SSI Homelands proudly presents Chameleon, an exciting new contemporary ballet with original music composed by Tsoof Baras and choreography by Rani Luther.
The story of Chameleon reflects on the challenges of integration and explores the universal experience of searching for acceptance while remaining true to cultural roots.
A father and son arrive in an unfamiliar land caught between the weight of their ancestors and this new community’s traditions. Will they be able to stay connected while searching for their own place?
Homelands is SSI’s annual artistic showcase connecting artists from refugee and migrant backgrounds with mainstream arts venues and audiences across Australia.
Presented by Sydney Opera House and SSI Homelands.
7:00pm, Saturday 18 July
The Studio, Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point, Sydney
About the artists
Tsoof Baras
Chameleon Creator, Director, Composer and Producer
Tsoof Baras is a Brisbane-based composer, percussionist, and multi-instrumentalist whose career spans orchestral percussion, traditional global drumming and major commercial productions.
A graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, Tsoof’s unique artistry blends classical training with deep immersion in West African, Afro-Cuban and Middle Eastern hand percussion traditions—including intensive study in Conakry, Guinea.
An accomplished session musician, his diverse performance credits include national musical theatre productions such as Hamilton and Mamma Mia! at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, alongside collaborations with world-fusion ensembles like MZAZA and PanAlchemy.
As the director and chief composer of the professional drumming ensemble SoundStruck, Tsoof specializes in large-scale rhythmic spectacles, having directed and produced massive percussion events for the Commonwealth Games and the NRL Dolphins halftime show. Equally dedicated to education and literature, he has served as a sessional percussion tutor at the Queensland Conservatorium since 2017 and is the author of How to Get Good and The Percussion Blueprint. His current creative focuses include original commissions for theatre and the development of Chameleon, an ambitious new contemporary ballet score.
Rani Luther
Creative Collaborator and Choreographer
Rani Luther is a choreographer, creative producer and former professional dancer whose distinguished international career spanned nearly two decades, performing with renowned companies including Netherlands Dance Theatre 1 and 2, The Australian Ballet and Sydney Dance Company. A Gold Medal winner at the Sanlam International Ballet Competition and Green Room Award nominee, Rani has worked with some of the world’s most celebrated choreographers.
Rani served as Ballet Mistress and Creative Associate for Queensland Ballet, where she led and contributed to a range of artistic and interdisciplinary initiatives. Drawing on her extensive performance experience, she creates contemporary ballet works that fuse technical and musical excellence, with emotional depth and powerful storytelling. Her choreographic credits include works for Queensland Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Sydney Dance Company PPY, CIRCA and Opera Queensland.
Chameleon Creator, Director, Composer and Producer Tsoof Baras
Creative Collaborator and Choreographer Rani Luther
Musicians
Musical Director, Percussion Tsoof Baras
Double Bass, Percussion Elias Kokkoris
Woodwinds, Percussion Luke Cuerel
Viola, Percussion Julia Hill
Guitar, Percussion Matthew Teakle
Piano, Percussion Crystal Smith
Dancers
Emil (Father) Michael Braun
Oren (Son) Jayden Grogan
Snake Rafaela Morel
Ancestor Madeleine Semple
Young Sugar Glider Abbey Haller
Sugar Glider Matthew Erlandson
Programme
Chameleon was supported in 2025 by the Metro Arts & BEMAC Creative Development Residency and by Brisbane City Council through Creative Sparks. The Creative Sparks Grant Program is an initiative of Brisbane City Council in partnership with the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
