The telling of stories is central to the transmission of cultural beliefs and values and in Aboriginal communities ochres were an important means of symbolic storytelling. Stories were told not only upon bark, as indicated by the monumental piece of melaleuca, that dominates the stage setting, but also inscribed upon the bodies of those celebrating the stories through dance. The ochres, a gift from the earth, economically suggested by the simple mound from which the dancers emerge and to which they return, bind, unify and perpetuate the cycle of life from birth and beyond death.
The flow of time, past, passing and yet to come, yet all present in a single moment, is central to the whole work, composed of four parts – “Yellow”, “Black”, “Red” and “White”. The always-present past is authoritatively established through the opening sequences. The performance of a land-cleansing song by guest artist and cultural consultant, Djakapurra Munyarryun and the bringing of the light by a deeply purposeful Elma Kris communicate the immense power of law and ritual and awaken in their audience a reverential respect for a very ancient cultural inheritance.
Inspired by the Anangu Pitjantjara Yankunytjatjara women of the Central Desert, “Yellow” invokes the mothering aspect of the earth. The rolling, curling and flexing movements of the women’s ensemble suggests both birthing and gathering, nurturing and garnering as extended passages of movement in unison suggest interdependence and communal response to larger, controlling rhythms of season and climate. In contrast, in the all-male “Black”, the men exhibit a lovely, bounding energy, crouching, leaping up and over, seemingly inhabited by the animal spirits of the creatures they intend to hunt, watched over by the protective but also demanding figure of Djakapurra Munyarryun.
In “Red” unison appropriately gives way to separation, and the four dances, “Youth”, “Obsession”, “Poison” and “Pain” explore different aspects of relationships between men and women. In “Youth”, a charming but edgy playfulness is evident as two confident young girls (Nicola Sabatino, Yolanda Lowatta) tease a young man (Beau Dean Riley Smith), his uncertainty conveyed through the multiple uses made of his red shirt. However, the remaining three dances show the deepening struggle, and often intense suffering, that relationships between individuals can bring. “White” reunites the full ensemble and is the most visually stunning and deeply moving section. New spirits and young spirits, creatures and clans create a constantly moving, living tapestry that reaches far into the past but also embraces a gentler future.
In all, a perfect production admirably supported by Jacob Nash’s set, Jennifer Irwin’s costumes, and Jo Mercurio’s lights, and it is hoped that Bangarra’s partnership with Carriageworks and return to Redfern will continue. The greatest pleasure of this revisited Ochres is the almost palpable desire of the youthful ensemble of highly accomplished dancers to meet the responsibility of maintaining the unique achievement that is Bangarra. Many thanks are always due to the remarkable Stephen Page, Artistic Director, and visionary.
