Bangarra Dance Theatre - Brolga

Resource Description

Brolga (Gudurrku) is an excerpt from Bangarra Dance Theatre's 2001 production - Corroboree. The dance illustrates the concepts of ceremony and connection between a human spirit and the spirit of a creature. Brolga is also inspired by totemic systems in Aboriginal culture, where every person is assigned a creature totem related to their clan. The brolga is just one of the many animal, plant or natural element totems that are handed down from generation to to generation. In this dance the girl enters the sacred ground of the brolgas who live in the wetlands of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. She plays, mimics and discovers the sensual and magical nature of the environment. A flock of brolgas join her, protecting her on her journey of learning as she prepares to become a woman.