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#19: International Touring

published

19 June 2019

International touring is invaluable in connecting Australian dance companies to the global dance community. Over its history, Sydney Dance Company has travelled to 95 cities in 26 different countries around the world: from New York to Noumea, England to Equador, Athens to Auckland, Paris to Pusan, Madrid to Moscow, Turkey to Taiwan, as well as many repeat visits to dance capitals such as New York, Paris, London and Shanghai.

Graeme Murphy explores in Shibuya, Tokyo (‘Synergy with Synergy’ on tour, 1994)

In the early days of Ballet in Nutshell and Athletes & Dancers, ‘touring’ was traversing three different suburbs in one day, or numerous country towns in a week. The mode of transport was a station wagon, and the dancers were also the bump-in, bump-out crew. Costumes were washed in the motel basin and motel accommodation was in as few rooms as possible. Conditions are much slicker these days, but the schedule is still gruelling.

The American debut of Sydney Dance Company May 27 – 31, 1981 at New York City Centre.

In the first half of 2018 alone, the Company toured to Santiago, (Chile), Paris (France), Belgrade (Serbia), Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Wolfsburg (Germany).

Company Dancer Jacopo Grabar on tour in Taiwan (2018).

In 2019, the Company took ab [intra]to Austria, Finland, Poland and Spain in a year book-ended by two seasons of ambitious world premiere works.

Company dancers Holly Doyle, Liam Green, Emily Seymour and Dean Elliott on tour in Poland (2019).

Click hereto view our current tour gallery online, and follow #SDCOnTour on Facebook,, Instagram and Twitter for more.

Follow #SDC50Years on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to revisit some of our highlights and greatest moments of dance over the past 50 years and share your favourite memories of Sydney Dance Company using #SDC50Years.

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