Series 3: Episode 8

Kimberley calling

Written by Bec Bignell

A descendant of the Yawuru, Bunaba, Bardi and Jaru people in the Kimberley Region, Rika Hamaguchi fell into dance as a teen when she couldn’t decide what she wanted to pursue after high school. A teacher suggested she audition for a dance college on the other side of the country, and Rika’s natural ability got her over the line. However, a late start certainly didn’t hold her back – talent identified pretty much as soon as she took to the stage, the teenager was plucked from her hometown of Broome to train over east and travel the globe.

“My high school dance teacher said, “look, you may be a bit confused and unsure of what’s happening after high school so why don’t you just audition for this dance college that’s in New South Wales as an option? You don’t have to take it, but one option is better than none.” I thought, you know, that’s actually great advice and so I did, I went there, and I studied a four -year course.”

Leaving Broome behind was no easy feat for Rika who had to learn the fundamentals of dance and how to overcome desperate homesickness at the same time.

Rika embraced the challenge and her inner spark ignited, she leapt from strength to strength gaining a highly coveted position in one of Australia’s leading performing arts companies Bangarra Dance Theatre, a company of professional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performers drawing on 65,000 years of culture which they share with audiences across the world.

“Bangarra did a two-day very casual audition, and I was quite fortunate that I was offered a traineeship after my day or two of learning repertoire and doing class and being around the company and getting a feel for the space, but also them getting a feel for who I am. Bangarra is definitely a company that you all gel as a unit and as an entity and if you don’t then it’s just not as cohesive…apart from skill and talent and all that, they look a lot at the person you are.”

The opportunity with Bangarra was life changing and when Rika found herself in the spotlight on the Sydney Opera House stage, she couldn’t believe how far she’d come.

“I mean, the Sydney Opera House, it’s iconic. I remember the first ever time that we were doing our technical rehearsals and being in the wings and having such a pinch me moment. I’ve spent so many years admiring this company, admiring these artists and here I am standing in the wings about to go on stage and be the person that I watched for so many years.”

Rika quickly found herself touring to international cities, performing all over the world in Canada, Germany, Japan, America, Paris and more.

“The first time I went overseas we went to Istanbul and Turkey, and it was such a such an amazing moment to be able to share Australian history and culture with the world and I find that international audiences are so eager and so curious about the story that we tell and what we have to offer. I would have never seen some of the places that I’ve seen if it wasn’t for those international tours. Like we went to India in 2018 and we went to five of their major cities but then we also split up into groups and we went into the regional areas of India. It was really special and to be able to share First Nations culture to each different country but then also be able to have a full sharing experience where they can share with us.”

After thirteen years dancing in Sydney and overseas Rika found herself yearning to move back to the Kimberley where the strong, calm energy, the breathtaking beauty, the soft, the spiritual and the family support were compelling reasons to return to her region.

“I didn’t realise how beautiful and just how energised this country is and it wasn’t until I left that it kind of made me realise how stunning this area is… like the vast colours and the oceans and there are different parts of the country that kind of remind me of Broome a little bit but there’s nothing that is quite like it. The calmness – but it has such a strong pull and such a demanding presence in a calm subtle way…it’s very energised and strong, but it’s also very soft and it really grounds you and it really pulls you back to where you should be.”

Having cemented herself as one of Australia’s most exciting performers Rika knew she could retain her world-class career from Broome, and with the Kimberley calling, she felt in her body that it was time to move back.

“The older I’m getting the more my mindset is changing a little bit and I visited Broome in August, and it made me realise once I returned back to Sydney how uninspired I was compared to being back in Broome and I felt like I had more energy.

I think that’s when I kind of woke up and it’s like, oh wow, I actually feel quite stuck in a place that we are told has endless opportunities, but I was really conflicted because I felt like I didn’t have that and I wanted to move back home because I knew I had that support system of family and friends and community that I don’t have in Sydney. And yes, Sydney is great…but I just felt like I was stronger spiritually, emotionally…. back at home and so yeah…I kind of took it as a sign to just say, I’ll just go. The city of Sydney is really draining me, and I need to go home to reground myself, to rejuvenate.”

Rika’s move from Sydney to Broome was also driven by her urge to learn from the people and place that runs in her blood.

“I’ve been away for so long I’ve lost a lot of my grandparents’ generation and I’ve missed out on those teachings and those learnings so I return home so eager and hungry to learn more from what this community has to offer…I’ve come back to learn, I’ve come back to connect and to be able to implant myself back into the community to then be able to create this sharing of knowledge.”

While Rika’s move has been recent, she’s seamlessly slipped back into regional life. She loves that it doesn’t take long to get anywhere, and she enjoys the slower pace of life, even though it means that shopping takes twice as long given her anonymity is now non-existent.

“In a city like Sydney where no one knows me…I’m just casually walking around the shops not knowing anyone, whereas in Broome it’s kind of like a shop visit that is meant to be a quick thing to go and get two items turns into like a twenty-minute adventure and you’ve spoken to five different people.”

Described on tourism websites as “a multicultural melting pot” Rika believes that the diversity of Broome is another element that makes it such an inspiring place to live.

“I myself am made up of Asian, European, First Nations cultures and my nan speaks about it often, she said Broome was multicultural before the world even knew what that meant because of the history in terms of pearling…it’s brought along so many people from all over the world…like, my grandfather’s generation, he came from Japan, hence my Japanese surname…he came from Japan and he was only meant to stay for a three -year contract as a part of the revitalisation in Broome in the pearling industry but then he met my nan and he stayed. He had six sons and then the rest is history…a lot of people came for work only for a short term and then they got entwined with the local community and it’s just now what Broome is today.”

Due to its appeal, the area has become a hotspot for tourists. Rika’s intrinsic connection to the Kimberley means she’s acutely aware of the impact of the increased popularity and she believes there’s a lot more that movers and travellers could do when they’re venturing into new places.

“A step that people a lot of people have never even done before, regardless of having already moved or already visited, is just acknowledging what country you’re on first and foremost and who they are. But then also it gets a lot deeper in terms of the knowledge of that and the histories of what happened to The First Nations people in the area. You know, a lot of families and communities have suffered a lot and so…I think to approach any and every situation with sensitivity. I’ve heard a few people say ‘walking on eggshells’, in terms of just being gentle and soft in how you approach and ask questions but making sure that you’re going in with a softness and a sensitivity because you don’t know and even I may not know. I think first and foremost just acknowledging who they are and then recognising that it may be a community that could be struggling. A lot of things to take into account with that and I think also getting to know the old local families…you can’t not live in a rural town like Broome and not be connected to those people no matter what area you work in or what suburb you live in, like you’re always going to be surrounded so it’s always nice to be able to connect with those people and to learn.”

While world class dancer Rika is at the beginning of her move back to regional Australia, she’s enjoying soaking up all the special things that pulled her home and she’s confident that her career momentum will remain just as enchanting as the Broome beaches that stretch in front of her.

Implanting inspiration back in Broome…

“I can come back and inspire the new generation in terms of how there’s such a big world out there. There’s also a lot that you can learn here as well that you just need to kind of awaken and there are people who are dying to share, to just sit down and be able to have conversations.

People forget how important it is to move and people forget the importance and the power of music…I want to reconnect the older generation with their love of music because Broome is such a music loving community and I find that people lose that connection…

When it comes to the struggles of moving away or pursuing a career that’s out of the norm or leaving a community that you’ve been a big part of your whole life…it’s a huge shift and particularly for First Nations community – we’re built on family and extended family and we’re a big unit but a tight unit and to then be uprooted and moved into something else it’s very foreign…. so just being able to inspire, to open people’s minds…having gone and come back and… also having met people and seen places all over the world and how much I’ve learned from that, hopefully coming back home I’ll be able to share that.”