Sydney Dance Company, in collaboration with Carriageworks and supported by Principal Partner The Balnaves Foundation, is thrilled to announce the 10th anniversary of its highly-anticipated New Breed programme. As we look forward to the world premiere of the commissioned works from four dynamic Australian dance makers at Carriageworks from December 6-16, 2023, we can’t help but reflect on the significant impact of this initiative.
New Breed 2023 provides an unparalleled opportunity for Australian choreographers to create a newly commissioned piece with Australia’s leading contemporary dance company. Since its inception in 2014, New Breed has propelled 35 emerging artists to showcase their fresh ideas and raw talent on a world stage, solidifying its reputation as Australia’s premier platform for emerging choreographers.
This year’s innovative programme will feature works from Beau Dean Riley Smith, Eliza Cooper, Riley Fitzgerald, and Tra Mi Dinh. Smith, an award-winning dancer, choreographer and actor, will present his work gubba, an exploration of Australia’s frontier wars and the violent history of colonial Australia. Cooper’s work critiques the reality she sees around her, using the iconic Spaghetti Western film genre as a lens. Fitzgerald’s Everyb0dy’s g0t a b0mb draws inspiration from the music festival Woodstock ‘99, while Dinh’s piece illuminates the moments between day and night, capturing the transformation of light across the sky in real time.
Sydney Dance Company Artistic Director, Rafael Bonachela, shared his excitement about the upcoming works: “Over the last ten years, New Breed has been instrumental in supporting the early careers of some of Australia’s most exciting emerging dancemakers. I can’t wait for audiences to see the incredible new works by this year’s four choreographers for our New Breed 2023 program.”
Echoing these sentiments, Carriageworks CEO Fergus Linehan expressed pride in the collaboration: “Carriageworks is incredibly proud to have worked with Sydney Dance Company and The Balnaves Foundation on such an important initiative. This year’s instalment of New Breed promises to deliver another ambitious program of innovative choreographic work.”
Victoria Balnaves of The Balnaves Foundation highlighted the significance of the milestone: “Celebrating ten years of New Breed is an extremely exciting milestone. The Foundation is proud to have been supporting this vital program since its inception in 2014, and to witness the impact New Breed has had, for not just the choreographers, but the dancers and the audiences over the past decade has been a privilege.”
As we eagerly anticipate the 10th instalment of New Breed, Sydney Dance Company, The Balnaves Foundation, and Carriageworks continue their unwavering commitment to the future of Australian contemporary dance.