NT Artist Awarded Major Dance Grant
03 December 2012
Acclaimed Indigenous dancer Gary Lang has been named the recipient of the Australia Council for the Arts Dance Board Fellowship: a prestigious $100,000, two-year grant.
The Fellowship recognises the contribution Gary has made to Australian dance, in particular his passionate promotion of contemporary dance which is rooted in the traditions of Indigenous Australia. It is the first time the Dance Fellowship has been awarded to a Northern Territory artist.
A Larrakia man, Gary Lang is an accomplished and widely respected dancer, choreographer and performer. Since training at the National Aboriginal and Islander Dance School (NAISDA), he has toured across Australia and overseas with premier dance companies such as Bangarra Dance Theatre and Dancenorth.
Gary is a passionate advocate of the power of dance to interpret Indigenous traditions and a proud ambassador of his culture. For the past decade, he has been working with communities in the Top End of the Northern Territory, making a vital contribution to local dance and unearthing a cache of Indigenous talent.
The Australia Council’s Dance Board provides one fellowship grant per year for an established artist who has an outstanding record of achievement. Newly appointed Dance Board Chair Elizabeth Walsh is delighted to announce the grant: ‘The Australia Council Dance Board is pleased to acknowledge Gary’s outstanding contribution to the dance sector. The Fellowship will take his practice to the next level, providing invaluable opportunities for Gary to learn as an artist and build on his already substantial body of work.’
Gary remains based in Darwin as he prefers to work within his community and the natural environment that inspires his work. However, his location is not without challenges – the isolation often limiting his resource and artistic opportunities. The Fellowship will allow him to work with a range of new companies. Collaborations are already planned with Ochre Contemporary Dance Company in Western Australia and Atamira Maori Contemporary Dance Company in Auckland. Gary will also further develop his work, Mokoi, which explores suicide and its impact on spirit, family and community.
Importantly, the Fellowship will also enable Gary to spend extended periods in Arnhem Land with his family’s Yirrkala community. The artist will re-connect with his elders, deepening his understandings of the community’s stories and learning more about traditional dance forms.
‘I am at a time in my work when I need to extend my dance world. The Fellowship is a truly life-changing event. It will breathe new life into my career and fuel my creativity, giving me the freedom to take my skills to the next level. I am grateful to the Australia Council for making this opportunity possible,’ says Gary.
‘Artback NT: Arts Development and Touring is thrilled that Gary has been awarded this grant. We share his commitment to building the sector here and to ensuring Northern Territory stories are heard and celebrated. Gary is a treasured NT talent and a generous and passionate artist who has thrived on the opportunities that have been offered to him so far. We look forward to supporting the next exciting chapter in his artistic development,’ says Angela O’Donnell, Performing Arts Touring Manager, Artback NT.
Image: Gary Lang in rehearsal for Mokoi Credit: Glenn Campbell
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (87.4 KB).
Contact
For inquiries contact:
Gabrielle Wilson
Phone 0433 972 915, Email gabrielle@articulatepr.com.au
Tagged: