Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – The Arts Council of Mongolia, with support from Rio Tinto, will present a dance show ‘Spirit’ by Australia’s premier indigenous contemporary arts company Bangarra Dance Theatre. As part of the 40th Anniversary of Australia and Mongolia trade relations, Rio Tinto, as manager of Oyu Tolgoi project, is contributing to the celebration of this successful international partnership by supporting a unique cultural exchange between Mongolia and Australia.
The arts company will perform at the State Opera and Ballet Theatre on 22 and 23 September, 2012. As a part of their visit Bangarra will also conduct professional workshops for students and teachers of the University of Arts and Culture, and professional dancers of local Mongolian dance ensembles.
The spirit of Australian dance is coming to Mongolia as Ulaanbaatar becomes the stomping ground for the Bangarra Dance Theatre. Landing in Mongolia on 18 September, the tour aims to promote international cooperation and intercultural dialogue and understanding between Mongolia and Australia and to provide Mongolian audience an opportunity to experience outstanding performance of a world-class troupe combining the spirituality of traditional culture with modern story-telling.
The Bangarra Dance Theatre was founded in 1989 and has been under the leadership of Stephen Page since 1991. Presenting over 110 performances each year Bangarra tours national and internationally. It has performed in USA, France, UK, Monaco, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Korea, China, and Hong Kong.
Set to a beautiful and evocative musical soundscape by David Page and Steve Francis, Spirit is a celebration of the resilience of Indigenous culture. From the last breath of sunset to the first finger-light of dawn, the audience will experience a powerful engagement with Bangarra’s stunning Indigenous performers. The work is a bush galaxy of poetic imagery and stories that make up Indigenous Australian history – ranging from the comic mimicry of stick spirits, to the power of rocks and land formations, to the ritual and medicine of fresh water, and the transformation of a caterpillar into a moth. Spirit embraces all the diversities and inspirations that come from living from the land.
About Oyu Tolgoi LLC (http://en.ot.mn/)
Oyu Tolgoi LLC is Mongolia's largest copper and gold mining company and is a strategic partnership between the Government of Mongolia (34 per cent stake), Turquoise Hill Resources (66 per cent) and Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto is the major shareholder in Turquoise Hill Resources and the manager of the Oyu Tolgoi project. In addition to dividends from its 34 per cent stake in Oyu Tolgoi, the Government of Mongolia will receive taxes and royalties.
Oyu Tolgoi, located in the Gobi desert in southern Mongolia, will be one of the largest and highest-grade copper and gold mines in the world. It is the largest project ever developed in Mongolia, requiring a capital investment for phase 1 of more than US$6 billion.
Oyu Tolgoi is committed to contributing to a sustainable future for Mongolia. At least 9 out of 10 employees will be Mongolian once the mine is in production and Oyu Tolgoi is investing US$58 million dollars (78 billion MNT) in training and education and an additional US$27 million dollars (36 billion MNT) in the Workforce Employment Project designed to help address the general skills shortage in Mongolia
Oyu Tolgoi's key priorities are the health and safety of employees, best-practice environmental management, contributing to sustainable communities and always doing business with integrity, for the benefit of all the project's shareholders and the people of Mongolia.
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