The Other Side of Me

Art has always been able to express human truths that are otherwise too painful to talk about. And so it is with the Stolen Generation and Aboriginal deaths in custody – deeply intertwined DNA strands of Australian history that are so painful, surreal and vile that it is difficult to know where to start. Gary Lang – Larrakia man, dancer, choreographer and Artistic Director from NT Dance Company (Indigenous-owned dance company from the Northern Territory) – believes that truth telling is the way to create a pathway to healing. And The Other Side of Me uses a real story to inspire that crucial conversation. It sounds unthinkable today, but it’s not that long ago that one young Aboriginal man (he is not named in the work) born in the 1960s was taken from his family when he was 5 years old. His adopted parents moved to the UK and his Australian and Aboriginal heritage were off-limits subjects. It’s not surprising that this young man developed behavioural problems, resulting in incarceration. It is while in prison that he dreams of his heritage and family connections, but confronts the reality that he may never again walk on his country.

Based on the man’s letters and poems, the work is a fascinating international collaboration between Gary Lang at NT Dance Company and Dramaturgs from the UK’s Northumbria University – Liz Pavey and the late Dr Laura Fish. The prison is a fitting setting, and the pas de deux format with two male dancers creates the man and his cell mate – an external judge and influencer if you like – but also his mirror image: his alter ego, his other side, the part of him that can travel in his mind back to country.

The two performers – Alexander Abbot and Blake Escott – both clearly belong on the stage. Individually they are engaging, but their physical work together is even more compelling, creating an enigmatic force that draws the audience in, moving in unison at times, which conveys strength and purpose. Costumes by Jennifer Irwin are coverall boiler suits, splatter painted orange to evoke the prison uniform, with black dyed sections at the lower legs that make the men look like they’ve waded through mangrove swamps. Stripped to the waist, these uniforms allow the performers to maximise the combination of harsh expressive movement that dominates the first part of the story. This segues to free-flowing elements of traditional Aboriginal dance and modern movement that emerges at the end.

All elements are reinforced in the black-box setting by a changing visual backdrop. While the man’s mother and father remain absent, his early life impressions of country are expressed as projections that start as static black and white impressions that slowly become clearer. The more fluid movement starts when pages and pages of letters fall, and full colour drone footage flies us over forests to the ocean, returning the man to his country in spirit. Also included are news photos of real campaigners, demanding answers for the grave injustices in our past.

An intriguing sound design by Arian Pearson combines musical composition by Sam Pankhurst with Manikay (sacred ceremonial songs) from senior Rirratjingu clanman, Banula Marika and vocals by Voice Artist, Janet Munyarryun. With his lighting design, Joseph Mercurio creates the claustrophobia of the prison cell, spot lights of self awareness and questioning, contrasted with the ethereal escape to the Australian landscape. 

In a post-show Q&A with Karina Hogan, Chair of BlakDance, Gary Lang revealed the work’s long journey to final fruition – a vastly collaborative process, drawing expertise from a wide range of creative contributors, from local community, elders and performers, to international writers and academics. I hope this creative blueprint paves the way for future projects to ensure that important conversations start and reach a wider audience and influence.

After QPAC, The Other Side of Me tours February to May 2026 to Goulburn, Taree, Wollongong, Burnie, Hobart and Sydney.

Find out more: www.ntdance.org/our-creative-works

Beth Keehn

Photographer: Paz Tassone