Luke is a descendant of the Kuku Yalanji and Djabugay peoples, the Mununjali Clan of South East QLD, the Butchulla clan of Fraser Island
and the Meriam people of the Eastern Torres Strait Islands.
Luke’s passion for dance began in 2002 whilst traditional dancing with Gerib Sik Torres Strait Islander Dance Group with his family in
Canberra and his first introduction to contemporary dance came as a member of QL2. Luke studied dance at NAISDA Dance College and
in 2010 commenced a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). In 2012 Luke appeared in Wesley
Enoch’s I Am Eora for Sydney Festival and later that year joined Bangarra Dance Theatre.
From 2012 to 2018 Luke was a company dancer in Bangarra Dance Theatre showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island contemporary culture around the world. Highlights include performing in remote communities (Yirrkala, Thursday Island and Mer Island) and performing Black from Ochres to a sold-out theatre in New York City.
Luke continues to explore different avenues as a storyteller to represent and showcase his culture. In 2019 Luke was the host of ‘Pay the Rent’, a short documentary about reparations in Australia produced by Buzzfeed Australia. He has also modeled for Indigenous designer Grace Lillian Lee as a part of Reigning Men: Fashion in menswear at the Powerhouse Museum, First Nation Fashion + Design and as part of Darwin Aboriginal Arts Fair 2019. Luke is a sessional teacher at NAISDA, commenced as a mentor with Aurora Foundation earlier this year and was co-host of 2019 NAIDOC in the City. He is currently a member of Muggera, a traditional Aboriginal dance group based in Sydney.
Luke aspires to be a role model for young people both Indigenous and non Indigenous to show them they can be, and do all things.
2019/20 Season: CAMINOS 2019— Mura Buai