 Bangarra Dance Theatre at Australian Human Rights Commission event in 2011 | |
| Formation | 1989 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Carole Y. Johnson, Rob Bryant, Cheryl Stone |
| Purpose | Indigenous Australian contemporary dance company |
| Website | https://www.bangarra.com.au/ |
Bangarra Dance Theatre is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance company focused on contemporary dance. It was founded by African American dancer and choreographer Carole Y. Johnson, Gumbaynggirr man Rob Bryant, and South African-born Cheryl Stone. Bangarra (pronounced bungurra) means "to make fire" in the Wiradjuri language.
Stephen Page was artistic director from 1991 to 2021, with Frances Rings taking over in 2022. The company has received many Helpmann Awards as well as other accolades. To date (2024), Bennelong (2017) and Dark Emu (2018) have been Bangarra's most successful works, playing to huge audiences around the country.