2019-international-tour

Despite being one of the youngest art forms, contemporary dance is perhaps the most primal and physical. It is open to your own personal interpretation – you can view it in the same way you experience art and ask yourself how it makes you feel. Read our Collaborators Guide To Contemporary Dance here.

The performance of ab [intra] lasts for approximately 70 minutes with no interval and will take you on a journey into a world of exquisite athleticism and human connection.

“The dancers are always my faithful collaborators. They give themselves personally and intimately, they bring their own experiences to the studio and the trust we have as an ensemble delivers its own authenticity and openness.”

Rafael Bonachela is originally from Barcelona and has been the Artistic Director at Sydney Dance Company for 10 years. He began his career as a dancer for the world renowned Rambert Dance Company in 1992 and later became Rambert’s Associate Choreographer.

As a choreographer, Bonachela has been commissioned to make works for Candoco, George Piper Dances, ITDANSA Danza, Contemporanea de Cuba, Transitions Dance Company, Dance Works Rotterdam, and more.

His internationally recognised talent has seen him work not only with contemporary dance at the highest level but also with artists from popular culture, such as Kylie Minogue, Tina Turner, Sarah Blasko and Katie Noonan, as well as leading fashion designers Dion Lee, Bianca Spender and Toni Maticevski.

Fun Fact: Rafael is an avid green thumb, with a vast collection of pot plants. His favourite? The Phalaenopsis, or more commonly known as the moth orchid.

The music of ab [intra] blends string instrumentals with electronic soundscapes. This season also sees the return of Rafael Bonachela’s long-time musical collaborator, composer Nick Wales. Wales works across contemporary dance, film, theatre, and classical music. He first worked with Bonachela in 2012 on the award-winning 2 One Another, and with Sarah Blasko on the score for 2 in D Minor.

Alongside Wales’ score, ab [intra] also features the string concerto, Klātbūtne (“Presence”) by Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks. Vasks’ compositions are informed by choral and folk traditions and are characterised for their spiritual introspection and emotional depth – full of strength, purity and serenity.

Fun Fact: Nick Wales was inspired by artists such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Ben Frost, and Radiohead while working on the ab [intra] soundscape. Listen to his Spotify playlist.

For ab [intra], Costume and Set Designer David Fleischer decided to work with a minimalist, raw aesthetic. The stage is white to provide a clean, pure focus for the audience, while the wings are stripped back and exposed to highlight the industrial quality of the space.

The costumes include elements of both classical ballet wear, such as tights, bare chests, and leotards, and modern clothing such as trousers, skirts, bras, and t-shirts.

To contrast the energy from the dancers the Lighting Designer, Damien Cooper has used low energy LED fixtures so that the total energy usage is under 15000 watts.

Fun Facts:
Sydney Dance Company has been able to reduce its energy footprint for this season through using all LED fixtures. The lighting requires the same power as just 12 normal theatre lights and could be powered by only 6 standard power points.

There were 500 hours spent making the costumes.