nalingu Harrison-Currie.
Daniel Mateo is a descendant of the Gamilaroi people of North East New South Wales as well as the Tongan people of the Pacifika region. Maddison Paluch is a Wiradjuri woman and the 2020 Russell Page Professional Development Scholar. Both will make their debut as dancers with the company in Spirit: a retrospective 2021 at Sydney Festival this month. As part of the Russell Page Graduate Program, they will complete a one-year intensive immersion experiencing the rigour and training of a professional dance artist, guided in a nurturing environment.
Mitchell J Nalingu Harrison-Currie is a Mununjali, Bundjalung and Gunggari man from west of the Gold Coast, Beaudesert and Fingal Head. He will join the Bangarra’s Youth Program Team in delivering activities online and across the country.
“In 2015 Bangarra’s Rekindling program came to me at a pivotal moment in my life," he says. "Being a part of Bangarra Youth Programs team would mean I would be able to reach others in the way that Bangarra reached out to me six years ago”.
The Russell Page Graduate Program provides the opportunity for First Nations early career artists to develop as professional Dancers and facilitators through training, mentoring, performance and touring seasons – one of many ways that Bangarra continues its commitment to supporting and fostering the talent of the next generation of dancers.
The program is named after Russell Page, who died in 2002. He was the younger brother of Artistic Director Stephen and his Songman brother David. "Russell represented what it was to be an Indigenous performing artist; to be humble, vibrant, artistically gifted and generous," Associate Artistic Director Frances Rings says. "He was also passionate about passing on knowledge to the next generation of young artists.”
Photos: DANIEL BOUD
'Spirit' goes on a regional tour following its season at the Sydney Festival:
Saturday 13 February – Griffith – Griffith Regional Theatre
Wednesday 17 February – Orange – Orange Civic Centre
Saturday 20 February – Tamworth – Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre
Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 February – Wyong – The Art House
Info: here.