Flora: A landmark collaboration between The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre
A landmark partnership between The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre comes to life in Flora, a major new full-length work commissioned by The Australian Ballet and created by Mirning woman Frances Rings, Bangarra’s Artistic Director and Co-CEO.
Flora will have its world premiere at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre from 12–21 March, before opening at the Sydney Opera House’s Joan Sutherland Theatre from 7–18 April, with live music performed by Orchestra Victoria and the Opera Australia Orchestra.
The production marks the fourth major collaboration between the two companies and the first created under their current artistic directors. Building on nearly three decades of shared creative history – from Rites (1997) to Warumuk – in the dark night (2012) – Flora signals a new chapter in the relationship between two of Australia’s most influential cultural institutions.
Featuring a combined ensemble of more than 35 artists from both companies, Flora brings together two artistic lineages to expand the expressive language of Australian dance, blending classical technique with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling.
The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director David Hallberg said the collaboration highlights the power of creative partnership.
“Flora reflects the strength and importance of our longstanding relationship with Bangarra. Coming together on a full-length work has deepened our artistic connection and reaffirmed how vital collaboration is to the evolution of Australian dance.”
“Flora celebrates the unique beauty and resilience of this continent’s flora, woven into the fabric of the country and its people. It explores connection, renewal and our shared future, inviting audiences to reflect on how culture, community and the natural world intertwine.”
Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director and Co-CEO Frances Rings said the work reflects the deep cultural significance of plants to First Nations people.
“As a First Nations arts company, our priority is to use our platform to promote understanding of First Nations people, communities and Country. For millennia, plants have been central to our identity and connection to Country.”
“Plants are messengers and indicators of the health of Country. As we face increasing environmental challenges, we all share responsibility for protecting our unique landscapes for future generations.”
Rings said the collaboration between the two companies had created a powerful artistic dialogue.
“Bringing Bangarra and The Australian Ballet together has been an extraordinary experience. We share stories, perspectives and cultures to create a new movement language that we’re excited to bring to audiences.”
At its heart, Flora explores themes of resilience, kinship and connection. Drawing on creation stories, First Nations ecological knowledge and the evolution of Australian flora across deep time, the work reflects the natural world as a living witness to Australia’s unfolding history – from sleeping yams beneath the earth to towering gums that have stood across generations.
The production also reflects on environmental and historical change, including the impact of introduced species and the regenerative power of fire, echoing the resilience of Australia’s First Peoples and the enduring knowledge systems that have cared for Country for millennia.
The world of Flora is realised through Elizabeth Gadsby’s evocative set design, Karen Norris’s lighting design and the sculptural costumes of Meriam Samsep woman Grace Lillian Lee, transforming the stage through elements of clay, canopy, rain and fire.
An original score by Kalkadungu man and internationally acclaimed composer William Barton will be performed live, while cultural consultancy led by Matthew Doyle, a descendant of the Muruwari nation, ensures the work’s cultural integrity.
Flora represents an ambitious and important collaboration, bringing together two leading companies to expand the possibilities of Australian dance theatre.
Flora is generously supported by Lady Potter AC CMRI and The David Hallberg Fund for Artistic Aspiration.
Tickets are on sale now. https://australianballet.com.au/performances/flora
Melbourne
12–21 March
Regent Theatre
With Orchestra Victoria
Sydney
7–18 April
Sydney Opera House, Joan Sutherland Theatre
With Opera Australia Orchestra
Photo by Pierre Toussaint. Courtesy of The Australian Ballet.