Engine

Engine unites three extraordinary choreographers; Rafael Bonachela, Fran Diaz and Melanie Lane, for an exhilarating performance that promises bold, fearless dance.

Rafael Bonachela premieres The Journey Itself Is Home, a new work featuring music by Grammy Award-winning composer Bryce Dessner and inspired by 17th-century Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō.

Engine sees the return of acclaimed Australian/Javanese choreographer Melanie Lane’s Love Lock, a re-imagined folk dance of the future, drawing upon collective experiences of diverse cultures, an accelerating world and disappearing lands. Love Lock celebrates the binding ability of dance to move, warn and empower, showcasing costume design by celebrated Australian fashion designer Akira Isogawa, layered with texture and colour, and a score composed by UK electronic artist Clark.

Completing the bill is the Australian premiere of The Mass Ornament by remarkable Berlin-based Spanish choreographer Fran Diaz is a hypnotic work set to the music of Henryk Górecki reimagines Siegfried Kracauer’s seminal 1927 essay. Diaz compellingly transforms the concept of mass movement into an exploration of connection and collectivity, where individuality coexists, not in opposition, but in dialogue. The Mass Ornament was commissioned by Hessisches Staatsballet and performed in Australia with its kind permission.

Sydney Dance Company’s season, Engine is supported by our Season and Tour presenting partner The Art House, Wyong and includes support from the donors to the Carla Zampatti Commissioning Fund.  A pre-season exclusive performance will be held in Wyong on 19 June.

Opening Night: Wednesday 24 June 2026

Season Dates: 24 June – 12 July 2026

Wednesdays – Fridays: 7.30pm

Saturdays: 2pm & 7.30pm

Sundays: 5pm

Dancer Q&A:  Saturday 27 June, 2pm* after the performance

Chair’s Evening: Wednesday 1 July, 7.30pm

Audio Description available: Saturday 4 July, 2pm and 7.30pm

Haptic Enhanced Performances: Saturday 11 July, 2pm and 7.30pm

Secondary School Matinee: Thursday 25 June 12.30pm

Primary School Matinee: Thursday 2 July 11.30am

Engine will be performed at the Drama Theatre at the Sydney Opera House.

Melanie Lane’s Love Lock returns to the stage, a vivid, futuristic folk dance that collides romance, ritual and imagination. Drawing on collective traditions and the emotional charge of love songs, Lane celebrates the binding ability of dance to move, warn and empower.

With striking costumes by celebrated designer Akira Isogawa and a pulsating score by UK electronic artist Clark, Love Lock summons a charged, otherworldly energy. Part celebration, part warning and wholly alive.

★★★★★ “Lane has an uncanny ability to stretch your space-time perceptions and make live dance feel like a gorgeously filmed, addictive music video.” – Sydney Morning Herald (Twofold 2024)

★★★★★ “…choreographed with electric intelligence by Melanie Lane.” – Sydney Morning Herald (Twofold 2024)

“…Love Lock feels exceedingly contemporary. In fact, it feels like a glimpse into the future. You just can’t look away.” – ArtsHub (Twofold 2024)

Choreography: Melanie Lane
Composer: Clark
Lighting and Set Design: Damien Cooper
Costume Design: Akira Isogawa

Love Lock was originally supported as part of Sydney Dance Company’s Twofold season, by Visionary Patron, the Clegg Foundation.

The Mass Ornament by Berlin-based Spanish choreographer Fran Diaz makes its Australian premiere in Sydney with this hypnotic work, set to the music of Henryk Górecki.

Reimagining Siegfried Kracauer’s 1927 essay, Diaz transforms the idea of mass movement into a choreographic exploration of unity and presence. Instead of dancers disappearing into a mechanical whole, the work reveals a system built on connection, where precision depends on awareness, and individuality and collectivity exist in constant dialogue.

Choreography, Set Design & Costumes: Fran Díaz
Choreographic Assistant: Keren Leiman
Music: Henryk Górecki
Additional Composition / Sound Design: Tom Foskett-Barnes
Set Design Advisor: Manuel Cornelius
Costume Assistant: Janine Schwind
Light Design: Tanja Rühl

Fran Diaz’s The Mass Ornament is generously supported by Sydney Dance Company’s Visionary Patron, the Clegg Foundation. The Mass Ornament was commissioned by Hessisches Staatsballet and performed in Australia with its kind permission.

Sydney Season supporter, The Mass Ornament, Instituto Cervantes 

The Journey Itself Is Home is a new work set to music by Grammy Award–winning composer Bryce Dessner and inspired by the writing of 17th-century Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō.

Taking its title from Bashō’s reflection, “Each day is a journey, and the journey itself is home,” the work embraces a philosophy where travel becomes a state of being. Bonachela transforms this idea into a choreographic meditation on movement and presence, where meaning is found not in arrival, but in the act of continual becoming – each step a destination in itself.

Choreography: Rafael Bonachela
Composer: Bryce Dessner
Lighting Design: Damien Cooper
Set and Costume Design:  Kelsey Lee

Commissioning Partner, Orsolina28 Art Foundation

Under 25 Ticket Price

In 2026 Sydney Dance Company offers an under 25’s ticket price of just $35!

Saturday 4 July, 2pm and 7.30pm
1.15pm – Tactile Tour (15-20 mins)
2pm – Audio Description available

6.45pm -Tactile Tour (15-20 mins)
7.30pm – Audio Description available

Audio description is a service provided to enhance the experience of customers who are blind or have low vision.

The audio description is a live commentary of the visual elements of a performance by trained audio describers, relayed via a free headset and receiver linked to the FM radio system within the venue.

The tactile tour is available prior to the performance. Patrons who are blind or have low vision will experience hands on access to some costumes, props and stage elements in order to capture the atmosphere of the work. Our Sydney Dance Company staff will relay the context of each piece and how it is used in the performance.

If you are interested in this service, please call our Box Office on 02 9221 4811 or email boxoffice@sydneydancecompany.com.

Dates
Saturday 11 July 2026 2:00pm
Saturday 11 July 2026 7:30pm

This performance will include an additional service for Deaf and hard of hearing patrons. These patrons will wear a haptic vest which will translate sound and music into physical vibrations across their bodies. Patrons sitting nearby may also feel some of these vibrations, though it ought not impede their enjoyment of the performance.

If you are interested in this service, please email michaels@sydneydancecompany.com.

Sydney Dance Company is an affiliate of the NSW Government’s Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care’s Companion Card program. Support persons receive a ticket to performances and public classes when accompanying a Companion Card holder.

Please email boxoffice@sydneydancecompany.com to book a performance ticket.

If you require wheelchair seating, please contact Sydney Dance Company Box Office at:

Phone: +61 2 9221 4811
Email: boxoffice@sydneydancecompany.com

Our school matinees introduce students to cutting-edge contemporary dance with valuable learning opportunities.

– Pre-show talks and demonstrations provide insight into the creative process.
– Post-show panels and Q&As with dancers, creatives, and arts professionals deepen understanding of performance-making and highlight career pathways in the arts.

Secondary School Matinee: Thursday 25 June 2026, 12.30pm

Primary School Matinee: Thursday 2 July, 11.30am

For more details, visit our Schools page or complete an Expressions of Interest Form and our Education Team will be in touch.

Engine will be performed at Drama Theatre at the Sydney Opera House.

Visiting Sydney Opera House
Public transport is the best way to get to the Sydney Opera House. Circular Quay is the closest public transport hub, with train, bus, light rail and ferry services available. From Circular Quay, it’s an easy 5 to 10 minute walk along the waterfront to the Opera House forecourt.

Parking
Parking is available at the Sydney Opera House Wilson Car Park, located at 2 Macquarie Street, Sydney. Enter via Macquarie Street and follow the signs for Sydney Opera House Car Park. Accessible parking spaces are available and lifts provide direct access to the building concourse.

Please visit the Sydney Opera House website for more information on public transport, parking and accessibility.

Recommended Dining Options Near The Venue
Brasserie 1930
Located within Capella Sydney, recently ranked No. 12 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels, Brasserie 1930 offers an elegant pre-theatre dining experience in the heart of Sydney. Just a short 12-minute walk from the Sydney Opera House and moments from the city’s cultural precinct, guests can enjoy contemporary Australian cuisine showcasing the country’s finest seasonal produce within the beautifully restored heritage-listed Department of Education building.

Exclusive Sydney Dance Company Offer at Brasserie 1930
2-course pre-theatre menu | $55 per person
3-course pre-theatre menu | $68 per person
Complimentary glass of house wine or beer
Early restaurant opening from 5.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday

Offer available 24 June – 12 July