Videos from the REAL Australia

Aboriginal Dance in the Northern Territory

Among the most spectacular manifestations of Aboriginal culture are the ceremonies and dances that are regularly performed in remote Outback Australia. There are cultural festivals but traditional dances are also often performed in the communities just for fun or celebration. There are also traditional dances at funerals in Top End communities, especially in items and on the Tiwi Islands. Most dances have their roots in the "dreamings", the creation myths, sung in the old languages while the actions of the performers illustrate the deeds of the "Dreamtime Heroes", the mythical beings that created the land in the mythical past.

But here are also examples of dances that have been made up recently, like the one telling the story of a man given his first cigarette by a friend and not getting much pleasure out of it, as shown by men from Barunga, just south of Arnhem Land. And there is the "Aeroplane dance", depicting an event of the Second World War when an American bomber crashed in country to the east of Borroloola and the crew was found by local people. Here are also some examples of dances performed by the women of central Australia, often a loose-knee shuffle, while holding painted boards or sticks accompanied by singing. Elaborate designs are often painted on their upper bodies. Young girls are taught these dances at an early age. As a contrast, in Arnhem Land boys daub their bodies with white clay and do short "shake-a-leg" dances, like here in the schoolyard of Numbulwar, with the men bringing the clapsticks and didjeridu and singing the songs of the Nunggubuyu people.

In the Tiwi Islands to the north of Darwin, dances are accompanied by chanting and hand clapping; during their fast clan dances men often slap their upper legs. These dances are also performed at the elaborate "Pukumani" or funerary ceremonies of which there is two examples here. These clan dances are taught by elders in school and also appear in the performances of the "Stations of the Cross" at Easter in the school in Nguiu, Bathurst Island. This is a former Roman Catholic mission and aspects of Tiwi culture have been incorporated. A new development too is the "Bombing of Darwin" dance in which the bombing of that city by the japanese in the Second World War is depicted. And at the yearly Cultural Festival in Barunga Aboriginal groups from all over the Territory come to show their traditional dances, especially from the Arnhem Land region. Many local people, young and old. who share their culture, will join in the dances.

The first movies from the seventies and eighties on this page were recorded with old 8 mm film camera or with an early model video camera and the technical quality leaves a lot to be desired, for which we apologise.

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Warlpiri women	Bamyili dancers	Learning to smoke	Tiwi Pukumani ceremony	Stations of the Cross
Pukumani ceremony, Nguiu	Learning traditional dance	''Bombing of Darwin Dance''	Pintubi women dance	Pintubi girls dance
''Aeroplane Dance''	Borroloola boys dancing	Arnhem Land dances	Dance from North Arnhem	At Barunga Festival
Dance from Barunga	Warlpiri women's dance	Dance with rock band	Brolga Dance	Dance in Numbulwar School

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