Visionary choreographers Stephen Page, Rafael Bonachela and Tra Mi Dinh join forces for Sydney Dance Company’s Continuum.
Sydney Dance Company will premiere Continuum at Roslyn Packer Theatre from 22 October to 1 November 2025, presenting a monumental triple bill that unites two of Australia’s most celebrated dance figures with a rising new voice.
For Stephen Page AO, the season marks a return weighted with memory and meaning. More than 30 years after his career began with Sydney Dance Company, he brings Unungkati Yantatja – one with the other, created in collaboration with composer and Yidaki virtuoso William Barton. Performed live on stage by Barton with the Omega Ensemble, the work is dedicated to Barton’s father and honours the force of earthly breaths. “Returning to Sydney Dance Company is where my career began and walking back into the studio feels like coming full circle,” Page said. “I love telling stories and creating, especially in the world of dance and caring for William’s story is a gift. I don’t think there is a contemporary clan in the world as strong as Sydney Dance Company and to work with these dancers as they embody this story with William weaving his energy through the whole experience, carrying it forward to be felt by audiences is going to be really special.”
Alongside Page’s premiere, Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela unveils Spell, a bold new work developed in part during the company’s residency at Italy’s Orsolina28 Art Foundation. Known for his blend of precision and passion, Bonachela shapes five distinctive “spells” that together create an alchemy of movement, light and sound. Set to an evocative score by Ólafur Arnalds, Bryce Dessner, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Alice Smith, the work conjures dance as a primal and exhilarating force. Reflecting on the season, Bonachela said: “It is a privilege to share the stage with Stephen Page, whose extraordinary work has shaped Australian dance for decades, and to welcome back Tra Mi Dinh, whose bold voice presents an exciting new perspective. Continuum is about connection – across generations, creative expression, and lived experience – and I can’t wait for audiences to experience the beauty and power of these three works together.”
Completing the program is a reimagined work by Tra Mi Dinh, first seen in Sydney Dance Company’s New Breed program in 2023. Somewhere between ten and fourteen has now been expanded for a larger cast of dancers, an evolution that allows the choreographer to further explore the fragile space between day and night. Dinh describes the work as an investigation into the fleeting moment of transition, where bodies drift and pulse through shifting time and light. “I’m thrilled to be returning to Sydney Dance Company to expand my 2023 New Breed work Somewhere between ten and fourteen,” she said. “The invitation to dive back into this world and reimagine it for a larger cast of dancers is a rare gift; one that affords me the opportunity to enrich and develop its choreographic language. I’m stoked to be presenting my work in this season alongside two heavyweight Australian choreographers.”
Across three distinct works, Continuum explores the spectrum of human experience, from the ephemeral beauty of twilight to the elemental force of breath. More than an evening of premieres, it is a celebration of connection and transformation, honouring the legacy of Australian dance while offering bold new visions of what lies ahead.
Continuum runs from 22 October to 1 November 2025 at Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay. Tickets are on sale now through Sydney Dance Company.