A Golden Year
“A reminder of how audiences and arts companies are in a constant dialogue, but also the cultural phenomenon of dance extending beyond what we see on stage. It’s central to our culture in ways we can’t fully understand.” Time Out Sydney For a contemporary dance company to reach the milestone of 50 years is a major achievement; Sydney Dance Company has existed almost as long as the artform itself, and has defined contemporary dance in Australia since its inception. Turning the big 5-Oh saw a series of special events in celebration. In February, the Company was deeply honoured to be hosted by the Governor-General, His Excellency General Sir Peter Cosgrove and Lady Cosgrove at Admiralty House at a reception for 90 guests. On a late-summer evening, Sydney Dance Company founder Suzanne Davidson (nee Musitz), former Artistic Director Graeme Murphy AO and his creative associate Janet Vernon AM, members of government, current and former Board Directors, and Sydney Dance Company staff gathered with the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove to enjoy a cocktail reception and an elegant evening of celebration, a fitting tribute to the esteem in which the Company has been held over its illustrious history. In recognition of the Company’s long-held commitment to inclusion and diversity, a float bedecked in gold glitter was built for the Company’s first ever appearance in the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. Company dancers, staff, donors, board members and studio class participants donned gold lame shorts, picked up their pom-poms and marched down Oxford Street. A sight to treasure, with one truck, one drag-queen, two go-go dancers, and 80 dancers, Sydney Dance Company won the award for Best Choreography, curated by the incomparable Ramon Doringo, Dance Class Manager of Sydney Dance Company studios for the past three decades! Ramon’s inspiration for the 2019 Mardi Gras Parade choreography was a celebration of diversity through
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dance. Ramon was one of the first people to be granted a residency visa on compassionate grounds through the Gay Immigration Task Force when he moved to Australia from the Philippines in the 1980s.
“My inspiration is the people – all the students who come to our classes, the Company dancers, the creative team, the administrative team and the people who support us. They are all included in the float. It’s been so rewarding to see them all dancing together and of course, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Company by wearing gold! My idea of fun is dancing, inclusion, diversity and team work.” Ramon Doringo A specially commissioned project, 50 Years, 50 Memories was posted weekly on the Sydney Dance Company website across the year, and widely shared on social media. A series of moments and milestones across the years was captured and the posts jogged many memories for alumni, our community and audience members alike. It was delightful to hear personal stories from so many people. The choreographic year, celebrating the future of dance in Australia, culminated with the second season in Sydney. A double bill featured Rafael Bonachela’s early work for Sydney Dance Company, 6 Breaths and Us 50, an unique, once-in-a-lifetime work, choreographed by former Company dancer Gideon Obarzanek and paying tribute to the ephemeral way in which we experience and pass down contemporary dance.
“The history of Sydney Dance Company is embedded in the dancers’ bodies and the memories of audiences...the real detail and nuance of dance works – the movement, the style – has always been passed from one dancer to another.” Gideon Obarzanek
2019 Impact Report
