SDC leaps into 2013 with a stunning mixed bill performance in Sydney, before hitting the road to showcase the best in contemporary dance to audiences around Australia and internationally.

Sydney Dance Company’s 2013 season begins this month with the aptly named De Novo, from the Latin term ‘of the new’. Promising to be one of the most exciting dance offerings of the year, De Novo features the Australian premiere of Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman’s Cacti, coupled with the world premiere of Emergence, a new work by Sydney Dance Company Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela. For Emergence, Bonachela joins forces with composer Nick Wales, internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko and fashion designer Dion Lee.

Bonachela is thrilled to bring one of Europe’s most highly sought after choreographers to work with the company’s dancers for Cacti. “I’m really excited to introduce Alexander Ekman to Australian audiences,” says Bonachela. “At the age of 28 he has already created 35 works for some of the best contemporary dance companies internationally, including Nederlands Dans Theater, Cullberg Ballet, Gothenburg Ballet and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. In 2010, he was made associate choreographer for Nederlands Dance Theater 2.”

“Ekman’s Cacti is a totally fresh and engaging dance piece about how we observe art and how we often feel the need to analyse and understand it. Performed with a live string quartet on stage, it is joyful, intelligent and irreverent, and has been hailed by critics for all of these qualities.”

Dancers Natalie Allen and Andrew Crawford in Sydney Dance Company’s ’2 One Another’. Photo by Ken Butti.

Bonachela continues, “I am also thrilled to be working with Nick Wales and Sarah Blasko on Emergence. I previously collaborated with Nick on 2 One Another in 2012, and have been an admirer of Sarah for a long time, as a great artist, singer and poet. The fact that Nick and Sarah are friends and have frequently collaborated themselves, made a perfect opportunity to suggest that they work together with me on the music for a new production.”

Emergence will feature costumes by one of Australia’s most innovative young designers, Dion Lee, who Bonachela is also a huge fan of. “I have followed Dion’s work for a few years and he has also come to our shows, so we have been circling one another,” Bonachela jokes. “I can’t wait to see how he visually interprets Nick and Sarah’s music and my choreography, and translates this feeling to dressing the company’s dancers.”

Following De Novo, the company will take their acclaimed production 2 One Another to Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin in May, and then reconnect with the Australian Chamber Orchestra to present Project Rameau in Brisbane and Canberra in July and September.

“Sydney Dance Company is proud to present the same works in regional centres as we do in the major cities,” says Bonachela. “Audiences everywhere love great dance! It is with great anticipation that we look forward to travelling around the country and engaging with people who may not have had the opportunity to enjoy one of our performances before.”

This year the Company will also take an extensive international tour, returning to North and South America, and present a season as part of Sydney Opera House’s Spring Dance 2013.

Recognised as one of the world’s foremost contemporary choreographers, Rafael Bonachela has provided artistic direction and leadership to Sydney Dance Company for the past four years, and in 2012, also curated a highly successful Spring Dance program for Sydney Opera House.

De Novo, featuring Alexander Ekman’s Cacti and Bonachela’s Emergence, is now running at Sydney Theatre for three weeks from March 1 – 23. For tickets and further information about Sydney Dance Company’s 2013 season, visit www.sydneydancecompany.com.

Top photo: Sydney Dance Company’s De Novo. Dancers Jessica Thompson & Chen Wen. Photo by Ellis Parrinder

SDC’s Artistic Director shares his advice for the upcoming company auditions.

By Rebecca Martin.

“I will create a group of dancers who will be unique. A group who will inspire choreographers and make them want to work with us. It’s about blossoming and opening up … rebirth.” Rafael Bonachela, Sydney Morning Herald

Since Rafael Bonachela’s controversial appointment as Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company in 2009, the company has gone from strength to strength. Sydney Dance Company has presented stunning new works with some of Australia’s best dancers, including we unfold, 2 One Another, and 360°, and toured locally and overseas to rave reviews.

Sydney Dance Company's Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela

Being a member of Sydney Dance Company is a dream of many dancers, and opportunities to join the company are rare.  This year, SDC is holding an invitation only audition in August for both male and female dancers.  Dance Informa picked Bonachela’s brain to get some advice for dancers hoping to successfully audition…

A contract with SDC is such a coveted position. Can you give readers an idea of what you are looking for in a dancer?

We are looking for outstanding dancers with demonstrated experience working with professional choreographers. They need to be creative, open-minded, highly intelligent, adaptable and also capable of following direction. Physically they need to be very fit with incredible stamina, strength and flexibility, and highly developed intrinsic core strength. They need to be confident with task work and improvisation as well as repertoire and be willing to question and challenge, and be challenged themselves.

Why is it essential for only dancers with vocational training to submit an application?

We find that these applicants are the best prepared for the way we work and can hit the ground running.  In our experience dancers who have been in full-time training are best prepared for the level of intensity, exactitude and endurance that is required in our dancers.

Given that dancers need to firstly submit an application for an audition, what suggestions do you have to help them have their applications stand out? Or are you simply looking for previous training/experience that ticks certain boxes?

Read our requirements carefully and submit your application according to this – spend some time making sure your CV clearly demonstrates that you have the right combination of skills and experience. Don’t neglect your basic CV skills. Use an easy to read, clear font and be succinct – 2 pages is enough! Also make sure you are using a recent headshot and that it is embedded on the first page of your CV so we can clearly and easily identify you.

Sydney Dance Company performs '2 One Another'

It’s also a good idea, for future audition opportunities, for dancers to attend our intensive week so that we can see you and put a face to a name when an application comes in. And of course watching our performances when you can is very important to get a sense of the repertoire and company ethos.

What advice do you have for dancers at the audition?

We will be providing more details to dancers who are invited to audition but a few general rules always apply such as being here in plenty of time and wearing comfortable dance clothes (including some form fitting clothes so it is possible to observe your physicality as a dancer).  Be mentally and physically prepared – you need a positive mind set and willingness to be creative and give 100% .

What can dancers expect when they join SDC?

The dancers can expect to work hard. The workload is high, however, the artistic rewards are there and we have some very exciting things lined up for the next couple of years. We do challenge our dancers and we expect them to always be fit for work. There is excellent support for their artistic development and care.  There is a great energy and goodwill within the company and we expect dancers to contribute to this ethos.

Sydney Dance Company is a full-time commitment. To give applicants an idea, in 2011 there were more than 70 performances across 14 cities and 5 countries. Usually there will be two major seasons in Sydney plus national and international touring. A standard rehearsal day in the studio is from 9.30am – 6.00pm, including class, rehearsal and breaks, but there are plenty of variations on this through the year. A standard performance day in the theatre is 12pm to the end of the performance.

What is your vision for the company?

At Sydney Dance Company we strive to create world-class work that stimulates audiences and dancers alike. We work with both Australian and international collaborators – each one chosen for his or her capacity to contribute artistically to a whole. I want to work with the best dancers and showcase the incredible talent of the Company on stages around Australia and the world.

Audition Information:

All applicants must have a vocational qualification, professional experience in contemporary/classical dance and be 18 years or over. Applicants must hold either Australian or New Zealand citizenship or a valid visa to work as a dancer in Australia.

To be considered you must be experienced in developing movement with a professional choreographer, display high levels of stamina and flexibility, possess strong improvisation skills and an understanding of Sydney Dance Company’s creative outputs.

To apply: If you meet the criteria outlined above then please send a current CV, ONE headshot and ONE full body dance shot to audition@sydneydancecompany.com. Please ensure all attachments do not exceed 1MB and that each attachment is saved as your Full Name as the file name. Only emailed applications to the specified address will be considered.

Deadline: Friday 13 July 2012. Late applications will not be accepted.
Successful applicants will be invited to audition on August 4 & 5 2012 in Sydney at their own expense.

www.sydneydancecompany.com/company/employment

Top photo: Sydney Dance Company in rehearsal.

By Rain Francis.

State Theatre
June 9, 2012

The best dance companies from all over the country assembled at Arts Centre Melbourne for The Australian Ballet’s 50^th anniversary gala, and it was an absolute treat. The variety of offerings truly showcased the depth and breadth of artistry nationwide; there really was something for every audience member – unless your thing is tutus, because there wasn’t one in sight.

The evening kicked off with the West Australian Ballet’s, Ombra Leggera, choreographed by Artistic Director Ivan Cavallari. It was performed by Daryl Brandwood and Andre Santos, two very different dancers who worked together beautifully. Quick, playful and a bit cheeky, this light-hearted duet was a superb display of technique.

By contrast, Don’t by Brisbane’s Expressions Dance Company was dark and powerful; an “exploration of the emotional power of words”. Dramatically lit and costumed in monochrome, it depicted three couples and their struggles to communicate. From the opening solo under a dappled spotlight, to the electrifying partner work, Don’t was engaging from start to finish.

Tasdance presented a short film, Momentary by choreographer Anna Smith. I was excited to see this offering from our friends across the Strait, although this perhaps wasn’t the best setting for the film. It was hypnotic and mysterious, but I think some quality was lost somewhere along the way – projecting onto the big screen did not seem to do it any justice.

Unsurprisingly, it was Australian Dance Theatre that brought the most innovative present to the party. They performed an excerpt of Be Your Self – an exploration of the human body and the concept of the ‘self’. Whatever combination of methodologies they are getting into over in Adelaide these days, it is a winning one – these performers are verging on superhuman. Having now seen two excerpts of this incredible work on the State Theatre stage, I hope Melbourne will be honoured with the full shebang sometime soon.

Dancenorth presented a brand new work, Fugue, choreographed by Artistic Director Raewyn Hill.   Inspired by Spanish bullfighting and the “dancing plague” of 1518 (where people allegedly danced themselves to death), Hill set out to “embody both a feeling of relentless and a communal experience.” This was achieved through the use of unison; the cast of eight moved in a constant swarm – which is no mean feat, especially in a piece so athletically challenging. The Sass & Bide costuming, although glamorous, seemed to swallow the dancers up and detracted from the intricacy of the movement. Ravel’s masterpiece Bolero, with its gradually building energy and repetitive structure was a fine choice to express the themes of the dance.

Another high point of the evening was Queensland Ballet’s excerpts from Cloudland, choreographed by Artistic Director Francois Klaus. The two pas de deux were performed flawlessly by Rachael Walsh and Keian Langdon, to Almost Like Being in Love and No Moon At All. Normally not a fan of choreography to music with lyrics, I was not bothered in this case, perhaps because I was swept up in the romance and pure beauty of the dance.

An excerpt from Rafael Bonachela’s 2 One Another, Sydney Dance Company’s contribution to the programme was, as expected, technically exquisite. The work explored human interaction, although the stimulus had been abstracted to a point where this fact became largely unrecognisable. Still, the combination of phenomenal dancers, innovative choreography, powerful music and beautiful costumes, lighting and staging made this another winner from Sydney Dance Company.

Tim Harbour’s new work for The Australian Ballet, Sweedeedee, painted a sentimental picture of a family. It was performed with grace and charm by beloved former Principal Artists, Justine Summers and Stephen Heathcote, as well as two Australian Ballet School students, Lennox Niven and Mia Heathcote, Stephen’s daughter. The stage was set (by Benjamin Cisterne) with an oversized washing line complete with white sheets, which were worked effectively into the choreography. Harbour’s movement in this piece was refreshingly uncomplicated, with clean lines and a gentle pace. Funny, sad and sweet, the stories it told were enriched by folk songs played live, with the Musical Direction of Chong Lim. Lexi George’s costumes were a standout, as was the magnificent lighting by Cisterne.

In his programme note, Artistic Director David McAllister cited David Bowie as the inspiration for the naming of this gala. Let’s Dance confirmed that dance is very much alive and well in this country. And judging by the spectrum of creativity and skill in the industry, it seems that Australian dance is set, like Mr. Bowie, to continue to reinvent itself, and only get better with age.

Top photo: Sydney Dance Company presents 2 One Another.

By Rain Francis.

This month, Australia’s preeminent dance companies will unite for a very special occasion. As part of The Australian Ballet’s 50^th anniversary celebrations, Arts Centre Melbourne will host Let’s Dance, for 11 performances only. This is a unique opportunity for dance lovers to see the very best of the best, from every corner of the country.

“In our 50th year I wanted a program that recognised that dance is a thriving part of our cultural landscape. From stages to school halls, thousands of people are dancing across Australia every day,” says Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, David McAllister. “It was also a chance to bring the Australian dance family together to celebrate and to share the wonderful companies of our nation with lucky Melbourne audiences.”

The headliner of this un-missable gala season is the premiere of Tim Harbour’s Sweedeedee. Also presenting new works are Raewyn Hill and Natalie Weir, Artistic Directors of Dancenorth and Expressions Dance Company, respectively. Performing works never before seen on a Melbourne stage are Australian Dance Theatre, Queensland Ballet, West Australian Ballet and Sydney Dance Company. To top the evening off, Tasdance will present a short dance film.

To find out more about what is in store, I spoke to each of the companies involved in Let’s Dance.

Mia Heathcote, Steven Heathcote & Tim Harbour. Photo by Georges Antoni

Company: The Australian Ballet
Title: Sweedeedee
Choreographer: Tim Harbour

Australian Ballet devotees are in for a rare treat with Tim Harbour’s brand new ballet. Sweedeedee sees a return to the stage of beloved former principal artists, Justine Summers and Steven Heathcote. Himself a former Senior Artist with the company, Harbour has shared the stage with the pair, but this is the first time he has choreographed on them.

“Justine and Steven formed a partnership that was particularly cherished by audiences”, Harbour explains. “They both have a deep resonance on stage that I want to tap into. While neither is at the height of their virtuosic powers any more, they are both still beautifully vivid movers.”

The notion of the “Australian dance family” described by McAllister became the starting point for Sweedeedee. Playing the children of Summers and Heathcote will be two students from The Australian Ballet School – one of whom is Heathcote’s actual daughter, Mia.

Harbour has aimed to create something that is fun for cast and audience alike, as well as being a vehicle for this particular, unconventional cast. “I knew I wanted to create something that two dancers in their forties and two mid-teen children could deliver,” he says. “Steven, Justine and myself are all parents now and that has informed the piece too.”

Sweedeedee will be performed primarily to a collection of folk songs, including numbers by Woodie Guthrie and Leonard Cohen, played by a live band. With sets and lighting by Benjamin Cisterne, costumes by Alexis George and projections by Lily Coates and Gavin Youngs, this promises to be a sensory delight fit for a 50^th.

Dancenorth "Fugue"

Company: Dancenorth
Title: Fugue
Choreographer: Raewyn Hill

Inspired by Spanish bullfighting, performed to Ravel’s legendary Bolero and costumed by Sass & Bide, Fugue is sure to be quite a spectacle. Raewyn Hill describes it as “a relentless, trance like experience”, with seven dancers moving as one and pushed to their absolute physical extremes.

Hill researched extensively for this new work, and notes that “the bullfight is often referred to as a metaphor for a fight between mankind and death.” She has aligned this concept with the story of the ‘Dancing Plague’. This mysterious event allegedly occurred in Strasbourg in 1518, when people spontaneously began to dance and continued for days, some even to their death.

“The dancers have really embraced the challenge, and they give phenomenal performances,” says Hill. Be ready to be mesmerised by this exciting premiere!

Company: Expressions Dance Company
Title: Don’t
Choreographer: Natalie Weir

Natalie Weir’s brand new work Don’t is developed from a piece called Scripsi Scriptum, which explores the art of communication and the written word. “I thought the duet was very powerful”, says Weir, “and wanted to work further with the idea of a singular word and its emotional resonance.”

As with all of Weir’s work, which tends to explore “human emotion and connection”, the ideas presented in Don’t are ones to which we can all relate. As the choreographer notes, “sometimes we wish we could take back the things we say to each other. We forget the power that a word can have, its impact on others, and how easy it is to interpret or indeed, misinterpret.  The concept behind Don’t is very simple, but beautiful and quite sad at times.”

Australian Dance Theatre's "Be Your Self". Photo by Chris Herzfeld

Company: Australian Dance Theatre
Title: Be Your Self (excerpt)
Choreographer: Garry Stewart

Be Your Self is a work that has been informed broadly and from vastly different viewpoints. Amongst their eclectic training and development schedule, ADT often engages in meditation practice. Initial sessions were led by a Buddhist monk, who discussed with the company the nature of ‘self’ according to Buddhist principles. Garry Stewart also consulted with a professor of physiology about the ways in which emotions are connected to the body and “how the hormonal system interacts with the brain neurologically and chemically when we experience certain emotions.”

The resulting work is an “exploration of the human body as the starting point for defining the concept of self.” ADT performed a snippet of Be Your Self at the Australian Dance Awards in 2009, and Melbourne audiences were, of course, blown away. Though we’re yet to be treated to it in its entirety, I bet we’re all looking forward to getting another glimpse of this incredible creation.

Company: Queensland Ballet
Title: Cloudland (excerpts)
Choreographer: François Klaus

A sell-out at the 2004 Brisbane Festival and loved by European audiences, Cloudland takes us back in time to the iconic Brisbane ballroom that was popular from the 1940s to the 1980s. “When I was creating the ballet we were overwhelmed by responses to our calls for information”, says François Klaus. “People sent in delightful anecdotes, photographs and even CDs relating to their experiences at Cloudland. This story was very important to Brisbane life for a lot of people.”

Melbourne audiences will be treated to two lyrical pas de deux: Almost Like Being in Love and No Moon at All. “It’s a lovely production with beautiful sets, costumes, and music”, says Klaus. “The themes of love and nostalgia have universal appeal – the story is local in one sense to Brisbane, but people anywhere can relate.”

WA Ballet's Daryl Brandwood & Jayne Smeulders in Ombra Leggiera. Photo by Jon Green.

Company: West Australian Ballet
Title: Ombra Leggiera
Choreographer: Ivan Cavallari

Inspired by the lyrics from the aria Ombra Leggiera in Meyerbeer’s Dinorah, the dance evokes a dialogue with a shadow. It was originally a solo created for Daryl Brandwood, who would interact with movements projected onto a screen. “It was to have been staged in this format at the Quarry Amphitheatre”, says Ivan Cavallari, “however once we were there, it became obvious that the complex projections would be technically unachievable. Thus it became, overnight, a pas de deux!”

Ombra Leggiera is just one instalment in a trilogy of works set to arias sung by the illustrious Maria Callas. “For the moment I have choreographed the first two arias”, says Cavallari, “but I’m still undecided about the third.” So watch this space!

Company: Sydney Dance Company
Title: 2 One Another (excerpt)
Choreographer: Rafael Bonachela

Prior to a Melbourne season of 2 One Another in November this year, Sydney Dance Company brings a segment of its most recent work to Let’s Dance.

2 One Another celebrates “relationships, interactions and the sheer beauty of the human form”. Developed in collaboration with the young Australian poet Samuel Webster, it was enthusiastically received by Sydney audiences in March.

The Daily Telegraph’s Vanessa Keys calls it “an awakening, a major turning point for Bonachela”. Jill Sykes of the Sydney Morning Herald agrees, naming it the choreographer’s “best since he became Artistic Director.”

Company: Tasdance
Title: Momentary
Choreographer: Anna Smith

“Momentary is truly a short moment in time, a glimpse from what has been and an instant of what might be”, says Anna Smith. The short film is a development of Quiescence, one of Smith’s earlier works, which was born of the Conceiving Connections Research project in 2000.

An investigation of the poem Gum Trees Stripping by Judith Wright, Momentary identifies eucalyptus bark as a reflection of human experience. “[The bark is] a skin that reveals a history that often outlives our own”, says Smith. “People have wrinkles, scars and marks on their skin because they have experienced the elements of life.”

Bringing to life the rich, colourful imagery of Wright, Smith hopes that the film reminds viewers to see the beauty and wisdom in growing old, and to “appreciate and take notice of what surrounds us.”

Let’s Dance runs from June 7 to June 16 at Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre.
Book through www.australianballet.com.au or call 1300 369 741

Top photo: Principal dancers Rachael Walsh and Keian Langdon of Queensland Ballet perform the Cloudland pas de deux. Photo by Ken Sparrow.

Published by Dance Informa dance magazine -covering dance in Australia, dance training, dance auditions, dance teacher resources, dancewear and fashion and more.

By Dolce Fisher.

Sydney Theatre
March 2012

2 One Another is the next contemporary dance installment from acclaimed choreographer Rafael Bonachela, but this time he collaborated with a team of varied artists. Samuel Webster was involved from the beginning, using poetry that was inspired by the dancers’ movement which later became text layered throughout the musical score.  The music was a compilation of artists with original music composed by Nick Wales. There was an eclectic selection with everything from beautiful strings to brash electro.

The costume and production design created by Tony Assness was full of contrast, but easy on the eye. Benjamin Cisterne’s lighting used a number of effects from a dimly lit stage to hits of stark white light. He only mixed in colour in the last section of the choreography.  A cyc replaced with a wall of LED lights covered with a thin layer of fabric softened the overall look.

Bonachela’s choreography held true to his style, despite him having a different creative team for this work. His use of raw movement developed from improvisation is something that many contemporary choreographers only dream of having enough time and funding to be able to delight in! Bonachela’s use of all the elements blended so well, allowing so much light and shade in the choreography.

Opening in silence with almost tai chi like movement, 2 One Another had a peaceful vibe to it. This was then cut by a surge of dynamic movement and light. The whole work ebbed and flowed with a series of solos, duos, trios and group work throughout, with each section having a life of its own.

This work displayed a few different partnerships that seem to be developing within the company. In one duet the contrast of height between dancers Natalie Allen and Andrew Crawford could have appeared as awkward, but it was very complimentary. Once again Chen Wen did not disappoint and his perfectly square arabesque line was enough to make any lover of technique go weak at the knees. His entire solo really showed off his abilities and had an edge to it that made him stand out. Some of the other male dancers seemed to lack the stage presence that is expected at this level of performance; something was missing.

There was a moment where it felt like the dancers were arriving at their destination and that all the elements were going to culminate to end the work, but then there was a new beginning. A whole new section started, with a duo introducing a pop of colour with red draped costumes, and the lightning changing from dim and white light to an array of vibrant colours.

2 One Another delved into relationships and human interaction, which is something we all experience every day. With this work the dancers’ interactions became their own lives recorded in the medium of movement.

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