Janaya Lamb and Jesse Murray
Bangarra Dance Theatre
Bangarra Dance Theatre this week announced the appointment of two new Dancers, who will join the company in 2022.
Janaya Lamb will join the ensemble of company dancers in 2022. Janaya is a proud young Wiradjuri woman, born on Bunjalung country. Raised in Tamworth on Gamileraay country, she also has connections to the Torres Strait in her ancestry. Lamb’s initial dance training was in hip hop, starting at the age of four. During school, she was part of the NSW Department of Education Aboriginal Dance Company.
On commencing studies at NAISDA in 2018 she further developed her skills in hip hop, as well as Indigenous contemporary dance. She has also performed in a number of independent and commercial projects.
Janaya said, “I feel very proud to be joining Bangarra. Since being a part of the Rekindling program from 13 years of age, Bangarra was something I’ve always dreamed of and something my family told me I could do if I believed in myself. I can’t wait to start this journey”.
Jesse Murray will also join the company as the 2022 Russell Page Graduate. A proud Wiradjuri man of the Galari tribe, Jesse has been learning and performing traditional dances on Wiradjuri country and around NSW since he was a young boy. Jesse was part of the NSW Dept of Education Aboriginal Dance Company for three years before commencing his studies at NAISDA Dance College in 2018.
While at NAISDA he participated in several cultural residencies in North East Arnhem Land and Moa Island in the Torres Strait. Murray performed in many of NAISDA’s performance seasons, dancing in works by several First Nations choreographers including Bangarra Associate Artistic Director Frances Rings and Deborah Brown. He has also worked with Joshua Thomson (Legs on the Wall) and Craig Bary (Catapult Dance).
Jesse said, “I’m very grateful to be a part of Bangarra and to have the chance to grow as a dancer amongst other Indigenous artists. I’m also very excited to be able to share my culture, as cultural dance is where my dance journey started”.
Since 2015, the Russell Page Graduate Program has seen over twenty young artists commence their first professional engagement with Bangarra. Within the current ensemble of dancers, 11 of the 16 dancers have entered the company as Russell Page Graduates.
Bangarra’s Associate Artistic Director Frances Rings said, “I am thrilled to welcome Janaya Lamb and Jesse Murray to Bangarra. I have been privileged to watch their growth and development over the course of their training both in the Rekindling program and NAISDA Dance College. During these unstable times for our Industry, it is heartening to see our young people coming through who are proud, resilient, and adaptable. Their vibrancy and unwavering commitment to their artform is the spirit that will guide us in these trying times.”
