Ngambaa: Reimagined

A stripped-back reimagining of Ngambaa exploring story, movement, connection, and contemporary First Nations dance.

Ngambaa (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.

This reimagined presentation at Bankstown Arts Centre offers a stripped-back, engaging experience that centres the dancers, storytelling, and emotional core of the work. Without elaborate production elements, audiences are invited closer into the relationships and meaning carried through the choreography and story.

Performed by Amelia O’Leary and Erica Dixon, this version also introduces a newly developed contemporary scene, expanding the world of Ngambaa while remaining grounded in its cultural and narrative foundations.

Ngambaa has previously been presented in Melbourne (2025) and at the Matriarchs Uprising Festival in Vancouver earlier this year, continuing its journey across different contexts and audiences while evolving through each presentation.

Amelia Jean O’Leary is a proud queer First Nations Gamilaroi and Wadawurrung Yinarr dance artist and storyteller based in Sydney. A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (BFA Dance, 2021), she creates multidisciplinary works spanning choreography, dramaturgy, film, and sound. Her works include Yinarr, STAUNCH ASF, SAD EYES, and Ngambaa, presented across Melbourne Fringe, Dancehouse, Adelaide Fringe, and internationally in Vancouver.

Erica Louise Dixon is a Gomeroi contemporary dance artist from Bingara, Northern New South Wales. A graduate of NAISDA Dance College (2025), she has performed with Australian Dance Theatre, Lucy Guerin Inc, Karul Projects, the Australian Ballet Education and Outreach team, and Sydney Festival (2026). Her work explores identity, place, and inherited histories through choreography rooted in listening, cultural connection and collaboration, bringing a strong presence to the evolving life of Ngambaa.

TEAM:

CHOREOGRAPHER, DANCER & SOUND DESIGNER: AMELIA JEAN O’LEARY

DANCER: ERICA DIXON 

CULTURAL ADVISOR: AUNT SHELL & UNCLE TED