Reliquary draws upon the connections between Australian Indigenous and Korean spirituality to create a unique contemporary dance theatre piece using puppetry, media projection and aesthetic sound design.

Reliquary: a shrine to keep sacred relics which have survived destruction.

Reliquary brings together two unique choreographic talents in Korean Australian Soo Yeun You and Indigenous Australian Gina Rings, a Kakutha woman and former member of Bangarra Dance Company.

Research into the project took the choreographers to central Australia where they worked with local Indigenous people to record Indigenous songs, languages and landscape sounds.

"When I first saw traditional Aboriginal dance I was struck by the power and presence of this ancient form of dance, and recognised the common spiritual root of Korean shamanism and Aboriginal Dreaming, which are both imbued with a reverence to nature and the belief in a parallel spirit world," says Soo Yeun You.

Collaborating with accomplished designer and puppeteer Hamish Fletcher, innovative Sonic Artist and Sound Designer Philippe Pasquier, and Industrial Designer Brandon Hur, Company Miji has infused the work with heightened visual and aural elements through an unusual mixing of media projection, puppetry and sound art.

Reliquary borrows from Indigenous and Asian dance to develop a contemporary dance piece rich in spirituality and tradition. The project embodies cultural and racial exchange, understanding, and the hope of finding heritage and identity in an increasingly homogenised world.

"Reliquary is a work full of ideas, some moments of profound beauty and pathos, and some exquisite synthesising between the various art forms. The dancing is excellent, the puppetry and sound score adding quality and depth to the performance."

The Age, 2007

"Soo Yeun You's movements and the perfect positioning and movement of her body made for a hypnotic and compelling performance."

The Age, 2008



Detailed production information (PDF)