The Kawanji Dance Troupe will present IMBALA — The Dance of the Butterfly, a powerful showcase of cultural continuity and resilience at the 2026 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. Photo: Supplied.
A premier dance group preserving Cape York culture will bring the 2026 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) theme, Reclamation & Regeneration, to life as they honour the stories of Western Gu Gu Yalanji elders.
The Kawanji Dancers will bring IMBALA — The Dance of the Butterfly to the CIAF stage on 11 July, sharing a significant oral history of the Kawanji Brady family through a powerful new work featuring dance, language and intergenerational storytelling.
The story of the Imbala, the Western Gu Gu Yalanji name for butterfly, symbolises the spirit, survival and enduring story of cultural knowledge.
Kawanji senior custodian Uncle Qawanji recounted a story of a devastating fire that swept through Country and burned everything in its path. Despite the destruction, the butterflies survived, and the story became a powerful symbol of cultural continuity and resilience.
“There was a fire here in the summertime, the wrong time for a fire, and it burnt everything to cinders, but it didn’t affect the butterflies,” he said.
“There is a spirit here rooted in the earth, and we call that the songline, the energy.
“To know that story and to know they didn’t become extinct means the songline is still strong.”
The significance of the story deepened when descendants of the Jawiyaba Warra people returned to Country after families were forcibly removed to Palm Island and rediscovered the butterfly habitat near Two Brothers Mountain, a sacred initiation site.
The moment reinforced the truth of the story carried by elders across generations, and strengthened efforts to preserve and revitalise the language, stories and cultural traditions of Western Gu Gu Yalanji Country.
Drawing inspiration from the opening and closing movement of butterfly wings, IMBALA – The Dance of the Butterfly shares a family story passed down through generations.
Through movement, song and storytelling, the performance explores the origins of the Cape York “shake-a-leg” dance tradition. Dancers wear body markings representing the butterfly’s legs, bringing this ancient songline to life for contemporary audiences.
CIAF artistic director Teho Ropeyarn said the production exemplified the festival’s message — reclaiming Western Gu Gu Yalanji and Kawanji cultural knowledge through elders’ stories while regenerating it through contemporary performance.
“IMBALA – The Dance of the Butterfly is a powerful expression of reclamation and regeneration in action,” he said.
“Through dance, story and language, Kawanji Dancers are ensuring important cultural knowledge remains alive and connected to future generations.
“It is a privilege to share this story with CIAF audiences and celebrate the resilience and strength of Western Gu Gu Yalanji culture.”
The performance will take place from 2 pm on 11 July at the Tanks Art Centre in Tank 5.
