The connection between Sydney Opera House and Dance is Irresistible, and this weekend if you are lucky enough to be in Sydney, you can see nearly 300 performers from around Australia, right in front of Sydney Opera House, for an extraordinary celebration of First Nation dance, song, and culture. On Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October, 18 dance groups from more tab 40 nations and clans will take to the Sand Circle in the heart of the harbour to perform at Tubowgule, showcasing their local storytelling and language in a Cultural Dance and Song cycle, bringing with them a vibrant tapestry of Indigenous culture – one that is as rich and varied as the land itself. Attending this sacred and beautiful extravaganza is free and will also be broadcast as a livestream on Sydney Opera House and NITV channels.
DanceRites is Australia’s only national dance competition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and by competing in heats on Saturday, and finals on Sunday, groups will be able to win prizes worth a total of $41,000. The event’s name, Dance Rites, isn’t just about the art of dance itself, it’s about the right to dance, to celebrate culture openly and proudly on land that has seen so much change. Each performance is a statement that these traditions are thriving and gaining strength, with every step, beat, and chant.
NSW Minister for the Arts, Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, the Hon. John Graham MLC said, “DanceRites is a special moment on the nation’s arts and cultural calendar – a powerful opportunity to celebrate and learn about diverse First Nations cultures as they perform on the iconic Sydney Opera House Forecourt on Tubowgule. Ten groups will make their debut in front of thousands of people – spectators and competitors, locals and visitors, and those watching the broadcast across the country.”
Long before the magnificent sails graced the Bennelong Point shoreline, the land Sydney Opera House occupies was known by its original name, Tubowgule. The word comes from the Gadigal language and means where the knowledge waters meet, which perfectly describes this historically rich and culturally significant site. While to many worldwide it’s known as the place where Australia’s most iconic architectural masterpiece stands, Tubowgule has been a gathering place for thousands of years, never just a place to pass through, revered for its ceremonial significance, and particularly for dance, which has always been central to rituals and ceremonies. Dance is more than performance; it’s a way of remembering and enacting heritage, a vessel of knowledge, a way of mapping the land, stating laws and customs, and recounting important events. Through ceremonies, Indigenous communities express their relationship with the land, the waters, and each other, weaving invisible threads that tie each generation to the next, a form of storytelling that has survived the test of time.
As settlers arrived and imposed their own systems and narratives, many Indigenous people found themselves dispossessed of their land and stripped of their cultural rights. Yet, even in the face of this adversity, dance continued. It adapted, sometimes going underground, but it never disappeared. The annual DanceRites event brings a vibrant reminder of the land’s deep-rooted history, allowing witness and participation in a celebration that predates colonial invasion by thousands of years. It is a testament to resilience and resistance, an affirmation that these practices are alive and powerful. So it’s more than a festival—it’s a reconnection to the rhythms, songs, and movements that have long echoed in this space, reclaiming Tubowgule as a cultural landmark that tells the stories of survival, and enduring cultural pride.
Wadumbah Aboriginal Dance Group, led by James T. Webb, also known as Gumbiardi, is a renowned dance collective from Noongar Country in South-West Western Australia, who will be attending DanceRites for the first time. Noongar Country is as big as Germany and has 14 tribes and one language but three dialects. The group has performed all over the world and is known for its dynamic performances that blend traditional dance, music, and storytelling, crossing paths with the likes of Cate Blanchett and Giorgio Armani on their travels. James performs alongside his sons, grandsons, and other family members, with Wadumbah exemplifying the intergenerational transmission of cultural knowledge, where each member of the group brings a unique energy to the stage. Nathaniel, for example is the one who leaps and jumps defying gravity, and Isaiah definitely brings home the cheeky young vibe, while they all connect audiences to the spirit and tradition of their people.
Irresistible caught up with James Webb, who is now in his 70s but sprightly as ever, ahead of the group’s trip to DanceRites. He told us, “I created this group in my 40s. Previously I was working in jobs related to First Nation services, like the Aboriginal Legal Service. I was constantly confronted with the lack of knowledge and misinformation that is circulating about First Nation peoples and our history. One of the best things about Wadumbah Group is the chance I have to teach people. Alongside the ceremonies and the fun stuff, there’s a real chance to let people know some of the truth of what has happened, and I get to do just that.”
When we asked James how he felt about coming to Sydney for the first time he said, “Every Welcome to Country is special. Every piece of land is sacred and we respect the mob wherever we go, but I can’t wait to see all the other groups and how they’re doing it. It’s going to be a big party.”
When they arrive at Dance Rites at Tubowgule, the Wadumbah Aboriginal Dance Group will carry with them not only the power of their stories but also the pride of their community. Their inclusion highlights the expanding reach and diversity of the festival, inviting new audiences to experience the vibrancy of all corners of Australia and the group’s exceptional skills in bringing ancient dances to life in a contemporary setting.
DanceRites participants will be marked on dance skills and engagement with culture, language and song by a star cast judging panel with between them decades of experience in the arts and dance: Berthalia Selina Reuben (Peiudu and Samsep, Darnley Island), Gary Lang (Larrakia), Rosealee Pearson (Yolngu, Manggalili, Yirrkala), Sani Townson (Koedal, Dhoeybaw, Samu Saibai Island Zenadth Kes), Tara Gower (Yawuru).
Singer-songwriter Naomi Wenitong (Gubbi Gubbi), best known as one-half of Shakaya, and hip-hop pioneer Shannon Williams aka BrothaBlack (Yiman – Ghungalu), are hosting, and the weekend will also feature performances from Maruku Arts and Mui Mui Bumer Gedlam Dance Groups, as well as Native Pride Productions visiting from USA led by Larry Yazzie.
Sydney Opera House Head of First Nations Programming, Michael Hutchings shared, “We can’t wait to welcome mob back to the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. DanceRites continues the traditions of Tubowgule as a meeting place for storytelling, celebration and dance, on the Opera House’s most spectacular outdoor stage. DanceRites creates a truly special space for community to gather, connect and share their cultures with each other and audiences, on site and online across Australia.”
Coming together to share their unique styles, from the Yidaki (didgeridoo) accompaniment of Northern Australia to the clap sticks and stomping feet of the south, every performance will be united by a shared understanding: that dance is not just an art form—it’s a living, breathing language that speaks across time and space. Dance Rites is a reminder that while the buildings may change, the spirit of the land remains timeless. It’s a homecoming, a return to the rhythms that have shaped the area for thousands of years. And it’s an invitation, for acknowledgement, and to be part of the ongoing story of Tubowgule.
The competing groups are:
- ALLKUMO Malpa Paman (QLD: Ayapathy, LamaLama, Kaantju, Umpila, Mungkanhu & Oolkolo)
- Babilali Dancers (NSW: Northern Coast region, Bundjalung country)
- Boigu Island Kayn Kuap Dance Team (QLD: Boigu Islands, Torres Strait – Shark/Egret)
- BuujaBuuja Butterfly Dancers (NSW: Wiradjuri)
- Kaiyukan Kawuma (NSW: Murrawarri)
- Dhanggati Baayati (Male) (NSW: Dunghutti)
- DIDG – Deaf Indigenous Dance Group (QLD: Gimuy Walubara Yidinji)
- Kebi Ngagalyg Kab Le Buway (QLD: Bamaga)
- Koey Poeypiyam Dance Group (QLD: Boigu Islands, Torres Strait – Moegi Buay, Koedal)
- Maarli Nhuuhngkhus Pikilarna maarni (VIC: Barkindji)
- Mackay Torres Strait Islander Cultural Group (QLD: Torres Strait – Meriam)
- Midnight Dreaming (NSW: Karuah/Newcastle Awabakal & Worimi)
- MINJIL (QLD: Yidinydji)
- MIPLA AFL Cape York Aboriginal Dance (QLD: Cairns & Cape York)
- Mura Biri Gururu Aboriginal Dancers (QLD: Muruwarri)
- Ngambaa Dhalaay (NSW: Gamilaraay)
- Wadumbah Aboriginal Dance Group (WA: Noongar)
- Wagana (NSW: Wiradjuri)
DanceRites is Australia’s national First Nations dance competition, and will be held on the Sydney Opera House Forecourt on 19 and 20 October 2024.
