Dance Locale

Five films. Five locations

Forging connection with the Sydney Dance Company’s home city and state and launching our year-long The Festival of Place, Dance Locale celebrates, activates and promotes the beauty and diversity of public space in Greater Sydney and New South Wales.

More than a performance piece, this suite of five films encapsulates the inherent interplay between culture and location and embodies this dynamic relationship.

The five films were conceived and devised during the constraints of the COVID-19 restrictions. In partnership with Sydney Dance Company, Dance Locale celebrates the civic spaces of New South Wales, bringing the dancers of Sydney Dance Company out of the studio and into open spaces.

Film-maker Pedro Greig, featuring the choreography of Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela and performed by dancers of Sydney Dance Company, the transformative power of contemporary dance brings to life iconic locations that embody the breadth and diversity of Sydney’s public spaces and acknowledges the connection between the public realm and the creative spirit.

Parklands

Filmed in Western Sydney Parklands and stretching 27 kilometres over three local government areas (Blacktown, Liverpool and Fairfield). Featuring Company dancer Riley Fitzgerald, Parklands embodies tenderness in a rugged landscape and celebrates Western Sydney Parklands as the largest urban parkland in Australia. Filmed on Darug Country.

Riverlands

Twenty years after the last medal was awarded, Sydney Olympic Park is a thriving urban site and a microcosm of Sydney; rich in geological, Indigenous, colonial and industrial history, as well as the location of one of Australia’s most significant cultural and sporting achievements. Riverlands sees the dancers inhabit the rich diversity of Sydney Olympic Park, in perpetual motion. Filmed on Wann-gal Country.

Coast

The rugged coastline of Sydney is synonymous with the heartbreaking beauty of the city. Perched atop the cliffs of Maroubra at dawn, the dancers of Sydney Dance Company take a deep breath, in unison, facing a new day in a brave, new world. Filmed on Dharawal Country.

Harbour

Set against the world’s most famous harbour, and some of the world’s most iconic locations, Harbour becomes the city, with the dancers anchored in the strong foundations of layers of history. From The Rocks and the Sydney Opera House to the buzzing urban precincts of Darling Harbour and the International Convention Centre, Harbour fizzes with the energy of contemporary Sydney. Filmed on Gadigal Country.

Wagga Wagga

The rich Indigenous heritage of the Riverina’s capital is highlighted in Wagga Wagga as Dance Locale draws to an understated, quiet and reflective conclusion and celebrates the true meaning of Wagga Wagga, a place of dance and celebration. Filmed on Wiradjuri Country.