Stephen Page

:"This article is about the Australian dancer and choreographer; for the Canadian musician, see Steven Page."

Stephen Page (born 1965) is an Indigenous Australian descended from the Nunukul people and the Munaldjali clan of the Yugambeh tribe from southeast Queensland. He was born in Brisbane, Australia. He is the Artistic Director of Bangarra Dance Theatre. Page was the recipient of an Australian Dance Award for outstanding choreographic achievement in 1997.

Career

Page studied dance at the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA), he graduated in 1983 and then danced with the Sydney Dance Company, in 1991 he choreographed "Mooggrah" for the Sydney Dance Company and "Trackers of Oxyrhyncus" for the Sydney Theatre Company and a sextet for Opera Australia's "Marriage of Figaro". During this time he also toured with the NAISDA associated "Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre".

In 1991, he went to the Bangarra Dance Theatre and was later appointed Artistic Director choreographing "Praying Mantis Dreaming" (1992), Bangarra's first full length work.

In 1996, he choreographed "Alchemy" for the The Australian Ballet, and in 1997, bringing The Australian Ballet and Bangarra together in "Rites", performed to Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring".

In the same year, he choreographed "Fish" for Bangarra, which had its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival, before opening at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Indigenous Festival of the Dreaming.

Stephen choreographed the flag handover ceremony for the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996 and directed the Indigenous segments of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. He also created the ceremony that opened the Olympic Arts Festival.

In 2000 he also "Skin", this premiered at the Olympic Arts Festival later winning Stephen and Bangarra the Helpmann Award for Best New Australian Work and Best Dance Work.

Stephen's triple bill "Corroboree" toured nationally and internationally, including a sell-out tour of the United States with appearances at BAM in New York and Washington's Kennedy Center.

In 2001, Stephen won the Matilda Award for his contribution to the arts in Queensland and choreographed "Totem" for the Australian Ballet's principal dancer, Steven Heathcote. 2002 also saw the world premiere of Bangarra's double bill, "Walkabout" which Stephen co-choreographed with Frances Rings.

Stephen and Frances Rings later co-choreographed "Bush" for Bangarra, which sold out on its Australian tour as well as its 2004 tour to the United States. Bangarra returned, in 2004, to the Sydney Opera House with another sell-out production co-choreographed by Stephen and Frances, "Clan".

In 2005, Stephen choreographed "Boomerang" which again enjoyed great critical and popular acclaim, selling out its Australian tour.

Stephen was recently commissioned by The Australian Ballet to choreograph a collaborative work with Bangarra called "Gathering", a double bill consisting of a remounted work "Rites" and the new work, "Amalgamate". "Gathering" has been one of the best selling contemporary works for The Australian Ballet.

Stephen's film and theatre credits include the contemporary operatic film "Black River", numerous music video clips and most recently directing his own brother David Page in the highly acclaimed one-man show "Page 8" which toured the UK.

Stephen was artistic director of the 2004 Adelaide Festival of the Arts, Australia's premiere arts festival. He was praised for reinvigorating the event with an impressive and highly successful world-class program.

Choreography

* Sydney Dance Company
**"Mooggrah" (1991)
*Sydney Theatre Company
**'Trackers of Oxyrhyncus"
*a sextet for Opera Australia's "Marriage of Figaro"
*Bangarra Dance Theatre
**"Praying Mantis Dreaming" (1992), Bangarra's first full length work.
**"Ochres" (1994),
**"Fish" (1997)
**"Skin" (2000) won Stephen and Bangarra the Helpmann Award for Best New Australian Work and Best Dance Work
**"Corroboree" (2001), for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival,
**"Walkabout" (2002) co-choreographed with Frances Rings
**"Bush" (2003)
**"Clan" (2004) co-choreographed with Frances Rings.
**"Boomerang" (2005)
*Australian Ballet
**"Alchemy" (1996)
**"Rites" (1997) (with Bangarra Dance Theatre)
**"Totem" (2002) a solo for Steven Heathcote
**"Gathering" (2006), remounted "Rites" with a new work, "Amalgamate" collaborative work with Bangarra
*with other works for the
**"Australian Football League,
**"flag handover ceremony for the Atlanta Olympic Games (1996)
**"directed the Indigenous segments of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games
**"opening ceremony of the Olympic Arts Festival

External links

* [http://www.bangarra.com.au/home.html Bangarra Dance Theatre]
* [http://www.australiadancing.org/subjects/50.html Stephen Page at Australia Dancing]