Information
Sydney Dance Company’s momenta opened to critical acclaim in Sydney in 2024, before touring nationally to five states and territories.
momenta takes audiences on a journey into the poetry and physicality of human bonds. This mesmerising work presents a kaleidoscope of energy, capturing moments where individual trajectories collide and intertwine.
The connection is instinctive. The moment is transformational.
Sydney Dance Company dancers transcend physical limitations; they explore the full range of their bodies with grace, power and vulnerability. The movement is rich with rhythmical and spatial patterning. Each moment resonates through space, drawing the audience into a world of raw emotion.
Through the captivating interplay of Bonachela’s signature choreographic style, Nick Wales’ evocative soundscapes, Elizabeth Gadsby’s arresting set design and Damien Cooper’s striking lighting, momenta gathers the hurtling vectors of our lives into confluence and connection. For audiences and dancers alike, it is an invitation to rejoice in the beauty and fragility of our shared humanity.
Creatives
Choreography: Rafael Bonachela
Music: Original Score by Nick Wales featuring “Distant Light” by Pēteris Vasks
Lighting Design: Damien Cooper
Set and Costume Design: Elizabeth Gadsby
Associate Costume Design: Emma White
Media
★★★★★ “momenta is an electric and arresting celebration of light and life that feels almost sacred in its reverence for the power of the body to connect and communicate.” – Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★★ “A night of wonder. Just wow!” – Sydney Arts Guide
★★★★ “Immense athleticism in the body’s exploration of time and space” – ArtsHub
★★★★★ “It’s a beautiful, luminous, cadent spectacle of artistry and athleticism, where world-class dancers blaze majestically across the stage like demi-gods.” – Sydney Morning Herald
“This extraordinary work bypasses logic, connecting with the subconscious through beautiful intensity and visual poetry.” – Dance Informa
“Like much good art, momenta gets inside you and intensifies your sensuality.” – The Saturday Paper
“The work is a huge credit to the underlying approach to contemporary dance that we have come to expect from Bonachela in his leadership of Sydney Dance Company.” – Dance Australia
“The dancers’ muscular control and agility shine through rhythmic patterning, explorative partnering, and motifs incorporating wavelets, extensions, and elevations, which then give in to gravity.” – Dance Informa
“Bonachela has once again delivered outstanding contemporary dance. In momenta, we have a choreographic work that pushes boundaries, delivered by a company brimming with talent.” – Fjord Review
“Then just when you think he [Rafael] can’t possibly outdo his last creation, he raises the bar again.” – Australian Arts Review
2024 Performances
2024 Performances
World Premiere – Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney, NSW
28 May – 8 June
Cairns Performing Arts Centre, Cairns, QLD
15 June
Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra, ACT
21-22 June
Darwin Entertainment Centre, Darwin, NT
26 June
Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, NSW
3 July
Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Wagga Wagga, NSW
6 July
Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Mandurah, WA
20 July
Albany Entertainment Centre, Albany, WA
24 July
Red Earth Arts Precinct, Karratha, WA
27 July
State Theatre Centre Perth, Perth, WA
31 July – 3 August
Sydney Coliseum, Rooty Hill, NSW
10 August
Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC
8 – 12 October
The Art House, Wyong, NSW
9 November
Cheat Sheet
Momenta is the plural of momentum, originated from the Latin word movimentum which means movement or motion. Momenta implies a series of 'momentums'.
Choreographed by Rafael Bonachela, momenta captures a moment in time. A moment between people. A moment of emotional encounters.
“The dancers are always my faithful collaborators. They give themselves personally and intimately, they bring their own experiences to the studio and the trust we have as an ensemble delivers its own authenticity and openness.” - Rafael Bonachela
Rafael Bonachela is originally from Barcelona and has been the Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company since 2009. His work is strong, sober and sharp. The exploration of pure movement is where Rafael finds his unmistakable style.
Rafael began his career as a dancer for the world renowned Rambert Dance Company in 1992 and later became Rambert’s Associate Choreographer.
As a choreographer, Rafael has been commissioned to make works for Candoco, George Piper Dances, ITDANSA Danza, Contemporanea de Cuba, Transitions Dance Company, Dance Works Rotterdam, and more.
His internationally recognised talent has seen him work not only with contemporary dance at the highest level but also with artists from popular culture, such as Kylie Minogue, Tina Turner, Sarah Blasko and Katie Noonan, as well as leading fashion designers Dion Lee, Bianca Spender and Toni Maticevski.
“Nick Wales’s electronic score creates rich ambient soundscapes that crackle and shimmer...” - The Saturday Paper
Comprising seven movements, the momenta score was developed by longtime Sydney Dance Company collaborator Nick Wales.
Mixing classical instruments with an electronic soundscape, the score features existing music by Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks from his deeply moving violin concerto Distant Light.
"To maintain a cohesive sonic identity, I've employed a limited musical palette featuring viola, bass drums, accordion, voice, string orchestra, piano, wooden percussion, chimes and a select few synths and drum machines. This amalgamation of organic classical instruments and voice, the warmth of string orchestras, and the raw edge of electronic elements aims to capture the essence of life - both abstract and beautiful." - Nick Wales
Featuring Lighting Design by longtime collaborator Damien Cooper and Set and Costume Design by Elizabeth Gadsby, momenta takes place in a dark, minimal landscape.
The dancers are lit by a large circular lighting rig that casts dramatic shadows and shapes upon the dancers and stage throughout the performance.
“The centrepiece of the momenta stage is an industrial circle of 19 lights that tilt, swoop, ascend and descend like a mothership...” - Sydney Morning Herald
The 17 Company dancers wear sleek nude costumes which highlight the complexity of Rafael Bonachela's choreography by comparison.
Fun fact: The Artistic team have affectionately dubbed the light rig as Tina!
Information
Sydney Dance Company’s momenta opened to critical acclaim in Sydney in 2024, before touring nationally to five states and territories.
momenta takes audiences on a journey into the poetry and physicality of human bonds. This mesmerising work presents a kaleidoscope of energy, capturing moments where individual trajectories collide and intertwine.
The connection is instinctive. The moment is transformational.
Sydney Dance Company dancers transcend physical limitations; they explore the full range of their bodies with grace, power and vulnerability. The movement is rich with rhythmical and spatial patterning. Each moment resonates through space, drawing the audience into a world of raw emotion.
Through the captivating interplay of Bonachela’s signature choreographic style, Nick Wales’ evocative soundscapes, Elizabeth Gadsby’s arresting set design and Damien Cooper’s striking lighting, momenta gathers the hurtling vectors of our lives into confluence and connection. For audiences and dancers alike, it is an invitation to rejoice in the beauty and fragility of our shared humanity.
Creatives
Choreography: Rafael Bonachela
Music: Original Score by Nick Wales featuring “Distant Light” by Pēteris Vasks
Lighting Design: Damien Cooper
Set and Costume Design: Elizabeth Gadsby
Associate Costume Design: Emma White
Media
★★★★★ “momenta is an electric and arresting celebration of light and life that feels almost sacred in its reverence for the power of the body to connect and communicate.” – Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★★ “A night of wonder. Just wow!” – Sydney Arts Guide
★★★★ “Immense athleticism in the body’s exploration of time and space” – ArtsHub
★★★★★ “It’s a beautiful, luminous, cadent spectacle of artistry and athleticism, where world-class dancers blaze majestically across the stage like demi-gods.” – Sydney Morning Herald
“This extraordinary work bypasses logic, connecting with the subconscious through beautiful intensity and visual poetry.” – Dance Informa
“Like much good art, momenta gets inside you and intensifies your sensuality.” – The Saturday Paper
“The work is a huge credit to the underlying approach to contemporary dance that we have come to expect from Bonachela in his leadership of Sydney Dance Company.” – Dance Australia
“The dancers’ muscular control and agility shine through rhythmic patterning, explorative partnering, and motifs incorporating wavelets, extensions, and elevations, which then give in to gravity.” – Dance Informa
“Bonachela has once again delivered outstanding contemporary dance. In momenta, we have a choreographic work that pushes boundaries, delivered by a company brimming with talent.” – Fjord Review
“Then just when you think he [Rafael] can’t possibly outdo his last creation, he raises the bar again.” – Australian Arts Review
2024 Performances
2024 Performances
World Premiere – Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney, NSW
28 May – 8 June
Cairns Performing Arts Centre, Cairns, QLD
15 June
Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra, ACT
21-22 June
Darwin Entertainment Centre, Darwin, NT
26 June
Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, NSW
3 July
Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Wagga Wagga, NSW
6 July
Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Mandurah, WA
20 July
Albany Entertainment Centre, Albany, WA
24 July
Red Earth Arts Precinct, Karratha, WA
27 July
State Theatre Centre Perth, Perth, WA
31 July – 3 August
Sydney Coliseum, Rooty Hill, NSW
10 August
Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC
8 – 12 October
The Art House, Wyong, NSW
9 November
Cheat Sheet
Momenta is the plural of momentum, originated from the Latin word movimentum which means movement or motion. Momenta implies a series of 'momentums'.
Choreographed by Rafael Bonachela, momenta captures a moment in time. A moment between people. A moment of emotional encounters.
“The dancers are always my faithful collaborators. They give themselves personally and intimately, they bring their own experiences to the studio and the trust we have as an ensemble delivers its own authenticity and openness.” - Rafael Bonachela
Rafael Bonachela is originally from Barcelona and has been the Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company since 2009. His work is strong, sober and sharp. The exploration of pure movement is where Rafael finds his unmistakable style.
Rafael began his career as a dancer for the world renowned Rambert Dance Company in 1992 and later became Rambert’s Associate Choreographer.
As a choreographer, Rafael has been commissioned to make works for Candoco, George Piper Dances, ITDANSA Danza, Contemporanea de Cuba, Transitions Dance Company, Dance Works Rotterdam, and more.
His internationally recognised talent has seen him work not only with contemporary dance at the highest level but also with artists from popular culture, such as Kylie Minogue, Tina Turner, Sarah Blasko and Katie Noonan, as well as leading fashion designers Dion Lee, Bianca Spender and Toni Maticevski.
“Nick Wales’s electronic score creates rich ambient soundscapes that crackle and shimmer...” - The Saturday Paper
Comprising seven movements, the momenta score was developed by longtime Sydney Dance Company collaborator Nick Wales.
Mixing classical instruments with an electronic soundscape, the score features existing music by Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks from his deeply moving violin concerto Distant Light.
"To maintain a cohesive sonic identity, I've employed a limited musical palette featuring viola, bass drums, accordion, voice, string orchestra, piano, wooden percussion, chimes and a select few synths and drum machines. This amalgamation of organic classical instruments and voice, the warmth of string orchestras, and the raw edge of electronic elements aims to capture the essence of life - both abstract and beautiful." - Nick Wales
Featuring Lighting Design by longtime collaborator Damien Cooper and Set and Costume Design by Elizabeth Gadsby, momenta takes place in a dark, minimal landscape.
The dancers are lit by a large circular lighting rig that casts dramatic shadows and shapes upon the dancers and stage throughout the performance.
“The centrepiece of the momenta stage is an industrial circle of 19 lights that tilt, swoop, ascend and descend like a mothership...” - Sydney Morning Herald
The 17 Company dancers wear sleek nude costumes which highlight the complexity of Rafael Bonachela's choreography by comparison.
Fun fact: The Artistic team have affectionately dubbed the light rig as Tina!
