Taking place on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October on the Sydney Opera House Forecourt, the biennial celebration of First Nations dance, song and culture, DanceRites, will present more than 320 dancers across the weekend’s competition and special guest performances.
This year’s program includes two special tributes to the late Rhoda Roberts AO and her work to safeguard vital cultural practices on a national stage, which included founding DanceRites as part of the Homeground Festival in 2015.
The weekend will open with a performance from Jannawi Dance Clan, a piece created and choreographed by Peta Strachan (Dharug) and Matthew Doyle (Muruwari, Yuwalarray) to honour Roberts.
A group of Canadian Powwow performers, Wabanaki Dancers, will close the first day of DanceRites as the inaugural participants in a new donor-funded initiative – Walking Together: The Rhoda Roberts AO Cultural Exchange – established by the Opera House to cement collaboration between international and Australian First Nations artists.
Across the weekend, 20 dance groups will take to the sand circle stage in Australia’s only national competition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, representing the unique dance traditions and songlines of more than 50 nations and clans across the continent.
Competing for prizes from a total pool of $50,000, 12 groups will make their DanceRites debut, and 11 groups will travel from rural and remote communities to showcase the diversity of their cultures. The competing groups are:
- Boonwurrung Ngargee Dance Group (VIC: multiple clans, Boonwurrung Country)
- Brolga Dance Academy (NSW: Gomeroi/Gamilaroi & Murrawari)
- Buuja Buuja Burrundi Dancers (NSW: Gadigal & Wiradjuri)
- Deaf Indigenous Dance Group (QLD: Gimuy Walubara Yidinji)
- Dunghutti Figtree Dancers (NSW: Dunghutti)
- Duurunu Miru (NSW: Dhawa country, Yuin Nation)
- Kwopidak Kenning Yok (Beautiful Female Dancers) (WA: Noongar)
- Lagaw Titui (Island Stars) (QLD: Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait – Badu Island, Maluligal Nation, Argun Clan)
- Lirrga (NT: Thamarrurr Daly/Thamarrurr region, Freshwater Clans, Marri Ngarr Language)
- Mura Biri Gururu Aboriginal Dancers (QLD: Muruwarri)
- Murrundaya Yepengna Dance Troupe (VIC: Kulin Nations)
- Muyngu Koekaper Dance Team (QLD: Saibai Island)
- Sand & Sea Dance Troupe (QLD: Gimuy, from Cairns)
- Shalom First Nations Dancers (QLD: Wanjuru Yidinji)
- Sundowners Kalkutungu Dancers (QLD: Kalkutungu)
- Sunrise Dancers (QLD: Kabi Kabi)
- Tchanba Wultjirir (NT: Daly/Thamarrurr region)
- The Tingkabee Arrernte Dancers (NT: Mpwarnte, from Apmere Mepe, Central Australia)
- Walla Mulana (VIC: Yorta Yorta & NW Nations, Barkindji & Lower Murray River Mob)
- Wangga (NT: Daly/Thamarrurr region, Saltwater Clans, Marri Tjevin Language)
The competition will be judged by a panel of First Nations dance experts: Beau Dean Riley Smith (Wiradjuri, Gamilaraay), Julie Bukari Webb (Dharug), Marilyn Miller (Kukuyalanji, Waanyi), Rosealee Pearson (Yolŋu, Maŋgalili, Yirrkala) and Toby Cedar (Torres Strait Islander, Eastern Islands).
Hip-hop pioneer Shannon Williams (Yiman, Ghungalu), AKA BrothaBlack, returns to MC the festival, joined by co-host and professional dancer Taryn Beatty (Wuthathi, Erub, Waiben).
Additional dance performances across the program include:
- Mackay Torres Strait Islander Cultural Group (QLD: Torres Strait – Meriam) – the reigning DanceRites winners, who took home the top prize in 2024, return as guest performers on both days; and
- Marking 50 years as Australia’s leading performing arts training organisation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, a group of current students from NAISDAwill lead an interactive workshop with audience members and perform before the winner’s ceremony on Sunday.
“DanceRites is a unique moment in Sydney’s calendar when audiences, artists and community gather together for an exciting exchange of culture,” said Sydney Opera House Head of First Nations Programming, Michael Hutchings.
“It’s a celebratory weekend and an opportunity for everyone to join in the living history of Tubowgule, a place where story, song and dance has always been shared.”
DanceRites takes place on the Sydney Opera House Forecourt on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026. It is free to attend and will also be broadcast as a livestream on Sydney Opera House channels. For more information, visit: www.sydneyoperahouse.com for details.
Image: MINJIL performing at DanceRites 2024 – photo by Daniel Boud