For young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women preparing to perform at the Sydney Opera House, dance is a way to honour their ancestors while keeping their culture alive.
Wala Connections creative director Thara Brown will lead the all-female ensemble in its DanceRites debut, sharing Boonwurrung stories through a blend of traditional and contemporary dance.
"There's this misconception that if you're an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander dancer or singer or person in many aspects, that you look and feel and sound like pre-colonisation, which just isn't the case," she said.
"We live here today, in 2026 … and we need to keep culture and story alive."
DanceRites, Australia's only national dance competition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, will bring more than 300 performers to the Opera House Forecourt, sharing the traditions of some 50 nations and clans.
Boonwurrung Ngargee Dance Group comprises girls and young women aged 13 to 22 who learn and share local stories and culture through dance, with guidance from Boonwurrung Elder N'arweet Carolyn Briggs, Member of the Order of Australia.
It brings together young people from different languages and clans, with Brown emphasising the importance of "honouring the traditional owners of the lands we live on and around".
Brown said the ensemble's contemporary approach was important in honouring the evolution of cultural storytelling and expression.
"The stories are old but the practice is modern, even though it has traditional elements, and that's really important in protecting these young women from any judgment about what they can and can't do - or sound like," she said.
The work also carries historical significance, with Elders helping pass on cultural knowledge after generations of First Nations people were prevented practising their culture.
Brown paid tribute to Elder Briggs for her generosity in allowing people to "learn Boonwurrung stories and language as part of a process of reclamation".
"We're doing what we have to do now and our Elders are leading the work ... to make sure these stories are alive and Country continues to be sung," Brown said.
Boonwurrung culture remains a living part of Melbourne, despite the impacts of colonisation, she said.
Brown is also keen for the young dancers to understand the history of where they will perform.
She said it was "quite emotional" knowing audiences would gather at the iconic venue, often without realising the significance of the land as a region of first contact and invasion.
It was important to acknowledge the Gadigal people as traditional custodians of the Opera House's Country, as well as the wider history of the region, she said.
"We're really proud to represent the Boonwurrung on this national stage.
"This work has been decades in the making, long before me, through generations of cultural reclamation."
While DanceRites is a competition, Brown said winning was not the group's priority.
"To us, it's not about competing.
"It's about having the privilege and the honour but also the responsibility to continue to share and honour and respect our culture on such a national platform."
Brown hopes the group's participation will help create more opportunities for young people to learn about their culture and encourage audiences to engage.
"Movement is storytelling and we've told stories through different creative and cultural forms for tens of thousands of years," she said.
DanceRites 2026 returns to the Sydney Opera House next weekend.