16. FRANCES RINGS
// Life In Bangarra And Beyond
It is an absolute joy and honour to bring you today’s episode with the divine Frances Rings. Fran is the Associate Artistic Director of Bangarra Dance Theatre, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander modern dance company. She has enjoyed a long standing, successful career with Bangarra, starting as a dancer in the company, spreading her wings to become an award winning choreographer and returning in 2019 as Associate Artistic Director.
In this special yarn, Fran generously shares her thoughts and feelings in response to the Black Lives Matter movement across the world and the impact it is having here in Australia. She credits her Indigenous peoples’ ability to mimic and adapt to fit in and cope with ever-changing and ongoing challenges, noting their quiet and strong nature.
We discuss the need to dismantle structures in this country and how Australia has had the opportunity to do this in the past and yet have continuously fallen short due to fear of change.
Fran beautifully articulates how a flame has been lit all over the world and what once was acceptable is now inappropriate. If you turn away you are complicit and a part of the problem. She also shares the heartbreaking fear experienced as a mother of Indigenous children in Australia today.
We discuss Fran’s childhood upbringing and introduction to dance, training here and abroad, transition from dancer to choreographer at Bangarra Dance Theatre and the challenges faced as a female Indigenous choreographer.
It was a very moving interview which ended in overwhelming emotion and tears. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
I would like to acknowledge our traditional custodians of our beautiful land and pay respects to our Indigenous brothers, sisters and elders, past and present.
BANGARRA DANCE THEATRE
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