Terrain – Bangarra Dance Theatre

Overview

Frances Rings' Terrain is the newest addition to Bangarra Dance Theatre's repertoire, offering a beautiful production where physicality and spirituality meet.

Gracing the stage at the Opera House's Drama Theatre, Terrain explores Kati Thanda (Lake Eyre) — the place of Australia's inland sea and one of the few untouched natural waterways in the world, where "time is measured by the dramatic events of nature," says Rings in her choreography notes.

In this bodily "hymn to country", Terrain traverses Lake Eyre's seasonal changes, moving from drought to deluge, witnessing nature's ephemeral transformation of place. Depicted in vignettes which dissolve into each other seamlessly, the 14 Aboriginal and Torres Strait dancers explore and illustrate the connection Indigenous people have with the land.

In preparation, music composer David Page and Rings flew over Lake Eyre and met elder Reg Dodd, who shared his stories and myths. Page recorded Dodd speaking in the native tongue of the Arabunna people, which he included in the music for Terrain.

Symbolically representing natural and thematic concerns, costume designer Jennifer Irwin decks the dancers' bodies in costumes that dazzle the eye and intrigue the sensation of touch. In 'Salt' there features a spiky yet soft white top, moving with the body and resisting it at the same time. Inspired by Lake Eyre's surrealism and vastness, Irwin took a sculptural approach to the costumes, "representing the stark contrasts of beauty and destruction of the terrain."

The piece comes together beautifully, thanks to the Page brothers, artistic director Stephen and composer David; simple yet striking set design by Jacob Nash, illuminated by lighting designer Karen Norris; and of course to Reg Dodd, cultural advisor, who shared his people's stories and mythological beauty.