Choreographer Rafael Bonachela has celebrated the end of his first year as Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company with the announcement of an exciting and varied 2010 Season.

Sydney audiences will be offered four new works, presented over two Seasons staged at the Company’s new performing home, Sydney Theatre in Walsh Bay.

Rafael Bonachela will create two works alongside commissioned premieres from Australian born choreographer and dancer Adam Linder, winner of London’s 2008 Place Prize for Choreography, and Israeli choreographic master Emanuel Gat, winner of his country’s most coveted Cultural Award and star of the 2009 Lincoln Center Festival in New York.

Sydney Dance Company will also be touring We Unfold around the country, as well as in Europe, including the Venice Biennale.

Dancer Richard Cilli photographer Daniel Boud

We caught up with Rafael around the time of the announcement of the new season.

DanceNSW:   Looking back over your first year with the Sydney Dance Company as Artistic Director, what would you say are the highlights for you?

Rafael Bonachela: Naturally my first work as Artistic Director, we unfold, was a definite highlight.  Set to my first symphonic score commissioned from Ezio Bosso, and collaborating with artists Daniel and Jordan Askill, all contributed to making this an unforgettable experience.

Another highlight would have to be enabling 3 commissions to new, young, Australian-based choreographers - Connor Dowling, Emily Amisano and Craig Bary - in a season known as New Breed, performed during a sold out week at the new Spring Dance Festival at the Sydney Opera House.

And most recently, a great success with the first major commissioned work from a visiting choreographer under my directorship - Kenneth Kvarnstrom's Mercury.   A great piece of work of sublime beauty.

And finally, the announcement on opening night of the Mercury Season by the Hon. Virginia Judge MP, Minister Assisting the Premiere on the Arts, concerning the NSW government's support for our official new performing home at Sydney Theatre.  Wow.

DN:  What are your priorities for the Company in the future?

RB:  To consolidate our strong group of dancers, bringing their versatility and technical strengths to a wide variety of works created by the finest choreographers available.

To continue building our exciting new repertoire which already provides us with our stamp of individuality, making us a potent player in the global dance scene.

DN:  Looking to 2010, and your new works – how did the collaboration with Ezio Bosso come about?

RB:  I have worked with Ezio Bosso several times now and I find his work to be incredibly empathetic with mine: we both deal with emotion.  There is a powerful compatibility and I wanted to continue working with him into 2010 knowing that I would do a new work for the Company's March Season at Sydney Theatre.  The work is called 6 Breaths, and Ezio has composed a score for 6 Cellos and Piano.

DN:  Have you worked with Adam Linder or Emanuel Gat before?  What’s important to you when looking at collaborations such as these?

RB:   Adam Linder is a new and emerging choreographer and he was a dancer in one of my past projects with Bonachela Dance Company so we got to worked together then.  I am excited about the energy and imagination he could bring to the Company and the idea that his work as a dancer and as a choreographer had never been seen in Sydney until now, it's a fascinating mix.

When I was a dancer with Rambert Dance Company I worked with an incredible range of choreographers from all over the world - a virtual who's who.  I had not worked with Emanuel Gat, but since he has begun creating work for his own company Emanuel Gat Dance, I have been fortunate to see a range of performances, most recently at the Lincoln Center Festival in New York, and the quality of his work is incredible and I can't wait to see what he creates for Sydney Dance Company and the way in which our dancers infuse their own creativity into the piece.

DN: Can you tell us a bit more about the Company’s plans for the Venice Biennale next June?

RB:  The Company has been fielding a few offers to tour to Europe since the premiere of We Unfold last March, but the timing wasn't quite right, and some offers conflicted with our Australian season commitments.  Then, when Ismael Ivo, the director of the Venice Biennale, told me that he wanted the Company to give his festival the European debut of We Unfold next June, I knew it was the right decision.  We will also do a second program - a Mixed Bill.  It's a great honour to be part of the Biennale, which includes other Australian companies plus companies from Canada.

Dancers Annabel Knights and Chen Wen - photograher Daniel Boud

Season 1       March 23 – April 10          at Sydney Theatre
6 BREATHS                                   Choreography Rafael Bonachela
ARE WE THAT WE ARE              Choreography Adam Linder
  
Season 2        October 12 – 23        at Sydney Theatre
New Work                                    Choreography Rafael Bonachela
New Work                                    Choreography Emanuel Gat

NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Media Release Monday 21 December 2009

Anne Dunn appointed as the new Executive Director of Sydney Dance Company.

Mr Julian Knights, Chairman of Sydney Dance Company, says:
“Anne Dunn comes to us with extensive experience, not only in her recent role as General Manger/CEO of the Darwin Festival but previously from the Perth International Festival, where she held the positions of Artistic Administrator and Program Manager (2003 to 2006). She was also an Assistant Producer with the Sydney Opera House (2002) and worked as Events Desk Coordinator for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.”

“In her recent roles Anne has displayed strong leadership and management skills, as well as impressive business acumen. This will be most important skills for the company as it continues its journey with Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela at the helm.”

“Rafael has expressed his excitement with the appointment and looks forward to working with Anne who he feels shares his vision for the Company,” says Mr Knights.

2010 will be a very busy year for the company with two major programs and two international Guest choreographers plus a strong program of touring, both interstate and overseas.

Anne replaces Noel Staunton who takes up the position as the Director of the Brisbane Festival in the new year.

As Julian Knights says, “We owe a huge debt to Noel. In the past three years we have worked very hard to develop new audiences, appointed an outstanding Artistic Director and established a new home for the company in the Sydney Theatre. The quality of our dancers is world class.

“Anne Dunn comes to a company which is in great shape and ready to take on new challenges. The Board welcomes her appointment.”

Anne Dunn will be available for interview when she takes up her appointment in the new year.

For more information please Contact Libby Greig on 0418 19 4554