FLORA (The Australian Ballet x Bangarra Dance Theatre)

A Melbourne ballet reviewed by Alex First

How to create a compelling world premiere program with life-sustaining plants at its epicentre. That was the challenge.

Combining the supreme talents of The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre for a fourth time was a masterstroke … for the result is astounding. 

The creative excellence is next level. The surprise is jaw-dropping. The execution sublime. 

FLORA is powerful, thrilling and energising.

 This is modern ballet and dance at its finest – a work to take to heart and savour.

Mind you, underpinning the stories depicted is far from a bed of roses (if you pardon the botanic reference). 

The ill-treatment of indigenous Australians is superbly realised through words spoken and writ large on the big screen, in tandem with dance, music and costuming. 

But, it leaves a most uncomfortable taste in one’s mouth … as it should.

With it, the exploitation of People, Culture and Country, as the influence of the British Empire expands.

That is shown as Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820) removes hundreds of species from their natural environment.

FLORA evolves over two acts, lasting one hour 47 minutes, including a 25-minute interval, starting with the ancestral journey of what is termed the Mother Seed. 

In short, that is the story of creation and how the biological patterns of life unfold.

 Six scenes in ACT I move from there to the footstep of those following trade routes and plants capturing energy to allow life on Earth to survive.

Grasses care for the soil and provide a home for animals, covering vast areas of the continent, connecting people to Country and community. 

Weaving and fibercraft combine practical craftsmanship with deep cultural, spiritual and social meaning.

But it is then that hard-hooved animals and introduced plants destroy the balance of delicate ecosystems.

The six scenes in ACT II begin by introducing the legacy of Sir Joseph Banks, heading to the appropriation of the Golden Wattle in Australia’s national coat of arms.

Its role in uniting and building a nation contradicts its critical significance to First Nations Peoples and the natural world they care for. 

Repatriating plant species restores living heritage to Country, while the Grass Tree holds deep significance, offering protection and providing resilience. 

Fire, too, is a vital tool for survival, renewal and connection to Land. 

And so it is that Australian flora underpins the foundations of First Nations Peoples in perpetuity.

 I am in awe of what the cohesive efforts of Bangarra Dance Theatre and The Australian Ballet have produced. 

The dancers are magnificent. Their fluidity of movement has been wonderfully choreographed by Frances Rings.

The music by composer William Barton, as realised by Orchestra Victoria, under the baton of musical director Jonathan Lo, is often dramatic, but also lightens.

It well reflects the different moods as we move through different periods of evolution.

The set design by Elizabeth Gadsby (including the emergence of a tree from above and plants bagged) and video design by Craig Wilkinson (think enveloping fire) are highly evocative.

Like the music, the lighting design by Karen Norris is often moody.

Then we have the extraordinary costuming by Grace Lillian Lee – colourful, free flowing works of art in and of themselves. Amazing.

All elements in this triumphant production are symbiotic. 

For something special, buy your tickets to see FLORA at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre until 21st March, 2026 now.