NEW! Post-show Talkback with artists, hosted by Olivia C. Davies
Get TicketsNgambaa (Mother, in Gamilaraay) is a duo dance work that embodies the story of the dhinawan baawaa (the emu sisters) who carved the shape of the earth with their bodies, feathers, and song. Together, they created balance and unity, breathing life into rivers and sculpting the mountains of country. But when one sister is cast out, her grief and fury ignite the land, setting the world ablaze. From the ashes, both sisters transcend time and space, journeying across generations to witness two yinarrs (Gamilaroi women) living in the 1960s and 2025. These yinarrs, descendants of their legacy, navigate disconnection and resilience. Rediscovering the power of Ngambaa, the Mother, and the strength found in care, renewal, and community.
Through dance, sound, and design, Ngambaa unfolds as a visual and spiritual dance theatre piece. It blends contemporary movement with ancestral rhythm, weaving fire and creation into a narrative of remembrance and return. The yinarrs’ bodies become archives of memory, moving through grief, tenderness, and reclamation. As they call forth the wisdom of the Mother and the pulse of the land beneath them.
Scotiabank Dance Centre (677 Davie St, Vancouver, BC)
The Faris Family Studio (Black Box Theatre) - Level 1
$20 – $40 (Pay What You Wish)
Amelia Jean O’Leary (she/they/yinarr) is a queer First Nations Gamilaroi and Wadawurrung Yinarr dance artist, storyteller, and director living and creating on Gadigal Land (Sydney). Her multidisciplinary practice weaves together dance, writing, sound, and film to form visceral expressions of identity, resilience, and spirit.
Since graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2021, O’Leary has rapidly emerged as a bold and intuitive voice in contemporary performance, crafting deeply personal works such as Yinarr, STAUNCH ASF, and CODED. Her creations pulse with movement, memory, and story, honouring ancestral knowledge while exploring the complexities of queerness, sovereignty, and self-determination.
Rooted in community and culture, O’Leary’s work moves beyond performance to become ceremony and connection. Each piece she makes is both an offering and an assertion: a reclamation of space, a continuation of lineage, and a celebration of living, breathing strength.
This artist's career and work has been supported by BlakDance, the national industry organization for First Nations dancers and choreographers Australia.
IG: @Ameliaa.jeann
ameliajeanolearydance.cargo.site
Keia McGrady is a Githabul, Migunberri woman from south east Queensland with connection to Gomerroi country.Keia Mcgrady is multi-faceted freelance artist and choreographer, performing at festivals and events such asJunction arts festival, 10 days on the island, Panama festival, Perth festival, Sydneycontemporary and more. With the a desire of truth telling through movement Keia hasperformed in seasons such as Taree Sansdbury’s MI:WI season at QPAC, Jo Loyds work‘collision’, national tour with Karul projects for their work ‘Silence’ and recently performing in Amelia Jean O’Leary works ‘Coded,' 'Ngambaa' and ‘Sad eyes’. Keia has a passion in guiding the next generation through the arts with movement workshops. Facilitating and performing in Tasdance educational program ‘trolls’, Drill performance company dance nexus program and facilitating song writing andmovement workshops throughout lutruwita and Roebourn WA. Keia's practise is rooted in deep listening, weaving stories through visual art and movement while valuing collaborations.
