Key Points
- Gary Lang is part of the Cubillo family, one of the largest and most prominent Asian-Aboriginal families in Darwin.
- His mother Inez wrote the book, 'Keeper of Secrets' based on the stories and recordings of his grandfather Delfin.
- Lang owns the NT Dance Company in Darwin, which trains and employs dancers of different ethnicities and backgrounds.
(Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island readers are advised that the following article may contain images of people who have died.)
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Indiginoy Episode 6: Fil-Aboriginal dancer on his more than two decades on stage and barefoot ballet
SBS Filipino
13/09/202415:39
"Night after night, in my head ... whenever I would perform on stage, I always look for Mum in the audience. I know she's out there watching. I know she's proud of me — very much so," choreographer and dance company owner Gary Lang shares.
Although Lang's mother Inez has long passed, he continues her legacy of family and pride in the hopes that he's let flourish to become dreams that are now realised.
Gary Lang (in gray shirt) with dancers from the NT Dance Company. Credit: NT Dance Company
The Cubillo family
Lang is part of the Asian-Aboriginal-Scottish Cubillo family, one of the largest and most prominent clans of the Larrakia people of the Northern Territory.
As traditional owners of the Darwin region, Larrakia country "".
I think a lot of people in our family are achievers. We're not show-offs, but many of us make things happen.Gary Lang, Dancer
"A good number in our family create beautiful things, , actors ... some work in high positions in government and at university. We stay in our lane and we do what we do."
Some of the well-known members of the Cubillo family include Lang's great grandfather, Antonio Cubillo who formed the first Filipino Rondalla in Darwin after World War I; ; and renowned artist Gary Lee.
'We have our family history in writing'
Lang's father left his mother when he was a little boy, prompting his mother to live with his grandparents who helped raise him.
"I have a very strong identity with my grandparents.
"My grandfather was a proper storyteller. He would tell students and young people about the stories of old Darwin. He also used to record these stories.
'Keeper of Stories' was a book written by Lang's mum Inez based on the stories and recordings of her father, Delfin. Credit: Gary Lang
Gary Lang (middle) with his grandmother Theresa Cubillo (left) and mother Inez Cubillo-Carter (right) Credit: Glenn Campbell
I'm very proud of my mother for what she achieved for our family. It cemented our family here in Darwin very strongly. We got everything in writing.Gary Lang, Dancer
Aside from what her mother wrote, how she lived her life has influenced everything Lang did and continues to do.
"She's had her real estate with hardship.
"My father was never around. My mother remarried a second time and that's when my brother came along. We have a 14-year difference between us. When my brother's dad left, it was just the three of us.
My mother was my world. She was my best friend. I'm 63 now...and as I've gotten older, I hear my mum's voice come through — especially when I speak to younger people.Gary Lang, Dancer
'I am an artist. I am a Larrakia man.'
Lang, who's traveled the world with three dance companies throughout the years, settled back in Darwin in his 40s to take care of his grandmother when his grandfather passed away.
In his return, Lang established the NT Dance Company.
For more than two decades, Lang has trained dancers of different ethnicities and backgrounds, and produced contemporary dance productions for the public.
Some of the productions the company has done include 'Baya Rakarum' [The Forgotten One'] an Indigenous Australian take on the second act of the romantic ballet 'Giselle'; 'The Other Side of Me', the true-to-life story of an Aboriginal man adopted by a white family in the 1960s; and 'Wanja' ['Spirit'] a story of life and grief.
Aside from integrating Indigenous dance and stories into his productions, he hopes to take on Filipino traditional dance in the future as well.
There was a Filipino dance group in Hong Kong I saw. The dancers had beautiful sarongs over their heads. I believe it was a Muslim dance. It was so beautiful.Gary Lang, Dancer
"I hope in the future I could go back to Bohol and have a look at cultural dancing there and have a better understanding of it. I want to be able to understand the essence of it before I can do it."
With Lang, the essence of dance goes beyond mastery of technique. It's all about tenacity.
"I'm an artist and I'm a Larrakia man. I belong here and my business belongs here in Darwin.
"It's really been only in the last three years of trying to create something that it's been paying off. There's been a lot of sacrifice. I'm also a hairdresser and that job has helped keep my craft alive.
"I have no regrets because in the sacrifice, there's gain. My mother used to say, 'You know, what people think of you is none of your business, Gary. Keep going."
And keep going he did.
The legacy I've been creating goes beyond dance. If I can make an impact on someone — even if it's just one person — that would be amazing.Gary Lang, Dancer
"My mum was my idol. I was a son of a single parent who struggled to make ends meet, but she did it. She made it so that I could."
