BHP Billiton Supports Bangarra's 2013 Community Outreach Program

Bangarra Dance Theatre will take to the Sydney Opera House stage next month with Blak , an exciting new, physically dynamic work by Artistic Director Stephen Page and choreographer/dancer Daniel Riley McKinley.

During the Sydney season of Blak , Bangarra will host a series of events to inspire and engage with up to five hundred of Sydney's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, particularly young people.

Bangarra's Artistic Director Stephen Page said, "Our dancers are great role models for Indigenous young people. They come from diverse backgrounds, some from remote and others from urban communities. Each of them are part of the contemporary expression of over 40,000 years of continuous cultural practice. They help young people to see the value of rekindling their culture and being proud of their identity."

A Community Night performance of Blak will be held on Thursday June 6 at 8pm with accessible tickets made available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences. As with previous Bangarra Community Nights in Sydney, this will be a special experience for audiences as well as the artists of Bangarra themselves. The atmosphere is always electric and celebratory. Subsidised by Bangarra Dance Theatre, low cost tickets for this performance are made available to local Indigenous communities. For more information, people can contact community@bangarra.com.au or (02) 9251 5333.

After the success of Bangarra's previous Koori Kids Day performances, the company is pleased to announce that they will be hosting Koori Kids Day again this year at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday June 12 from 12:30pm until 1:40pm. With thanks to BHP Billiton Bangarra is able to offer heavily discounted tickets to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary school students from the city and outer metropolitan areas. Schools invited to attend include Airds High School, Sir Joseph Banks High, Ashcroft High School, Richmond High, Endeavour Sports High, Liverpool Girls High, Picnic Point Hight, Bass High, Chester Hill High and Glenmore Park High.

At Koori Kids Day , Bangarra's artists-in-residence will make compelling presentations about their work and the practices they employ to create new dance pieces. After the performance, the students will have an opportunity to engage with Artistic Director Stephen Page and other Blak creative team members during a Q&A session. Following the Q&A, students will have the chance to meet the members of Bangarra in the foyer. For more information and to purchase discounted tickets for the special Koori Kids Day matinee performance schools can contact community@bangarra.com.au or (02) 9251 5333.