Executive Director’s Report

It was a great pleasure to lead Sydney Dance Company into its 50th Anniversary and to work so closely with Rafael and the Board to deliver a program that both reflected on the past and looked to the future. Rafael’s vision for the year focused on Australian voices on the stage and it was wonderful to see 10 incredible new choreographic commissions brought to life across the year. The company delivered 73 performances to audiences across Australia and Europe. Featuring a diverse range of choreographic and composition voices, the program absolutely shone a spotlight on the contemporary dance landscape in Australia. Over the course of the year Sydney Dance Company directly employed 154 people, and contracted many more, to create and deliver performances ranging in scale from a 250 seat theatre at Sydney’s Carriageworks through to international stages in halls of 2,000 seats. The activities for the year generated a total revenue of $11,965,879 which resulted in a total surplus result of $825,139, noting Sydney Dance Company is actively fundraising to support the Capital works of the Wharf renovation. In reflecting on what makes Sydney Dance Company special, I am very proud of the fact that the Company delivers not only exceptional performances by the exquisite dancers of the company, but also fun, educational and quality opportunities to learn and participate in dance. Sydney Dance Company’s reach in these areas is an impressive facet of our activities and really goes to the heart of our belief that dance is for everyone. Our programs reach out to students studying dance across the country and to young people with no prior dance experience, where often a Sydney Dance Company performance is the first time these kids have ever seen contemporary dance. Sydney Dance Company also serves young people with professional aspirations through our training programs including our youth ensemble, professional intensives and our accredited PreProfessional program where elite young dancers can gain valuable studio experience and either a diploma or an advanced diploma. Our open class program continued to deliver wonderful participation experiences to thousands of people across 2019. With attendances of over 80,000 across our adult short courses, open classes and our school holiday programs, Sydney Dance Company is very much a part of many people’s dance life. We thank each audience member and dance class participant who has chosen to spend time with us. Across 2019, our first full year located off the Wharf, all our rehearsals and in-studios programs took place in our temporary home in our Wattle Street studios, as work continued on the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct. It is exciting to watch the progress of works and we are looking forward to returning to expanded premises at the end of 2020. Our sincere thanks go to our Capital Campaign donors and the NSW Government for their shared investment in Sydney Dance Company’s future. Our thanks also go to the Federal Government for its support through the Australia Council for the Arts, who in partnership with the NSW Government, provide a base of support for the company which we were able to leverage and grow to ensure we could deliver the breadth of activity the year encompassed. In the current climate of the Covid-19 pandemic, the importance of Government support for the Arts has never been more keenly felt. There are many people who work tirelessly behind the scenes at Sydney Dance Company to bring every performance to life, to greet each class attendee, to sell each ticket. I thank each and every one of them; their dedication is endlessly inspiring. Of course not all of the people who work so hard are on our staff – many are volunteers and their efforts are driven by an altruistic agenda and love of the company – a big shout out here to the Dance Noir committee, co-chaired by Peter Reeve and Pam Bartlett. They, and the whole committee, worked day and night to deliver an event which was not only fabulous fun, but the was the most successful fundraising event Sydney Dance Company has ever hosted. My sincere thanks to Karen Moses for her leadership and guidance during her time as Chair of the Board – it was always much valued. Thanks also to Brett Clegg who succeeded Karen in the role of Chair, taking up the position in August 2019 after serving as Deputy Chair. My thanks also to the Directors of the Board, past and present – each have played a part in Sydney Dance Company’s success and in our 50th Anniversary year it was a pleasure to reflect and celebrate with them. As we navigate through the challenges of 2020, and plot our recovery for the future, it is reassuring to have the skills and leadership of our current Board on hand. Last but not least a big thank you to Rafael Bonachela and the dancers of the company – together you create a world on stage for us to lose ourselves in each night in the theatre. That joy is sadly missed as we move through this strangest of times, waiting for the theatres to be full once more with audiences, together in that shared experience, and artists to be on our stages once again.

Anne Dunn, Executive Director