Bangarra’s Sandsong is a tribute to Ningali Lawford-Wolf
Wangkajunga woman Eva Nargoodah has traveled more than 3000km from home, to give the final nod to Bangarra’s SandSong — a story tragically close to her heart.
It is a long and tiring trek from the red pindan dust of the Kimberley in Western Australia to the Sydney Opera House, but it is a journey Eva Nargoodah was determined to make.
The Wangkajunga woman is in Sydney, more than 3000km from home, to give the final nod to Bangarra Dance Theatre’s world premiere production SandSong. It is a story tragically close to her heart.
Inspired by the ancient stories of her community, SandSong was conceived by Nargoodah’s younger sister Ningali Lawford-Wolf. The acclaimed stage and screen actress, dancer, cultural mentor and former Screenwest board member met with Bangarra in early 2019 saying she would like to share her community’s history, through dance, with the broader world.
Lawford-Wolf, who rose to prominence through films such as Rabbit-Proof Fence, Bran Nue Dae and Last Cab to Darwin, cut her teeth in the dance world, training at the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre and later performing with Bangarra. Her dream was to help choreograph and act as a cultural guide for SandSong.
Sadly, the world lost this cherished woman not long afterwards. Lawford-Wolf was on tour at the Edinburgh International Festival in August 2019 with the Sydney Theatre Company’s adaptation of Kate Grenville’s award-winning The Secret River when she died, aged 52, from complications following an asthma attack.
As devastated as they were in losing their sister, mother and grandmother, the Lawford family later generously agreed to guide the production, choreographed with Bangarra’s artistic director Stephen Page and associate artistic director Frances Rings, a close friend of Lawford-Wolf.
Nargoodah says her community was gratified by the careful consideration Bangarra had shown when co-creating SandSong following numerous visits to their communities. “They loved it, everybody loved it,” she says of the excerpts they’d seen. “It blew my mind. This is her … Ningali would be over the moon if she could see it, but she’d want to be in it!”
A tribute to Lawford-Wolf and her family, SandSong details ancient stories handed down by the Walmajarri elders, stories of being forcibly removed from their land and put in hard labour for minimal rations but also stories of determined survival and resilience.
“We glimpse their world and their experience, from living on country according to the seasons, a culturally rich, vibrant bush lifestyle to the impact of the Canning Stock Route and different protectionist acts imposed,” Rings says.
“Even though these devastating events happened, they have such strong, grounded cultural governance. We’re indebted to Ningali’s family and hope SandSong is something they can be proud of and look forward to sharing with families and audiences.”
SandSong opens at the Sydney Opera House on June 10 before touring nationally.
More Coverage
Mahabharata’s tales as old as time at Perth Festival
A single theatrical show attempts to give voice to a sprawling ancient Hindu text about what it means to be human.
Can the non-verbal be telepathic? This podcast says yes
Hugely popular The Telepathy Tapes explores the alleged telepathic abilities of some spellers in the autism community but lacks balance in the telling.