Sydney Dance Company will put collaboration at the centre of its 2027 program, bringing together four choreographers for a major new commission and unveiling a final full-length work by artistic director Rafael Bonachela in a season that spans new creations, returning repertoire and international touring.

The company’s two major Sydney seasons will bookend a year that also includes performances across regional Australia, a European tour and continued support for independent artists and emerging choreographers.

Rafael Bonachela. Portrait © Pedro Greig

The season opens with Future Reverie, premiering at Carriageworks 16-26 June. Presented in the round, the work brings together Richard Cilli, Antony Hamilton, Sela Vai and Charmene Yap, each contributing a distinct choreographic perspective to a single production.

The company’s full ensemble will perform alongside eight dancers from Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year program, bringing the cast to 25. A pulsating electronic score by sound designer and DJ Deepchild (Rick Bull), costumes by Aleisa Jelbart and lighting by Sam Whiteside will shape the production’s immersive atmosphere.

In October, the company returns to Roslyn Packer Theatre with Wild Order (21–30 October), a triple bill featuring the world premiere of Bonachela’s final full-length commission for Sydney Dance Company as artistic director.

The new work reunites the choreographer with longstanding collaborators, composer Nick Wales, lighting designer Damien Cooper and designer Kelsey Lee.

The program also sees the return of Melanie Lane’s WOOF, originally commissioned through the company’s New Breed initiative, and the mainstage debut of From the horizon thereafter by ensemble member Ngaere Jenkins. The latter marks the first time a work created by a current company dancer has been presented on the mainstage.

Both works were developed through New Breed, the company’s platform for emerging choreographic talent, with support from The Balnaves Foundation.

Melanie Lane’s WOOF. Photo © Pedro Grieg

The foundation’s commitment to developing Australian choreographers continues with the appointment of Eliza Cooper as its fourth Artist in Residence. A graduate of Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year, Cooper has developed her practice through Dance Makers Collective, New Breed and works for the company’s pre-professional dancers. The 12-month residency will provide insight into the artistic, production and administrative operations of a major dance company while supporting her own creative development.

Beyond Sydney, the company will tour Engine across Queensland, regional New South Wales and Tasmania in July and August. The triple bill combines Bonachela’s The Journey Itself Is Home, Fran Díaz’s The Mass Ornament and Lane’s Love Lock, with performances scheduled for the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Mackay, Cairns, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Goulburn and Hobart.

Fran Díaz’s The Mass Ornament. Photo © Wendell Teodoro

Internationally, Bonachela’s momenta will tour Spain, Germany and Serbia, with dates in Barcelona, Madrid, Iserlohn, Remscheid, Fürth and Belgrade between February and March.

The company’s commitment to the wider dance sector continues with INDance, returning to the Neilson Studio from 11 to 20 March. Supported by the Neilson Foundation, the program presents new work by independent choreographers Juliet Widyasari Burnett, Laura Boynes, Harrison Cook and Amelia Jean O’Leary.

Bonachela said the 2027 program celebrated the company’s achievements while looking towards new creative possibilities.

“What continues to drive me is the feeling of discovery,” he said. “I want 2027 to feel alive with the joy of co-creation.”

The program, he added, brings together artists at different stages of their careers, united by curiosity and a willingness to explore.

For the company, the season offers a meeting point between established artistic partnerships, emerging choreographic voices and the next generation of dancers.

Subscription tickets are on sale from 3 November. For more information, visit sydneydancecompany.com