Baleen Moondjan

‘Whale totem of mine, carry my spirit’ – the introduction to this wonderful performance that is Baleen Moondjan, on the sands of the beach, with the roar of the sea to our left, and the water threatening to lap over our blankets.

Inspired by a story from Stephen’s grandmother from the Ngugi/Nunukul/Moondjan people of Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island) and expressed with the skills he shared with us through Bangarra Dance Theatre, the opening event of Adelaide Festival 2024 is a celebration of First Nations’ relationships between nature and community – particularly, the baleen whale and the community’s totems.

Set amongst an incredible set from Jacob Nash that resembles giant whale bones, and boldly lit by Damien Cooper, twelve performers in stunning costumes (Jennifer Irwin) speak, sing, play and dance through a story that entrances the large audience that has watched the sun set over the sea before the performance begins.

The story is centred around a grandmother Gindara (an imposing Elaine Crombie), and granddaughter Nundigili (impressive vocals and elegant movement from Zipporah Corser-Anu), where the spirit of a dying Gindara will be taken by the giant whale out to sea.

‘Whale totem of mine, carry my joy’. In all senses, it’s epic: visually, it’s enormous, and complements the natural surroundings of the sand and sea; the story is spoken and sung in English and the Jandai language (supervised by language custodian Donna Page); and the music is alternately ethereal, harmonising with the wind, and with a steady beat, from massive drums on the stage. The dance and movement are both traditional and contemporary – and together, the audience follows the narrative of the cycle of life and how the bonds between humans and nature are unbreakable (however hard we try to break them!)

This piece was commissioned by the Adelaide Festival and director Stephen Page has used his long-term collaborators to create an accessible performance that is music, poetry, theatre, dance – together, in his words, it is contemporary ceremony.

‘Whale totem of mine, ease me into death’. There is nothing to disappoint on the stage that stretches from promenade to crashing wave. However, there are a few audience elements that can irritate: late-comers who ignore the stewards’ directions of where to sit; and in the quiet contemplative moments, the older white couple leaning against the sound tent, who saw fit to provide a running commentary to each other. Three requests from different members of the audience to desist were only temporarily successful – perhaps they were there to remind us of how the white man disturbs and destroys the beauty of others’ culture. Yet even this repeating irritation could not diminish the power of this poignant story played out in the open-air. It reminds us that we all have our part to play in our community, and that life is to be celebrated – even in death.

Review by Mark Wickett

Photographer: Roy VanDerVegt

Click here to check out our other Adelaide Festival 2024 reviews.