The Dancers

From a Dancer’s Perspective

the past whilst fully aware it was happening right there in the present. It prompted me to think that although the body might change with time, become less agile or mobile, the artistry within every performer, within every dancer who has shared their gift with Sydney Dance Company’s audiences, lives on with vigour and vitality; and that is something to be remembered and celebrated. As I look back on my career with Sydney Dance Company, which spans just one fifth of its glorious life-time, I feel humbled, grateful and proud to belong here. Juliette Barton, Company Dancer I have been a dancer with Sydney Dance Company for almost twelve years now, and that is a statement I make with a genuine sense of pride. In 2019, Sydney Dance Company celebrated its 50th Anniversary and for me personally it was a moment to reflect on all that Sydney Dance Company has meant to me. In early 2018 I fell pregnant and was redeployed to the administrative team in order to ensure my safety during that time. One of my jobs was researching and gathering information about the last 50 years of Sydney Dance Company in preparation for the 50th Anniversary year. As I set about this task, I saw myself within the broader context of all that Sydney Dance Company has been and I was overwhelmed with gratitude to be a part of this community. A community of artists, dancers, choreographers, composers and leaders who have across the decades, given the best parts of themselves to this company, fuelled by ambition, dedication, loyalty and a hunger for excellence; a community that has inspired future artists and ignited the imagination of their audience for 50 years. This sense of gratitude really stuck with me, so when I was given the opportunity to return from maternity leave to a season in which I would share the stage with 10 Sydney Dance Company alumni, 16 current company dancers and 25 audience members, I jumped at the chance. In September 2019, the returning alumni and current company dancers convened in the studio with choreographer and fellow Sydney Dance Company alum Gideon Obarzanek to commence rehearsals for Us 50. The camaraderie and mutual respect between old and new was instant. Some of the alumni I had crossed paths with already, such as Bradley Chatfield, who was in his last of 18 years with the company the first year that I joined, and some of them I had never met, however I felt a sense of awe at being given the opportunity to create and perform with these dancers. Together we were only a small representation of the hundreds of dancers that have graced stages with Sydney Dance Company over the decades, but nevertheless it was a nod to the rich history of artistry and experience and an acknowledgement of the value in it all. In one of the early days of rehearsal we were set a task to pair up two current company with one Sydney Dance Company alumni, then instructed to create a dance sequence that was a ‘feel good groove’. Current company then extrapolated that into a bigger dance phrase, to be danced alongside the alumni performing their ‘groove’. For me this was a highlight of the whole experience, as we watched each group perform their little creation. The room was alive with artistry, and I felt like I was granted special passage into Dancers 2019, from top left Juliette Barton Alex Borg (Trainee) Ariella Casu Davide Di Giovanni Holly Doyle Janessa Dufty Dean Elliot Riley Fitzgerald Jacopo Grabar Liam Green Luke Hayward Dimitri Kleioris Chloe Leong Jesse Scales Emily Seymour Mia Thompson Charmene Yap Chloe Young Victor Zarallo