‘Garabari’ opened at the Wollongong Town Hall for a limited run, with just two shows in Wollongong this weekend, and two shows at the Dapto Ribbonwood Centre on Saturday February 14th.
The performance was unlike anything I’ve seen. From the moment you walk up the street to the Town Hall, you are part of the experience. On the footpath out the front, a smoking ceremony was being held prior to the commencement of the show. Passersby without tickets were stopped to watch and enjoy the culture that was on display. It felt equally intimate and yet also incredibly inclusive to any and all people who were around.
Before entering the performance space, the choreographer and Wiradjuri artist Joel Bray shared the story of the creation of the Murrumbidgee river and how ‘Garabari’ was a reflection of that dreaming story. He also told us that this was going to be an interactive experience where the audience was to be encouraged to move around and see different aspects of the performance, and to not be afraid to get up and dance alongside the artists.
Walking into the space, it felt almost entirely brand new, despite having been in that same hall a hundred times before. The technical elements and the use of sound and lighting, with shadows and screens was exceptional. It felt like walking into an art gallery whilst also getting a taste of our very own Night at the Museum where the history comes to life and tells us their stories.
The dancing was captivating. Technique and culture came together to bring people into the story itself. (I would recommend wearing comfortable shoes, or ones you can kick off to allow yourself to move and breathe in the art.) The dancers were simply outstanding. You could tell they were enjoying themselves. Interacting with the audience, with each other, and with the space. It was so obvious that this was a labour of love, and those are always the most enriching to watch. To all the dancers, and creatives who are involved in this, thank you, and congratulations. You should all be incredibly proud of the work you have done and what you have created for so many to be able to experience and be a part of.
To put it simply, this was a lot of fun. It’s not all the time you get to dance around the space with perfect strangers who were enjoying themselves in exactly the same way. It was inviting and brought together a wide variety of people from all walks of life, Indigenous, non-indigenous, it didn’t matter. In that space, it was just a group of people who loved art and dance, telling and listening to stories.
Normally, I’d use ‘show’ and ‘performance’ interchangeably, but with this experience, it felt less like a performance and more like a group of people showing us the ins and outs of their culture and stories, which is just phenomenal and incredibly gracious.
If you haven’t already gotten tickets to the remaining performances, I would highly recommend this experience. If traditional theatre is not really your thing, go and experience ‘Garabari’. Walk in with an open mind and be receptive to anything and you will not be disappointed.
Get yourself tickets at the Merrigong Theatre Company website and put on your dancing shoes for a beautiful celebration of culture and connection.
To book tickets to Garabari, please visit https://merrigong.com.au/shows/garabari/.
Photographer: Stephen Wilson Barker and Jeff Busby
