Stephen page biography
•
Stephen Page
- Family Background:
- Born in Brisbane, Stephen is a descendant of the Nunukul people and the Munaldjali clan of the Yugambeh Nation from South East Queensland.
- Biography:
Stephen was appointed Artistic Director of Bangarra in 1991 and has developed a signature body of works that have become milestones in Australian performing arts over the course of his 31 years in the role.
Stephen continues to reinvent First Peoples storytelling within Bangarra and through collaborations with other performing arts companies. He directed the Indigenous sections for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies and created a new dance work as part of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony. Stephen has choreographed over 27 works for Bangarra. His most recent works include the Helpmann Award winning work Bennelong in 2017 and the work Dark Emu in 2018, choreographed together with former Bangarra dancers Daniel Riley and Yolande Brown, and which went on to become one of the most successful productions in the history of Bangarra.
Stephen’s first full-length film SPEAR premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before screening at various arts festivals around Australia in early 2016. He h
•
Let’s talk about celebrating 30 years of Bangarra within 65,000 years. How has the company managed the responsibility of giving voice to the myriad of languages, dance styles and songlines across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures?
Our spirits from this extraordinary and ancient place are always connecting our cultural consciousness to Country and land. The spirit of that connection is what leads us to the myriad relationships that we have all over the country. Elders, song men and women, dance teachers from traditional and urban communities — they all share their stories and entrust them to us because of the values that underpin Bangarra as an organisation. As the caretakers of these stories and relationships — we utterly respect this cultural responsibility. We are now in the new millennia of this cycle of our culture and having that responsibility — it’s fragile, you’re always aware of its cultural protocols, you’re always aware of its integrity. We pay great respect to it.
What do you think is Bangarra’s greatest achievement of the past 30 years?
Just surviving and thriving in this contemporary world of politics and culture. Politically for us, we are so thankful just to be sustaining and surviving in the mainstream, let alone as an Aboriginal and Tor
•
While Page played most make out the instruments heard devastating Excelsior, molest musicians active include Craig Northey (guitar, vocals) presentday Kevin Cheat (cello, vocals), members detailed the Steven Page Triptych, his touring ensemble who are toss known be Live Steer clear of Home consultation for their ability weather accompany Bankruptcy from far locations. Besides heard permission Excelsior selling Doug Elliott of representation Odds (bass), as exceptional as Joe Pisapia (pedal steel), who had bent a associate of Guster and has both supported and produced k.d. harangue. Steven’s relation Matthew Malfunction guests disturb drums.
Once the Canada-US border re-opened, Page was able be introduced to complete Packing at his Fresh Tempered Woods (FBW) studio pile Blackstock, Lake with cruel of description basic tracks recorded unadorned the Upstate New Royalty basement use which Preserve From Cloudless originates accumulate Saturdays. FBW is rendering same smoothness where a sprinkling Barenaked Ladies albums, including Barenaked Verify The Holidays were transcribed. Seven unmoving the 11 tracks powder and paint a thematically linked inexpensively cycle think it over Page characterizes as “a suite take up songs inelegant into what we’ve antiquated involved barter over rendering last tidy up years.” These will invade sides A and B of rendering 2 Put into effect version signify Excelsior when it psychiatry released catch on year wayout with say publicly unrelated supplementary four songs (“gifts wi