Bangarra Dance Theatre will present the world premiere of their first-ever visual arts collaboration, Ilume, with performances at the Sydney Opera House commencing next week. Illume is an exciting new presentation from Mirning woman and Bangarra Artistic Director, Frances Rings, and Goolarrgon Bard visual artist, Darrell Sibosado. Following a season in Sydney, Illume will then embark on a national tour, which will also include performances in Western Australia.
Courtney Radford is one of the performers in Illume, featured on the production’s poster artwork. The Scoop had the chance to sit down with Courtney ahead of the tour. Courtney talks about the significance of returning to Western Australia and what it’s like performing as part of an ensemble. Read the full interview below.
Illume is Bangarra’s first-ever visual arts collaboration. Could you describe the rehearsal process? I imagine it’s been a completely different undertaking.
Yeah, it has. From the start, we have primarily focused on Darrell Sibosado’s artwork and how we, as dancers, fit into the bigger picture. The creatives brought in slide shows and visuals for each section of the performance, showing what the stage and the backdrop would look like. Darrell was on Zoom calls for a lot of it because he was still up in Lombadina. He explained his vision and how we fit into each section to tell the bigger story.
It’s been really cool. It kind of took a while to find a groove, just because it’s something so different. But overall, I think the show is going to be really awesome and something that audiences have never seen before from Bangarra.
Could you speak to how you, as a performer, fit into this piece? How do you bring your own experience, your story, your cultural knowledge, to this work?
There are lots of different sections paying homage to the Dampier Peninsula, where Darrell is from. There are sections in this piece about Manawan tree, which is a gum tree that has black at the bottom and white at the top. It has medicinal purposes, it is used for its wood, used for different types of spears and things like that.
So as dancers, we then do a lot of research to find how we can connect to that. I’m just using Manawan tree as an example of how we would research the characteristics to portray this really significant tree. There is a lot of exploration and deep diving into the physicality of how we would portray this for Darrell in a way that we also feel connected as well.
Bangarra is so deeply rooted in ensemble. What’s it like being a part of that chemistry, connection, and shared energy on stage?
Oh, it’s so nice. Everyone here in this process has been really vulnerable and open to Darrell’s vision. It’s really nice to share that experience through our dancing and our artistry. There are lots of moments in the show where we do get to connect with each other. I’m in one section with three of the men here, and it’s just really beautiful and slow. There are moments to really connect and to look at each other. You just feel like you’re in your own little world in that moment. So it’s really, really nice.
This tour also includes a return to Western Australia. I know that this has some personal significance for you. Could you share a bit about that?
Yeah, I’m actually Ballardung Noongar from Perth. In my seven years of being with the company, we’ve only ever performed in Perth city once, so I’m excited to go home, be on Country, have all my friends and family come to the shows. I think my mum’s bought a ticket for every night. It’s going to be so nice to perform on my home soil and have everyone there to support me.
What do you hope audiences will take away from Illume, especially those experiencing Bangarra as a company for the first time?
I honestly couldn’t vouch for the show more. It’s just going to be a whole new experience. If you’re a Bangarra supporter who’s already seen some of our shows before and also if you’re new. The set, Darrell’s artwork, the music and the costumes; this year, it’s a massive, massive show. Everyone who has been a part of making this all come to life should be so proud, because it’s honestly something I’ve never seen before for a dance company. It’s really, really exciting.
The next two questions we always ask at The Scoop because we love hearing the answers. Are there any roles or shows that are on your personal bucket list?
Oh, you know what? I would love to be in a musical one day; I do a little bit of singing. I also think just being really cheesy and over the top and high energy, that would be a lot of fun. So that’s on my bucket list, hopefully one day!
And finally, what advice would you give to any young artists who are trying to break into this industry or pursue their craft?
I grew up in Port Hedland, which is a regional town in Western Australia. I was a little girl from the bush who’s now performing at the Sydney Opera House. My advice would be: it doesn’t matter where you’re from, your background, finances. If you have a dream, you have to just dive into it, because you really don’t know what could happen.
Illume runs from 4 – 14 June at Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House before going on tour. Full dates below.
Tickets: https://my.bangarra.com.au/events
Website: https://www.bangarra.com.au/productions/illume/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/bangarradancetheatre/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/courtneyjradford/
Photo credits: Daniel Boud
Australian Tour Dates
Sydney Gadigal Country 4 – 14 June, Sydney Opera House
Perth Whadjuk Noongar Boodja 10 – 13 July, Heath Ledger Theatre
Albany Kinjarling 18 July, Albany Entertainment Centre
Canberra Ngunnawal Country 25 – 26 July, Canberra Theatre Centre
Brisbane Meanjin 1 – 9 August, Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Darwin Garramilla 15 – 16 August, Darwin Entertainment Centre
Melbourne Wurundjeri Country 4 – 13 September, Arts Centre Melbourne
