Buru
06 Oct 2010 - 08 Oct 2010
Marrugeku forges new path with youth for performance in Broome
Image: Rod Hartvigsen
Buru (dirt-land-earth; time-seasons-place) is a story specially devised in consultation with community leaders which explores how young Broome people experience place, time and culture now, in a story structure inspired by the six Yawuru seasons.
Buru utilises hip-hop, stilt dance and storytelling with original songs and music by the Marrugeku Mongrel Band reflecting life for young people in Broome. Buru relates the traditional stories of ‘Janyju' - the Red Lizard story as told by Karajarri elder and Yawuru language specialist Doris Edgar and ‘Walmanyjun' - the Greedy Turtle story as told by Yawuru/ Jabirr Jabirr elder Cissy Djaigween, which connect land, environment, story, culture and social life, letting the land and the weather speak.
The work was conceived and choreographed by local Broome Yawuru dancer Dalisa Pigram, and co-directed by Dalisa and Rachael Swain, who are also Marrugeku's co-artistic directors.
Marrugeku has been building its relationship with the Broome community over the past six years, lead by Dalisa Pigram, with the help of Yawuru lawman Patrick Dodson. This includes the development of our previous production, Burning Daylight and most recently Buru and Marrugeku's International Indigenous Choreographic Laboratory.
The work is narrated by Dalisa Pigram, and performed by Broome based performer Owen Maher with the nine young performers Rowan Thomas, Madelyn Bin Swani, Taj Jamieson, Emma Sibosado, Brandon McCarthy, Tian Hall, Crystal Stacey, Therese Pigram and CJ Oakley.
Music is performed by the Marrugeku Band of Lorrae Coffin, M. C. Dazastah and Mathew Fargher with guest-artist Bart Pigram and the talented young Broome singer Emma Sibosado (Kimberley Girl 2009, Kimberley NAIDOC 2009 most promising artist), evoking the "saltwater music" for which the Broome region is famous.
Click on this link to view the Buru promotional video
Dates: 7pm - 6 | 7 | 8 October
Venue: Broome Camp School (entry through Cable Beach Amphitheatre)
Bookings: Broome Visitors Centre
Bookings: http://burutickets.eventbrite.com/
Tickets: Full $17 | Conc. $15 | Child $10
Buru and Marrugeku were assisted by the Nelson Meers Foundation and the Western Australian Government through the Department of Culture & the Arts, the Kimberley Development Commission, Healthway and Country Arts WA.
Assistance was also provided by the Australian Government through the Department of Water, Heritage & the Arts Indigenous Culture Support Program and the Australia Council.
About Marrugeku
Marrugeku is at the leading edge of Australian contemporary intercultural performance. Founded in 1994, the company is currently under the artistic direction of Rachael Swain and Dalisa Pigram. Drawing from the lives of people and communities living in remote in North West Australia, Marrugeku share the memories and traditions of Indigenous culture through contemporary dance-theatre. Place and identity, migration and misplacement, and the constant shifting world of cultural identities and globalised fantasies constantly inform the direction of their productions. Their ambitious large-scale outdoor works are created through long-term collaborations with a multicultural cast of professional and community based artists. The company utilises flexible contemporary dance languages, relevant traditional and contemporary music, physical theatre, circus, installation and video art. Each visually spectacular production is designed to tour regional and remote communities as well as major Australian and international arts festivals. From October to November 2009 Marrugeku toured their explosive yet haunting dance theatre work Burning Daylight throughout Australia as part of Performing Lines Mobile States program.
About Performing Lines WA
http://www.performinglineswa.org.au/home/
Performing Lines WA supports the work of Marrugeku and other selected West Australian independent dance and theatre artists through the Managing and Producing Services (MAPS) initiative of the Australia Council and the Department of Culture and the Arts. Performing Lines WA supports the production and touring of new West Australian work nationally and internationally, and provides a range of services from financial management to marketing and audience development.
Marrugeku is supported by Managing and Producing Services (MAPS) which is an initiative of the Department of Culture and the Arts and the Australia Council for the Arts.
For all media enquiries please contact:
Sarah Rowbottam, Communications Manager
Performing Lines WA
sarah@performinglineswa.org.au
T 08 9200 6212 M 0421 631 822
Wednesday, September 15, 2010