New Breed 2025. Sydney Dance Company

3 December 2025. Carriageworks, Eveleigh (Sydney)

This 12th New Breed program was the last we will see. The series of New Breed, produced with a principal partnership from the Balnaves Foundation, has been a terrific initiative. Let’s hope the new arrangement, where the Balnaves Foundation will generously support an artist in residence program with Sydney Dance Company, will be as successful.

The 2025 program opened with a work called Save Point from current Sydney Dance Company artist, Ryan Pearson. Save Point was, Pearson tells us in the short video clip that preceded his work, inspired by video games from his childhood. Elsewhere he says that it was also a result of his mother’s collection of cleaning items that he enjoyed playing with as a child. And so the work includes mops, brooms and other cleaning items as props.

Save Point features eight artists, one soloist and seven dancers who largely dance around the soloist in circular patterns. Pearson’s choreography is most interesting for the movement of those seven dancers, especially for the fluid way they bend and twist the upper body, and for the way they are individuals in terms of the choreography while moving together.

A scene from the closing moments in Ryan Pearson’s *Save Point*. *New Breed*, Sydney Dance Company, 2025. Photo: © Pedro Greig

Next up was From the horizon thereafter, created by New Zealand-born Ngaere Jenkins, currently also a dancer with Sydney Dance Company. It is a quiet, gentle work made for just six dancers and is Jenkins’ reflections on her New Zealand homeland and its varied countryside. In terms of structure, one dancer leads the team in a calm and thoughtful manner, while the others create shapes that seem to reference aspects of the landscape. Lighting by Alexander Berlage (who lit all four works on the program) added evocatively to the reflective nature of the work.

Scene from Ngaere Jenkins’ *From the horizon thereafter*. *New Breed*, Sydney Dance Company, 2025. Photo: © Pedro Greig

Following on from the Jenkins work was marathon o marathon from independent artist Emma Fishwick. Made on eight dancers, it was perhaps the most complex work on the program, at least in a narrative sense. We saw dancers running, marathon style, around the space of the stage; one seated dancer reading out a list of time sequences; several dancers working in a group as one sees when watching a marathon race; some dancers collapsing as time moved on; and more.

But all this was to set up the focus of the work not so much on a marathon itself but as a means of reflecting on life’s experiences, as a dancer or anyone involved in the dance world perhaps, but with a universal application. What is in it for us? Does dance have an answer to life’s difficulties? I’m not sure there was an answer but the group dancing was great to watch.

A group of dancers in *marathon o marathon*. *New Breed*, Sydney Dance Company, 2025. Photo: © Pedro Greig

Perhaps the most spectacular, or at least the most mind-blowing work was that from Harrison Ritchie-Jones entitled Pigeon Humongous. Made for eight dancers, it closed the program, and was filled with quite extraordinary choreography. This was especially so when it came to lifts between dancers, which often involved dancers moving mid-air from partner to partner. The dancers were ‘punk pigeon people’ following on from a global virus. They were dressed outrageously for the most part—everyone differently (costumes from Aleisa Jelbart who was responsible for costumes in all four works). The dancers threw themselves around, shouted, behaved strangely. One’s mind never wandered. What would happen next?

Ritchie-Jones explained in his pre-performance video that his choreographic influences came from a variety of sources. And it is obvious when watching that this is the case. The work was beautifully structured and the dancing was simply fabulous. I felt exhausted but thrilled as it ended.

Two dancers in a pose from *Pigeon Humungous. New Breed*, Sydney Dance Company, 2025. Photo: © Pedro Greig

I can’t help feeling a little sad that the New Breed seasons have come to an end. They have given us a terrific look into the future. I haven’t seen every season but I have to say that the choreographer whose work I admired the most over the course of the years has been Melanie Lane. Her work WOOF from 2017 was just brilliant and since then she has gone from strength to strength.

But let’s look forward now. Early in November Sydney Dance Company and the Balnaves Foundation announced that choreographer Jenni Large would be the 2026 Balnaves Foundation Artist in Residence. Large will have the opportunity to work with the various areas of Sydney Dance Company in order to discover the various aspects associated with the production of a program of dance. At the same time she will continue to develop her choreography.

Michelle Potter, 5 December 2025

Featured image: A moment from Emma Fishwick’s marathon o marathon. New Breed, Sydney Dance Company, 2025. Photo: © Pedro Greig

I was a guest of Sydney Dance Company at this performance.

Dance diary. November 2025

Liz Lea: the latest

Liz Lea , ever engaged in new projects, has been commissioned by the Sydney-based AMPA (Academy of Music and Performing Arts) to create a new work for the dance students of the Academy for their upcoming end of year show, Euphoria. Lea’s work is called Promenade and will premiere on 5 December 2025.

Dancers from AMPA rehearsing for *Promenade*. Still from a rehearsal video

Watch below for an insight into the work.

Creative Australia Awards

Two dance artists, choreographer and director Kate Champion and dancer-choreographer Rosalind Crisp, have been honoured at the 2025 Creative Australia Awards held in Brisbane in November. Kate Champion received the Theatre Award and Rosalind Crisp the Dance Award.

Kate Champion, currently artistic director of Black Swan State Theatre Company in Perth, Western Australia, was honoured for ‘three decades contributing to Australian Performance’. Those decades include the founding of the much admired contemporary dance-theatre company Force Majeure in 2002, which she directed until 2015. Her credits extend across a variety of theatrical genres in addition to dance including opera, film, theatre and circus.

Rosalind Crisp was the recipient of the Dance Award. She founded Omeo Dance Studio in Sydney in 1996 and was invited to Paris in 2002, where she became Associate Artist at Atelier de Paris (2004–2014). She was awarded a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2015, and her work has toured nationally and internationally. She is currently commissioned by the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company.

Brief videos focusing on the awards are available online: Kate Champion at this link, Rosalind Crisp here.

Honouring Ana Gallardo Lobaina

My colleagues in Wellington, New Zealand, have let me know that on 19 November, His Excellency Luis Ernesto Morejón Rodríguez, Ambassador of Cuba to New Zealand, Cook Islands and Niue, was welcomed into the Royal New Zealand Ballet studios to honour principal artist Ana Gallardo Lobaina. His Excellency presented Ana, born and trained in Cuba, with an artwork by Cuban visual artist Yosvany Martínez Pérez. It is, I understand, a tradition in Cuba to honour artists who have made a significant input into the company with which they work. In presenting the award the Ambassador said:

Today, we are delighted to see a dancer born and trained in Cuba take her place among the principal figures of the Royal New Zealand Ballet, bringing her talent, sensitivity, and energy to this company. The recognition we are presenting to Ana today is a testament to her tireless work, unwavering perseverance, and artistic excellence.

I have greatly admired the dancing of Ana Gallardo Lobaina, in particular in Loughlan Prior’s production of The Firebird (2021), and the award is well deserved. For posts that feature the work of Ana Gallardo Lobaina on this website see this tag.

The Firebird, Royal New Zealand Ballet, 2021. Photo: © Stephen A’Court — Ana Gallardo Lobaina in the title role of Loughlan Prior’s *The Firebird*. Royal New Zealand Ballet, 2021. Photo: © Stephen A’Court

… and then there’s Elizabeth Dalman

A similar honour will shortly be bestowed on Dr Elizabeth Dalman, AM. Elizabeth will be awarded the insignia of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the Ambassador of France to Australia, His Excellency M. Pierre-André Imbert on 2 December at the Embassy of France in Canberra.

The award was established in 1957 to recognise eminent artists who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world. More after 2 December.

MIchelle Potter, 30 November 2025

Featured image: Liz Lea speaking to the public in 2021 Source: CBR CityNews, 01 February 2021 Photo: © Helen Musa

The Sleeping Beauty. The Australian Ballet (2025)

26 November 2025 (matinee). Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House

The matinee of 26 November 2025 was not an outstanding presentation of David McAllister’s Sleeping Beauty. Not all of the main characters were danced with the outstanding technique we have come to expect from the Australian Ballet, nor was there the strong acting input a narrative ballet like Beauty needs. Benedicte Bemet as Aurora was, for example, not at her best as she attacked the demands of the choreography. A unfortunate aspect of the afternoon’s presentation.

On the other hand, Joseph Romancewic stood out as the English Prince. It is always such a pleasure to watch him perform. He never seems to be promoting himself but rather to be involved in aiding the unfolding of the narrative. I also enjoyed the performance of Hugo Dumapit as the Bluebird in his partnership with Lilla Harvey as Florine.

It is ten years since David McAllister’s production of The Sleeping Beauty was first seen in Australia. Since then I have seen live productions from Queensland Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet and Royal Czech Ballet as well Matthew Bourne’s reimagined version on film, and various as digital screenings especially from the Royal Ballet. Before that there were productions from the Australian Ballet from various choreographers/directors. I even had the privilege of writing a program note for the Australian Ballet’s 2005 production by Stanton Welch, which is available at this link. It just never gets easier to enjoy the McAllister production, mostly because of the design, or rather over design. Each time I see it I am taken aback.

Final scene of David McAllister’s production of *The Sleeping Beauty*. The Australian Ballet, 2015. Photo: Jeff Busby.

But this time I couldn’t help wondering, in particular, why the Garland Dance, a beautiful part of most productions, had to be so over-dressed. As delightful as is the image below, those costumes just take away from the choreography.

Dancer wearing the Garland Dance costume. Photographer not known.

Even though the work is discussed as opulent and even that, with its design, it looks back to the creation of the work in Russia in the 19th century, I’m not a 19th century balletomane. For me it’s not, as stated on Instagram, ‘an unforgettable masterpiece of romance and magic’.

Michelle Potter, 28 November 2025

Featured image: Detail of a publicity image for the 2025 Australian Ballet presentation of The Sleeping Beauty. Photographer not known.

I attended this performance as a member of the general public. My ticket cost $234.

Prism. The Australian Ballet

12 November 2025 (matinee). Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House

The Australian Ballet is looking spectacular, if the dancing in Prism is anything to go by—Prism is a triple bill, with works from Jerome Robbins (Glass Pieces), Stephanie Lake (Seven Days), and William Forsythe (Blake Works V. The Barre Project). At the performance I saw the standard of dancing was technically close to perfection. As well, for the most part, connections from stage to audience were engrossing and quite thrilling.

The program opened with Glass Pieces, a work made by Robbins in 1983 to Philip Glass’ music from Glassworks and the opera Akhnaten. Robbins, in addition to his work with George Balanchine and New York City Ballet, is well known for his choreography for musical theatre, especially West Side Story. The choreography for Glass Pieces appeared to me to reference both dance genres, musical theatre and ballet. It was bright and full of vitality.

The corps de ballet were constant reminders of Robbins’ musical theatre background as they moved across the stage, often in lines and often as shadows in a black light (lighting by Jennifer Tipton). But there were several stunning pas de deux scattered through the work, all of which showed up Robbins’ deep understanding of ballet technique and its overall appearance. I especially enjoyed the performance by two dancers that the handout referred to as ‘Soloist Couple 1’. They were on the occasion of my visit Larissa Kiyoto-Ward and Mason Lovegrove. But all couples danced beautifully and made exceptional use of their arms and upper body and the space around them.

Dancers of the Australian Ballet in Jerome Robbins’ *Glass Pieces*, 2025. Photo: © Kate Longley

As for Seven Days, it made me wonder, once again, why David Hallberg removed Alice Topp from the position of the company’s resident choreographer and gave the role to Stephanie Lake. Lake is a contemporary dance choreographer and has, rightly, made a name for herself as one of Australia’s best in the field of contemporary dance. But for me contemporary ballet is not the same as contemporary dance.

Lake’s choreography dismisses the basic features of the balletic language—and I am not necessarily referring to ‘steps’ but to the intrinsic way the body is held, that is the body shape and line that grows from the way the spine is held, the way the head balances on top of the spine, the role the pelvis plays, and so on. In a comment on the Australian Ballet’s website one dancer said of Seven Days that it ‘Breaks the classical form.’ It does but it also breaks the wider balletic form. And this on a company that has the word ‘ballet’ in its name.

At least Seven Days, despite its moments of shouting and tossing of chairs around the stage, was a step ahead of Lake’s 2024 production for the Australian Ballet, Circle Electric. It was, thankfully, shorter and used fewer dancers although there was repetition of the ‘Lake variety’, which I think needs a rethink.

Callum Linnane and Benjamin Garrett in Stephanie Lake’s *Seven Days*. The Australian Ballet 2025. Photo: © Kate Longley

In contrast to Seven Days, William Forsythe’s Blake Works V, danced to music by James Blake, looked just fabulous as a work of contemporary ballet. The project to which Blake Works V belongs was created during the pandemic of the early 2020s when dancers needed to keep training when regular methods were unavailable. They used domestic furniture of various kinds as a barre on which to keep up classroom activities.

The work included a number of inclusions that are often part of a Forsythe production. The front curtain might descend unexpectedly then rise again, visual effects, such as film clips, may appear, and the collaborative element is strong. In this production a film clip of hands moving on and off a traditional barre took centre stage at one point. Choreographically Blake Works V also showed off Forsythe’s exceptional choreography—clearly balletically based but innovatively so in terms of how different parts of the body bent, twisted, turned and related.

Listening again at what dancers said on the company website, there were words about Blake Works V such as ‘Makes the dancers push themselves.’ And, looking at the short video interview with William Forsythe (see below), it is great to watch the dancers in rehearsal and to listen to Forsythe’s intelligent discussion of his process.

It is such a pleasure too to take in the image, with its beautiful balletic line, used as the featured image on this post. That’s Forsythe! (And Lilla Harvey and Kate Longley of course).

Michelle Potter, 15 November 2025.

Featured image: Lilla Harvey in a moment from William Forsythe’s Blake Works V (The Barre Project). Photo: © Kate Longley

I watched this performance as a member of the general public. My ticket cost $178.00

Canberra Critics’ Circle Dance Awards, 2025

11 November 2025. Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra

Dance in Canberra in the twelve months from October 2024 and September 2025 was recognised with three awards by the Canberra Critics’ Circle. Awardees were Alison Plevey and Sara Black, Ausdance ACT, and Akira Byrne from QL2 Dance. The following citations give details:

For the exceptional production of a solo dance work, Essor (translation: Thank You) in response to photographic material by renowned photographer Tracey Moffatt on display at the National Portrait Gallery; and for their mentorship of dancer Yolanda Lowatta.
ALISON PLEVEY and SARA BLACK

Yolanda Lowatta in the Gordon Darling Hall, 2025. Photo: © Creswick Collective

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For providing young dancers with a professionally curated and technically sophisticated platform for dance and choreography as it celebrated its 40th Anniversary of the Youth Dance Festival at Canberra Theatre in November 2024 with the theme, What Do You Dream?
AUSDANCE ACT

The graphic designed by Natsuko Yonezawa for the 2024 Youth Dance Festival

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For her powerful solo ‘A Destination Should Not Be Expected’ created and performed as part of the QL2 Dance Emerging Choreographers Program, inspired by her own battle with chronic pain and endometriosis. AKIRA BYRNE

Akira Byrne in ‘A Destination Should not be Expected’. QL2 Dance, 2024. Photo: © Olivia Wikner

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MIchelle Potter, 13 November 2025

Featured image: Receiving awards for dance at the Canberra Critics’ Circle presentation, 2025.
(l-r) Emma Dykes (Ausdance ACT), Isabelle Lee (Ausdance ACT), Michael Pettersson MLA (ACT Arts Minister), Akira Byrne (QL2 Dance), Sara Black (Australian Dance Party) and Alison Plevey (Australian Dance Party). Photo: © Brian Rope Photography

Dance diary. October 2025

News from LIz Lea

Liz Lea has just announced news of an upcoming production, Diamond, on which she is currently working. Diamond is the next in a trilogy of works she is developing and follows on from the first work in that trilogy—RED. RED was an exceptional production first seen in 2018 (read the review at this link). After its Australian presentation, it toured in various countries for five years.

Diamond will premiere on 6 August 2026 at the Q Theatre in Queanbeyan as part of ‘Q The Locals’, an initiative with a focus on local productions. There are still nine or so months to go but worth the wait I’m sure.

Larry Ruffell (1941-2025)

Very belatedly I discovered that dancer, writer and arts administrator, Larry Ruffell, had died early in 2025. The news was relayed to me by a colleague who unexpectedly came into contact with Larry’s wife, Priscilla, at a show they were both attending in Canberra. New Zealand born, Larry had a career as a dancer in the United Kingdom before moving to Australia where he pursued a career as a writer and arts administrator. He had a noteworthy career in Canberra and wrote and reviewed extensively for The Canberra Times back in the days, several years ago now, when that newspaper included material about dance and most other arts activities. Larry also had a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Australian National University with majors in philosophy and psychology.

My connections with Larry include publishing an article he wrote for Brolga, the now defunct journal I founded in 1994 and edited until 2006. It appeared in Brolga 17, December 2002, and was titled ‘Perceiving dance: bowing to the ineffable’. The article examined the impact of differing perceptions relating to music and to dance. He was also administrator of the Canberra Opera Society (also now defunct) when I choreographed sections of that society’s production of Gluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice in 1977.

A brief biography, dating back around two decades from the website of Ausdance National, is at this link. A longer article, an obituary, was published in New Zealand by The Post and can be read at this link. The New Zealand obituary contains some photos of Larry, including one referencing the days of his British dance career. It is noteworthy too that in the obituary he is referred to as Laurie Ruffell. He was never called Laurie in Australia, although that name seems to be common elsewhere.

Ausdance ACT’s Youth Dance Festival 2025

Promotional image for *Life on Mars*, Ausdance ACT Youth Dance Festival, 2025

Unforrunately I missed (again) the Youth Dance Festival this year, a program called Life on Mars, although I continue to admire the process that lies behind the Fesitval. As Ausdance ACT notes: ‘The Youth Dance Festival creative process involves professional dance mentors visiting participating schools to provide support and guidance to students in the development of their own work.’ The range of schools involved from across the region is remarkable. Next year I hope I will manage to attend.

Press for October 2025

– ‘Batchelor focuses on the legacy of lost dancer.’ Review of Resonance. James Batchelor + Collaborators. CBR City News, 11 October 2025. Online at this link.

– ‘Celebrating Dalman’s decades of dance creation.’ Review of ECDysis. Mirramu Dance Company and guests from Taiwan. CBR City News, 26 October 2025. Online at this link.

Michelle Potter, 31 October 2025

Featured image: Liz Lea in a promotional image for Diamond. Photo: © O&J Wikner, 2025.

Main Character Energy. The Chaos Project 2025, QL2 Dance

24 October 2025. Belconnen Arts Centre, Canberra

It is interesting to watch QL2 Dance as it evolves under new director Alice Lee Holland. Productions take place in different spaces now. There seem, too, to be fewer dancers than previously, although I could be imagining that. Costumes seem to be more complex and differ more from work to work, although there is less visual background design. But the structure of the Chaos Projects, a long-standing aspect of annual programming by Ql2 Dance, has remained pretty much the same with several short works by professional choreographers making up an hour-long program. The situation is moving along.

For Chaos 2025 the focus was on what to me is a concept, or at least a word (set of words), that is not all that well known—‘main character energy’. The artistic director’s editorial message (yes, there was a printed program) tells us that ‘main character energy’ is a phrase that emerged in 2020 from social media trends (which is probably why it isn’t well known to me!). It means ‘dramatic self-confidence, obtrusive self-importance.’ Mmm … I know one young dancer who was not impressed with using ‘main character energy’ as a topic and decided not to continue with performing in this year’s project.

The evening opened with a march across the stage area by the younger dancers. They were full of energy and that energy continued as the opening work unfolded.

Young dancers performing in *Main Character Energy*. The Chaos Project, QL2 Dance, 2025. Photo: © Olivia Wikner

The opening and closing scenes, and one other section called Like Water, were choreographed by Alice Lee Holland. Other sections were choreographed by Ruby Ballantyne, Jack Ziesing and Olivia Wikner. The full program consisted of seven separate sections.

The standout section for me was Jack Ziesing’s Goblin Market made for the older students. It set out to show the darkness that might be part of the personality of a human being. But what I especially admired was Ziesing’s choreographic approach. He knew how to establish a choreographic order that made the most of the available space. That allowed the emerging young artists to work within their capabilities, but with an exceptional understanding of the structure that he was aiming to set up. The dancers looked quite professional and I suspect that Ziesing had also been firm with his coaching of the dancers as well as structuring Goblin Market so well. The work was a pleasure to watch and appreciate

QL2 dancers in Jack Ziesing’s *Goblin Market*. The Chaos Project, QL2 Dance, 2025. Photographer not identified.

While it is always good to see the annual Chaos Project, especially watching young people in a dance environment, I am hoping that future projects will focus on topics that do not rely on audiences (and perhaps some of the dancers) being social media addicts. Dance is more than that.

Michelle Potter, 28 October 2025

Featured image: Cover for Main Character Energy program. QL2 Dance Chaos Project, 2025.

I was a guest of QL2 Dance at this performance.

ECDysis. Mirramu Dance Company and guests from Taiwan

My review of ECDysis was published online by Canberra CityNews on 26 October 2025. The review below is a slightly enlarged version of the CityNews post. Here is a link to the CityNews review.

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25 October 2025. Courtyard Studio. Canberra Theatre Centre

ECDysis celebrates Elizabeth Cameron Dalman’s decades of dance creation and performance. Dalman founded Adelaide-based Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) 60 years ago. She directed the company for 10 years before moving elsewhere. She is now based at Weereewa (Lake George) near Bungendore in New South Wales, where she established Mirramu Creative Arts Centre and Mirramu Dance Company (MDC).

The works on the ECDysis program were performed by members of Dalman’s current company along with colleagues from Taiwan. The program was diverse and comprised not only choreographed works but also film clips from across Dalman’s career including some recent discussion of her current interests. There were also words of introduction and explanation spoken before each dance work, given sometimes by Dalman herself, sometimes by Vivienne Rogis currently assistant director of MDC. Especially interesting was one section in which Dalman discussed her connections with Taiwan, whose dance culture has become an intrinsic part of her career.

(left) Elizabeth Dalman in *Welcome Dance*; (right) Vivienne Rogis in *Spiritual*. *ECDysis,* 2025. Photo: © Sigo Tseng

The dance aspect of the program began with Welcome Dance, created in 2025 by Dalman. It was relatively simple choreographically but was a charming introduction to what followed and quite moving given that, despite having been dancing for decades, Dalman has lost little of her stage presence.

The first half of the program focused on early works made for ADT in the 1960s and 1970s. Especially engrossing were excerpts from This Train, created in 1965 and danced to songs by Peter, Paul and Mary. It demonstrated the basic elements of Dalman’s choreography, which have stayed with her but which she has developed over the years: beautifully shaped and placed arms, movement that is carried through the whole body, and the exceptional projection of an emotional response to movement. The dancer that stood out for me in demonstrating those elements was Miranda Wheen, although everyone involved in This Train gave a moving demonstration of Dalman’s early approach.

After interval the program focused largely on the years Dalman has spent at Weereewa, and the development of her connections with Taiwanese dancers. This second section included not only works created by Dalman but also some by her colleagues including Vivienne Rogis, Miranda Wheen and Peng Hsiao-yin (Grace).

A standout item on the second half was Broken Umbrella from a longer work, Tango Lament, and was made in 2008 by Miranda Wheen. Danced in large part by Wheen with what was indeed a very broken umbrella, it was created in response to the closure of a university dance program. Wheen’s choreography had moments of fast-paced movement juxtaposed with slower sections and her dancing was technically outstanding and conveyed an engrossing involvement with the topic.

In addition, the second half contained some exceptional visual elements in the 2005 work ‘Mountain Skirts’ from Bride in the Desert choreographed and performed by Wheen, Rogis and Amanda Tutalo. The costumes (designer not given) lent themselves to visions of billowing cloth.

Throughout the program it was particularly interesting to see some of the aspects of life and culture that have inspired Dalman’s work. Homage to Botticelli from 1969 was inspired by a visit to Florence and Dalman made a surprising link between the Renaissance era of Botticelli and aspects of life in the 1960s.

Silk from 2002, danced to music by Andreas Dalman, was inspired by the creation of silken fabric from its beginnings to its use as a fashion item. It had an outstanding performance from Christopher Chu (as a silkworm?). Refugee (Flight for Life—Destroyed) from 2018 was commissioned by the Taiwanese Youth Foundation and was performed by Amanda Tutalo and Fu-rong Chen. It examined difficulties, including death, faced by those fleeing certain cultures.

ECDysis closed with a new work, Family Tree, newly choreographed by the members of the ECDysis creative team to music by Sigur Ros. The evening, danced against a simple drop cloth lit in different colours for each work, was an exceptional example of creativity and cross-cultural connections.

Elizabeth Dalman (centre) and Mirramu Dance Company dancers in a moment from *Family Tree*. *ECDysis,* 2025. Photo: © Sigo Tseng

Michelle Potter, 26 October 2025.

I was a guest of Elizabeth Cameron and Friends/Canberra Theatre Centre at this performance.

Continuum. Sydney Dance Company

22 October 2025. Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay (Sydney)

I loved the title of Sydney Dance Company’s latest production—Continuum. It was a triple bill of works from three choreographers, Stephen Page, Rafael Bonachela and Tra Mi Dinh and It encouraged me to think on the development (and continuation) of the choreographic and dancerly art that has characterised Sydney Dance Company over the several decades of its existence. Page danced with the company in its earliest days before going on to direct Bangarra Dance Theatre; Rafael Bonachela is the company’s current director; and Tra Mi Dinh, the youngest of the three, was the recipient of the Keir Choreographic Award in 2022, which resulted in a commission to her from Sydney Dance Company.

The evening opened with Bonachela’s Spell, a work he says was inspired by singer Alice Smith and her cover presentation of I put a spell on you. Along with this cover, extra music included a choral arrangement by Olafur Arnalds, and a suite of three songs for solo violin from composer Bryce Dessner. In his program notes Bonachela commented on the impetus he derived from the music and noted that he was aiming to build ‘elements of compression and release within the choreography to build a series of dances that are spells.’

Although I’m not sure that the notion of spells came across strongly enough, the work clearly showed the movement style we have come to expect from Bonachela—powerful movement that was filled with surprising lifts and twisting bodies. But there were quite a number of sections that took place in strong darkness and I have never really understood why this is such a common occurrence these days. Having said that, a spectacular sequence occurred towards the end when the colour red dominated, not just in costumes (Kelsey Lee) but in lighting (Damien Cooper) and in a haze of red that continued to descend from the upper part of the space.

A moment from Rafaela Bonachela’s *Spell* in *Continuum*. Sydney Dance Company, 2025. Photo: © Daniel Boud

But for me the highlight of Spell was a section early in in the piece when two groups of four dancers engaged in unison work, sometimes together, at other times as two separate groups, and in much brighter lighting. I have always admired Bonachela’s ability to create unison movement, and the dancers responded beautifully to the changing structural groupings, as they always do.

After a brief pause the second work, Tra Mi Dinh’s Somewhere between ten and fourteen, took the stage. The opening few minutes consisted of a flurry of artists dancing together. The audience loved the opening and cheered as the curtain went up and the dancing was on show. The opening sequence also opened up Dinh’s choreographic style to those of us who were seeing her work for the first time. Pretty much every part of the body came into play, but there was strong emphasis on arms—lifting, bending, dropping, linking. And as a whole the choreography was fast, complex and fascinating to watch.

Somewhere between ten and fourteen is, we are told, ‘a study on dusk’ and the ‘transient yet expansive moments between day and night’. The variety of blue colour in the costumes (Aleisa Jelbart) recognised this as did, I believe, the fast-changing nature of the choreography. I felt exhausted, but thrilled, at the end of the work and I look forward to seeing more of Dinh’s work.

The third work, Unungkati Yantatja: one with the other, which centred on the notion of ‘the universality of breath’, came from Stephen Page working with an onstage group of musicians including William Barton on yidaki (Barton also sang) and the Omega Ensemble. In an unusual creative move (unusual for Page) the work began with examining the ‘story’ behind the music, which was already written (Page noted in the program that he had only rarely worked with existing music). But for me the major fascination of the work was that it was a major collaborative venture with, in addition to the live music, exceptional designs (Jennifer Irwin) reflecting Indigenous patterns and a boomerang-inspired section of the setting from Jacob Nash.

William Barton with dancers in a scene from *Unungkati Yantatja: one with the other* in *Continuum*. Sydney Dance Company, 2025. Photo: © Daniel Boud

It was great to see Page’s work once more with its very grounded movement, and his ongoing interest in collaboration as an intrinsic element in a dance work. I was also especially thrilled to see Ryan Pearson now dancing with Sydney Dance Company after an earlier association with Bangarra. Pearson’s contribution to Page’s work was exceptional and was made especially clear in a solo he performed towards the end of the work. He danced with such a strong immersive quality as he engaged with the choreography and the others on stage.

Continuum was an engrossing production. Each work was quite different, and it was absorbing to watch three quite different choreographic styles and methods of engaging with music and design.

Michelle Potter, 25 October 2025

Featured image: Opening scene from Tra Mi Dinh’s Somewhere between ten and fourteen, Sydney Dance Company, 2025. Photo: © Daniel Boud

I was a guest of Sydney Dance Company at this performance.

Critical Path turns 20. ‘Such a creative force’

Critical Path, the Sydney-based centre for research into and development of dance, which Canberra-based dance artist Liz Lea has referred to as ‘such a creative force’, was set up in 2005. It will celebrate its 20th anniversary in mid-November with a three-day, free event, Every Wild Idea. The event will take place in the Drill Hall, headquarters of Critical Path in the inner-Sydney suburb of Rushcutters Bay.

The Drill Hall. Critical Path headquarters, Rushcutters Bay. Photo: © Liz Ham

Choreographer and performer, James Batchelor, whose recent work Resonance delved into the legacy of the late Tanja Liedtke, and who has had a long-standing connection with Critical Path, lauds the influence of the organisation:

Critical Path occupies a valuable place in the dance ecology in Sydney—a dedicated space for independent contemporary dance is a precious resource that we should not take for granted. From an early memory of doing a secondment with Sue Healey when I was younger, to leading a workshop there this year, it’s been a space I have kept coming back to throughout my career. It also featured prominently in the archive of Tanja Liedtke (which I have been researching over the past few years), a space that supported the development of her independent work in the mid 2000s.

Liz Lea also has praise to pass on regarding the influence of Critical Path:

Critical Path is legendary. It is hard to believe it is only 20 years as the impact this organisation has had on dance in and across Australia is profound.

Margie Medlin [an early director] is a visionary who brought an incisive and committed vision to supporting the generation of original and deeply varied work. She supported me in securing a Fellowship at the National Film and Sound Archive leading to my return to Australia after 20 years based in Europe. Claire [Hicks, another director] then brought a new infusion of energy and care – I was supported in the initial development of my one woman show RED which toured internationally for 5 years. The care, time, support and capacity of the works developed in the Drill Hall seep into the very fibres of Australian dance and will do for many years.

Current artistic director of Critical Path, Agnès Michelet, notes that Critical Path was established to fill a recognised gap in the independent dance sector in New South Wales. She remarks that it provided [and continues to provide] a pathway ‘through which professional dance-makers could innovate their choreographic practice’.

In part the media release for Every Wild Idea reads:

Every Wild Idea will kick off on Friday November 14, 7pm-9pm with live performance, artists in real-time ideation playfully curated by Azzam Mohamed who blends street, club and African dance forms. In the spirit of experimentation, research and risk-taking, seven artists will improvise and create in real-time while audiences are free to roam and witness the energy of process-in-action.

Breakthroughs, filmed and directed by award winning arts documentary and film maker Deborah May, will premiere across the weekend. May will unveil the essence of artistic breakthroughs through the eyes of five extraordinary Australian dance artists. What happens when we follow a flash of inspiration over time? The moment when memories, cultures and fragments of practice connect with renewed vitality.

‘Dance is often ephemeral and although documentation is vital in consolidating and propagating our shared history, the video and stills gathered often remain largely unseen or unused and the artists are seldom given a voice,’ says May.

‘Drawing from the rich archive collected by the artists and Critical Path with new video sequences and recordings, Breakthroughs proposes to present an aspect of this pivotal yet largely unseen work in a way that will engage and inspire audiences and lead to a greater understanding of the real work necessary to making exceptional art.’

On Sunday November 16, 11am-1pm, join dance and multimedia artist and writer Ira Ferris for the launch of the special edition of Critical Dialogues #16, celebrating 20 years of Critical Path alongside Vignettes flickers fades: a text, a sound montage and a map. A conversation between artist-archivists Ira Ferris and Tammi Gissell unveils new experimental approaches to archiving in a dance context. Plus a music performance by Alexandra Spence and a dance performance by Ryuichi Fujimura.

‘The aim of Vignettes flickers fades is to reflect not only the significant moments in Critical Path programs and activities, but to invoke sounds, smells, colours of Drill Hall,’ says Ira Ferris. ‘Its water-based location and porous features that imbue creative processes.’

Azzam Mohamed, *Why is this Mine* Choreographic Lab 2021. Photo: © Anna Kucer

See more at this link
Dates and times:
FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2025—7pm to 9pm
SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2025—11am to 3pm
SUNDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2025—11am to 3pm

All events are free at The Drill, 1C New Beach Road, Darling Point. Book tickets here https://events.humanitix.com/every-wild-idea-open-weekend

Michelle Potter, 18 October 2025

Every Wild Idea is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW, the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body, and Woollahra Municipal Council’s Cultural Grants Program.

Featured image: Gok-Lim Finch and Sophie Dumaresque in a nightime moment from FORBIDDEN. Creative Development 2025. Photo: © Estelle Yoon