Aboriginol Rights Essay Research Paper Over the

Aboriginol Rights Essay, Research Paper

Over the last two hundred years, aboriginal dance has changed dramatically and has had many socio-cultural influences. Through the years, aboriginal dance has become modernised and contemporised. Tradition is being broken. In this assignment I will be exploring social and cultural change as well as identifying outside influence and the development of a new style.

Towards the turn of the century we can see that not only the style of dance has changed but the influence has also changed largely. For traditional aboriginals composition was not a component in dance. Dance was another way of communication. It was an understanding between tribes and all of these dances were handed down by older generations for all future generations. Dance was ritual, celebration and initiation. Within the vocabulary, the steps have male and female versions and dances were generally segregated by sex. Nowadays, new dances are being composed. It is no longer for the magic and the belief but as an entertainment purpose for the curious Europeans and oblivious natives. We are now an ever changing community who have influenced and tainted the vision of tradition in our society.

Before the European settlement in the days of dreaming, the body had sacred meaning. It was used as an instrument, as a tool for learning and as a vehicle for communication. Dance told stories such as the legend of the rainbow serpent-Mainoru as well as When the waratah became red. (Source A.) The older people in the tribes taught the younger ones stories of life. They danced the way to live and the younger ones were taught to use dance and movement as a form of communication from the day they took their first steps on the sacred land. To the aborigines, the land and everything living on it was sacred. The creator Biami is the father of creation. When he created the aboriginals he gave them a part of his essence (light/soul). However, all came from Mother Nature Nungeena Tya who provides them with nourishment and all the physical needs for a life s journey.

They believed that everything that is living on this planet is part of us, we share the same mother and we all share the same creator, therefor we are only part of a great oneness of creation.

Dance in the modern day often has the same forms and intentions for meaning, though it has become modernised and contemporised. An example of modern aboriginal dance with a traditional aboriginal meaning is Bangarra- Ochres . One of the Dances, Yellow has been given this meaning by director Stephen Page:

I believe the landscape to be mother. Its flowing rivers she cleanses in, the yellow ochre she dresses in, the sun and the seasons she nourishes – gathering, nesting and birthing along her travels.

Ochres first performed Sydney in 1995, proved a watershed production for Bangarra, leading to sell-out shows around the country and more invitations to perform overseas than the company could accept.

Ochres is a work in four parts which explores the mystical significance of ochre, inspired by its spiritual and medicinal power: Yellow, Black, Red and White.

Stephen page describes his production as a contemporary view of traditional aboriginal communication. His description of Ochres is as follows:

Ochres plays an essential part in traditional life. Working with cultural consultant/dancer Djakapurra Munyarryun has provided us with valuable insight into the presentation of traditional paint up and preparation.

As a substance ochre has intrigued us. Its significance and the myriad of purposes, both spiritual and physical have been the driving force behind this collaboration.

The portrayal of each colour is by no means a literal interpretation, but the awareness of is spiritual significance has challenged our contemporary expressions.

When watching the show, it is evident that Stephen page has used a mixture of movement qualities to create colour and interest in the pieces. You can often see that he has combined both traditional movement as well as modern movement yet you can see the distinction between the two. Abstraction is readily used in the Bangara pieces and it gives you a new view into the perfected arts of traditional dance. In one case abstraction is used to resemble the working day of an aboriginal woman. The dancers are sitting and slowly a picking action becomes evident. The dancers exaggerate this movement largely and it eventually becomes vague and transforms into another movement. This is an example abstraction. The steps that are typically aboriginal tend to be very grounded and the focus is drawn especially towards the feet and often the legs. The motif of aboriginal dance is influenced by nature and if often suggestive of animals. Everyday life is also a major motif in their dancing. In traditional aboriginal dance the patterns left in the dancing space to show symbolism of animals, actions and rituals. The steps themselves reflect the animals and the stories that they are telling and the patterns of the earth that the individual animals are leaving. For example the twisting pattern of a snake over the dust is left in the dirt by the dancer acting out the animal. The visual setting of the performance is earthy portraying a naturalistic setting. Reds, yellows and blacks are used, symbolic of the national colours. Oranges, browns and