Matriarchs

Metro Arts’ exhilarating new festival, DANCE24, made a memorable debut with the premiere of Matriarchs. This contemporary dance performance delved deeply into the experiences of Indigenous Australian women, shedding light on how the lives and struggles of the maternal ancestors have shaped their modern descendants. The piece was profoundly moving, often heartbreaking, yet fiercely powerful, uplifting, and aesthetically captivating.

Matriarchs was devised, choreographed, and performed by Olivia Adams, a proud Wulli Wulli woman from Brisbane (Meanjin). This marks Adams' first full-length work, a testament to her dedication to elevating First Nations voices and stories. Alongside her, Arabella Walker, a visual artist and dancer from the maternal line of the Auburn Hawkwood Wulli Wulli people, graced the stage. Together, they conveyed a poignant narrative of reconnection and intergenerational healing, offering the audience a deeply stirring and thought-provoking experience.

Both dancers displayed impressive skill, flexibility, and stamina. They were focussed, cohesive, and well-rehearsed. Their grace and strength was a wonderful thing to witness, and the messaging so important, it would be amazing if more people could see and appreciate it in future.

The sound design, crafted by Jhindu-Pedro Lawrie, a storyteller of Yergala-Mirning and Wuthathi heritage, was nothing short of masterful. Lawrie's work, informed by his experiences as a young Aboriginal man navigating an evolving world, created an intense auditory landscape that forged an immediate emotional bond with the audience.

Video design by Nevin Howell, a Brisbane-based video designer and videographer, played a crucial role in Matriarchs. Howell’s projections functioned as an additional dancer, a narrator, and a powerful vehicle for metaphor, enriching the performance's narrative depth and visual impact. It was delightful to watch the dancers interact and play with the images on screen.

The lighting design by Teegan Kranenburg was equally essential to the production's success. Kranenburg's imaginative and resourceful lighting beautifully complemented the dancers' movements, enhancing the overall emotional and visual experience. Special mention goes to the work with shadows and torchlight, both were extremely successful lighting effects.

Matriarchs was an extraordinary, moving, and transformative evening of dance and storytelling. For those who missed this powerful debut, DANCE24 continues at Brisbane’s Metro Arts until June 1st, offering a rich program of dance performances, workshops, talks, and more. This festival promises a celebration of creativity and cultural expression not to be missed. We look forward to seeing Olivia Adams’ contemporary choreography gracing our stages again in future.

Kitty Goodall

Photography by Jade Ellis.