Nestled under the Harbour Bridge, Pier 4 has been our home since 1985. A unique space hewn from Sydney’s industrial heritage, our studios have been home to generations of renowned dancers and the foundation of performances that have brought worldwide acclaim for Australian culture. Over that time we have taught hundreds of thousands of people to dance in our studios. The quirky, creaky, historic Wharf has become synonymous with Sydney Dance Company. Our vision for the future sees Sydney Dance Company cement its position as one of the world’s leading contemporary dance companies, expanding our reach and inspiring Australians’ love of dance. We will commission and create more new work. We will enhance our development program for young choreographers. We will deepen our engagement in the communities of Australia. We will reach more young people and nurture the talent of the future. We will train more extraordinary dancers and we will be a national and global home for contemporary dance. We have made a promise for the future to perform at our peak, to inspire and educate and to share dance with everyone. In 2019, we continued on our pathway to achieving our vision, with work well and truly underway at the Wharf. Our harbour-side home is being transformed as part of a unique cultural district, an iconic waterfront destination for both the city and the nation, cementing Sydney’s reputation as an innovative, dynamic and creative city and drawing in local, national and global audiences. As one of the longest tenured residents, we are playing a pivotal role in this incredibly exciting project. The rejuvenation of our home at the Wharf will provide significant upgrades to our four rehearsal studios with new sprung floors, new acoustic treatments, new heating and cooling systems and improved customer amenities. A brand new fifth Studio will be unique, purpose-built and overlooking Sydney Harbour Bridge; a multi-purpose space for artistic endeavour and community outreach with a retractable seating bank for intimate showings and small-scale performances, complete with its own entrance and foyer space. A new sixth Studio will be a flexible space suitable for
corporate meetings, small dance classes and rehearsals and streaming virtual classes to the world. The new wellness Studio will allow dancers and the public alike to undertake specialist Pilates and yoga training and a new recovery and treatment room will ensure our dancers receive the best care available. The reconfigured café space will be opened up to the magnificent location and provide a buzzing meeting spot for the neighbourhood. Sydney Dance Company spent 2019 operating from temporary studios at Ultimo as work continues on the Wharf and whilst we love our temporary home, we are very much looking forward to getting back to Walsh Bay where our hearts lie, being able to spread our wings and stretch ourselves with new initiatives. Our sincere thanks go to the NSW Government for their visionary support of the Walsh Bay precinct redevelopment. They are investing not just in Sydney Dance Company, but in all of the co-located performing arts companies and the thousands of people who attend their classes and performances. We also want to thank each and every one of our Capital Campaign donors for their belief in our vision for a future for Sydney Dance Company.
2019 Impact Report
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