ADELAIDE.- David Roche Gallery in North Adelaide announces the South Australian instalment of the National Portrait Gallery’s acclaimed touring exhibition Dancer which will be on display from June 7 – August 16.

From letting loose in the lounge room to enthralling audiences on stage, this exhibition captures the experience of lives lived through dance.

Drawn from the National Portrait Gallery collection and incorporating the work of contemporary photographers, Dancer reflects the freedom and joy of dance and its power to connect.

Dance has always been a vital expression of culture and storytelling. For First Nations peoples it is part of an ongoing connection to, and responsibility for, Country; woven into songs, ceremony and story.

While many of the works in Dancer elaborate on this connection, other histories are also mapped. In the early decades of the 20th century, European performers and touring companies encouraged new generations of homegrown talent, including The Australian Ballet, founded in 1962, which brought to the stage classical and contemporary ballets, and in 1989 Bangarra Dance Theatre emerged as Australia’s premier First Nations dance company.

The exhibition features 52 works including those from the National Portrait Gallery’s collection of dance legends Irina Baronova, Robert Helpmann, Hélène Kirsova, Graeme Murphy, Gideon Obarzanek, Anna Pavlova, Marilyn Rowe and Janet Vernon. Through image and word, this showcase highlights how dance unites across shared experiences, cultural knowledge and teaching.

David Roche Gallery Director Robert Reason is thrilled to invite audiences to reflect on how dance uplifts the spirit and brings people together.

“Adelaide has a vibrant dance culture, and we’re delighted to be a venue for this nationally significant exhibition,” he says.

“Restless Dance Theatre in Adelaide is represented through Shane Reid’s photograph of talented dancer Jianna Georgiou. Also featured is Daniel Riley, current Artistic Director of Australian Dance Theatre, depicted by Lorna Sim during his time choreographing Hit the Floor Together with the QL2 dancers.”

National Portrait Gallery Curator Dr Emma Kindred says: “The joy of dance and movement is a shared experience that transcends cultures and generations. Much like portraiture, dance is an artform that has the power to connect, teach and tell diverse stories. I am excited that audiences across the country will have the opportunity to explore this exhibition.”