Bangarra Appoints New Associate Artistic Director

Bangarra Dance Theatre has announced the appointment of Frances Rings to the newly created position of Associate Artistic Director, working closely alongside Artistic Director Stephen Page.

A descendant of the Kokatha Tribe from the West Coast of South Australia and graduate of NAISDA Dance College, Rings joined Bangarra in 1993, and made her mainstage choreographic debut for the company in 2002 with Rations of Walkabout to great critical acclaim.

Frances Rings' credits with the company also include Bush (2003, co-choreographed with Stephen Page), Unaipon (as part of Clan program, 2004), X300 (as part of True Stories, 2007), Artefact (as part of Earth & Sky, 2010), Terrain (2012) and Sheoak (as part of lore - dance stories of land and sea in 2015).

In addition to her work at Bangarra, Rings has also choreographed works for many of Australia's leading Dance Companies including West Australian Ballet and Tasdance, as well as continuing a successful Independent career. Frances has danced in works by many of Australia's leading choreographers and companies including Meryl Tankard, Leigh Warren, and Legs on the Wall.

"The appointment of Frances Rings is testament to her extraordinary commitment and dedication over her years at Bangarra" said Bangarra Artistic Director, Stephen Page. "Frances has established herself as one of the country's leading choreographers, and is such an integral part of the heart of this company. I am thrilled to welcome her to the position of Associate Artistic Director, and look forward to our continued close collaboration".

"Bangarra is such an important voice in our contemporary cultural landscape and it is a unique privilege to be a part of something so special. Stephen (Page) is a visionary, and has been a mentor to me over the years, so I'm thrilled to work alongside him at the helm of the company" said Frances Rings.

Frances Rings' work will next be seen in Unaipon, which will be re-staged 2019 as part of Bangarra: 30 years of sixty five thousand, which opens at Sydney Opera House on June 13th before touring nationally from July 18th.

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