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Inside Sydney Dance Company with Company Dancer Bernhard Knauer

published

29 August 2017

I’m in my eighth year of being a dancer in the Company and would dare say that no year has been quite the same.

Being part of Sydney Dance Company has given me a sense of purpose that I haven’t experienced before. My days start by walking past a few of the most iconic landmarks in the world and after eight years it still strikes me as enormously special. It is one stunning place to work at.

Working for Sydney Dance Company is also one of the hardest jobs you could imagine, a lot of work goes into being part of this company. Company dancers and a lot of the technical team spend a significant amount of time away from home. Whether we are touring nationally or internationally, traveling and performing all over the globe is a huge privilege and one of my favourite parts of working for the Company.

One interesting fact might be that it doesn’t matter where we are in the country or the world, our days as Company dancers are similar. Class, create, rehearse, learn steps, perform, travel, expect all of it no matter where you are.

Sydney Dance Company has an extensive repertoire with huge variety. As a Company dancer we get to learn so many different languages in dance. Personally, I had to get used to doing floor work that I hadn’t experienced before joining the Company. Now, I love it. Similarly, some colleagues might have not had much ballet training and are now expected to do at least two to three classes a week.

Performing in Sydney is very special to me. Since I’ve been with the Company we have had at least two seasons at the Roslyn Packer Theatre every year. A beautiful theatre situated in Walsh Bay, it’s just a stones throw away from the studios. I dare say it’s the perfect theatre for contemporary dance.

National touring is a big part of what we do, it takes up about three months of the year. Sharing our art with rural communities that otherwise wouldn’t be able to see us is really gratifying. I’m always surprised how many little dancers are out there ready to be inspired and that’s really why we do it. There is a substantial focus on education and the dancers are a part of that as well, delivering workshops all around the country is a great way to engage with different communities.

Spending a lot of time together, colleagues have become more than friends, Sydney Dance Company has become my family. From the outside, we are a contemporary dance company but if you are lucky enough to have a look from the inside, it’s so much more.

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Bernhard Knauer has been a dancer with Sydney Dance Company since 2010. Visit his page here to read his bio and find out more. Watch Company dancer Bernhard Knauer perform in our next season in Sydney 2 One Another this October 2017.

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