Garrigarrang Badu – Where the salt water
meets the fresh water
Jannawi Dance Clan
This unique performance honours the strength, resilience, and spirit of the Dharug Matriarch, taking audiences on a journey through time to honour the ancestral women of the Dharug Nation. Combining contemporary and traditional choreography and music, Garrigarrang Badu draws from Jannawi’s rich dance practice to present a profound meditation on healing, spiritual connection, and the gifts of mother earth.
Photo by Stephen Wilson Barker
Garrigarrang Badu is a powerful celebration of the strength, resilience, and spirit of the Dharug Matriarch. In the Dharug language, Garrigarrang means “salt water” and Badu means “fresh water,” symbolizing the meeting place of these waters on Dharug land. The performance takes us on a journey through time, honoring the ancestral women of the Dharug Nation whose stories are woven into the fabric of the land from the mountains to the sea.
This unique work combines contemporary and traditional choreographic and music forms, drawing from Jannawi’s rich dance practice. Through 15 songs and dances, Garrigarrang Badu explores the lives of Dharug women, offering a profound meditation on healing, spiritual connection, and the gifts of mother earth. It is a poignant reminder of our ancestral ties to the land and the importance of preserving our cultural heritage.
Garrigarrang Badu is a tribute to the enduring legacy of Dharug women, highlighting their vital role in shaping and enriching the Dharug nation. Directed and choreographed by Peta Strachan in collaboration with Jannawi Dance Clan dancers and with consultation from Dharug Elders and Knowledge Holders, this performance is a testament to the strength of Indigenous storytelling and the power of dance to transcend time and space.
Artistic Director and Choreography
Peta Strachan
Rehearsal Director
Lea Francis
Co-Choreography, Cast and Traditional Vocals
Abigail Delaney
Amy Flannery
Aroha Pehi
Buia David
Gapala Yunupingu
Hannah Hansen
Justine Evelyen
Katie Leslie
Kawanna Smallwood
Serene Yunupingu
Shana O’Brien
Sound Design
Damian Robinson, Wicked Beat Records
Lighting and Production Manager
Paul Osborne, Catapult Creative
Language and Composition
Matthew Doyle
Language and Vocalist
The Late Richard Green
Lead Vocalist and Composition
DYAGULA
Costumes and Cultural Artifacts
Pauline Strachan
Peta Strachan
Djuwakan Jeremy Marika
Gapala Yunupingu
Serene Yunupingu
Prop Design
Govinda Webster, Pink Cactus Props
Cultural Advisor
Julie Webb
Producer
FORM Dance Projects
Garrigarrang Badu – Where the salt water meets the fresh water
Jannawi Dance Clan
Presented by Carriageworks and Sydney Festival
Commissioned by Carriageworks
Executively Produced by FORM Dance Projects in collaboration with Arts & Cultural Exchange
This work has been supported by Carriageworks, Sydney Festival, The Australian Government’s Indigenous Languages and Arts program, Catapult Creative, Urban Theatre Projects, Blacktown Arts and Blacktown City Council, Arts & Cultural Exchange, BlakDance, City Of Parramatta, Vivcourt, Lucy Guiren Inc, Moogahlin Performing Arts, Sydney Olympic Park Authority and the Boorooberongal Clan of the Dharug Nation.
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