Bangarra Dance Theatre Presents BLAK, July 18-27

Bangarra Dance Theatre is back at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) from 18 to 27 July with their brand new emotionally powerful and physically dynamic production Blak.

Following on fromits World Premiere season at Arts Centre Melbourne and seasons in Wollongong, Sydney and Canberra, Blak will arrive on The Playhouse stage, QPAC exploding with stories about a contemporary clan and the collision of two worlds.

In Blak, Bangarra's acclaimed Artistic Director Stephen Page and dancer/choreographer Daniel Riley McKinley peel back the layers, crossing the worlds of old and new, exposing our universal yearning for spiritual connection.

For the first time, Bangarra's artist in residence and music composer David Page will collaborate with Paul Mac on the exciting soundscape for Blak. A songwriter,musician and producer, the multi-ARIA award winning Paul Mac is one of thecountry's leading figures in electronic music.

"I have had such an incredible experience working with this crew. Being able to experiment with sonics, rhythms, and arrangements out of the straightjacket of pop music has been completely liberating.

"Watching the dancers bring the music to life through Daniel Riley McKinley and Stephen Page's choreography has taught me so much about dance. I have never written for a contemporary dance company before, so I jumped at the chance to collaborate and co-write the music for Blak with David Page,"said Mac.

Fourteen dancers will be featured in Blak, including Bangarra's two newest company members, Queenslander Nicola Sabatino and Beau Dean Riley Smith, along with guest artist Hunter Page-Lochard.

The son of Stephen Page, Hunter is one of Australia's young talents to watch, having appeared in previous Bangarra productions, last year's acclaimed Sydney Theatre Company production Bloodland and numerous films including the worldwide hit The Sapphires.

Drawn from the artists' urban perspectives, Blak tells the stories of contemporary Indigenous Australia in a work of dance theatre that is physical and edgy. Jacob Nash's sensational set designs, Luke Ede's costumes and Matt Cox's lighting will combine to bring further depth and mood to Bangarra's evocative theatrical journey.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Stephen Page, Bangarra Dance Theatre is acclaimed for its performances throughout Australia and internationally most recently in New York, Mongolia and Vietnam.

Named NSW Australian of the Year in 2008 and NAIDOC Artist of the Year in 2012, Stephen Page has long been recognised for his phenomenal ability to create milestone productions in the Australian cultural cannon. Continuing his commitment to the next generation of story-tellers, Page has commissioned Bangarra dancer Daniel Riley McKinley to create his second choreographic work for the 2013 production Blak.

Bangarra Dance Theatre is Australia's premier national Indigenous performing arts company. The company has strived to maintain the cultural integrity and spirit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tradition, combining it with contemporary stories, dance and music. Bangarra creates dynamic, moving theatrical experiences and delivers these experiences to audiences across Australia and around the world.

Go to qpac.com.au or call 136 246 for tickets and more information.

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