Watch Dance Locale

Dance Locale: Riverlands – Brickpit at Sydney Olympic Park. Photo Daniel Boud.

Sydney Dance Company Premieres Five Short Dance Films as Part of NSW Festival of Place

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Dance Locale: Coast – Maroubra. Photo Daniel Boud.

In partnership with the NSW Department of Planning, Industry & Environment, and in celebration of the launch of the inaugural Festival of Place, Sydney Dance Company has been out of the studio and dancing in iconic locations which embody the breadth and diversity of NSW’s public spaces. NSW Festival of Place is a year-long Festival celebrating NSW’s public spaces initiated as a part of the State Government’s COVID Safe Summer program.

Now available to watch online as a part of the Festival of Place program, Dance Locale is a series of films by filmmaker Pedro Greig starring Sydney Dance Company dancers, and featuring stunning choreography from Sydney Dance Company Artistic Director, Rafael Bonachela, inspired by the unique public spaces across NSW.

Dance Locale presents the creatives’ and dancers’ response to five different locations: Parklands, Riverlands, Coast, Harbour and Wagga Wagga.

The Dance Locale suite encapsulates the inherent interplay and dynamic relationship between culture and location. Click here to learn more about the creative process and hear from Company Dancer Riley Fitzgerald about what it meant to him to have the opportunity to dance for again. “These past six months have highlighted to me the important role artists play in the creating, giving and expressing of our work through any and every performative medium, not only to entertain but to transform and inspire the lives of others,” said Riley Fitzgerald.

The films will be publicly viewable for free online from Thursday 8 October on Sydney Dance Company’s website, YouTube and the DPIE (Department of Planning, Industry and Environment) website.

Dance Locale: Wagga Wagga. Photo Rafaela Bonachela

The Company’s involvement in the Festival will culminate in I Want To Dance With Somebody, which will be a unique public participatory event offering the public the opportunity to learn choreography from Sydney Dance Company and participate in a major virtual dance performance in January 2021. Register now to be involved in I Want To Dance With Somebody.

The film series, featuring new, never-before-seen dance suites performed in cherished public spaces across NSW, kicks off a year-long program of virtual and physical events exploring and reimagining our civic places.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the Festival of Place encourages people to re-emerge, celebrate and engage with our everyday public spaces safely during and after this extraordinary time.

Dance Locale: Harbour – Sydney Opera House. Photo Daniel Boud.

“It’s been an unusual year and this is not your usual kind of festival – it’s a chance for us to build on the new perspectives the pandemic has brought to our local public spaces, which we have come to appreciate and value more than ever this year,” Mr Stokes said. “The Festival of Place kicks off a year-round celebration today to inspire us all to enjoy our public spaces and generate ideas for how we can feel good about the places where we live, work, learn and play.”

“Dance Locale has given us the chance to celebrate and connect with our home city and region during a time when we have had limited opportunities to perform. We are delighted the five films bring dance to iconic locations that embody the breadth and diversity of NSW’s public spaces. The connection between the public realm and the creative spirit is so important,” Mr Bonachela said.

The Festival of Place includes free public and professional events in a program that includes:

Dance Locale – five short films choreographed by Sydney Dance Company’s Rafael Bonachela shot in public spaces across NSW
I Want To Dance With Somebody – a public participatory event for anyone to learn choreography remotely with Sydney Dance Company, before a major virtual dance performance (January)
Summer Night Walks – design buff Tim Ross (Merrick & Rosso) leads well-known personalities including author Julia Baird, comedian Andy Saunders and Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes, on a walk through their favourite public spaces (December to January)
Public Space Ideas Competition – an awards event and celebration of wonderful new ideas for public spaces, suggested by you (November)
Falling in Love with your Country – a podcast series featuring stories of place hosted by Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi artist Jonathan Jones (December)
100 Stories from the Field – Hear from 100 people who care for NSW’s public spaces and what they love about their daily interactions with the places that shape our communities
Places to Love – pop-up projects across six NSW council areas reimagining how we can better use public space to spark more social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits for communities
My Favourite Places (social pinpoint) – an interactive online map encouraging people to mark up, add comments and share photos about their favourite streets, parks, beaches, libraries and other public places in NSW.