Kamberri dance artists Jahna Lugnan and Julia Villaflor have just returned from performing for the King of Thailand. Photo: Olivia Wikner, O&J Photographer.
Two young First Nations Kamberri dance artists, Jahna Lugnan and Julia Villaflor, have just performed for the King of Thailand in Bangkok as special guests of the royal family.
The event was to mark the birthday of His Majesty King Maha.
Canberra’s QL2 Dance company, of which the two dancers belong, organised the special event following a request from Thailand.
They were accompanied by Alice Lee Holland, who is succeeding Ruth Osborne as Artistic Director of QL2 Dance next month.
Their dance included a duet by the two called Connected, which acknowledges and explores their connection to the land, each other and themselves.
On returning to Canberra, Jahna, a Bundjalung/Gumbaynaggirr woman, described the opportunity to dance in Bangkok as “special and important”.
“It not only represents the Ngunnawal community and land where our work was created, but it also allows us to represent all mob across Australia,” she said.
“I’m extremely proud of the duo Julia and I have created, as we believe it’s important for our voices, as young Aboriginal women, to be heard.
“Being able to share our voice through an art form that we have such a deep understanding and love for is a magical thing, and we’re thrilled about the cultural exchange between the people of Thailand and First Nations People of Australia.”
For Julia, it was all about storytelling, saying she had always felt a strong connection to her culture through both art forms.
“Dance is a prominent part of my culture, and being able to express stories and movements, I have felt more connected to my culture through this unspoken language,” the proud Wagiman woman said.
“Growing up in Canberra and coming from a small mob, I was not as engaged in cultural practices as I would have liked to have been, but especially over the past few years, I have been able to explore this connection I have found through dance and my culture.”
Alongside a performance of Connected, QL2 Dance worked with young performers from the Bangkok School of Dance to remount Shared Language – a 2023 collaboration with BDA featuring dancers from each company.
Jahna, who started dancing at age four, said she began with the basics – ballet, tap and jazz, but as she grew older, she discovered new styles – and competition.
Jahna Lugnan and Julia Villaflor rehearse for Connections prior to their trip to Thailand. Photo: Olivia Wikner, O&J Photographer.
“At that point in my life, I truly thought that the world of competition was the type of dance that I loved and connected to the most and that it was really the only outlet within the industry,” she said.
“That was until I rejoined QL2 Dance and performed in the Quantum Leap project, Terra Firma, in 2022. This is when I truly began to find the things I loved, and when I started to think more creatively and individually. Additionally, throughout my entire life, I have been doing traditional First Nations dance. I continue to do this whenever I get the chance to visit country [Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr ways].”
Julia, too, said she started dancing from a young age.
“I knew from a very early age that dance was what I wanted to do in my life. I remember joking about doing dance forever to my mum when I was around seven years old, however, those jokes quickly became serious.
“I joined QL2 Dance with the Chaos Project EAT in 2016 when I was about 10, and since then, I have had my mind set on doing dance as a career. Both of my parents took a few years to take me seriously, but when my passion never faded, they began to realise this was what I wanted to pursue. I am beginning to apply for dance university courses this year.”
She said for her, dancing was “as vital as a form of communication”.
“It’s the way of communicating without words. You can express feelings, emotions, and stories through the movement of your body. Dance makes me feel grounded. No matter where I am.”
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