More than 350 performers from 30 nations and clans will converge on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House when this celebration of Indigenous dance and culture returns to the iconic location for its largest competition to date. DanceRites is Australia’s only national dance competition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups – and you can check it out for free across two big days.
The competition will see over 20 dance groups compete for monetary prizes (amounting to a combined total of $36,000) and the prestigious Rites of Passage awards. The event will run across the weekend of Saturday, November 25, and Sunday, November 26 – with each dance group presenting a cultural dance and song cycle representing their local language and approach to storytelling. Other anticipated acts include “Wildcard” performances, with groups showcasing their community’s unique style and story.
Set against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour, the event will coincide with the last day you can see Quandamooka artist Megan Cope's monumental public artwork, ‘Whispers’. Initially commissioned to celebrate the Opera House's 50th Birthday back in October, the artwork was formed from more than 85,000 oyster shells installed across three locations on and around the Opera House, evoking the ancestral midden sites of the land's traditional owners. The exhibiting dates have been extended to allow more Sydneysiders and visitors to witness it.
Both DanceRites and the ‘Whispers’ installation will come to a close on Sunday, November 26. Both are free to attend, so why not make a day of it and book a table at one of the best places to eat and drink in Circular Quay? Make it dinner and a show (with a hearty helping of meaningful cultural exchange).
