Dance will pulse through the city when the Melbourne Fringe Festival returns from 30 September–19 October. This year’s program is alive with performances that invite audiences to move, gather, and reflect – whether that means dancing on a power-generating floor at Fed Square, joining in an intergenerational work with senior performers, or experiencing new collaborations between artists from Australia, Korea, and Taiwan.
Fringe’s 2025 theme of Action Heroes encourages participation over spectacle. In the dance program, that translates into works that are as much about community and connection as they are about choreography. From First Nations storytelling to one-night international fusions, the festival highlights the power of dance to express identity, carry memory, and imagine the future.
A Dancefloor That Powers the City
The Festival’s Civic Commission, Power Move by Quiet Riot, transforms Fed Square into a kinetic dancefloor that converts physical energy into electricity. Every step, spin and shuffle helps power the future. With a leaderboard, daily dance challenges and cultural performances, this free public installation celebrates collective movement in the most literal way.
First Nations Storytelling in Motion
In Ngambaa (Mother in Gamilaraay), Gamilaroi dancer and storyteller Amelia J O’Leary joins Keia McGrady to tell the story of the dhinawan (emu) sisters who create the world. Movement, visual design and song intertwine in a work that honours cycles of creation and renewal and the strength of Aboriginal women.
A Queer Asian Celebration
Power Move: Mulan’s Tea Party is a 20-minute outdoor performance that blends hyperpop music, drag, Chinese opera imagery and bold choreography. Created by Charlie Wan with musician Dyan Tai, the work reimagines the legend of Mulan as a celebration of queer Asian identity.
Memory and Movement Across Generations
Taiwanese choreographer Wei-Chia Su collaborates with local dancers aged 60+ in Swinging Years. This intergenerational project, part of the FreeSteps series, transforms lived memory into dance. Each performer brings a personal history, creating a collective portrait of resilience and vitality through movement.
Where Two Rivers Meet – Australia and Korea in Dialogue
두물머리 Dumulmeori (Where Two Rivers Meet) brings together Australian choreographer-performers Michelle Heaven and Alisdair Macindoe with Korean artists Chosul Kim and Haneul Jung. After a tour across four Korean cities, the work arrives in Melbourne to connect diverse creative voices in a shared exploration of contemporary dance.
Immersed in Sound and Movement
Harrison Ritchie-Jones invites audiences into the surreal with Requiem for a Cuddle. Surrounded by an 80-strong masked choir, spectators are immersed in song, ritual and movement in a work that balances rave-like energy with moments of intimate stillness.
A One-Night Indonesian Collaboration
In Nusa di bawah angin, improvisation ensemble Sahul Sakti joins dangdut-funk-gamelan fusion group the Jawa Pitu Band and Indonesian dance group Sanggar Lestari. Together they create a one-night-only performance that pushes the boundaries of cultural exchange through music and dance.
Melbourne Fringe Festival 2025 runs 30 September–19 October, with more than 500 events across the city. Full program details: melbournefringe.com.au