Chunky Move has announced the return of Next Move, its commissioning platform for independent choreographers, with a double bill of new works by Harrison Ritchie-Jones and Samakshi Sidhu this November.
The season runs at Chunky Move Studios in Southbank from 10–14 November 2026, reviving a program that commissioned 11 world premieres during its original run from 2008 to 2018.
Artists supported through the program included Stephanie Lake, Jo Lloyd, Melanie Lane, Atlanta Eke and James Batchelor. Among them was Antony Hamilton, now Chunky Move’s artistic director.
“Commissioning new work from emerging choreographers has been core to Chunky Move’s vision and purpose since the founding of the company over 30 years ago,” Hamilton said.
Ritchie-Jones’s work combines contrasting dance forms, physical virtuosity and surreal storytelling. His commissions include work for Sydney Dance Company, Stephanie Lake Company, Chunky Move, Dark Mofo and RISING, and his choreography has received multiple Green Room Awards and the 2025 Melbourne Fringe Director’s Choice Award.
Sidhu’s work explores the relationship between the body and its environment, including how it carries history and intergenerational trauma. She has worked extensively with Chunky Move as a full-time company dancer, as well as with Guts Dance, Joel Bray Dance and Ashleigh Musk.
Ritchie-Jones’s new work will be performed by Mel Pham and Jayden Wall, with music by Moses Carr and Rohan Rebeiro. Sidhu will perform alongside Nikki Tarling in her piece, with music by Sachin De Silva.
“In recent years, our programs Activators and Choreographer In Residence have shaped new ideas and supported artists at varied scale to reimagine dance at the edge of experimentation. Now a beloved program returns from the archive to shape the next generation of makers and celebrate their next move,” Hamilton said.
Tickets for Next Move are available through Eventbrite.