Blak

Despite the fact that Bangarra Dance Theatre are often judged by measures others than dance, on stage they pull it off. The three-part work Blak underscores this perfectly. It's both a slickly executed piece of contemporary dance and a passionate evocation of aboriginality in 2013. Indeed, the artistic and cultural poles at work in Blak illustrate the central conundrum of Bangarra and, by extension, all indigenous Australians: what does aboriginal culture mean against the click-speed glare of a world obsessed with iSelf fetishism and sound economic management? Does it have currency and if so, what is its value? Once you burrow through the layers of history, though, what you get is a mesmeric triptych. By focusing on men, women and ancestors, Blak both dissects and re-assembles the realities of clan tradition within an overarching context of modernity and, of course, Western theatre. More than that Blak is energetic, elegant and beautifully constructed. Powered by David Page and Paul Mac's rumbling and evocative soundtrack and by the dual choreographic magic of Daniel Riley McKinley and Stephen Page, it draws you into a world of ritual, transformation and loss. However, it is far from funereal. Blak's final third is a triumphant reconnection with the serpent of culture and country. Loaded up as they are with expectation and obligation, Bangarra deliver the theatrical goods with passionate and powerful aplomb.

Arts Centre to Saturday 11 May