Sydney Dance Company to make its debut at the Royal Opera House

Sydney Dance Company will make its Royal Opera House debut with Ascent, a mixed programme of UK premieres performed in the Linbury Theatre from 25 – 28 March 2024.

The Australian and international dancers have performed at prestigious international venues, from the Joyce Theatre in New York to the Grand in Shanghai, at the Stanislavsky in Moscow and their home theatre, the Sydney Opera House, but these appearances mark the company’s UK debut.

Sydney Dance Company began as a group founded in 1969, and since 2009 the ensemble of 17 dancers has been led by Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela.

I Am-Ness, Rafael Bonachela, photo by Pedro Greig 3

The Shell, A Ghost, The Host u0026amp; The Lyrebird, Marina Mascarell, photo by Pedro Greig 1

The Ascent programme merges contemporary classical with futuristic experimentation for an evening of “thought-provoking dance” in a “bold programme of diverse works exploring themes of humanity, technology and nature”. 

I Am-ness, choreographed by Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company Bonachela, is set to Pēteris Vasks’ Lonely Angel. Marina Mascarell’s The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird is performed to a score by Nick Wales. The final piece in the programme is Antony Hamilton’s Forever & Ever which is set to a minimal electronic score by Julian Hamilton and engages with ideas of duplication, unison and modification in movement.

Bonachela says,

Contemporary dance isn’t something that can be adequately described in words. It is contemporary in the sense that it exists only in the present physical moment. It is a unique act, and no two performances are the same. What is true of contemporary dance at the time of writing may not be true of it when the lights go down at the next performance.

Sydney Dance Company 
ASCENT 
Linbury Theatre 
25 – 28 March 2024 

Tickets: £5 – £45 
For more information, and to book, visit: Ascent  (roh.org.uk) 

The Shell, A Ghost, The Host u0026amp; The Lyrebird, Marina Mascarell, photo by Pedro Greig 2

The Shell, A Ghost, The Host u0026amp; The Lyrebird, Marina Mascarell, photo by Pedro Greig 4

The Shell, A Ghost, The Host u0026amp; The Lyrebird, Marina Mascarell, photo by Pedro Greig 6

The Shell, A Ghost, The Host u0026amp; The Lyrebird, Marina Mascarell, photo by Pedro Greig 7

The Shell, A Ghost, The Host u0026amp; The Lyrebird, Marina Mascarell, photo by Pedro Greig 5

The Shell, A Ghost, The Host u0026amp; The Lyrebird, Marina Mascarell, photo by Pedro Greig 3

I Am-Ness, Rafael Bonachela, photo by Pedro Greig 4

I Am-Ness, Rafael Bonachela, photo by Pedro Greig 1

I Am-Ness, Rafael Bonachela, photo by Pedro Greig 2

Forever u0026amp; Ever, Antony Hamilton, photo by Pedro Greig 1

Forever u0026amp; Ever, Antony Hamilton, photo by Pedro Greig 7

Forever u0026amp; Ever, Antony Hamilton, photo by Pedro Greig 2

Forever u0026amp; Ever, Antony Hamilton, photo by Pedro Greig 3

Gramilano Editor

Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.

Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.

He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.