Weredingo is the fifth full-length work by Karul Projects, the Queensland-based First Nations contemporary dance company led by Thomas E.S. Kelly (Minjungbal-Yugambeh, Wiradjuri an Ni-Vanuatu), and Taree Sansbury (Kaurna, Narrunga and Ngarrindjeri). The work premiere at Brisbane Festival 2021.
Image Credit: Mick Richards
Choreographers Thomas E.S. Kelly and Taree Sansbury started a multifaceted approach to the subject of shape-shifting four years ago, commencing with a mockumentary and performance in Sydney at PACT, which interviewed people who revealed that they have other, animal selves.
The first development ‘conjured everyday fantasies of transformation and then moved on to something more serious: dance performance imbued, at first impressionistically and then quite specifically, with First Nations cultural shapeshifting’. Keith Gallasch REALTIME.
Over the next few years, the creative developments took place back on Karul’s homelands, as the company relocated back to the Gold Coast (2018).
Further creative developments began to further explore the work from a narrative and text based perspective. The original pitch to Brisbane Festival was that the work would be mostly text based theatre, of which this has undergone its own shapeshifting journey to now include animations and projections by Studio Gilay (who animated Cooked) shot at Wirrim Studio on the Gold Coast.
Lighting and production is being done by an all Indigenous team: Chloe Ogilvie (trained by Mark Howett) has managed to safely cross borders from WA and is plotting the lighting now, dramaturgy is happening largely over zoom with highly accomplished director, actor and playwright Isaac Drandic (who worked on Jacob Boehme’s Blood on the Dance Floor) and Mamu man Simon Cook holds the ship steady as the BlakDance Production Manager.
Add in sound design by Sam Pankhurst and lifelike animal costumes by the talented Selene Cochrane and the work boasts incredible production values and high quality design. A surprising addition to the cast is Grayson Millwood from The Farm (Throttle).
Weredingo was the first of BlakDance’s produced works to undertake a new model for feedback on a work in development through BlakForm. The Critical Response Process (CRP) was a facilitated process that allowed the makers to question their work in open dialogues with industry and community leaders. We were delighted to undertake this initiative earlier this year with Joyce Rosario, a first-generation Canadian of Filipina descent, privileged to live on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Brisbane Festival
Previews 3 & 4 September, Opening Night 7th, until 11 September, 2021
Weredingo is the fifth full-length work by Karul, an emerging Queensland-based First Nations contemporary dance company led by Thomas E.S. Kelly (Minjungbal-Yugambeh, Wiradjuri and Ni-Vanuatu), and Taree Sansbury (Kaurna, Narrunga and Ngarrindjeri).
Weredingo is about shapeshifting. It's about universal stories of First Nations creationism and the history beneath shapeshifting, stories far older than familiar western tropes. Weredingo is also about duality, cleverly utilising the metaphor of shapeshifting to reveal tokenism, blackfishing, racial profiling and allyship. This powerful dance theatre work combines Karul's distinctive contemporary choreography with narrative storytelling, animation and projection for a thrilling and interactive dance experience.
Director/Choreographer Thomas E.S. Kelly
Rehearsal Director/Performer Taree Sansbury
Performers Benjin Maza and Grayson Millwood
Costume Designer Selene Cochrane
Sound Designer Sam Pankhurst
Lighting Designer Chloe Ogilvie
Dramaturg Isaac Drandic
Animation Studio Gilay
Videography Wirrim Studio
Producer BlakDance
Weredingo was produced by BlakDance and supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, the City of Gold Coast, the City of Melbourne through Arts House, and was developed in the CultureLAB program with the assistance of Creative Victoria. Weredingo has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body and Queensland Theatre. Weredingo is commissioned by BlakDance, through BlakForm. BlakForm is funded through Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government initiative.