Kirrkalunji (The Brown Hawk) - 2021
2021 Milpirri - Yinapaka
Kirrkalunji (The Brown Hawk)
Description of Dance
This dance draws from the story of Kirrkalunji who hunts snakes, wraps them around its head when flying to show fearlessness and strength, but ultimately drops the snakes. The dance starts with all dancers coming into the space with strong, rigid and sharp hunting actions. All movements are definitive and confident (no bent arms like the Crow). The central movement phrase declares strength and then the whole group moves into a circle, flying around to hunt for snakes. A long diagonal line is formed from Yatijarra to Kulirra (North to South). Alternating moves symbolise the Brown Hawk’s wings and the dropping of the snake. Everyone then jumps from North to South to affirm Kirrkalunji’s confidence and hype. All dancers link arms to create one long snake and the canon action flows from one end of the line and back again with everyone finally reaching for the sky. Kirrkalunji then flies away and disappears.
*Milpirri 2021 was reimagined to suit the current COVID circumstances. The dance in this video is from a showing at Lajamanu school. They are not complete dances.
Choreography
Stephanie Spillett, Bec Reid and David McMicken