★★★★★ “It’s a beautiful, luminous, cadent spectacle of artistry and athleticism, where world-class dancers blaze majestically across the stage like demi-gods.” – Sydney Morning Herald (momenta)
“Created by artistic director Rafael Bonachela, “momenta” is a one-act, 75-minute, whirlwind of power, grace, and physicality.” – Fjord Review (momenta)
Featured Repertoire
Repertoire Archive
Tour Dates & Locations
Dates
13 – 23 March
30 April – 15 May
18 July – 6 August
Locations
QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS
Sydney Dance Company is proud to tour Australia annually, bringing unforgettable contemporary dance experiences to audiences across the country.
In 2025, we can’t wait to share Rafael Bonachela’s critically-acclaimed momenta with audiences around Australia, performing in over seven locations across three states.
View our tour dates below to see if we’re coming to a theatre near you.
2025 tickets on sale in the coming months, with more locations to be announced!
2025 National Tour Locations
| Work | Location | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somos | Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne VIC | 13-23 March | |
| momenta | Mildura Arts Centre, Mildura VIC | 30 April | |
| momenta | Her Majesty's Theatre, Ballarat VIC | 3 May | |
| momenta | Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo VIC | 7 May | |
| momenta | Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston VIC | 10 May | |
| momenta | Geelong Arts Centre, Geelong VIC | 14 - 15 May | |
| momenta | Theatre Royal, Hobart TAS | 18 - 19 July | |
| momenta | Theatre North, Launceston TAS | 23 July | |
| momenta | Glasshouse, Port Macquarie NSW | 2 August | |
| momenta | Civic Theatre, Newcastle NSW | 6 August |
Works & Creatives
Dates
13 – 23 March
30 April – 15 May
18 July – 6 August
Locations
QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS
momenta brims with Bonachela’s distinct style, rich with rhythmical and spatial patterning and endlessly inventive partnering. The dancers of Sydney Dance Company transcend physical limitations; exploring the full range of their bodies with grace, power and vulnerability. Each moment resonates through the space, drawing the audience into a world where raw expression meets refined technique.
Through the captivating interplay of Bonachela’s signature choreographic style, Wales’ evocative soundscapes and Gadsby and Cooper’s striking designs, momenta gathers the hurtling vectors of our lives into confluence and connection. For audiences and dancers alike, it is an invitation to rejoice in the beauty and fragility of our shared humanity.
Choreography: Rafael Bonachela
Music: Original Score by Nick Wales featuring “Distant Light” by Pēteris Vasks
Lighting Design: Damien Cooper
Set and Costume Design: Elizabeth Gadsby
Associate Designer: Emma White
Twofold is a monumental double bill featuring the return of Rafael Bonachela’s Impermanence alongside Melanie Lane’s new work, Love Lock.
Impermanence
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.
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. Sydney Dance Company’s ensemble is joined live on stage by the Australian String Quartet. This is epic, driven performance that packs an emotional punch.
Choreographer: Rafael Bonachela
Composer: Bryce Dessner
Original Music Performed By: Australian String Quartet
Music Features: Another World by Anohni
Lighting Designer: Damien Cooper
Stage Designer: David Fleischer
Costume Designer: Aleisa Jelbart
Love Lock
Inspired by the power of love stories, Melanie Lane’s bold new work Love Lock deconstructs love songs to create a folk dance that celebrates the fantasies and realities of love. With striking costumes by the iconic designer Akira Isogawa and a score by UK electronic artist Clark, don’t miss the world premiere of this rare and ambitious work.
Melanie Lane’s Love Lock is generously supported by Sydney Dance Company’s Visionary Patron Brett Clegg and the Clegg Foundation.
Choreography: Melanie Lane
Composer: Clark
Lighting and Set Design: Damien Cooper
Costume Design: Akira Isogawa
Reviews
Dates
13 – 23 March
30 April – 15 May
18 July – 6 August
Locations
QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS
momenta
★★★★★ “momenta is an electric and arresting celebration of light and life that feels almost sacred in its reverence for the power of the body to connect and communicate.” – Sydney Morning Herald
“This extraordinary work bypasses logic, connecting with the subconscious through beautiful intensity and visual poetry.” – Dance Informa
“Like much good art, momenta gets inside you and intensifies your sensuality.” – The Saturday Paper
“The dancers’ muscular control and agility shine through rhythmic patterning, explorative partnering, and motifs incorporating wavelets, extensions, and elevations, which then give in to gravity.” – Dance Informa
“Bonachela has once again delivered outstanding contemporary dance. In momenta, we have a choreographic work that pushes boundaries, delivered by a company brimming with talent.” – Fjord Review
Twofold
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “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 (Impermanence)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “Impermanence is classic Sydney Dance Company repertoire: gorgeous, abstract, athletic.” – BachTrack (Impermanence)
“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 (Impermanence)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “…choreographed with electric intelligence by Melanie Lane.” – Sydney Morning Herald (Love Lock)
★ ★ ★ ★ “Each element of Love Lock is expertly crafted and together creates an unparalleled synergy. Every aspect – choreography, score, costuming and set – synthesises into a spectacular explosion of colour, richness and immersion that leaves the audience craving more.”- State of the Art (Love Lock)
“…Love Lock feels exceedingly contemporary. In fact, it feels like a glimpse into the future. You just can’t look away.” – ArtsHub (Love Lock)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “Love Lock is a work of bold genius and unfiltered creativity… Cross oceans if you must. This is the real deal.” – Bach Track (Love Lock)
Tour Dates & Locations
Dates
13 – 23 March
30 April – 15 May
18 July – 6 August
Locations
QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS
Sydney Dance Company is proud to tour Australia annually, bringing unforgettable contemporary dance experiences to audiences across the country.
In 2025, we can’t wait to share Rafael Bonachela’s critically-acclaimed momenta with audiences around Australia, performing in over seven locations across three states.
View our tour dates below to see if we’re coming to a theatre near you.
2025 tickets on sale in the coming months, with more locations to be announced!
2025 National Tour Locations
| Work: | Somos |
| Location: | Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne VIC |
| Date: | 13-23 March |
| Work: | momenta |
| Location: | Mildura Arts Centre, Mildura VIC |
| Date: | 30 April |
| Work: | momenta |
| Location: | Her Majesty's Theatre, Ballarat VIC |
| Date: | 3 May |
| Work: | momenta |
| Location: | Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo VIC |
| Date: | 7 May |
| Work: | momenta |
| Location: | Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston VIC |
| Date: | 10 May |
| Work: | momenta |
| Location: | Geelong Arts Centre, Geelong VIC |
| Date: | 14 - 15 May |
| Work: | momenta |
| Location: | Theatre Royal, Hobart TAS |
| Date: | 18 - 19 July |
| Work: | momenta |
| Location: | Theatre North, Launceston TAS |
| Date: | 23 July |
| Work: | momenta |
| Location: | Glasshouse, Port Macquarie NSW |
| Date: | 2 August |
| Work: | momenta |
| Location: | Civic Theatre, Newcastle NSW |
| Date: | 6 August |
Works & Creatives
Dates
13 – 23 March
30 April – 15 May
18 July – 6 August
Locations
QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS
momenta brims with Bonachela’s distinct style, rich with rhythmical and spatial patterning and endlessly inventive partnering. The dancers of Sydney Dance Company transcend physical limitations; exploring the full range of their bodies with grace, power and vulnerability. Each moment resonates through the space, drawing the audience into a world where raw expression meets refined technique.
Through the captivating interplay of Bonachela’s signature choreographic style, Wales’ evocative soundscapes and Gadsby and Cooper’s striking designs, momenta gathers the hurtling vectors of our lives into confluence and connection. For audiences and dancers alike, it is an invitation to rejoice in the beauty and fragility of our shared humanity.
Choreography: Rafael Bonachela
Music: Original Score by Nick Wales featuring “Distant Light” by Pēteris Vasks
Lighting Design: Damien Cooper
Set and Costume Design: Elizabeth Gadsby
Associate Designer: Emma White
Twofold is a monumental double bill featuring the return of Rafael Bonachela’s Impermanence alongside Melanie Lane’s new work, Love Lock.
Impermanence
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.
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. Sydney Dance Company’s ensemble is joined live on stage by the Australian String Quartet. This is epic, driven performance that packs an emotional punch.
Choreographer: Rafael Bonachela
Composer: Bryce Dessner
Original Music Performed By: Australian String Quartet
Music Features: Another World by Anohni
Lighting Designer: Damien Cooper
Stage Designer: David Fleischer
Costume Designer: Aleisa Jelbart
Love Lock
Inspired by the power of love stories, Melanie Lane’s bold new work Love Lock deconstructs love songs to create a folk dance that celebrates the fantasies and realities of love. With striking costumes by the iconic designer Akira Isogawa and a score by UK electronic artist Clark, don’t miss the world premiere of this rare and ambitious work.
Melanie Lane’s Love Lock is generously supported by Sydney Dance Company’s Visionary Patron Brett Clegg and the Clegg Foundation.
Choreography: Melanie Lane
Composer: Clark
Lighting and Set Design: Damien Cooper
Costume Design: Akira Isogawa
Reviews
Dates
13 – 23 March
30 April – 15 May
18 July – 6 August
Locations
QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS
momenta
★★★★★ “momenta is an electric and arresting celebration of light and life that feels almost sacred in its reverence for the power of the body to connect and communicate.” – Sydney Morning Herald
“This extraordinary work bypasses logic, connecting with the subconscious through beautiful intensity and visual poetry.” – Dance Informa
“Like much good art, momenta gets inside you and intensifies your sensuality.” – The Saturday Paper
“The dancers’ muscular control and agility shine through rhythmic patterning, explorative partnering, and motifs incorporating wavelets, extensions, and elevations, which then give in to gravity.” – Dance Informa
“Bonachela has once again delivered outstanding contemporary dance. In momenta, we have a choreographic work that pushes boundaries, delivered by a company brimming with talent.” – Fjord Review
Twofold
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “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 (Impermanence)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “Impermanence is classic Sydney Dance Company repertoire: gorgeous, abstract, athletic.” – BachTrack (Impermanence)
“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 (Impermanence)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “…choreographed with electric intelligence by Melanie Lane.” – Sydney Morning Herald (Love Lock)
★ ★ ★ ★ “Each element of Love Lock is expertly crafted and together creates an unparalleled synergy. Every aspect – choreography, score, costuming and set – synthesises into a spectacular explosion of colour, richness and immersion that leaves the audience craving more.”- State of the Art (Love Lock)
“…Love Lock feels exceedingly contemporary. In fact, it feels like a glimpse into the future. You just can’t look away.” – ArtsHub (Love Lock)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “Love Lock is a work of bold genius and unfiltered creativity… Cross oceans if you must. This is the real deal.” – Bach Track (Love Lock)
Featuring works
momenta – Contemporary Dance Work
Choreography
Rafael Bonachela
Duration
75 mins
First performed
2024
