When the land dances into life

Cultural heritage rapidly withers on the vine if there's no fresh blood to course through its veins. So when it comes to ensuring that Aboriginal traditions remain alive and kicking and reinvented for successive generations, Bangarra Dance Theatre is one of Australia's national treasures.

Many people are familiar with The Songlines thanks to author Bruce Chatwin, and the principle equally applies to Bangarra and dance: the idea that each and every move made by our ancestors remains planted in our spirit finds physical expression in Bangarra's skilful blend of traditional Aboriginal movement and contemporary dance.

In The Songlines, the Aboriginal dreamtime - the golden age of creation - sings the land into existence; in Bangarra's show, Bush, you feel the land dance into life.

That's largely down to the cultural roots of the company. Artistic director and choreographer Stephen Page, at the helm of Bangarra since 1991, is descended from the Nunukul people of Queensland while Frances Rings, co-choreographer on Bush, is of Kokatha Tribe heritage. Both have extensive experience in the modern dance world: Page performed with Sydney Dance Company, while Rings is a graduate of New York's Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

That fusion of influences feeds through a performance imprinted with timeless images drawn from 40,000 years of Australian history. A dreamtime of its own, Bush, part of the Undergrowth season of contemporary Australian arts, offers a beguiling portrait of Australia's past, present and future.

Tonight until Sat, Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Avenue EC1, 7.30pm, £13 to £36. Tel: 0870 737 7737. www.sadlerswells.com Tube: Angel