MELBOURNE PRIDE GUIDE: GARABARI by Joel Bray Dance
Image: Source: Supplied by Midsumma.
Garabari, the latest work from award-winning choreographer Joel Bray, unfolds as a living ritual of Country, queerness and collective belonging. Bray traces its origins to “that sense of dislocation that I think a lot of Blackfellas have from their own culture.”
He set out to carry forward his Wiradjuri ancestors. “I went searching for a corroboree that is mine… that is my people’s,” he says. What emerged is less a performance than a summons to move and connect.
For nearly a decade, Bray retraced Wagga Wagga and the Riverina, speaking with Elders, poring over archives and forging relationships. “One of the Elders, Uncle James Ingram, gifted the story to us, and that became the kernel,” he explains.
‘Garabari’ is a contemporary corroboree, braiding ancient practices with modern expression, inviting audiences into something larger than themselves.
Queer dance spaces have always been sacred for Bray. “They were a place where I was able to come out, meet community, find lovers and share a beat. I was dancing on dancefloors before I ever danced professionally,” he says.
These memories pulse through the show, bridging grounded ceremonial movement with the ecstatic charge of queer nightlife. By the end, ‘Garabari’ erupts into a communal dance party, set to a techno remix of a Wiradjuri-language song by Bray’s father, Uncle Christopher Kirkbright.
Local Elders, artists, and youth contributed designs, songs, and stories woven into the choreography. Multi-generational workshops and community showings shaped ‘Garabari’ with its people, guided throughout by Uncle Christopher. Collective ownership is central, with a First Nations and globally diverse cast — from Māori to Pakistani — guiding every movement.
Onstage from 30 to 31 January at Meat Market’s Blackwood Box, dancers navigate this cultural continuum in costumes by Denni Francisco, driven by Byron Scullin’s electric soundscapes and Katie Sfetkidis’ ethereal projections. Audiences are invited into the circle to learn kangaroo, fish, and other dances, embodying a story alive for generations.
Making its Midsumma debut, Bray is keen to share ‘Garabari’ with queer people — “the best audience”. “It’s an inherently queer work,” he says.
Drawing on dancefloors as sanctuary, he trusts queer folk will see the mirror between corroboree and community spaces. ‘Garabari’ also honours Elders with dedicated space in the circle. In Midsumma’s ‘Time & Place’ season, ‘Garabari’ offers both: culture that is alive, on Country and carried forward.
It’s a rare, spirited movement and ceremony for all-ages, celebrating joy and shared cultural heart.
GARABARI by Joel Bray Dance
30–31 Jan 2026 – Fri-Sat | 8pm, Sat | 2pm.
Meat Market – Blackwood Box, North Melbourne
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