Dance Rites — Australia’s First Nations dance competition — is the Sydney Opera House’s free celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island dance and cultures on the Sydney Opera House Forecourt, taking place each spring. In November 2019, more than 350 performers from 19 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island groups celebrated the dance and culture of the first inhabitants of this land.
Dance Rites draws together performers representing nations from across the country from The Kimberleys to Far North Queensland, the Tiwi Islands, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales.
Groups travel to Sydney to showcase their unique cultures in one of the world’s most spectacular outdoor performance spaces: Bennelong Point. Formerly known as Tubowgule, Bennelong Point has been a meeting place for ritual celebration and dance for tens of thousands of years.
Each group has the opportunity to present three dances: a welcome and a farewell dance — one of which must include a chant in local language — and a ‘wildcard’ dance of the group’s choosing. These are judged by an expert judging panel for their technical skill and engagement with language, skin-markings and traditional instruments.
Find out more about the particpating groups at https://stories.sydneyoperahouse.com/danceritesguide/
Be transported to Bennelong Point with our expert guide Alex for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the Opera House. Discover the Indigenous history and cultural significance of this remarkable place, learn about the design principles formulated by architect Jørn Utzon a...
Join our Indigenous narrators on a journey into the history and culture of Bennelong Point in this digital tour created especially for kids!
Beginning from creation time to pre-settlement and the arrival of the first fleet, learn about the daily life of the Gadigal people and the land of Tubowgu...
An exclusive broadcast of Piano Day 2020 featuring Jon Hopkins, Joep Beving, Margaret Leng Tan, Nils Frahm and more. First broadcast on 28 March 2020.
Founded by Nils Frahm in 2015, the 88th day of the year was declared Piano Day - a nod to the 88 keys on a modern piano.
Piano Day 2020 feature...
