Performances

Performance Repertoire

On sale soon

March 27 - April 6

Somos

Neilson Studio, Sydney Dance Company

October 22 - November 1

Continuum

Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay

December 3 - December 13

New Breed

Carriageworks, Eveleigh

Every year, Sydney Dance Company develops new contemporary dance works that are available for touring. If you are interested in discussing potential touring dates and repertoire please contact the following:

Australia & International Bookings

Brendan O’Connell, Director of Programming
[email protected]

Awards and media

Awards and media

Media
★★★★ “Dance moves for the end of the world… Choreographer Rafael Bonachela sets his excellent dancers on a whirling, bounding trajectory that sustains them in duets, trios and interestingly constructed ensembles…” The Sydney Morning Herald on Impermanence

“…it is arguably the single best piece created by and for an Australian dance company for many years” Adelaide Advertiser on Impermanence

★★★★ “Bold… impressive athleticism and energy… has to be seen to be believed.” – The Sydney Morning Herald on ab [intra]

“Sydney Dance Company delivers intensity to startle and delight” – The Australian on ab [intra]

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Awards and media

Media
★★★★ “Dance moves for the end of the world… Choreographer Rafael Bonachela sets his excellent dancers on a whirling, bounding trajectory that sustains them in duets, trios and interestingly constructed ensembles…” The Sydney Morning Herald on Impermanence

“…it is arguably the single best piece created by and for an Australian dance company for many years” Adelaide Advertiser on Impermanence

★★★★ “Bold… impressive athleticism and energy… has to be seen to be believed.” – The Sydney Morning Herald on ab [intra]

“Sydney Dance Company delivers intensity to startle and delight” – The Australian on ab [intra]

Featuring works

ab [intra] – Contemporary Dance Work

Choreography

Rafael Bonachela

Duration

70 mins

First performed

2018

ab [intra], meaning ‘from within’ in Latin is ‘an exploration of our primal instincts, our impulses and our visceral responses’, says choreographer Rafael Bonachela. From tenderness to turmoil, ab [intra] is a journey of intense human existence that will command your attention.

Impermanence

Choreography

Rafael Bonachela

Duration

65 mins

First performed

2021

A visceral and thrilling exploration of the juxtaposition of beauty and devastation, this full-length work features a new score full of emotional power from Grammy Award-winning composer Bryce Dessner performed in association with the Australian String Quartet.

Forever & Ever

Choreography

Antony Hamilton

Duration

36 mins

First performed

2018

Set to a sonically stimulating score by The Presets’ Julian Hamilton, Forever & Ever fuses together a killer mix of dance, techno, high fashion and vivid lighting to hypnotic effect.

I Am-Ness

Choreography

Rafael Bonachela

Duration

15 mins

First performed

15 March 2023

I Am-ness calls for the convergence of the moving body and creative mind, charting a world in flux where simplicity dominates, and expectations are subverted.

The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Choreography

Marina Mascarell

Duration

26 mins

First performed

15 March 2023

This piece poses many questions: the body's meaning and its capacity to transform; the relationship with technology, and the connection with nature.

Somos

Choreography

Rafael Bonachela

Duration

50 mins

First performed

2023

Meaning “we are” in Spanish, Somos features a cascade of intimate solos, duets and trios with a distinct Spanish flavour.

Frame of Mind

Choreography

Rafael Bonachela

Duration

35 mins

First performed

2015

Frame of Mind features a dramatic contemporary-classical soundtrack by Bryce Dessner (from American hit rock band The National), recorded by San Francisco’s virtuosic Kronos Quartet. Frame of Mind won four Helpmann Awards in 2015 – Best Choreography, Best Dance Work, Best Male Dancer and Best Female Dancer – in its critically acclaimed premiere season.

The Universe is Here

Choreography

Stephanie Lake

Duration

35 mins

First performed

2022

Fusing movement and music, The Universe is Here brings blistering light to the stage and a fizzing glimpse of a haunted dreamscape. Poetic, fresh and forceful, Stephanie Lake's work is intricate and dynamic dance that hits you in the solar plexus.

Summer

Choreography

Rafael Bonachela

Duration

16 mins

First performed

2022

An uplifting new work from Rafael Bonachela, capturing the lightness and positivity of new beginnings. With a score by Australian composer Kate Moore, recorded by the Australian String Quartet and striking costumes by the masters of colour Romance Was Born, Summer will have your spirits soaring.

Ocho

Choreography

Rafael Bonachela

Duration

40 mins

First performed

2017

Explosive and powerful, Ocho, is "sexy, athletic choreography…" (Time Out Sydney), showcasing the dancers' virtuosity. Fusing a brutalist industrial dreamscape with a surging electronic score by Nick Wales that features haunting vocals by Aboriginal singer Rrawun Maymuru of the Mangalili clan, Ocho explores the infinite connections that exist between us all.

WOOF

Choreography

Melanie Lane

Duration

20 mins

First performed

2017

WOOF generates variations of collective actions that speak from matters of the heart. In an imagined physical future, stealing from classical dances, romantic paintings and pop culture, a re-invention of community takes place. In dialogue with Clark’s bold musical score, WOOF relentlessly forges a duality of instability and empowerment, harnessing the fantasy of a post-human collective spirit.

Wildebeest

Choreography

Gabrielle Nankivell

Duration

30 mins

First performed

2014

Gabrielle Nankivell’s eloquent creation, Wildebeest, showcases the power of dancers as individuals and strength en masse. Moody and animalistic, it’s backed by a stormy and industrial score by Luke Smiles.

Full Moon

Choreography

Cheng Tsung-lung

Duration

38 mins

First performed

2017

Cheng Tsung-lung's Full Moon harnesses the power of the moon and the mythology and poetry of mankind to thrilling effect.

Cinco

Choreography

Rafael Bonachela

Duration

26 mins

First performed

2019

Be moved by a “dazzling technical display of flexibility” (★★★★, Sydney Morning Herald) in the world premiere of Rafael Bonachela’s Cinco. Watch “elastic dynamic dancing” (The Daily Telegraph) from our award-winning dancers, in delicate costumes by revered fashion designer Bianca Spender, set to Alberto Ginastera’s soaring String Quartet No.2.

Cuatro

Choreography

Rafael Bonachela

Duration

14 mins

First performed

2020

Four dancers. Four musicians. Four Films.

Lux Tenebris

Choreography

Rafael Bonachela

Duration

40 mins

First performed

2016

Lux Tenebris explores light and darkness with fiercely physical movement and deep, electronic beats by composer Nick Wales.

Neon Aether

Choreography

Gabrielle Nankivell

Duration

25 mins

First performed

2019

Gabrielle Nankivell’s premiere, Neon Aether, is a theatrical adventure into the infinite unknown. Inspired by science fiction and outer space, audiences will be transported into a vivid, ethereal world beyond the clouds.

Us 50

Choreography

Gideon Obarzanek

Duration

40 mins

First performed

2019

Us 50 is a grand-scale work by Gideon Obarzanek featuring 50 performers made up of past dancers that have graced our stage, current Company dancers, and members of our community.

6 Breaths

Choreography

Rafael Bonachela

Duration

40 mins

First performed

2010

Since the 2010 premiere of Rafael Bonachela’s award-winning 6 Breaths the work has toured to New York, London, Barcelona, the Venice Biennale in Italy and the prestigious Movimentos Festival in Germany. A symphony of dance, music by Italian composer Ezio Bosso and costume design by Josh Goot, this emotive work will take your breath away.