Bursting with the raw, tribal, full-bodied drums and melodies of Australia’s far northeast, Ginar is a new dance company celebrating our other Australian Indigenous culture – that of the islands of the Torres Strait. Weaving a vibrant tapestry of live dance, music and documentary vignettes, it celebrates the cultural and historical stylings of this tropical region. According to Founder and Director Bala Mosa, the company pays homage to the land and sea, from the top of Australia to the Papua New Guinean border. He talks to Limelight ahead of Ginar’s first Australian tour.

Ginar. Photo supplied

Why did you decide to establish a company dedicated to the musical heritage of the Torres Strait?

I really wanted to [lift up] traditional dance to the same level of value and respect that has been afforded Indigenous visual arts such as tribal paintings. We want this for both Torres Strait and Aboriginal [people], of which I am both, and to have people love us for who we are, in the way we really dance. I chose Torres Strait first, because of its blend of vibrancy and the curiosity [of those] outside north Queensland.

To authentically...