Burning Daylight

About the production

Burning Daylight is a multimedia production incorporating contemporary dance, film, live music and karaoke! The project combines the unique performance style of Western Australian Indigenous dancers and musicians with Malaysian martial arts, and the company’s visual and acrobatic performance language. Burning Daylight was researched and created in Broome, with its unique history of cultural relations between the local Aboriginal and Immigrant Japanese, Chinese and Malay communities.

The performance is set from late one night until dawn outside a notorious pub on a Broome-style Karaoke night. A series of contemporary dance scenes unfold expressing the friction, local humour and cultural collision in the streets at night in the part of Broome known as ‘The Bronx’. With Karaoke country songs sung by the talented Broome line up, the karaoke videos ‘shadow’ the onstage performers with historic Broome characters (such as the pearl diver, geisha, Aboriginal cowboy). The multi-screen short films, shot and directed by acclaimed Aboriginal filmmaker Warwick Thornton explore classic inter-racial love stories set as Westerns against the backdrop of the racist government policy of the 30’s to the 50’s.

Burning Daylight has been choreographed by Serge Aimé Coulibaly from Burkina Faso, West Africa, a former member of leading Belgium contemporary dance company Les Ballets C de la B, assisted by Indigenous choreographer Dalisa Pigram from Broome. Serge’s process of combining traditional and contemporary dance provides a dynamic collaboration with Marrugeku’s existing style and Australian context. Associated with the 2009 national tour is a major documentation. To see some aspects of the project online, please follow the link: Burning Daylight

Burning Daylight is a multimedia production incorporating contemporary dance, film, live music and karaoke! The project combines the unique performance style of Western Australian Indigenous dancers and musicians with Malaysian martial arts, and the company’s visual and acrobatic performance language. Burning Daylight was researched and created in Broome, with its unique history of cultural relations between the local Aboriginal and Immigrant Japanese, Chinese and Malay communities.

The performance is set from late one night until dawn outside a notorious pub on a Broome-style Karaoke night. A series of contemporary dance scenes unfold expressing the friction, local humour and cultural collision in the streets at night in the part of Broome known as ‘The Bronx’. With Karaoke country songs sung by the talented Broome line up, the karaoke videos ‘shadow’ the onstage performers with historic Broome characters (such as the pearl diver, geisha, Aboriginal cowboy). The multi-screen short films, shot and directed by acclaimed Aboriginal filmmaker Warwick Thornton explore classic inter-racial love stories set as Westerns against the backdrop of the racist government policy of the 30’s to the 50’s.

Burning Daylight has been choreographed by Serge Aimé Coulibaly from Burkina Faso, West Africa, a former member of leading Belgium contemporary dance company Les Ballets C de la B, assisted by Indigenous choreographer Dalisa Pigram from Broome. Serge’s process of combining traditional and contemporary dance provides a dynamic collaboration with Marrugeku’s existing style and Australian context. Associated with the 2009 national tour is a major documentation. To see some aspects of the project online, please follow the link: Burning Daylight

  • Venues and Dates

    World Premiere
    Burning Daylight was first presented at the Shinju Matsuri Festival in Broome
    31 August – 4 September 2006

    2009
    Salamanca Arts Centre
    Hobart
    26-28 November 2009

    Meat Market
    Arts House
    Melbourne
    19-22 November 2009

    Performance Space
    Carriageworks
    Sydney
    11-15 November 2009

    Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts
    Perth
    5-7 November 2009

    Broome
    29-31 October 2009

    2007
    Zürcher Theatre Spektakel
    Zurich Switzerland
    16 – 19 August 2007

    2006
    Shinju Matsuri Festival
    Broome WA Australia
    31 August – 4 September 2006

     

    World Premiere
    Burning Daylight was first presented at the Shinju Matsuri Festival in Broome
    31 August – 4 September 2006

    2009
    Salamanca Arts Centre
    Hobart
    26-28 November 2009

    Meat Market
    Arts House
    Melbourne
    19-22 November 2009

    Performance Space
    Carriageworks
    Sydney
    11-15 November 2009

    Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts
    Perth
    5-7 November 2009

    Broome
    29-31 October 2009

    2007
    Zürcher Theatre Spektakel
    Zurich Switzerland
    16 – 19 August 2007

    2006
    Shinju Matsuri Festival
    Broome WA Australia
    31 August – 4 September 2006

     

  • Creative Team

    Director
    Rachael Swain
    Co-choreographers
    Serge Aimé Coulibaly & Dalisa Pigram
    Designer
    Joey Ruigrok van der Werven
    Cinematographer
    Warwick Thornton
    Costume designer
    Stephen Curtis
    Lighting designer
    Geoff Cobham

    Musical director
    Matthew Fargher

    Musicians / composers
    MC Dazastah, Lorrae Coffin & Justin Gray
    Karaoke Songs
    Amanda Brown

    Dramaturg
    Josephine Wilson (initial production)
    Remount dramaturgy David Pledger (2006) and John Baylis (2009)
    Performers / devisors
    Trevor Jamieson, Dalisa Pigram, Katia Molino, Owen Maher, Sermsah Bin Saad, Antonia Djiagween, Yumi Umiumare, Scott Grayland (2006), Kathy Cogill (2009)

     

    Director
    Rachael Swain
    Co-choreographers
    Serge Aimé Coulibaly & Dalisa Pigram
    Designer
    Joey Ruigrok van der Werven
    Cinematographer
    Warwick Thornton
    Costume designer
    Stephen Curtis
    Lighting designer
    Geoff Cobham

    Musical director
    Matthew Fargher

    Musicians / composers
    MC Dazastah, Lorrae Coffin & Justin Gray
    Karaoke Songs
    Amanda Brown

    Dramaturg
    Josephine Wilson (initial production)
    Remount dramaturgy David Pledger (2006) and John Baylis (2009)
    Performers / devisors
    Trevor Jamieson, Dalisa Pigram, Katia Molino, Owen Maher, Sermsah Bin Saad, Antonia Djiagween, Yumi Umiumare, Scott Grayland (2006), Kathy Cogill (2009)

     

  • Gallery
  • Supporters

    Burning Daylight enjoyed the support of Mobile States and Performing Lines

    Burning Daylight was funded by the  Australia Council for the Arts. Arts NSW, Sidney Myer Fund. Advanced Land Resources. the Western Australia government through Arts WA and the Kimberley Development Scheme, the Kimberley Stolen Generation Commission,  Country Arts WA, Australian Film Commission, Screen West,  Playing Australia, Festivals Australia and Healthwa

     

Strikingly surreal sense of humour, powerful performers, a well-tuned ensemble sensibility and a dynamic design.

Keith Gallasch. Realtime