A new contemporary dance competition will launch in Sydney this July, with the inaugural Contemporary Dance Open to be held on July 5 and 6, 2026.
The Contemporary Dance Open has been established as Sydney’s first internationally recognised contemporary dance competition. The event aims to create opportunities for young dancers, while strengthening connections between emerging artists and the contemporary dance industry.
Across the two-day program, dancers will take part in a series of classes and learn repertoire choreographed by leading industry figures. The event has been designed to support young artists not only through performance experience, but through practical pathways into further training, with scholarships offered to assist dancers in their development.
The 2026 event will host Marni Green and Emma Sandall as choreographers and members of the judging panel.
The organisers said the mission of the Contemporary Dance Open is to help re-align contemporary dance training with the current performing arts industry.
“The purpose of the event is to create opportunities for young artists and bridge industry connections in order to provide scholarships to aid in their training,” they said.
The initiative has already attracted support from a significant cross-section of the contemporary dance sector, including Sydney Dance Company, Australian Dance Theatre, Australian Dance Collective, Dancenorth, Chunky Move, Footnote, Dance Formation, Stephanie Lake Company and Shaun Parker & Company.
The Contemporary Dance Open is also supported by Bloch, Dance Plus Media, Everline Imagery and Peak Performance.
The inaugural Contemporary Dance Open will take place in Sydney on Sunday July 5 and Monday July 6, 2026.