Below are two excerpts from Mathinna, by Stephen Page, performed by the Bangarra Dance Theatre, whose performers all have Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. This dance premiered at the Arts Centre Melbourne in 2008 and has been been performed widely all over Australia. I found it moving and inspiring as I wrote Mathinna’s story in THE EXILES. As Bangarra’s website explains, “Inspired by a young girl’s journey between two cultures, Mathinna traces the story of a young Aboriginal girl removed from her traditional home and adopted into western colonial society, only to be ultimately returned to the fragments of her original heritage. Mathinna has become the archetype of the ‘stolen child’ and, in this outstanding work, Bangarra recreates her powerful story of vulnerability and searching in an era of confusion and intolerance.”
Two-and-a-half minute excerpt:
Seven-minute excerpt:
