Two acclaimed contemporary dance works by First Nations choreographers will return to Australia for limited seasons at the Sydney Opera House this September.
Bundjalung and Ngāpuhi artist Amrita Hepi will present Rinse from 10 to 12 September in the Playhouse, while Bungandidj and Ngarrindjeri choreographer Lewis Major will bring Triptych to the Studio from 16 to 19 September.
Sydney Opera House Director, Programming Brenna Hobson said the Opera House was proud to welcome Hepi and Major home following international success.
“With some of the world’s most enchanting and innovative contemporary dance works coming from Australians, we couldn’t be more proud to invite Amrita Hepi and Lewis Major home to celebrate their international success,” Hobson said.
“The local contemporary dance scene is thriving internationally, and the Sydney Opera House is privileged to celebrate an ecosystem that champions not only excellence, but a uniquely Australian perspective.”
Created by Hepi with acclaimed theatre-maker Mish Grigor, Rinse is a solo dance-theatre work caught between endings and new beginnings. Combining a highly physical dance language with text and sound design by Daniel Jenatsch, the work examines the history of dance through a decolonial lens.
Since its debut, Rinse has toured extensively across Europe, the UK and Canada, and became the first Australian work ever performed at Festival d’Avignon. Hepi has twice received the People’s Choice Award at the Keir Choreographic Awards and was named one of Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30 in 2018.
Major’s Triptych brings together three short works: Prologue, Unfolding and Epilogue. Performed by four dancers, the mixed bill fuses movement, music and light, with the works linked by ideas of duality and connection.
Major’s work has been performed across six continents, following collaborations and mentorship with Russell Maliphant and Hofesh Schecter. Triptych has received more than a dozen awards, including Best Dance at Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2025 and The Spirit of the Fringe Award at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2024.
Following its Sydney season, Triptych will also be performed at Arts Centre Melbourne from 23 to 26 September.