A man, shirtless and submerged in a body of blue water, looks upwards with his head tilted back; dappled sunlight appears on his torso and on the water's surface, where his reflection is visible.
Bangarra Dance Theatre

Horizon

In Bangarra’s first mainstage cross-cultural collaboration, leading Māori choreographer and Arts Laureate Moss Te Ururangi Patterson joins beloved Bangarra alumna Deborah Brown, to create this bold, innovative new work.

A theatrical dance performance under dramatic spotlights. Dancers in dark, revealing costumes with feather accents are lit from above, with one dancer perched atop others in a display of strength and collaboration.

Photo credit Daniel Boud

★★★★ ½ "a feast of cultural richness and groundbreaking innovation. It’s one of the best things on Australian dance stages this year."

Come explore the cultural forces that bind us together, across oceans and eons. 

There is a place between sea and sky—a sacred realm, where the sun rises and falls and the light is new.

From two of the world’s great First Nations comes a new work: Horizon. Some call it a feeling, some call it the mother spirit. It’s the place where sea meets sky, the horizon we all look to, the compass that guides us home.

In Bangarra’s first mainstage cross-cultural collaboration, leading Māori choreographer and Arts Laureate Moss Te Ururangi Patterson joins beloved Bangarra alumna Deborah Brown. Together they guide Bangarra's award-winning ensemble in stories that honour their mother countries and the spirit that calls them home.

Brown is a proud descendent of the Wakaid Clan and Meriam people in the Torres Strait, and has heritage from far across the seas in Scotland. She carries strength and resilience from her ancestors. Patterson, born near Lake Taupō, is a proud mokopuna (grandson) of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa tribe, and describes his sense of home as something alive, a fire inside, that he carries like a beating heart.                                                                       

To open the work, Saibailayg (Saibai Islander) Sani Townson expands his acclaimed work Kulka, debuted in Dance Clan in 2023, to make a thrilling opening piece, paying homage to Sani’s grandfather and his Torres Strait heritage.

Come explore the cultural forces that bind us together, across oceans and eons.  Experience the resilience of the First Peoples of the Oceania region, that extends across the continent now known as Australia, the Torres Strait Islands and Aotearoa, our southern neighbour.

Horizon is a double bill opening with Kulka by Bangarra alum Sani Townson, followed by the primary piece, The Light Inside, choreographed by Bangarra alum Deborah Brown and Māori choreographer and Arts Laureate Moss Te Ururangi Patterson. 

★★★★★ "bold, transcendent, visceral, divine and poignant."

REVIEWS

★★★★ "a rich, layered production that stays with the viewer long after curtain call." - ArtsHub

"a fresh, exciting and invigorating performance." - South Sydney Herald

"Patterson excels in his group choreography, as pulsing organic masses move amoebic-like...the choreography is by end mesmerising and unceasing." - Stage Whispers 

"Aural and visual riches are in abundant supply." - The Australian

A shirtless male dancer in loose, patterned trousers, arms raised, poised mid-performance on a blue stage, a dark, mountainous backdrop behind him.
Three dancers in flowing, sheer costumes perform on a stage with a dark blue backdrop, mimicking wing-like formations, their reflections visible on the polished floor.
A group of dancers, painted in red and brown hues, perform a modern dance routine on a dimly lit stage, with fluid and expressive movements.
Three dancers, intertwined and backlit, form an abstract, symmetrical human sculpture. Their bodies and long dark hair create a layered, organic form in the dim, blue-toned stage lighting.
A dance performance featuring a group of cross legged performers with their arms raised upwards towards a dim, smoky background. They are wearing loose white pants. Some are shirtless and others wear sports bras.
A modern dance performance with a group of diverse dancers, painted with red streaks, posing in dynamic and expressive poses on a dark reflective stage.
Dancers in a stage performance, wearing shorts and body paint, with raised arms and a dramatic expression. Some are shirtless and others wear red sports bras or tops.
Three female dancers in brown leotards kneel on a reflective dark floor in a spotlight; the center dancer looks upward with arms outstretched while the other two have their backs towards the camera, heads bowed.

Photography credit: Daniel Boud.

Touring

August & November 2026

CREDITS

The Light Inside
Choreography: Deborah Brown and
Moss Te Ururangi Patterson with
Bangarra Dance Theatre Dancers
Composition: Steve Francis and
Brendon Boney
Set Design: Elizabeth Gadsby
Costume Design: Jennifer Irwin
Lighting Design: Karen Norris
Associate Set Designer: Shana O’Brien 

Kulka
Choreography: Sani Townson with Bangarra Dance Theatre Dancers
Composition: Amy Flannery
Set Design: Elizabeth Gadsby
Costume Design: Clair Parker
Lighting Design: Karen Norris
AV Design: David Bergman
Associate Set Designer: Shana O’Brien

If you are interested in touring get in contact!

Arts on Tour
02 8038 1880
touring@artsontour.com.au