Reina Takeuchi joined Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year (PPY) in 2019. The first week of the program has been filled with intensive learning, granting her a fresh perspective on her own dance practice. Reina gave us some insight into the start of the PPY year: “I had a recurring… Read more

In the lead up to PPY18 Revealed – the graduation performance of the Pre-Professional Year class of 2018 – dancer Katya Gray shares what she’s learned throughout the course and the lessons she’ll take away from her time with us. “Coming into Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional… Read more

Our Pre-Professional Year 2018 dancers recently performed in artist Mel O’Callaghan’s Breath Repertoire as part of the annual Sydney Contemporary art fair. The large scale, public performance had the dancers engage in ritualistic breathwork using potent Altered State of Consciousness technique with a harp score by Clare Cooper… Read more

PPY 2018 dancer Lillian Grant shares her insights on collaborating with choreographers and making the choice to continue dancing and learning in PPY for a second year: “I’ve been offered so many resources, people to collaborate with, and chances to know what I prefer and… Read more

Nelson Earl began his dance career with Sydney Dance Company as a Pre-Professional Year (PPY) dancer in 2015. The years since have been filled with tours, awards, and adventurous new ground. Nelson was offered a Traineeship with Sydney Dance Company in the final days of… Read more

Pre-Professional Year 2016 alumnus Eliza Cooper gives us an illuminating insight into her life as an independent dancer in Sydney, and tells us about the impact of the Pre-Professional Year on her developing dance career: “Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year 2016 was a year of… Read more

Pre-Professional Year dancer Georgie Bailey is getting ready to join the Company as a trainee for the Darwin and Perth tour of ab [intra]. Read Georgie’s thoughts on the role of an understudy.  “Currently in my second year with Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year, I was asked to understudy for Rafael… Read more

Ex-Sydney Dance Company dancer and emerging choreographer Cass Mortimer Eipper facilitated a series of choreographic workshops for a group of Pre-Professional Year students last month. PPY student Georgia Adelt reflected on her week with Cass and the challenges in readying herself for new work: One… Read more

For the first 2 weeks of term 2, we have been focusing on a choreographic development by guest artist Ashley Wright to be performed at our graduation season at Carriageworks in December. Ashley is incorporating elements of physical theatre that bring an extra layer to… Read more

As I sit here reflecting on my first term in PPY my mind goes back to week 7 with Vangelis Legakis. It was a time of frustration but also a time of immense persistence and self-discovery. The first couple days of were definitely the hardest,… Read more