Tharnpa, from the Northern Territory’s Daly/Thamarrurr region, has won the $25,000 top prize at DanceRites 2026, following two days of performances on the Sydney Opera House Forecourt.
Held on 24–25 October, the ninth edition of the national competition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance groups brought together more than 300 dancers from 17 groups. Their performances represented cultural and traditional practices from more than 50 nations and clans, with thousands of spectators gathering around the Forecourt’s sand circle stage.
Queensland’s Sundowners Kalkutungu Dancers received the $8,000 runner-up prize. Lagaw Titui [Island Stars], from Badu Island in Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait, representing the Maluligal Nation and Argun Clan, won the $8,000 Best Wild Card Dance award. Fourteen groups competed in the Wild Card category, which offered an opportunity to incorporate contemporary elements and showcase their distinctive styles.
Brolga Dance Academy (Gomeroi/Gamilaroi and Murrawari, NSW) and Shalom First Nations Dancers (Wanjuru Yidinji, Queensland) each received a $4,500 Rhoda Roberts AO Rites of Passage Award, recognising outstanding contributions to revitalising cultural knowledge and practices.
The awards were renamed this year in honour of the late Roberts, who founded DanceRites in 2015 during her tenure as the Sydney Opera House’s first Head of First Nations Programming.
Performances were assessed on storytelling, language and culture, including song, skin markings, regalia and technical dance skills. The judging panel comprised Beau Dean Riley Smith, Julie Bukari Webb, Marilyn Miller, Rosealee Pearson and Toby Cedar.
Roberts’ legacy was also celebrated through a tribute by Jannawi Dance Clan and special guests, and the launch of Walking Together: The Rhoda Roberts AO Cultural Exchange. Canadian powwow group Wabanaki Dancers made their Australian debut as the initiative’s inaugural participants, opening a new avenue for collaboration between international and Australian First Nations artists.
The weekend also featured performances by the 2024 DanceRites champions, Mackay Torres Strait Islander Cultural Group, and NAISDA dance students, who led a participatory workshop for audiences.
Sydney Opera House Head of First Nations Programming Michael Hutchings described the gathering as an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of First Nations traditions and continue Tubowgule’s living history as a place for storytelling and cultural exchange.
DanceRites 2026 is available to watch on the Sydney Opera House and NITV YouTube channels, and on SBS On Demand.