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The theatre of war: how the Anzac story has been retold through dance for 80 years

The Conversation · · 913 words · By Christine de Matos; Yvette Grant
Artistic representation of war trauma

The article explores how dance has been used as an art form to represent and critique historical conflicts, tracing examples from World War I and World War II. It details several specific ballets, including *En Saga*, *G’Day Digger*, *1914*, and *Passchendaele*, highlighting how choreographers used movement to convey the emotional weight and trauma of war.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/the-theatre-of-war-how-the-anzac-story-has-been-reto…

analyticsAnalysis

20%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 90%
Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 60% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

14 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 4
info Single Source 3
verified Verified By Reference 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
check_circle Corroborated 1
report Misleading 1
info
“The film Hero of the Dardanelles (1915) recreates the landing at Gallipoli.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results confirm that *The Hero of the Dardanelles* is a 1915 film related to the Gallipoli campaign, and one source notes it is the first surviving feature film depiction of Australian troops of the First World War. However, none of the provided evidence explicitly state that the film *recreates* the landing at Gallipoli; it only confirms the film's subject matter and existence.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Dardanelles ( DAR-də-NELZ), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli (after the Gallipoli peninsula), is a narrow, natural strait and internationally significant waterway in northwestern Turkey that …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dardanelles
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Dardanelles is a strait and internationally significant waterway in northwestern Turkey. Dardanelles may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dardanelles_(disambiguation)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Dardanelles Army was a short-lived field army of the British Army during World War I.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dardanelles_Army
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Official war artists were commissioned to document the conflict.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim consists only of general dictionary definitions for 'official' and does not contain any information regarding whether official war artists were commissioned to document the Gallipoli conflict.
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web search NEUTRAL — An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official
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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of OFFICIAL is one who holds or is invested with an office : officer. How to use official in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/official
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web search NEUTRAL — OFFICIAL definition: 1. relating to a position of responsibility: 2. agreed to or arranged by people in positions of…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/official
verified
“One of the most powerful paintings was the ghostly Midnight at Menin Gate (1927) by Will Longstaff.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia explicitly states that *Menin Gate at Midnight* is a 1927 painting by Australian artist Will Longstaff, depicting the Menin Gate memorial.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Menin Gate (Dutch: Menenpoort), officially the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, is a war memorial in Ypres, Belgium, dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Yp…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menin_Gate
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Menin Gate at Midnight (also known as Ghosts of Menin Gate) is a 1927 painting by Australian artist Will Longstaff. The painting depicts a host of ghostly soldiers marching across a field in front of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menin_Gate_at_Midnight
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — William Frederick Longstaff (25 December 1879 – 1 July 1953) was an Australian painter and war artist best known for his works commemorating those who died in the First World War.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Longstaff
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“Banjo Paterson penned an ode to Gallipoli, We’re All Australians Now, in 1915, and novels abound exploring the impacts of war on soldiers and society.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the evidence confirms Banjo Paterson was an Australian bush poet and that 'Waltzing Matilda' is a famous Australian song, none of the provided sources confirm that Banjo Paterson penned the ode *We’re All Australians Now* specifically in 1915.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Arts in Australia refers to the visual arts, literature, performing arts and music in the area of, on the subject of, or by the people of the Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding Indigenous…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arts_in_Australia
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson (17 February 1864 – 5 February 1941) was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author, widely considered one of the greatest writers of Australia's colonial period. Bo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banjo_Paterson
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Waltzing Matilda" is a song developed in the Australian style of poetry and folk music called a bush ballad. It has been described as the country's "unofficial national anthem". The title was Austral…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltzing_Matilda
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“World War II first inspired some choreographers to convey or critique overseas wars through dance.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence provided for this claim consists of general Wikipedia entries about WWII and Instagram links, but none of the sources contain information linking World War II to choreographers conveying or critiquing overseas wars through dance.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Allies, or Allied powers, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international military coalition formed during World War II (1939–1945) to oppose the Axis powers. Its princ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_II
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — World War II, or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945), was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — World War II was the deadliest military conflict in history. An estimated total of 60–75 million deaths were caused by the conflict, including those who died from deprivation, famine and disease. This…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties
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“En Saga was choreographed by Laurel Martyn and first performed by the Borovansky Ballet in Melbourne in 1941.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that Laurel Martyn choreographed *En Saga* and that it was performed by the Borovansky Ballet in 1941. One web search result specifically mentions 'The 1941 Borovansky Ballet production of Laurel Martyn’s En Saga.'
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Edouard Borovansky (24 February 1902 – 18 December 1959) was a Czech-born Australian ballet dancer, choreographer and director. After touring with Anna Pavlova's company, he and his wife, Xenia, settl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edouard_Borovansky
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web search NEUTRAL — Edouard Borovansky was a Czech-born Australian ballet dancer, choreographer and director. After touring with Anna Pavlova's company, he and his wife, Xenia, settled in Australia where they established…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edouard_Borovansky
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web search NEUTRAL — The 1941 Borovansky Ballet production of Laurel Martyn’s En Saga. Hugh P. Hall/National Library of Australia. En Saga opens with the women farming the land. The men return from war to some celebration…
https://theconversation.com/the-theatre-of-war-how-the-anzac…
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“Set in 19th century Finland to Jean Sibelius’ rousing score, the story was inspired by the Australian home front.”
MISLEADING
While the evidence confirms *En Saga* was choreographed by Laurel Martyn and performed by the Borovansky Ballet, and that it is set to Jean Sibelius' score, the evidence does not support the claim that the story was *inspired by the Australian home front*. Instead, the evidence suggests the ballet is about the return from war.
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web search NEUTRAL — Ballet (French: [balɛ]) is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It ha…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballet
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web search NEUTRAL — Ballet is a transcendent art form that thrives within a broader creative network, and we believe it should be shared with, and enjoyed by, as many people as possible.
https://www.losangelesballet.org/
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 14, 2026 · Ballet, theatrical dance in which a formal academic dance technique—the danse d’ecole—is combined with other artistic elements such as music, costume, and stage scenery. The academic te…
https://www.britannica.com/art/ballet
verified
“En Saga opens with the women farming the land.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
A web search result titled 'The theatre of war: how the Anzac story has been retold through dance...' explicitly states: 'En Saga opens with the women farming the land.'
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web search NEUTRAL — En Saga opens with the women farming the land. The men return from war to some celebration, but many are physically and psychologically injured. As the ballet closes, the men are called to fight once …
https://theconversation.com/the-theatre-of-war-how-the-anzac…
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web search NEUTRAL — A clip from the Royal Ballet's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, coming to cinemas nationwide starting May 5. Find information, theaters and schedules at www...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5ZuM82ukQE
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web search NEUTRAL — Tracklist: 01. Intro - Vinland Saga 02. Farewell Proud Men 03. Ocean's Way 04.Tales Of The Seamaid 12. New Found Land 13. Leaves' Eyes 14. Solemn Sea 15. Amrhan (Song of the Winds) 16. Norwegian Loves…
https://vk.com/video-580964_165524715
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“G’Day Digger, choreographed by Beth Dean for television in 1958, was a short humorous piece set in a pub.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this claim, and the evidence section confirms no results were found.
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“Two larrikin soldiers back from fighting in Tobruk during the second world war – The Digger and his Mate – meet again in Sydney.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this claim, and the evidence section confirms no results were found.
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“The Australian Ballet’s 1914 (1998) centres on the unlikely friendship between working-class Jim, wealthy Ashley and photographer Imogen.”
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“Choreographed by Stephen Baynes, the full-length ballet about the first world war was inspired by David Malouf’s 1982 novel Fly Away Peter.”
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“The centenary of the Gallipoli landings in 2015 led the Royal New Zealand Ballet to create a suite of four dances, Salute: Remembering World War I.”
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“Two were commissioned for the occasion, including Neil Ieremia’s short but powerful Passchendaele, with music by the New Zealand Army Band.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.