Flora: Ballet & Bangarra Fuse for Climate Action

0:00Back in 1997, Francis Ring's dance in a groundbreaking collab between Bangara Dance Theatre and the Australian Ballet called rights. It blended classical ballet with indigenous moves to Stravinsky's right of spring, touring big spots like New York and London. Now, as Bangara's artistic director, Ring's is leading their first full-length joint production, Flora, which just opened in Sydney. That original rightshell held Bangara hit mainstream fame, even feeding into the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony. Dancers from both companies pushed through cultural gaps, guided by a Yolgu songman playing Dijuri Doe to create shared space and story. Fast forward, Ring's tapped Aria-winning musician William Barton for Flora, another powerhouse bridging worlds with Yiddaki and guitar. Like the first collab, it mixes ballet precision with Bangara's storytelling, this time diving into Australia's plant life and deep indigenous ties. It's a country. The push for Flora came from talks between Ring's and ballet director David Hallberg,

1:03fired up after the voice referendum flop. They aimed to reach new crowds and spark change, weaving and climate warnings, nearly 1500 plant species threatened, and colonization scars. On people and land, Flora runs at the Sydney Opera House until April 18th, inviting ballet fans to embrace First Nations views while Bangara audiences see fresh. Fusion. The bold step in blending traditions for real impact. This has been Sydney News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with The Story.