Bangarra Dance Theatre’s phenomenon entitled Mathinna entails the awe-inspiring, yet historically enlightening journey of an Aboriginal girl who was taken from her home and forced to conform to the westernised norms of the 1800’s. In an era plagued by racism and prejudice, Mathinna emanates the themes of colonialism, and cultural intolerance. Following the viewing of this scintillating production it is undeniably clear that the architect of Mathinna, Stephen Page, has deliberately intended to shed light on the immoral practice of forcibly removing Indigenous children as well as address the issue of social and cultural erosion to emotionally move those of modern audiences. This essay serves to further elaborate on the cultural undertones of …show more content…
Mathinna displayed through a vast array of movement and non-movement components which highlight indigenous, spiritual and contemporary dance styles. Stephen Page endeavoured to exemplify an exceptionally bold production approach to Mathinna: he exhibited movement components which were overwhelmingly eloquent and expressionistic. This riveting style was demonstrated in the Nursery scene- where Mathinna has just been introduced to the governor of Tasmania, Sir John Franklin’s home. Page has explored choreographic form and devices, spatial elements and finally, dynamics.
Action which is a fundamental element to dance as it plays a crucial role within a production. For instance, the lady characterised as Lady Jane prances, twists and turns around the stage, joyfully and energetically, to welcome her newly adopted child into her home, clearly eager to teach Mathinna about the colonialized world. However, as evidenced through her gestures to unrecognisable objects in Mathinna’s new room, she connotes to the audiences that while she is elated to teach Mathinna, it is her duty to forcibly integrate her into a white culture. At one point within the scene, Lady Jane turns to the audience, and proudly gestures a confused Mathinna to her new room; suggesting that she is insensitive or emotionally unscathed to the fact that Mathinna was forcibly removed from her home, never to see her family again. Lady Jane shows movements which suggest authority and obligation, whereas Mathinna slugs around disorientated, confused and lost in a seemingly alien culture. Choreographic devices play a vital role in the communication of …show more content…
cultural, historical and social themes of the production to the audience. Mathinna throughout the Nursery scene is shown to be striving to create a unison effect with Lady Jane, however is failing due to her facial expressions which express misunderstanding, anxiousness and insecurity through her small uncertain movements. This is evidenced most noticeable when Lady Jane places shoes on Mathinna – Mathinna’s previous culture didn’t require shoes and so she is confused by the purpose of them. They symbolise the overall struggle she experiences as she is walking in unfamiliar ways of a new culture.
Another choreographic device is transition, which is used frequently to transition dancers between scenes, and sections in the dance. In this scene, Lady Jane transitions when she comes into her new home, provides Mathinna with shoes, teaching Mathinna how to read and finally sending Mathinna to bed. Conversely, spatial elements – or the space, as well as patterns, that is physically made on the stage, in the air or ground – has been expertly utilized to give the dancer a reason to move. For instance, in this production most positive space used is centre stage and all unattended space is negative space. Page, however has choreographed this dance in a way where most of the space is pranced upon at least once in the scene. Mathinna is representative of a narrative styled choreographic dance. This enhances engagement with the audience by providing a captivating story line to correspond with effective dance style. The unmistakable contrast between the two dances underpins this powerful historical story. Furthermore, the expressions used by Mathinna suggest that she is impatiently longing to be reunited wither tribe; disheartened and troubled by the fact that she misses her
father, and is forced to conform to an alien like culture. Mathinna demonstrates a visible level of timidness through her dance style: she is largely indecisive, struggling to keep up with an ever-changing environment, which is deliberately represented through her dance style. The wide variety of spatial elements further reinforce this style – Mathinna refrains from using expansive movements, content with remaining poised and reserved. Utilizing this style encourages audiences to look beneath the dance style; to ask themselves why Mathinna’s dance movements are subdued. This emphasises a connection between Mathinna and the historical significance of the production. Emboldening a distinction between the two dancers deeply affects audiences – touching them on an emotional level; to relive the silences of the colonial era of Australia which did not condemn the forcible removal of Indigenous people. Stephen Page has fashioned a production which embodies non-movement aspects that underline extensive erosion of social and cultural values of the Indigenous at the time. The diverse selection of visual settings such as lighting assists in portraying a mood which describes the solitude and hardship faced by Mathinna. For instance, in the first scene, “First Contact,” commences with an overwhelmingly dark ambience, followed by a centred light portraying the moon. This coincides with the quickness of the music to symbolise eeriness and isolation. Following this section, a dimming of the lights reoccurs, to signify the Aboriginal’s realisation that the colonialists are near, which they then blend into the back of the stage as if they were rushing for shelter as if they were being forgotten. As the colonists make an appearance, a strip of a bright white light takes place at the front of the stage – representing the purity and authoritarianism of the colonists; as opposed to the Aboriginal people cowering in the shadows which connotes primitiveness. Conversely, costumes play an instrumental role in the depiction of the story; signifying the historical point in time, as well as the cultural differentiation between colonialists and the Indigenous people. The colonialist’s attire consists of crisp white clothing, neat and pressed. While not explicitly signified, the undertone is that they are more refined; proud of their supremacy over those who do not adhere to their attire. Comparatively, the Aboriginals clothing are worn, rugged and seen as indecent to colonial eyes – their absence of neat clothing implies that they are an underprivileged class. The paint found on their bodies suggests the deep spiritual significant they have for their culture, but also it reveals their relationship with their tribe. Visual scenery, through the use of props, is also a pivotal part to the success of this production; it assists in setting the scene, time and place. Through the First Contact scene the only props present on stage is a clump of sticks in the centre towards the back, where Aboriginals danced around – an indication of their culture. Additionally, the aboriginals carry around their own large sticks which could be represented as spears for indigenous people used spears and other homemade weapons as a survival method to catch food. These props assist in displaying a credible level of authenticity about the performance, which brings their culture to life so to speak. Non-movement components include the performers themselves. Near the start of the scene, Page has positioned a large number of people representing aboriginals on stage and their role is to interact with one another in their own cultural and social way. However, towards the end of the scene, a male and a female appear portraying white people whom have come in to capture the aboriginals of Tasmania. To support this, aural elements have been exploited to enhance engagement further. The Indigenous and colonialists music is undeniably distinguishable from one another – this is a purposeful play consistent with the contrast of clothes, dance style, props and mannerisms of the production. The Aboriginal music was cultural, generating music with instruments such as sticks, drums and the didgeridoo as opposed to the classical like technically precise music style of the colonial people. It is evident that both subtle and expressive elements have been used consistently throughout the entirety of this production to resonate to a modern audience lacking or similar oblivious, of the colonial era’s clash with Indigenous culture. The simple approach of conveying light verses dark – Aboriginal verses colonialist – exemplifies cultural miscommunication between the groups. The accurate display of historical values such as Aboriginal people generally have large families as opposed to the colonist’s small families, and they cast different music styles to help reinforce this contrast in culture. Conversely, this allows Mathinna and the Aboriginal people to feel excessively intimidated and lost. The display of erosion of cultural and social values of the Aboriginal people is uncontestably apparent; it is the cornerstone to the production as it displays the historical perceptions of the time. The props used illustrate that this difference is effective; this can be exemplified most clearly in the scene “Capture Scene” where the colonists arrogantly intrude on an Aboriginal gathering and force them into a new culture consisting of guns and knives. The historical narrative style compliments the expressive dance style of Mathinna – audiences are infatuated, yet chocked, by this breathtaking production. Stephen Page and his dancers have more than adequately resonated the dark and silences themes of the Mathinna’s era and inspired audiences to commemorate the brave tormented Aboriginal people who were shackled in a shocking point in history. A point in history where Aboriginals were forcibly removed, beaten and abused because of prejudice and intolerance. The likes of Stephen Page are an inspiration to modern Australia and reinforce the notion that times have indeed changed; where discrimination and social conformity are frond upon. Through the timely use of the wide variety of movement and non-movement components, it is manifestly clear that Stephen page has done justice to the historical misconceptions of the time; he has truly brought this remarkable tale to life.
Hooper’s compelling and strategically written text paints an Australian context where a distinct racial divide separates the country; one where racism is rife and where white supremacy is rampant. Hooper urges the reader to accept that in the context of colonial Australia, Aboriginals faced such extreme oppression that they resorted to summoning spirits to doom their cruel white colonisers. She recounts a walk to a cave in Cape York, where she intentionally selects paintings depicting destructive images of white colonisers being “doomed”, highlighting the rifles which the white troopers brandished. The marginalised Aboriginals resigned to using “purri purri” (sorcery) against the police, which emphasises the idea that in this context, the Aboriginals felt so oppressed that they resorted to conjuring spirits for protection. Hooper describes a painting in which under a white man’s shirt, “he was reptilian”, and the adjective “reptilian” allows the audience to understand that in this context, the Aboriginals felt so threatened that they had to draw the trooper as a snake.
The Brechtian convention of juxtaposition is again successfully employed, between Sheppard’s happy and positive tone and the seriousness of the mission camps, generating a humorous effect. This amplifies the alienation of the audience, meaning they think more objectively about the missions and how this impacted aboriginal identity. Through this alienation the audience is forced to think about the dramatic meaning, regarding the impact that the first settlers had on the indigenous Australians and the need for acceptance. Thus, through the use of movement and juxtaposition to create humour the performance effectively enhances the impact that the first settlers have on changing aboriginal identity and how acceptance needs to be reached, for both indigenous and non-indigenous
In Thomas King’s Green Grass, Running Water, many people take pictures of the sacred Indian Sun Dance. This urge to take pictures proves that many whites view Indians as a source of entertainment or as a curiosity.
The Sapphires is a film based on the McCrae sisters, four Australian Aboriginal singers, and their journey to Vietnam to entertain American troops in 1968. In this paper we will use the film The Sapphires to critically discuss the work of Stuart Hall (1997), Aileen Moreton-Robinson (2015), and Judith Butler (2013) and see how these scholars might analyze its relationship to social identities and difference. In the ‘Spectacle of the Other,’ Hall presents the idea of the ‘other’ and the fear and anxiety it creates. While in ‘I Still Call Australia Home: Indigenous Belonging and Place in a White Post Colonizing Society,’ Moreton-Robinson argues that Anglo colonization continues suppress Aboriginals and dominate Australian institutions. In ‘For
The denial of the idea of the “sun-dance” by her native friend demonstrates furthermore how Hilda creates a false impression of Native American’s culture and deviating from reality and what real Indian people
Though the film mentioned the impact that residential schools had and still has on the aboriginal people, I felt that this issue needed to be stressed further because the legacy of the schools is still extremely prominent in aboriginal communities today. The film refers to the fact that residential schools harmed the aboriginal people because they were not able to learn their culture, which has resulted in the formation of internalized oppression within in the group. “The...
In Eden Robinson’s novel, Monkey Beach, there is a reoccurring aspect of the impacts residential schools have on aboriginal people. This viscous cycle of residential schooling involves removing children from their homes, disrupting cultural practices, punishing and abusing helpless children, and then sending them home to their parents who are also taught the same unhealthy behaviours. The purpose of residential school is to assimilate children into western culture, as indigenous cultures are seen as inferior and unequal. Due to residential school systems, there is an opposing force between Haisla culture and settler traditions; settler knowledge being of evident dominance, which results in suffering to the indigenous peoples on various levels:
The story explores many vital concepts accompanied by beautiful illustrations. I felt a strong sense of cultural understanding, spirituality and connection to family and land as though I was on this journey too. I could sense an underlying meaning in each dance, holding great importance to Bertie’s family and a strong connection to their culture. Pryor has attempted to fuse the then and now, by speaking of changes in the land, from a once spiritual gathering place, to a now busy town street where through food, they keep the culture alive (Pryor, 2010).
The novel “Indian Horse” by Richard Wagamese demonstrates the many conflicts that indigenous people encounter on a daily basis. This includes things such as, the dangers they face and how they feel the need to flee to nature, where they feel the most safe. Another major issue they face is being stripped of their culture, and forcibly made to believe their culture is wrong and they are less of a human for being brought up that way, it makes them feel unworthy. Finally, when one is being criticised for a hobby they enjoy due to their indigenous upbringing, they make himself lose interest and stop the hobby as it makes them different and provokes torment. People who are trying
Gordon Bennett and Tony Albert are both urban-based artists who explore their Indigenous backgrounds and the issues that are centered on their culture. Gordon Bennett’s issue for society is the denial of Indigenous
As European domination began, the way in which the European’s chose to deal with the Aborigines was through the policy of segregation. This policy included the establishment of a reserve system. The government reserves were set up to take aboriginals out of their known habitat and culture, while in turn, encouraging them to adapt the European way of life. The Aboriginal Protection Act of 1909 established strict controls for aborigines living on the reserves . In exchange for food, shelter and a little education, aborigines were subjected to the discipline of police and reserve managers. They had to follow the rules of the reserve and tolerate searchers of their homes and themselves. Their children could be taken away at any time and ‘apprenticed” out as cheap labour for Europeans. “The old ways of the Aborigines were attacked by regimented efforts to make them European” . Their identities were threatened by giving them European names and clothes, and by removing them from their tra...
Interactions between native peoples and immigrants have caused elements of their cultures and societies to entwine where one overpowers the other unevenly, changing both their individual and collective identities. The ambiguity in the peoples’ intentions and understandings creates tension that forces both people to reflect on their identities and act to shape and strengthen them. Both engage in a battle of defining their own and others’ identities and struggle to make them reality. Director Philllipe Noyce’s film The Rabbit-Proof Fence manifests the effects of interactions between indigenous Australians and English colonists, both attempting to control their societal and national identities through the care of their youth. Based on Doris Pilkington Garimara’s Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence, the film uncovers forgotten memories through a simple but mysterious glimpse into Aborigine (person with mixed aboriginal and white descent) children’s experience of forced separation from their families. In the story, three Aborigine girls escape on foot together from a sickening settlement, hoping to return home, 1500 miles away, safely. The film simplistically, but realistically, depicts the Aborigines as victims of a hypocritical government changing their future claiming to help them, but ultimately to change its own standing. The Rabbit Proof Fence communicates the importance of native rights, freedom, justice, voice, family, and home.
In dance, contrast is the side by side comparison of space, time and energy, in order to identify differences. This contrast was best exemplified by the stark difference in tempo which was alternated from allegro to adagio in each sequential Part. The tempo changes enabled the dancers’ to vary their use of space and energy. Throughout the allegro movements, space and energy were maximized. In contrast, as the tempo slowed to adagio, the utilization of space and output of energy decreased. Taylor expanded contrast in Esplanade to include the costumes. The female apparel consisted of pastel flowing short skirts, which differed from the male’s neutral tight fitting costumes. Although the free flowing costume complimented the allegro tempo, it contradicted the slow, confined movements throughout the adagio tempos. Repetition or the duplication of movement created a cohesiveness of the mass dancers and established the individual as an outsider. Whether in the slow paced repeated walking movements in Parts 2 and 4 or the sequential lifts and leaps in Parts 1, 3, and 5, repetition established unity. The isolation of the woman was also established by her repeated unsuccessful efforts to interact with the mass dancers by running and circling each dancer in Part 1. The repetition of walking steps throughout the dance created continuity,
Within Australia, beginning from approximately the time of European settlement to late 1969, the Aboriginal population of Australia experienced the detrimental effects of the stolen generation. A majority of the abducted children were ’half-castes’, in which they had one white parent and the other of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. Following the government policies, the European police and government continued the assimilation of Aboriginal children into ‘white’ society. Oblivious to the destruction and devastation they were causing, the British had believed that they were doing this for “their [Aborigines] own good”, that they were “protecting” them as their families and culture were deemed unfit to raise them. These beliefs caused ...
Throughout both ‘Rainbow’s End’ and ‘The Rabbits’, the audience discovers the plights that the Aboriginal Australians faced, due to discrimination and assimilation, in intensely confronting, yet intensely meaningful ways. We see how the discrimination and forced assimilation of cultures was common in the lead up to modern times because of composers like Harrison, Marsden and Tan reminding us of these events, allowing us to discover and rediscover our past wrongs through their works, in order to pave the way for a brighter, harmonious future. Without these documentations and retellings of events such as these, history would repeat itself, conflicts would be more apparent and we as a species would not be able to thrive and prosper due to our prejudices and superiority complexes.