As Bangarra Dance Theatre revive her 2012 work, Terrain, the company’s resident choreographer takes stock.

Time is a subject that Frances Rings knows all about. The resident choreographer of Bangarra Dance Theatre has not only shared over half her life – 24 years – working with the celebrated indigenous company, but the subject of her inspiration is steeped in millennia of Aboriginal tradition. Rings has been part of virtually every major milestone of this ensemble, including performing to billions worldwide at the 2000 Olympic Games opening ceremony in Sydney and Bangarra’s first major international tour to America in 2001, dancing in 16 U.S. cities.

During the past quarter of a century this company has grown in ambition and stature, but it has retained an invaluable sense of intimacy. Its ranks of dancers, musicians, elders and collaborators, past and present, cement lifelong bonds. This is no mere dance troupe: Bangarra is a family, one that Rings has been a part of since 1992.

In 2002, after a decade on stage, Rings sought a new challenge. Recognising her potential, Bangarra’s veteran artistic director, Stephen Page, offered Rings the chance to make the transition from dancer to dance-maker. “I guess he could tell...