“arguably the single best piece created by and for an Australian dance company for many years” Adelaide Advertiser.
Information
Duration 65 minutes
A visceral and thrilling exploration of the juxtaposition of beauty and devastation, this full-length work by Rafael Bonachela features a score full of emotional power from Grammy Award-winning composer Bryce Dessner and co-commissioned with the Australian String Quartet.
Best known as a founder of American rock band The National and for his film scores for The Revenant and The Two Popes, Dessner was initially inspired by the tragedy of the Australian bush fires and the Notre-Dame fire in Paris.
Experience the power of dance and music performed live together as Sydney Dance Company’s “awe-inspiring” (In Daily) ensemble performs alongside a string quartet. This is epic, driven performance that packs an emotional punch.
Trailer
The Creative Team
Choreographer: Rafael Bonachela
Composer: Bryce Dessner
Music Co-Commissioned and Recorded By: Australian String Quartet
Music Features: Another World by Anohni
Lighting Designer: Damien Cooper
Stage Designer: David Fleischer
Costume Designer: Aleisa Jelbart
Warnings
Theatrical haze and strobe like lighting effects.
Behind the Scenes: the creation of Impermanence
Impermanence/Disintegration - the album
Impermanence/Disintegration places Grammy Award-winning composer Bryce Dessner in partnership with Sydney Dance Company and the Australian String Quartet in constructing a dynamic, profoundly moving emotional response to the fleeting transience of life.
Influenced by the searing impact of the wildfires that ravaged Australia late in 2019 and the devastation of the Notre Dame fire, Impermanence reflects on the mutability of the structures around us, both tangible and intangible.
Click below to discover more about the album.
Performance History
Premiere
Roslyn Packer Theatre
Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Sydney
16 – 27 February 2021
2025 Performances
Cankarjev dom
Ljubljana, Slovevenia
2 June
Bill: Twofold
Works: Impermanence and Love Lock
Presented by La Villette and Chaillot
Théâtre national de la Danse, at La Villette
Paris, France
11 – 15 June
Bill: Twofold
Works: Impermanence and Love Lock
Festival dei Due Mondi
Teatro Romano
Spoleto, Italy
28 – 29 June
Athens Epidaurus Festival
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Athens, Greece
4 July
Dance House Helsinki, Erkko Hall
Helsinki, Finland
28 – 30 August
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever
2024 Performances
Mercat de les Flors
Barcelona, Spain
19 – 20 March
Eisenhower Theatre, Kennedy Centre
Washington DC, USA
25 – 27 April
Roslyn Packer Theatre
Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Sydney, NSW
18 – 29 September
Bill: Twofold
Works: Impermanence and Love Lock
Brisbane Powerhouse
New Farm, QLD
17 – 19 October
Bill: Twofold
Works: Impermanence and Love Lock
2023 Performances
Sydney Coliseum Theatre, West HQ
Rooty Hill, NSW
26 August
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever
Teatros del Canal
Madrid, Spain
23 – 24 September
Theatre Bonn
Bonn, Germany
17 – 18 October
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever
Amare
The Hague, Netherlands
20 – 21 October
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever
2022 Performances
Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre
Bathurst, NSW
15 June
HOTA, Home of the Arts
Gold Coast, QLD
18 June
Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre
Gladstone, QLD
22 June
Pilbeam Theatre
Rockhampton, QLD
25 June
Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre
Dubbo, NSW
9 July
Orange Civic Theatre
Orange, NSW
15 July
The Art House
Wyong, NSW
19 July
Darwin Entertainment Centre
Darwin, NT
23 July
Goldfields Arts Centre
Kalgoorlie, WA
27 July
Albany Entertainment Centre
Albany, WA
30 July
Red Earth Arts Precinct
Karratha, WA
3 August
Mandurah Performing Arts Centre
Mandurah, WA
6 August
State Theatre Perth
Perth, WA
10 – 13 August
Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre
Wagga Wagga, NSW
26 August
Arts Centre Melbourne
Melbourne, VIC
6 – 10 September
Night at the Barracks
Manly Barracks
Sydney, NSW
24 September
Double Bill – Impermanence and ab [intra] excerpt
2021 Performances
Roslyn Packer Theatre
Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Sydney
16 – 27 February 2021
Adelaide Festival Centre
Adelaide, SA
10 – 11 March
Lighthouse Theatre
Warrnambool, VIC
12 May
Frankston Arts Centre
Frankston, VIC
15 May
Mildura Arts Centre
Mildura, VIC
19 May
Ulumbarra Theatre
Bendigo, VIC
22 May
Canberra Theatre Centre
Canberra, ACT
4 – 5 June
Newcastle Civic Theatre
Newcastle, NSW
9 June
Capitol Theatre Tamworth
Tamworth, NSW
12 June
Glasshouse
Port Macquarie, NSW
16 June
Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre
Shoalhaven, NSW
19 June
Media Reviews
Twofold 2024 (Double bill featuring Impermanence and Love Lock)
★★★★★ “Impermanence displays some of Bonachela’s finest choreography: achingly beautiful, fluid shapes that power across the stage with breathtaking athleticism and sophisticated musicality.” – Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★ “The dancers look magisterial in a piece that blows them off and on the stage like glowing embers.” – Limelight
★★★★ “The symbiosis between the choreography, music, and dancers’ execution showcases the company’s technical brilliance.” – State of the Art
International Premiere 2023
“Impermanence is an invitation to experience the power of dance in conjunction with music. A goal that is fully achieved during the 60 minutes of the show. Impermanence is an ambitious work that few dance companies are capable of offering…” El Español (Spain)
“Rafael Bonachela seeks to connect with the public in a visceral and emotional way through his work… This night of dance is a transformative experience for the audience, who will leave with a new perspective on art and dance.” Prenser Madridsur (Spain)
“A disruptive effect of a wave of beauty, a visceral tide of high physical tension… sequences of electrifying, unstoppable dance flow. 15 dancers from the Australian company whose energy, from inside to outside, radiates for 75 minutes of performance, magnetizing us.” Exibart magazine (Italy)
Sydney Premiere 2021
★★★★ “Dance moves for the end of the world… Choreographer Rafael Bonachela sets his excellent dancers on a whirling, bounding trajectory that sustains them in duets, trios and interestingly constructed ensembles…” – The Sydney Morning Herald
“…it is arguably the single best piece created by and for an Australian dance company for many years” – Adelaide Advertiser
★★★★ 1/2 “A hypnotically beautiful work, stunningly performed by the Company’s 17 dancers to music that is visceral and moving” – Limelight
★★★★★ “The music alone is worth hearing live in concert and Bonachela’s choreography adds a whole other dimension to these collaborative contemplations of humanity for our times.” – ClassikON
“Extraordinary… Form and function meet seamlessly in every aspect — Bonachela’s huge, fast, juicy movement, Damien Cooper’s luscious lighting, David Fleischer’s imposing stage design and Aleisa Jelbart’s nature-inspired costumes, all in the tight embrace of Dessner’s score.” – The Australian
“A tear-jerker without being baroque, with a finger on the vein of our collective anxieties and dislocations, Impermanence is a triumph of collaboration and passion.” – ArtsHub
“Moving and powerful, at-once capturing transience and fragility then strength and passion.” – Timeout
“Awareness of the impermanence of everything makes me feel that we must use every moment – that every moment counts – and that the transitory nature of life inspires a need for energy, urgency and radiance.” Rafael Bonachela
“The dancers, wow. They are incredible, so talented. I love the physicality of them, and Rafael’s work really suits my music. The new piece is very much for them – definitely the musical language is inspired by the company itself even to the point that I was seeing those dancers in my mind as I composed… a stunning, inexplicable alchemy happens with the melding of movement and sound. A third art form is born.” Bryce Dessner, The Australian
“There’s a certain sense of beauty about bringing something back, but also there’s this sense of regrowth and rebuilding on the experiences and perspectives of what we have all been through as people and as artists ourselves.” Liam Green, Company dancer
“Impermanence was pure magic – fleeting – a moment in time of delicacy, softness, stillness and breath” Alyssa Hanley, audience member.
“We have been twice now. So good!” Selina Baxby, audience member.
“Unbelievable performance! We loved every minute – such superb choreography and amazingly talented dancers.” Melanie Jane, audience member.
“We have a world top dance company in our very own city. We feel nourished by your art and it breathes sunshine and joy into our life. We so appreciate your generosity in a very personal way. We don’t quite get that feeling from any other dance companies.” Michael P., Subscriber
Information
Duration 65 minutes
A visceral and thrilling exploration of the juxtaposition of beauty and devastation, this full-length work by Rafael Bonachela features a score full of emotional power from Grammy Award-winning composer Bryce Dessner and co-commissioned with the Australian String Quartet.
Best known as a founder of American rock band The National and for his film scores for The Revenant and The Two Popes, Dessner was initially inspired by the tragedy of the Australian bush fires and the Notre-Dame fire in Paris.
Experience the power of dance and music performed live together as Sydney Dance Company’s “awe-inspiring” (In Daily) ensemble performs alongside a string quartet. This is epic, driven performance that packs an emotional punch.
Trailer
The Creative Team
Choreographer: Rafael Bonachela
Composer: Bryce Dessner
Music Co-Commissioned and Recorded By: Australian String Quartet
Music Features: Another World by Anohni
Lighting Designer: Damien Cooper
Stage Designer: David Fleischer
Costume Designer: Aleisa Jelbart
Warnings
Theatrical haze and strobe like lighting effects.
Behind the Scenes: the creation of Impermanence
Impermanence/Disintegration - the album
Impermanence/Disintegration places Grammy Award-winning composer Bryce Dessner in partnership with Sydney Dance Company and the Australian String Quartet in constructing a dynamic, profoundly moving emotional response to the fleeting transience of life.
Influenced by the searing impact of the wildfires that ravaged Australia late in 2019 and the devastation of the Notre Dame fire, Impermanence reflects on the mutability of the structures around us, both tangible and intangible.
Click below to discover more about the album.
Performance History
Premiere
Roslyn Packer Theatre
Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Sydney
16 – 27 February 2021
2025 Performances
Cankarjev dom
Ljubljana, Slovevenia
2 June
Bill: Twofold
Works: Impermanence and Love Lock
Presented by La Villette and Chaillot
Théâtre national de la Danse, at La Villette
Paris, France
11 – 15 June
Bill: Twofold
Works: Impermanence and Love Lock
Festival dei Due Mondi
Teatro Romano
Spoleto, Italy
28 – 29 June
Athens Epidaurus Festival
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Athens, Greece
4 July
Dance House Helsinki, Erkko Hall
Helsinki, Finland
28 – 30 August
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever
2024 Performances
Mercat de les Flors
Barcelona, Spain
19 – 20 March
Eisenhower Theatre, Kennedy Centre
Washington DC, USA
25 – 27 April
Roslyn Packer Theatre
Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Sydney, NSW
18 – 29 September
Bill: Twofold
Works: Impermanence and Love Lock
Brisbane Powerhouse
New Farm, QLD
17 – 19 October
Bill: Twofold
Works: Impermanence and Love Lock
2023 Performances
Sydney Coliseum Theatre, West HQ
Rooty Hill, NSW
26 August
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever
Teatros del Canal
Madrid, Spain
23 – 24 September
Theatre Bonn
Bonn, Germany
17 – 18 October
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever
Amare
The Hague, Netherlands
20 – 21 October
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever
2022 Performances
Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre
Bathurst, NSW
15 June
HOTA, Home of the Arts
Gold Coast, QLD
18 June
Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre
Gladstone, QLD
22 June
Pilbeam Theatre
Rockhampton, QLD
25 June
Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre
Dubbo, NSW
9 July
Orange Civic Theatre
Orange, NSW
15 July
The Art House
Wyong, NSW
19 July
Darwin Entertainment Centre
Darwin, NT
23 July
Goldfields Arts Centre
Kalgoorlie, WA
27 July
Albany Entertainment Centre
Albany, WA
30 July
Red Earth Arts Precinct
Karratha, WA
3 August
Mandurah Performing Arts Centre
Mandurah, WA
6 August
State Theatre Perth
Perth, WA
10 – 13 August
Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre
Wagga Wagga, NSW
26 August
Arts Centre Melbourne
Melbourne, VIC
6 – 10 September
Night at the Barracks
Manly Barracks
Sydney, NSW
24 September
Double Bill – Impermanence and ab [intra] excerpt
2021 Performances
Roslyn Packer Theatre
Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Sydney
16 – 27 February 2021
Adelaide Festival Centre
Adelaide, SA
10 – 11 March
Lighthouse Theatre
Warrnambool, VIC
12 May
Frankston Arts Centre
Frankston, VIC
15 May
Mildura Arts Centre
Mildura, VIC
19 May
Ulumbarra Theatre
Bendigo, VIC
22 May
Canberra Theatre Centre
Canberra, ACT
4 – 5 June
Newcastle Civic Theatre
Newcastle, NSW
9 June
Capitol Theatre Tamworth
Tamworth, NSW
12 June
Glasshouse
Port Macquarie, NSW
16 June
Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre
Shoalhaven, NSW
19 June
Media Reviews
Twofold 2024 (Double bill featuring Impermanence and Love Lock)
★★★★★ “Impermanence displays some of Bonachela’s finest choreography: achingly beautiful, fluid shapes that power across the stage with breathtaking athleticism and sophisticated musicality.” – Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★ “The dancers look magisterial in a piece that blows them off and on the stage like glowing embers.” – Limelight
★★★★ “The symbiosis between the choreography, music, and dancers’ execution showcases the company’s technical brilliance.” – State of the Art
International Premiere 2023
“Impermanence is an invitation to experience the power of dance in conjunction with music. A goal that is fully achieved during the 60 minutes of the show. Impermanence is an ambitious work that few dance companies are capable of offering…” El Español (Spain)
“Rafael Bonachela seeks to connect with the public in a visceral and emotional way through his work… This night of dance is a transformative experience for the audience, who will leave with a new perspective on art and dance.” Prenser Madridsur (Spain)
“A disruptive effect of a wave of beauty, a visceral tide of high physical tension… sequences of electrifying, unstoppable dance flow. 15 dancers from the Australian company whose energy, from inside to outside, radiates for 75 minutes of performance, magnetizing us.” Exibart magazine (Italy)
Sydney Premiere 2021
★★★★ “Dance moves for the end of the world… Choreographer Rafael Bonachela sets his excellent dancers on a whirling, bounding trajectory that sustains them in duets, trios and interestingly constructed ensembles…” – The Sydney Morning Herald
“…it is arguably the single best piece created by and for an Australian dance company for many years” – Adelaide Advertiser
★★★★ 1/2 “A hypnotically beautiful work, stunningly performed by the Company’s 17 dancers to music that is visceral and moving” – Limelight
★★★★★ “The music alone is worth hearing live in concert and Bonachela’s choreography adds a whole other dimension to these collaborative contemplations of humanity for our times.” – ClassikON
“Extraordinary… Form and function meet seamlessly in every aspect — Bonachela’s huge, fast, juicy movement, Damien Cooper’s luscious lighting, David Fleischer’s imposing stage design and Aleisa Jelbart’s nature-inspired costumes, all in the tight embrace of Dessner’s score.” – The Australian
“A tear-jerker without being baroque, with a finger on the vein of our collective anxieties and dislocations, Impermanence is a triumph of collaboration and passion.” – ArtsHub
“Moving and powerful, at-once capturing transience and fragility then strength and passion.” – Timeout
“Awareness of the impermanence of everything makes me feel that we must use every moment – that every moment counts – and that the transitory nature of life inspires a need for energy, urgency and radiance.” Rafael Bonachela
“The dancers, wow. They are incredible, so talented. I love the physicality of them, and Rafael’s work really suits my music. The new piece is very much for them – definitely the musical language is inspired by the company itself even to the point that I was seeing those dancers in my mind as I composed… a stunning, inexplicable alchemy happens with the melding of movement and sound. A third art form is born.” Bryce Dessner, The Australian
“There’s a certain sense of beauty about bringing something back, but also there’s this sense of regrowth and rebuilding on the experiences and perspectives of what we have all been through as people and as artists ourselves.” Liam Green, Company dancer
“Impermanence was pure magic – fleeting – a moment in time of delicacy, softness, stillness and breath” Alyssa Hanley, audience member.
“We have been twice now. So good!” Selina Baxby, audience member.
“Unbelievable performance! We loved every minute – such superb choreography and amazingly talented dancers.” Melanie Jane, audience member.
“We have a world top dance company in our very own city. We feel nourished by your art and it breathes sunshine and joy into our life. We so appreciate your generosity in a very personal way. We don’t quite get that feeling from any other dance companies.” Michael P., Subscriber