In 2026 Sydney Dance Company ignites new artistic collaboration and presents bold choreographic ideas. 2026 will be an exhilarating year that reflects the Company’s legacy while forging a future defined by creative expansion and fearless exploration. Across two Sydney seasons, national and international touring, and a suite of programs dedicated to supporting independent artists and providing audience with access to astounding experiences, 2026 continues the Company’s exploration into contemporary dance.
Season One launches in June with a triple bill Engine at the Sydney Opera House, bringing together the work of three extraordinary choreographers. Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela premieres The Journey Itself is Home, a new work featuring music by Grammy Award-winning composer Bryce Dessner and inspired by 17th century Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō.
The second work is the Australian premiere of The Mass Ornament by Berlin-based Spanish choreographer Fran Diaz. Making his Australian debut, Díaz brings his acclaimed choreographic language to Sydney Dance Company with a hypnotic work set to the music of Henryk Górecki. Diaz transforms the concept of mass movement into a powerful piece that reveals a deeply human network, where individuality and collectivity coexist, not in opposition, but in dialogue.
Completing the bill is the return of viral sensation Love Lock from Australian/Javanese choreographer Melanie Lane — a re-imagined folk dance of the future, drawing upon collective experiences of diverse cultures, an accelerating world and disappearing lands. Love Lock celebrates the binding ability of dance to move, warn and empower, showcasing costume design by legendary Australian fashion designer Akira Isogawa, and a score composed by UK electronic artist Clark.
Throughout August and September, the Company will host a celebratory public program marking the 40 years of residency at Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, honouring the people and artistry that have defined this creative hub, looking towards a vibrant and contemporary future.
This electrifying program features new works by three of Australia’s most compelling choreographers – Raghav Handa, Jenni Large, and Azzam Mohamed – alongside the long-awaited Australian premiere of Rafael Bonachela’s seminal duet E2 7SD.
Raghav Handa, the 2025 Balnaves Foundation Artist in Residence, draws on the precision and storytelling of Indian kathak to explore layered dimensions of modern Australian identity. Jenni Large, a New Breed alum, fuses movement with apparatus and hyper-designed environments to channel the personal, political, and transformative forces of the body. Azzam Mohamed, a Sydney-based Sudanese dancer, choreographer, and educator, blends traditional cultural forms with street and club styles to create work of dynamic, cross-cultural resonance.
First created over twenty years ago and never before seen in Australia, E2 7SD marks a pivotal moment in Bonachela’s career, revealing his enduring fascination with the intricate, magnetic interplay between two bodies.
The fifth edition of INDance opens in April at the Neilson Studio, presenting works by Christopher Gurusamy, Emma Harrison, Jenni Large, and Oli Matheisen. Supported by the Neilson Foundation, INDance continues to present bold works by independent dance makers. Jenni Large will be The Balnaves Foundation Artist for Residence 2026.
A major new initiative, ORBIT launches in November. A partnership between Australian Dance Theatre (South Australia), Dancehouse (Victoria) and Sydney Dance Company, ORBIT is a pilot national touring program that will see four existing independent dance works remounted and performed across three states. Supported by Creative Australia, ORBIT is intended to champion the longevity of exceptional independent dance. Across two weeks of double bills, audiences will experience a vibrant cross-section of Australian choreography and the opportunity to see some of the most compelling and seminal contemporary dance works.
Nationally, Sydney Dance Company will tour two main programs across New South Wales, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, including Bonachela’s Spell, Tra Mi Dinh’s Somewhere between ten and fourteen, Fran Diaz’ The Mass Ornament and Melanie Lane’s Love Lock. The touring schedule will present Australian audiences with a diverse palette of contemporary choreography. The Company will perform before Melbourne audiences with a captivating program to be announced soon. Following sellout international seasons through Europe and the US, the Company will again take on a global tour, sharing its distinctly Australian voice before international audiences, sought after by leading festivals and presenters around the world.
Sydney Dance Company Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela said: “2026 will be a truly momentous year for Sydney Dance Company, a milestone that will be unforgettable. It’s a year of reflection, celebration, reinvention…and empowerment.
As we mark 40 years at Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, we honour the incredible artists who have shaped our story and those who will lead us into the future. This remarkable home on the wharf has been a wellspring of creativity and collaboration, a space where ideas are nurtured and dance continues to evolve.
From world premieres to stirring collaborations, 2026 celebrates the richness and diversity of our artform in Australia today, a season that empowers artists and audiences alike to see, feel and imagine anew.”
For more information about Sydney Dance Company’s 2026 season, visit sydneydancecompany.com
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