Impermanence 1
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ab [intra] ★★★★ “Has to be seen to be believed” The Sydney Morning Herald
Rafael Bonachela’s acclaimed ab [intra] returns for a very special encore season
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Are you reframing the future or is the future reframing you?
Roslyn Packer Theatre Walsh Bay, Sydney 7 – 11 September
Photo: Pedro Greig
Welcome My sincere thanks go also to our major funders the Australian Government, through the Australia Council for the Arts, for their ongoing support. The Australian Government’s assistance programs over the course of 2020 made a material difference to Sydney Dance Company and we are deeply grateful for that help.
The start of 2021 has seen both a joyous return to the stage for Sydney Dance Company and a celebrated return to our home on the Wharf. For all of us, the impacts of 2020 and COVID-19 have left an indelible mark. It has been a great pleasure to watch the dancers come back into the studio after months at home last year – to watch Raf working with them once more – putting shape and structure to the emotion of what the last 12 months have wrought. I encourage you to allow yourself to inhabit Impermanence – its journey to the stage is a reflection of the journey we have all been on over the last year and its premiere marks a moment in time – impermanent but impactful. Despite the closure of theatres and the cancellation of tours we were busy in 2020. We launched our Virtual Studio online classes program, delivered a digital schools’ program nationally and produced short dance film pieces for the Dance Locale and Cuatro series. In 2021 we can build upon our Digital program offerings due to the impactful RISE funding granted from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, Office of the Arts. This funding will enable us to continue to diversify revenue generation and improve our reach in regional, remote areas to permanently offer digital classes, schools’ programs on demand nationally and internationally and live streams of productions like you are seeing tonight. The support of our donors and audiences was incredible and so very appreciated. This came in many forms and every piece of it contributed to ensuring that Sydney Dance Company is still here today. 5
The NSW Government has been a steadfast supporter of the Arts over this time. Not only is Sydney Dance Company grateful to be the recipient of ongoing partnership funding from the NSW Government, we are also humbled and deeply thankful to have received support through their Restart and Renewal support package for the Arts. With that support we are able to employ the artists that have helped bring Impermanence to the stage and ensure that 2021 will see Sydney Dance Company back on tour. Over several years we have been working closely with the NSW Government on the renewal of our home at Walsh Bay and we thank them for their investment and congratulate them on completing the first stage of this once-in-a-lifetime project. We are so proud to be in the heart of this incredible precinct. Our enormous gratitude goes to the many people who have contributed to our Take A Step Campaign to allow us to play our part in partnering with the NSW Government on this project. This campaign was supported by leadership gifts from the Neilson, Clifford, Mordant, Wales, Zampatti, Knights and Clegg families. With their support, and that of all those who invested in our vision, we have secured a home for Australian contemporary dance, now and into the future. It has often been said that Sydney Dance Company feels like a family; we work together collectively to bring these incredible works to the stage. We share the joys and triumphs of success and we gather together and buckle down to get through the challenges. My sincere thanks and appreciation go to all of the Sydney Dance Company family, Board, staff, dancers and audiences for what has been achieved over the last 12 months, as we look forward to the next year and the joy of sharing Impermanence far and wide. Anne Dunn Executive Director #2021SDC
Welcome to Impermanence
What a journey. Almost twelve months ago, as we were in the theatre in technical rehearsal for the original iteration of Impermanence, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic became apparent, and a matter of days before opening night, the curtain came down before it had ever been raised. After the challenges we have all faced, as a nation and as global citizens, it is an enormous privilege to finally be able to present this work. I am truly delighted that you are here, in a theatre, and watching Sydney Dance Company perform. Bryce Dessner and I were initially inspired to consider the ephemeral nature of life when we spent time together in Paris in 2019, shortly after the Notre Dame fire. We reflected on how easily things fall apart, even structures we imagine to be eternal, but also the fragility and impermanence of human life, the planet and human relationships. This transience, so fleeting and vulnerable is the perfect subject for live performance and in a post-COVID “new normal”, a work that we created to reflect on vulnerability has added poignancy. The majority of the score was written towards the end of 2019 when the bushfire crisis overwhelmed Australia. Bryce was deeply affected by what he was seeing; the images of the bush on fire, headline news across the world, permeated his thinking and the work. The personal connection he felt to Australia, to Sydney, to the Company, the dancers, saw beauty germinate from desolation.
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As it became apparent towards the end of 2020 that we would, perhaps, be able to perform on stage again, I contacted Bryce to explore extending both his score and my choreography; to create a full-length work that responded to the initial stimulus and to the shattering change to the fabric of our lives that had affected us all. Bryce has created incredible music. It is full of emotional power; epic, driven, raw and poignant. The choreography takes its cues from these drivers inspired by the questions the music raises for me – what do we hold dear? How do we make each and every moment count? From devastation, what is the pathway through energy and urgency to peace and radiance? In 2015, I choreographed Frame of Mind using Bryce Dessner’s Ahyem; a driving, thrilling piece for string quartet, originally commissioned by the Kronos Quartet. I really connected to that piece of music and the artistic relationship with Bryce grew once he had an opportunity to see the dancers rehearsing to his score. He was in Sydney performing with his band, The National, in 2018 when he had the opportunity to visit the studio. From that meeting, our creative collaboration blossomed. It has been a real treat to conceive of this work together – to explore the emotional drivers through both dance and music and to arrive at a place where the parts knit together so closely to make the whole. And ironically, to be able to shape Impermanence in response to such unexpected, but life-changing global
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events. For me, this encapsulates the incredible power of contemporary dance and music and how the response of the artist can truly resonate. Part of making that whole is of course the Australian String Quartet – working with them to not only realise the work for performance but to actually jointly commission the score has been a joy. I want to thank the wonderful musicians of the Australian String Quartet, Dale Barltrop, Francesca Hiew, Stephen King and Michael Dahlenburg, and guest musician Christopher Cartlidge. Their talent is breathtaking and their passion for this project inspiring. It has been a pleasure to work again with Damien Cooper whose lighting brings so much depth to this work, with designers David Fleischer and Aleisa Jelbart, whose deigns in set and costume have captured our world of Impermanence. My sincere thanks go to all those who have worked on Impermanence, especially the dancers, whose tenacity, passion and resilience, through months of Zoom rehearsals and dancing in lounge rooms across Sydney, have brought us to the stage today. Now more than ever, I realise that we must make the most of every moment, that every moment counts; we must hold tight what we hold dear. I hope that you enjoy every moment of Impermanence. Rafael Bonachela Artistic Director
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Impermanence
Choreographer
Rafael Bonachela
Composer
Bryce Dessner
Lighting Designer
Damien Cooper
Stage Designer
David Fleischer
Costume Designer
Aleisa Jelbart
Australian String Quartet Dale Barltrop – Violin I Francesca Hiew – Violin II Stephen King – Viola Michael Dahlenburg – Cello
Impermanence Composition for String Quartet and Electronics by Bryce Dessner Before Alarms Disintegration Alarms 2 Urgences Embers Shards Emergency Impermanence Pulsing Requiem - Ashes Another World Additional Electronics
With generous support from: The Neilson Foundation Antoinette Albert, Don & Veronica Aldridge, The Berg Family Foundation, Paul Brady & Christine Yip, Jillian Broadbent AC & Olev Rahn, Jane & Andrew Clifford, Manuela Darling, Chum Darvall AM & Sonja Woodwell, Susie Dickson & Martin Dickson AM, Helen Pagnin & Angie Ellis, Bahar Etminan & Herbert Appleroth, John Griffiths & Beth Jackson, Janet & Michael Hayes, Alicia K Kemp, Joan Lyons, Jules Maxwell, In memory of Nola McCullagh, Janet McLachlan, Didy McLaurin, Catriona Mordant AM & Simon Mordant AO, Paris Neilson & Todd Buncombe, Rebel Penfold-Russell OAM & Ian Low, Dominique Robinson, Bernard Ryan & Michael Rowe, Jeanette Sandford-Morgan OAM, Penelope Seidler AM, Ezekiel Solomon AM, Allegra Spender & Mark Capps, Bianca Spender & Sam McGuinness, The Ian Wallace Family Bequest, Kathy White and Carla Zampatti Foundation. Commissioning Partners: The Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Civic Theatre (City of Newcastle), Frankston Arts Centre, Glasshouse Port Macquarie, Griffith Regional Theatre, Mildura Arts Centre, Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, Ulumbarra Theatre (Bendigo Venues & Events).
David Chalmin
Another World – song by Anohni with arrangement for live quartet by Bryce Dessner. Use of Anohni’s Another World is with kind permission of Kobalt Music Publishing. Another World is written by Anohni and administered by Kobalt Music Publishing. Recording produced by Anohni, Antony and The Johnsons, Rough Trade 2008, Remote Control Records.
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Impermanence, a work by Rafael Bonachela, featuring Bryce Dessner’s composition, Impermanence, commissioned by Sydney Dance Company and Australian String Quartet (by arrangement with Chester Music Ltd, Wise Music Group)
Impermanence is presented in association with the Australian String Quartet. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. The ASQ acknowledges musicians Sharon Grigoryan – cello and Rachael Tobin – cello, who have been part of the development and recording of this work.
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About Rafael Bonachela
Rafael Bonachela was born in Barcelona where he began his early dance training before moving to London. In 1992 he joined the legendary Rambert Dance Company. He remained with Rambert as a dancer and Associate Choreographer until 2006 when he successfully set up the Bonachela Dance Company (BDC) to concentrate on the rapid rise of his choreographic career. As a choreographer, Rafael has been commissioned to make works for Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company, Candoco, George Piper Dances, ITDANSA Danza, Contemporanea de Cuba, Transitions Dance Company and Dance Works Rotterdam, amongst others. In 2008, Bonachela premiered 360°, his first full-length production for Sydney Dance Company. Less than six months later, he was appointed Artistic Director, making headlines around the dance world. His vision for the Company embraces a guiding principle that has seen the repertoire grow, with the addition of commissioned dance works from Australian and visiting international guest choreographers. These works are often programmed alongside Rafael’s own creations, ensuring diversity for audiences and providing much sought after opportunities for his remarkable ensemble of dancers to be exposed to the work of some of the most in-demand choreographers of our time. Rafael Bonachela’s 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 Bianca Spender, Dion Lee and Toni Maticevski. Such collaborative efforts reflect the inspiration he finds and utilises from contemporary culture. You can read more of Rafael’s biography here.
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A Note from the Composer
Composing for dance is something that has always fascinated me – my sister is a dancer – and the symbiosis of music and movement, each weighted equally, is the most satisfying of collaborations for me. After meeting Rafael and the dancers when I visited Sydney in 2018 and seeing the way Rafael used three tracks from my work Aheym in his 2015 piece Frame of Mind, I was intrigued to work with Sydney Dance Company on a commissioned score and a new work. Rafael and I met in Paris in the northern summer of 2019 to explore concepts for a new work. Following the Notre-Dame fire, I had been mulling over a number of themes that intrigued me. Living in Paris, I had been deeply shaken as the world-renowned cathedral, the beating heart of the city for over 850 years and the symbol of so much art and humanity, burned and was forever transformed. The mutability of the structures around us, both tangible and intangible, became central to my thoughts. In the following weeks and months, a catastrophic bushfire season in Australia escalated. Images were beamed around the world on the internet and TV and I was horrified to see the devastation it caused to the bushland, the wildlife, and to people’s homes and livelihoods. Having regularly visited Australia, and spent time in Mallacoota, I was profoundly moved by the images of loss, destruction and panic that were being shared across the world. I was also deeply affected by the beauty that revealed itself in the aftermath – the hope, and the anticipation.
reflecting on both the incredible paradigm shift the world has experienced during the pandemic and how we all have been affected. The fragility of our existence and the vulnerabilities that have been exposed have been compounded, from our relationship to the planet, the climate and the structures around us, to change at a profoundly personal level. The intimacy of composing chamber music and working with strings is a passion. I am delighted that Sydney Dance Company has joined forces with the Australian String Quartet to commission this work and thrilled that the Quartet will play live on stage with the dancers. Rafael and I both wanted to end the work with a song. My friend Anohni was delighted to collaborate with us, and I asked if we could adapt her incredibly beautiful song Another World as the closing of Impermanence. Her lyrics encapsulate perfectly everything that Rafael and I sought to achieve with this piece. “I need another place. Will there be peace? I need another world. This one’s nearly gone.” Bryce Dessner Composer
These events, and their impacts, fundamentally shaped the architecture of this work and became pivotal to its development. With just days to go before opening night, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic became apparent and the scheduled premiere and performances of what had become Impermanence were cancelled. Devastating at so many levels. However, as Australia has worked towards a new COVID-normal, Rafael contacted me to explore extending both my composition and the choreography, 10
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Bryce Dessner and Bon Iver. In 2015, Rafael Bonachela choreographed his work Frame of Mind to Dessner’s dramatic contemporary classical album Aheym recorded by Kronos Quartet. Frame of Mind went on to win four Helpmann Awards, has toured internationally and was performed live by the Australian String Quartet in Sydney Dance Company’s 2018 reprise of the work. Bryce Dessner was named one of a collective of eight “extraordinary artists, thinkers and doers” to help steer the artistic leadership of Esa-Pekka Salonen as San Francisco Symphony Orchestra’s new Music Director from September 2020.
Bryce Dessner is a vital and rare force in new music. He has won Grammy Awards as a classical composer and with the band The National, of which he is founding member, guitarist, arranger and co-principal song-writer. He is commissioned to write for the world’s leading ensembles, from Orchestre de Paris to the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Meanwhile he is a high-profile presence in film score composition, with credits including Alejandro González Iñárritu’s The Revenant – for which he was Grammy and Golden Globe nominated, as well as his score for the triple Oscar-nominated The Two Popes (Netflix – November 2019) featuring legendary actors Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce. The breadth and level of Dessner’s creative output is remarkable. Dessner collaborates with some of today’s most creative and respected artists, including Philip Glass, Katia and Marielle Labèque, Paul Simon, Sufjan Stevens, Johnny Greenwood, Bon Iver, Kelley O’Connor, Nico Muhly and Steve Reich, who named Dessner “a major voice of his generation.” His orchestrations can be heard on the new albums of Paul Simon 11
Recent major works include Concerto for Two Pianos for Katia and Marielle Labèque, premiered by London Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded for Deutsche Grammophon; Voy a Dormir for Kelley O’Connor and Orchestra of St. Luke’s; Skrik Trio for Steve Reich and Carnegie Hall; the ballet No Tomorrow cowritten with Ragnar Kjartansson; and Wires for Ensemble Intercontemporain. In 2019, Gautier Capuçon premiered a new work by Dessner commissioned by Fondation Louis Vuitton, and Los Angeles Philharmonic premiered Triptych (Eyes for One on Another), a major theatre piece integrating the photographs of Robert Mapplethorpe. New York’s Metropolitan Museum featured a song by Dessner in one of its first contemporary installations. Dessner’s albums include El Chan and St. Carolyn by the Sea on Deutsche Grammophon; Music for Wood and Strings (Brassland records); Aheym commissioned by Kronos Quartet; and When We Are Inhuman by Dessner, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and Eighth Blackbird. Click to read more about Bryce Dessner’s Impermanence score to feature Mercury-Prize-winner Anohni Click to listen to Bryce Dessner on Spotify
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Impermanence Creatives
Damien Cooper, Lighting Designer Isn’t it great to have live musicians onstage? I do love the energy it brings. This on top of Bryce’s intense score, Rafael’s ever climaxing choreography on the full company of dancers. Amazing! Intense! The lighting and scenic design will create a landscape for these highly energised elements to exist within. A dose of simplicity? Purity? I often seek these elements in other aspects of my life - fashion, architecture, design. The simple and pure items always stand out. They bring balance. Enjoy. Biography Damien works with many leading dance companies in Australia and his work has toured extensively around the globe. Highlights include Cinco, ab [intra] and Grand for Sydney Dance Company, Of Earth and Sky for Bangarra Dance Theatre and The Happy Prince for The Australian Ballet. Damien’s career highlights include Neil Armfield’s productions of The Ring Cycle for Opera Australia and Exit the King on Broadway starring Geoffrey Rush and Susan Sarandon. Damien has won three Sydney Theatre Awards, four Green Room awards and two APDG awards.
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David Fleischer, Stage Designer The design for Impermanence is a pure, abstracted architectural gesture that goes on its own journey throughout the show. At times it operates like a wall, at other times a horizon of a landscape; later, a window to nature, as well as a curtain that may close off that outside world. The set provides a context for the souls that inhabit it in this chaotic and alarming world. The journey the music takes is mirrored by the movement of this single scenic element, amplified by the arresting treatments of light. The purity of the space aims to be in harmony with the clarity and distinction of the string quartet on stage. Biography David is a set, costume and production designer working across Australia with leading theatre, dance and opera companies. He has worked extensively with Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Dance Company, Belvoir St Theatre, as well as Opera Australia, Sydney Chamber Opera, Pinchgut Opera among others. His works have been presented throughout the country as well as internationally. Notable recent productions include Fangirls (Belvoir), The Harp In The South (Sydney Theatre Company) and ab [intra] (Sydney Dance Company).
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Aleisa Jelbart, Costume Designer The costumes for Impermanence were inspired by the music, composed by Bryce Dessner, as well as the vivid imagery of the Australian bushfires at the end of 2019. The score is so layered, with an intensity and a sense of heaviness to it, contrasted by moments of hope, and I wanted the costumes to reflect this. I started by establishing a colour palette, with the idea of using this to find lightness in the work. I avoided using blacks and whites, or any colours that were too strong and would be too intense alongside the music, and instead landed on a palette of muted hues and soft, earthy tones. The softness of these colours also reflects the concept of hope emerging from the intensity, in the same way that the incredible images of rejuvenation followed the devastation of the bushfires.
Biography Aleisa Jelbart is a Sydney based costume and set designer. For Sydney Dance Company Aleisa has designed costumes for Rafael Bonachela’s Lux Tenebris (2016) and Anima (2016), Melanie Lane’s WOOF (2019) and a number of works featured in New Breed (2014-2020). Aleisa was the recipient of the 2016 Berlin New Music Opera Award and the 2014/15 Hephzibah Tintner Fellowship for Production Design. Aleisa specialises in design for movement, dance, cross disciplinary performance and devised work.
The simplicity of the dancers’ shorts provided me with a base to work from, giving me the freedom to explore a variety of textures and structures for the top half of the costumes. Using the idea of the fire at the Notre-Dame that initially inspired Bryce’s music, and the architectural elements of the historic cathedral, I have incorporated a mixture of strong lines and draping fabrics. The softness of seeing the dancers’ skin through short-sleeves or splits along the back of a top allow for a sense of vulnerability and connection to the movement happening on stage.
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Australian String Quartet For over 30 years, the Australian String Quartet (ASQ) has created unforgettable string quartet performances for national and international audiences. Dedicated to musical excellence with a distinctly Australian flavour, the ASQ’s purpose is to create chemistry and amplify intimacy through experiences that connect people with string quartet music. From its home base at the University of Adelaide, Elder Conservatorium of Music, the ASQ reaches out across Australia and the world to engage people with an outstanding program of performances, workshops, commissions and education projects. The Quartet’s distinct sound is enhanced by a matched set of 18th century Guadagnini instruments, handcrafted by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini between c.1743 and 1784 in Turin and Piacenza, Italy. These precious instruments are on loan to the ASQ for their exclusive use through the generosity of UKARIA.
Angelina Zucco Chief Executive The opportunity to work with like-minded individuals is the stuff of dreams. It has been our great pleasure to play a part in the co-creation of Impermanence with Rafael Bonachela, Bryce Dessner and the fearless team at Sydney Dance Company. Through the visionary leadership of Sydney Dance Company, this project has grown from a ‘what if?’ to a ground-breaking collaboration between leading Australian companies and innovators. With the generous investment of our respective supporters, we are privileged to play our part in making powerful contemporary work for our world. Impermanence is a work that is both for and of our time and we thank you for joining us.
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ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
Dale Barltrop Violin I 1784 Guadagnini Violin, Turin Francesca Hiew Violin II 1748-49 Guadagnini Violin, Piacenza Stephen King Viola 1783 Guadagnini Viola, Turin* Michael Dahlenburg Cello c.1743 Guadagnini Violincello, Piacenza ‘Ngeringa’
ASQ PATRON
MANAGEMENT
Maria Myers AC
Angelina Zucco — Chief Executive
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sophie Emery — Operations Manager
Nicholas B Callinan AO (Chair) Bruce Cooper (Deputy Chair) Angelina Zucco (Chief Executive) Alexandra Burt John Evans Janet Hayes Marisa Mandile Janet McLachlan Paul Murnane Susan Renouf Suzanne Stark
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Alison Growden — Executive Assistant Samuel Jozeps — Marketing & Communications Manager Helen Kearney — CRM & Marketing Administrator Leigh Milne — Accounts Michelle Richards — Development Manager
Australian String Quartet Creatives
Pictured L-R: Stephen King, Michael Dahlenburg, Francesca Hiew, Dale Barltrop. Photo: Jacqui Way
Dale Barltrop, Violin I Dale has performed as a chamber and orchestral musician across the globe. In addition to his position with the ASQ, he serves as Concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and has been Concertmaster of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Principal Second Violin of the St Paul Chamber Orchestra. He has appeared as soloist and director with all three orchestras. Dale made his solo debut with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra at age 15. Francesca Hiew, Violin II A musician of diverse interests and influences, Francesca has maintained a multifaceted career. Prior to joining the Australian String Quartet, she was a member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Francesca enjoys teaching and coaching chamber ensembles, regularly tutoring for the Australian Youth Orchestra, Adelaide Youth Orchestra and the University of Adelaide. A former student and fellow of the Australian National Academy of Music, Francesca is passionate about fostering the future of chamber music.
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Stephen King, Viola Stephen King played violin while growing up in Canberra, then transferred his interests to the viola under the inspiring teachings of Elizabeth Morgan. He completed his studies in the USA with James Dunham (Cleveland Quartet), Kathy Murdock (Mendelssohn Quartet) and Michael Tree (Guarneri Quartet), earning a Doctorate in Chamber Music from the University of Maryland. From 1997, Stephen was violist of the Coolidge String Quartet based in Washington D.C. and then returned to Australia in 2003 to join the Australian Chamber Orchestra. At the beginning of 2012, Stephen relocated to Adelaide with his family where he was appointed as violist of the Australian String Quartet. Michael Dahlenburg, Cello Michael studied cello with Howard Penny at the Australian National Academy of Music and Molly Kadarauch at the University of Melbourne. He was Principal Cellist of Melbourne Chamber Orchestra until 2020, and has been Guest Principal with Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria. He has worked as a guest with the Australian String Quartet, Flinders Quartet, Australian Chamber Orchestra, ACO2 and Adelaide’s ARTARIA ensemble. Michael Dahlenburg joined the Australian String Quartet as its Cellist in November 2020. #2021SDC
Photo: Pedro Greig
Richard Cilli & Charmene Yap Richard Cilli Richard Cilli is a Perth-born, Sydney-based dance artist. He has performed the work of renowned Australian and international choreographers, including Lloyd Newson, Anouk van Dijk, William Forsythe, Lucy Guerin, Stephanie Lake, Rafael Bonachela, Gideon Obarzanek, Alexander Ekman, Jacopo Godani, Emanuel Gat, Kenneth Kvarnström, Gabrielle Nankivell and Kristina Chan.
Charmene Yap, Rehearsal Associate Charmene Yap is a multi-award-winning dancer, rehearsal director and choreographer. She is a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and Purchase College New York. In her early career, Charmene was a recipient of an Australian Council Skills and Development Grant and nominee of the prestigious Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative Award.
After training at STEPS Youth Dance Company and then the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Cilli joined Sydney Dance Company in 2009. He won the Helpmann award for Best Male Dancer in 2010 for his performance in Rafael Bonachela’s we unfold.
Prior to her decade of performing for Sydney Dance Company, Charmene danced for companies Chunky Move, Tasdance, Dancenorth, Lucy Guerin Inc., Armitage Gone! Dance Company and worked with numerous choreographers including Tanja Liedtke and Antony Hamilton. She has featured in films including Think Of Yourself As Plural by David Rosetzky, Del Kathryn Barton’s Red, and Katie Noonan’s music video Quicksand.
He has been a member of Sydney Dance Company, Dancenorth, K.Kvarnström & Co (Stockholm), Lucy Guerin Inc., Chunky Move and Australasian Dance Collective. Cilli has created work for Sydney Dance Company, The Australian Ballet, LINK Dance Company, and WAAPA, as well as independently produced work. 2018 saw Richard join Chunky Move to work with Anouk van Dijk on Common Ground, Anti Gravity, and Accumulation. In 2019 he co-produced and performed alongside percussionist Claire Edwardes in Gideon Obarzanek’s Recital. He also joined Australasian Dance Collective for a collaboration with Beijing Dance LDTX in China. In 2020 Richard joined the cast of Lloyd Newson’s ‘Enter Achilles’ revival tour, presented by Rambert and Sadler’s Wells. Richard is a certified Countertechnique teacher, and loves to share his passion and curiosity as a performer, maker and teacher in Australia and around the world. In April 2021, Richard commenced his role as Sydney Dance Company’s Rehearsal Director.
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Charmene joined Sydney Dance Company as a dancer in 2010, performing the majority of works by Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela, and other Australian and international choreographers including William Forsythe, Alexander Ekman and Stephanie Lake. She has won numerous awards including the Helpmann Award for Best Female Dancer in 2012, the Australian Dance Award in 2013 for 2 One Another, and the Helpmann Award for Best Female Dancer in 2014 for 2 in D Minor. Charmene has choreographed works performed by Sydney Dance Company and Co3 Company in Perth and more recently was Assistant Choreographer for Gideon Obarzanek’s Us 50 which celebrated Sydney Dance Company’s 50th Anniversary. In September 2019, Charmene commenced her new role as Sydney Dance Company’s inaugural Rehearsal Associate, working with both the company’s artistic and education departments. Charmene also continues to perform and develop her choreographic practice.
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Dancers
Isabella Crain Isabella started dancing at the age of 12 at the Amanda Bollinger Dance Academy on the Gold Coast, Australia. In 2017 she moved to Switzerland to commence full-time training at Rudra Béjart, where she had the opportunity to perform with the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in The Rite of Spring. After graduating in 2019, she participated in the Brisbane International Contemporary Dance Prix where she was awarded Senior Winner and offered numerous placement opportunities. In 2020, Isabella completed her placement with the Australasian Dance Collective before traveling to the Netherlands to work with Introdans on Akram Khan’s piece KAASH. She took up a placement with Sydney Dance Company later in the year, performing in New Breed. Isabella has joined the Company for the season of Impermanence.
Sabine Crompton-Ward Born in Hobart, Sabine began her early training at Encore Dance and Theatre School and later studied with House of Dance and Jenina’s Dance Workshop. In 2018 she moved to the Gold Coast to study a Certificate IV in Dance at Dance Force. After discovering an interest in contemporary dance, Sabine completed her Diploma and Advanced Diploma of Dance with Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year in 2019 and 2020. During that time, she had the opportunity to perform in works by Vicki Van Hout, Idan Cohen, Leah Marojević, Holly Doyle, Jessica Goodfellow and Omer BackleyAstrachan, as well as excerpts from Rafael Bonachela’s Lux Tenebris and 6 Breaths. In 2020 Sabine performed in Stephanie Lake’s Colossus as a part of Sydney Festival. Sabine appears with Sydney Dance Company in 2021 as a Trainee. Davide Di Giovanni Davide started his dance life at the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan when he was 15. He then received a full scholarship to study at the renowned ballet school Balletto Di Toscana, joining the junior company at 17. After three years with the Balletto Di Toscano, Davide joined Balletto dell’Esperia in Turin, where he met Jacopo Godani, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano and William Forsythe. He then moved to Munich at 23, where he had the chance to work for the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz with choreographers Marco Göcke, Alexander Ekman and Jø Strømgren. He danced One Flat Thing, reproduced by William Forsythe, and worked on new creations with Christopher Roman, Nanin Linning, Georg Reischl and Jacopo Godani. Davide joined Sydney Dance Company in 2017.
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Dancers
Dean Elliott Dean began his dance training in Auckland, New Zealand at age 17. In 2018, he graduated from Ev and Bow Full-time Dance Training Centre in Sydney. During his time there, he worked with many Australian dance professionals and performed in works by choreographers Larissa McGowan, Anton, Robbie Curtis and Adam Blanch. In 2018, Dean appeared as a special guest artist in the Sydney City Youth Ballet’s Australian Tour of Together Live, performing in Lucas Jervies’ PowerHouse. Dean played the role of Young Brett Whitely in Theatre of Image’s Brett and Wendy… A Love Story Bound by Art directed by Kim Carpenter and choreographed by Lucas Jervies. Dean joined Sydney Dance Company in 2019.
Jacopo Grabar Italian born Jacopo trained at Ateneo della Danza in Siena. In 2012 he joined Balletto di Siena as an apprentice and graduated to full time dancer in season 2013 –14. Jacopo received his American Ballet Theatre NTC diploma in 2013, before joining Baltic Dance Theatre (Gdańsk, Poland) the following year where he worked with choreographers including Jiří Kylián, Patrick Delcroix and the director, Izadora Weiss. In 2015 he joined ImPerfect Dancers Company (Pisa, Italy), directed by Walter Matteini and Ina Broeckx and in August 2016 joined Ballet des Stadttheater Bremerhaven, under the direction of Sergei Vanaev, where he worked with Itzik Galili and Ed Wubbe. Jacopo joined Sydney Dance Company in August 2018.
Riley Fitzgerald Riley graduated from second year at the New Zealand School Dance in 2018 and joined Sydney Dance Company in 2019 on his first professional full-time contract. Prior to training in New Zealand, he attended the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School for three years. In 2014, he performed a lead role in his first professional performance, Vertical Shadows Dance Company’s The White Prince, alongside highly regarded Australian dancers Damien Welch, Marc Cassidy, and Teagan Lowe. Whilst at the New Zealand School of Dance he performed works by critically acclaimed choreographers Damien Jalet (Les Mèdusès, Volk Version) and Cheng Tseng-lung (Wicked Fish).
Liam Green Having grown up in Perth, Liam trained with a range of local schools, including Dynamic Performing Arts and The Graduate College of Dance. At 15, Liam was accepted into the Advanced Diploma of Dance at WAAPA, the youngest to enter the program. Liam worked with the West Australian Ballet for five years, ending his time at the Company as a Demi-Soloist, before joining Sydney Dance Company in 2019. Liam’s repertoire is expansive and diverse, including works such as Radio and Juliet by Edward Clug, In Transit by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and WOOF by Melanie Lane. Liam has also completed a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Finance and Economics, at The University of Western Australia.
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Luke Hayward Luke was born in Alice Springs and received his early training at Central Dance Theatre and Alice Springs Gymnastics before moving to Sydney to train at Tanya Pearson’s Classical Coaching Academy and Studio Tibor. He then furthered his studies in Germany by completing a Bachelor of Dance at Palucca Hochschule für Tanz Dresden. While there, Luke interned at Yuval Pick’s National Choreographic Center De Rillieux-la-Pape and Elena Tupyseva’s Balet Moskva. Upon graduating with Honours, he received the Ingrid-Biedenkopf-Stipendium and accepted a contract with Theater Balet Moskva in Moscow, where he joined their Ballet troupe and Contemporary troupe as a Soloist for the 2016/17 Season. Luke joined Sydney Dance Company in 2019. Telea Jensen Telea started ballet when she was 5 years old and completed her early dance training in Toowoomba with Garden City Dance. After finding an interest in contemporary, she then completed a Diploma of Dance with Queensland College of Dance in Brisbane and performed with youth companies such as Merge Dance Theatre, Expressions Dance Company’s Youth Ensemble, and Brisbane City Youth Ballet. In 2019, Telea studied an Advanced Diploma of Dance with Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year and received a scholarship from the Doug Hall Foundation. Throughout the year she had the opportunity to perform works by choreographers Idan Cohen, Vicki Van Hout, Leah Marojević and Rafael Bonachela. Telea was the 2020 Trainee and appears in the Impermanence season.
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Dimitri Kleioris Dimitri is a graduate of The Australian Ballet School. He has performed leading roles internationally including on Broadway in An American In Paris, Opera Australia’s Death in Venice and The Anatomy of a Passing Cloud with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. He particularly enjoys the process of creation and has worked with the likes of Meryl Tankard, Javier de Frutos, Christopher Wheeldon and with Robert Wilson at the Watermill Centre. Dimitri has performed in various film and television shows including Flesh and Bone, on which he was a series regular. Rhys Kosakowski Rhys Kosakowski, a classical ballet and contemporary dancer originally from Newcastle, strives to embrace his creativity through the art of rhythm and dance. Rhys’ passion for movement has propelled him to success; he performed with Houston Ballet Company for 6 years as a Corps de Ballet dancer and played Billy in Billy Elliot The Musical (Australia 2007) as one of the original four Billys. After slowly building a following in the dance industry, Rhys entered the fashion industry and shot with globally-known photographers whilst also collaborating with artists and videographers. Rhys is passionate about breaking the stereotype of femininity associated with male ballet dancers and combining the qualities of fashion and artistry with the movement of dancing.
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Dancers
Chloe Leong Chloe started dancing at the age of six at Sydney’s Brent Street studios, and later studied at Lindfield’s Ecole Ballet and Dance Theatre. In 2010 she completed three years training at London’s Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. Chloe moved to Barcelona in 2012 to join the junior contemporary company IT Dansa under the direction of Catherine Allard. During her two years with the Company she performed works by Rafael Bonachela, Alexander Ekman, Ohad Naharin and Sidi Labi Cherkaoui. Chloe joined Sydney Dance Company in 2015. She won the 2015 Helpmann Award for ‘Best Female Dancer’ for her performance in William Forsythe’s Quintett. Chloe made her choreographic debut in New Breed 2020 with her piece Nostalgia. Jesse Scales Born in Hobart, Jesse is from Adelaide where they trained with Terry Simpson and received the RAD Solo Seal. They received full scholarships to study with Complexions Contemporary Ballet in New York and Nederlands Dans Theatre in The Hague and went on to major in classical ballet at the New Zealand School of Dance. Since joining Sydney Dance Company in 2012, Jesse performed a feature role in the Australian premiere of William Forsythe’s Quintett for which they were awarded the 2015 Green Room Award for ‘Best Female Dancer’ and a nomination for the 2015 Helpmann Award for ‘Best Female Dancer’. Jesse made their choreographic debut in Sydney Dance Company’s 2016 New Breed season, and choreographed Inertia in New Breed 2020. In 2017, the Dance Australia Critics’ Choice Survey named Jesse as ‘Most Outstanding Dancer’. 22
Emily Seymour Sydney born, Emily Seymour began her training in all styles of dance at All Starz Performing Arts Studio and later studied full-time ballet at Tanya Pearson Classical Coaching Academy. In 2016, Emily was a member of Houston Ballet II for two years, following a year as an Apprentice with Houston Ballet Company. While in Houston, Emily performed in works by Stanton Welch, Alexander Ekman, John Neumeier, George Balanchine and many more. Emily joined West Australian Ballet as a Young Artist for one year before joining Sydney Dance Company in 2018. Emily’s first performance with the Company was at the Théâtre National De Chaillot in Paris, followed by Sydney Dance Company’s European Spring Tour. Since joining the Company, Emily has performed in Rafael Bonachela’s ab [Intra], Frame of Mind and Lux Tenebris; Melanie Lane’s WOOF; and Gabrielle Nankivell’s Wildebeest and Neon Aether.
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Mia Thompson Mia was born in Queensland and started her dance training at the age of four with the Yvonne Brittain Dance Academy. She went on to join Queensland Ballet’s Pre-Professional Year in 2010 where she performed alongside the Company in many productions. In 2011 Mia joined West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). After completing two years at WAAPA, Mia accepted a job with Queensland Ballet under the directorship of Li Cunxin. After three years with the Queensland Ballet, Mia joined Scottish Ballet as an artist in 2016 and was promoted to First Artist in 2018. Her highlights include the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in Peter Darrell’s The Nutcracker. Mia joined Sydney Dance Company in January 2019. Chloe Young Chloe graduated from Queensland National Ballet’s Advanced Diploma in Elite Performance in 2016. Chloe appeared as special guest artist at the Alana Haines Australian Awards (2017) and the Press Freedom Dinner (2017), with Queensland National Ballet as Alice in Alice in Wonderland, as a soloist in Mulan, and Phyrgia in Spartacus. In 2017, Chloe graduated from Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year and joined the Company as Trainee in 2018. Chloe’s first onstage performance with the Company was in Rafael Bonachela’s awardwinning works Frame Of Mind and Lux Tenebris during the Company’s South America Tour to Chile and Colombia in 2018. She has since performed in Gabrielle Nankivell’s Wildebeest, Anthony Hamilton’s Forever and Ever in 2018, Melanie Lane’s WOOF, and Bonachela’s Cinco as well as award-winning ab [intra] in 2019.
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Our Partners
Government Partners Sydney Dance Company is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.
Sydney Dance Company is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.
New Breed Season Supporter
Media Partner
Foundation Partners
Company Partners
Associate Partners
Government Supporters
Supporters Bennelong Event Hire, CAPI, Committee for Sydney, Stedmans, Tattersalls Club Hyde Park, UTS Business School
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Photo: Pedro Greig
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