Baleen Moondjan

In his first major commission since leaving Bangarra Dance Theatre, creative visionary Stephen Page brings his contemporary ceremony, Baleen Moondjan, to his hometown.

Inspired by a story from Stephen’s grandmother from the Ngugi/Nunukul/Moondjan people of Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island), Baleen Moondjan celebrates the First Nations’ relationships between baleen whales and Communities’ totemic systems. The signature elements that have defined Stephen’s career are all present in this work with dramatic storytelling, striking choreography, and haunting live music integrated into an epic visual world from Jacob Nash.

Set amongst giant whale bones floating on the Brisbane River, Baleen Moondjan tells the story of a proud Elder, a curious granddaughter, generational legacies, and the day a baleen whale comes close to shore.

Stephen combines contemporary dance and narrative storytelling with songs in English, Jandai, and Gumbaynggirr/Yaegl as he conjures up the elements of theatre in a dynamic outdoor setting. His long-term collaborators — designer Jacob Nash, co-writer Alana Valentine, composer Steve Francis, costume designer Jennifer Irwin, and lighting designer Damien Cooper — help bring this vision to life.

Visually spectacular and beautifully told, Baleen Moondjan is a celebration of our First Nations’ stories and Culture, the bonds between humans and animals, and the sacred resilience of Country.