Performing arts
Dance principles and protocols
people seek to reassert and reclaim control
over their cultural heritage material, Indigenous
interpretation of the material is a way of
enhancing the cultural significance of the work.
…for example, we were dancing and Rachael
(the artistic director) wanted us to try a
traditional boy’s move on the stilts. Because
we weren’t set characters like women spirits
or men spirits or any spirits yet, I didn’t want
to do it because the old ladies were watching
us and I thought it might be disrespectful to
them, to see a woman doing their men’s
dance. I asked Rachael and she said you’re
not really anything yet; you’re not a man or
a woman in character style. But it felt wrong.
She said if it felt wrong you don’t do it. Even
if you don’t know what’s right and you’ve got
doubts you can talk to each other which I
think is the best thing about our company
because we all seem to get around the
problems by sitting down and having a big
meeting and talking.
Dalisa Pigram70
Integrity
The context of a dance performance must also
be appropriate. In relation to Torres Strait dance,
Helen Anu says, ‘Performing a dance in the
wrong cultural context can ridicule the dance
and its cultural meaning.71
‘Teaching Torres Strait Island dancing must be
done with close regard to accuracy and context.
For educating – you have to get it right.72 It is
not enough just to give an exhibition of the
dance; it must be accompanied by the history
and acknowledgment of the traditional
custodians of the dance’.73
Working together with Indigenous
choreographers and communities can ensure
or re-establish the integrity of a production.
28
Case study: Mimi at
The Dreaming Festival
I understand the original idea of the Mimi
production was Michael Leslie’s. During
the creative development, it was solidly
re-embellished by non-Indigenous people.
Through a process of re-commissioning the
production for the Festival of the Dreaming
1997, an Indigenous choreographer was
employed. The choreographer then took
the work and performers back to Arnhem
Land. By the time they got to Yirrkala it was
a changed company and a changed work.74
Authenticity
People sometimes say that we have to use
the styles and steps of other clans because
we have lost our own. It’s not true that
we have lost our own. We can look back;
research the archives for our original steps,
our imagery and our languages. We can
revitalise them and develop our dances
and chants. We shouldn’t be appropriating
clan work. There are proper ways to develop
new work. We can collaborate with Western
techniques, and take guidance from the
cultural custodians. We don’t need to
just slap on ochre and handprints if it’s not
our way. We can find and revitalise our own
skin designs.
All along the east coast, Tasmania and Victoria
we can do the research to find our languages
and our chants. It takes time to do the
research but it can be done. Funding should
be going to the research and development of
our original designs and original dance steps.
It’s our way to become part of the national
identity, and is so empowering for us to
revitalise and reclaim our cultures. We
researched and found out so much for the
Woggan-mugule dawn ceremony at the
Royal Botanic Gardens. Through our
Performing arts
Dance principles and protocols
research we developed the women fishing,
and the emu decoy dance, and the original
images of the shields. We researched and
found the old imagery of shields used in New
South Wales with intricate lines chiselled
into them. And we saw so much from other
areas, there’s so much to be proud of.
Rhoda Roberts75
The important nature of dance in Indigenous
culture means that where permission is given
to perform, special regard must be given to
authentic use of the steps and styles.
We were participating in a workshop and
there was a non-Indigenous person teaching
us a dance step. We were being taught a
particular way, and I knew that the style in
that country was not that way. The women
do not dance with a heel strike in that country.
So we sat down and told the woman teaching
that we would not dance that way, and that
we would only dance the proper way.76
In the Torres Strait, permission must be sought
before performing a Torres Strait Island dance.
It is important to show particular care when
using traditional instruments, and respect for
ownership of dances and music by language
groups on different islands.77
Interpretation, integrity and
authenticity when recording
Indigenous dance is not always easily recorded
using the usual methods, such as labanotation.78
Ronne Arnold, dancer and teacher at NAISDA,79
described his experiences when he was taught
the dances of the Wik-Mungkan people in
northern Queensland. Ronne explained that
labanotation is very useful for recording
Indigenous dance, but proper notation of
Indigenous dance utilises a particular aspect
of the labanotation method.
In general, Western dance is recorded by
focusing mainly on the steps. Indigenous
29
dance is most accurately recorded by
focusing on the actions of the dance.
Correct notation is important to protect
the integrity of the dance.80
Film is also a very valuable method of recording
dance. It is important to consider issues of
copyright ownership, storage and administration
of film access once the dance is recorded.
As with all recordings of Indigenous cultural
material, it is important to discuss these issues
with custodians and dancers.
If a recording is made and stored, it is important
to accurately label the recording with the names
of the dances, the dancers, time and place so
that future viewers of the film are aware of its
content. This is an important aspect of respect
for cultural practices. For example, if a dancer
or other person depicted on the film passes
away, family and community members can
make informed decisions about future use of
the film.81
It is always important to consider the copyright
ownership of cultural heritage material prior to
recording it, particularly for the first time.
Interpretation, integrity and authenticity
in collaborative projects
Collaboration is good. We often need the
experiences of both Indigenous and nonIndigenous people but any collaborative
project must have an Indigenous perspective.
Collaborative productions must have an
Indigenous person in creative control. They
must have an Indigenous director, Indigenous
choreographer and/or Indigenous curator.
Indigenous creative control and protocols
which include communication and permission
from the community are essential.82
Rhoda Roberts82
5. Secrecy and confidentiality
Some Indigenous material is not suitable for
wide dissemination on the grounds of secrecy