A short film by dancer Daniel Mateo, titled 'Brown Boys', is now part of Bangarra Dance Theatre's 'Sheltering' program. The work explores the unspoken grief surrounding Mateo's brother's death. This piece is presented as the second of three performances in the new Bangarra program.
Mateo’s creative output is directly informed by personal experience. He states that his journey into dance began after the loss of his brother. > "From there I fell in love with dance," he says. This event, and the subsequent silence surrounding it, forms the thematic core of 'Brown Boys'. The film aims to confront this societal tendency to avoid discussions of grief.
The dancer's upbringing was steeped in a different kind of physicality. Mateo recounts a household where sport, not the arts, took precedence. "My mum played tennis, my dad played football, and all my siblings played football." This athletic environment contrasts with his later immersion in dance.
'Sheltering', the Bangarra program featuring 'Brown Boys', is described as a triptych of performances. The specific inclusion of Mateo's film marks a significant moment for the choreographer and the company's engagement with personal narratives. The program itself offers a platform for exploring themes through movement and narrative.
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