by Jasmin Sheppard, Tagalaka and Kurtitjar
Date Premiered: January 2021
The Complication of Lyrebirds is a 55 minute First Nations contemporary dance work designed to break away from the social expectations of what it means to look or sound Aboriginal.
What if colonisation denied your family access to their culture? What then makes you Aboriginal? The lyrebird adopts the calls of others to appear attractive, yet there is an authentic identity to the bird that is no mere mimic.
Jasmin Sheppard (Choreographer) and Kaine Sultan Babij (Co-Collaborator) perform on stage with a 3 projector setup. The history of the White Australia Policy is re-contextualised as choreographic tools with other media; evocative voice overs, highly detailed props and video projection, from a team of brilliant creatives Carly Sheppard (Dramaturg), Naretha Williams (Sound), Cris Derksen (Composer), Samuel James (Video), Karen Norris (Lighting), Emily Adolfini (Props) and Fiona Holley (Costume).
Artist-led education programs alongside presentations introduce students to Indigenous choreographic processes with learning around dance appreciation, performance and composition. Post Show Q&A and forums are offered to create a discussion about the diverse themes of the work.
The work premiered at Sydney Festival 2021 in conjunction with Campbelltown Arts Centre, and Native Earth Theatre Company, Toronto.
The creative development and premiere of the work was supported by Campbelltown Arts Centre.
This powerful First Nations dance show is a thoughtful highlight of Sydney Festival 2021. The Complication of Lyrebirds asks us to acknowledge that all First Nations people are unique, that they have their own journey to follow and histories to draw upon.
STEPHEN A RUSSELL, Time Out 2020
Images by Sam James.
Jasmin Sheppard is a contemporary dancer, choreographer and director, a Tagalaka Aboriginal woman with Irish, Chinese and Hungarian ancestry. She spent 12 years with Bangarra Dance Theatre, her performance acclaimed by critics as “powerfully engaging, fluent dexterity” (Sydney Morning Herald). Jasmin choreographed a major work for the company ‘MACQ’, which toured Australia and Germany. In 2012 Jasmin was nominated for an Australian Dance award for ‘Best Female Contemporary Dancer’. In 2017 ‘MACQ’ was nominated for a Helpmann Award for best dance work as a part of ‘OUR Land People Stories’ and in 2018 received a Helpmann for best regional touring program. Other works include ‘No Remittance’ for Legs on the Wall and ‘Choice Cut’ for Yirramboi festival, which debuted at Toronto’s ‘Fall For Dance North’ Festival 2019. Jasmin premiered her main stage production ‘The Complication of Lyrebirds’ at Sydney Festival 2021 and in 2021 also co-directed ‘Value For Money’ alongside Sara Black for GUTS Dance, receiving rave reviews with seasons at Araluen Arts Centre and Darwin Festival. Jasmin created ‘Given Unto Thee’ for Sydney Dance Company’s 2021 New Breed program and was performer, movement director and associate writer for S Shakthidharan’s: 宿 (stay), presented by Sydney Festival 2022 in partnership with OzAsia. Her work is passionate, political and described as “surreal and highly evocative” (The Australian). Jasmin Sheppard is supported by BlakDance, established in 2005, a national industry and producing organisation for First Nations contemporary dancers and choreographers.