Works

Impermanence

Work by Rafael Bonachela

arguably the single best piece created by and for an Australian dance company for many years” Adelaide Advertiser.

Information

Duration 65 minutes

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 and co-commissioned with the Australian String Quartet.

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.

Experience the power of dance and music performed live together as Sydney Dance Company’s “awe-inspiring” (In Daily) ensemble performs alongside a string quartet. This is epic, driven performance that packs an emotional punch.

Trailer

The Creative Team

Choreographer: Rafael Bonachela
Composer: Bryce Dessner
Music Co-Commissioned and Recorded By: Australian String Quartet
Music Features: Another World by Anohni
Lighting Designer: Damien Cooper
Stage Designer: David Fleischer
Costume Designer: Aleisa Jelbart

 

Behind the Scenes: the creation of Impermanence

Impermanence/Disintegration - the album

Impermanence/Disintegration places Grammy Award-winning composer Bryce Dessner in partnership with Sydney Dance Company and the Australian String Quartet in constructing a dynamic, profoundly moving emotional response to the fleeting transience of life.

Influenced by the searing impact of the wildfires that ravaged Australia late in 2019 and the devastation of the Notre Dame fire, Impermanence reflects on the mutability of the structures around us, both tangible and intangible.

Click below to discover more about the album.

Media Reviews

International Premiere 2023

Impermanence is an invitation to experience the power of dance in conjunction with music. A goal that is fully achieved during the 60 minutes of the show. Impermanence is an ambitious work that few dance companies are capable of offering…” El Español (Spain)

“Rafael Bonachela seeks to connect with the public in a visceral and emotional way through his work… This night of dance is a transformative experience for the audience, who will leave with a new perspective on art and dance.” Prenser Madridsur (Spain)

 “A disruptive effect of a wave of beauty, a visceral tide of high physical tension… sequences of electrifying, unstoppable dance flow. 15 dancers from the Australian company whose energy, from inside to outside, radiates for 75 minutes of performance, magnetizing us.” Exibart magazine (Italy)

Sydney Premiere 2021

★★★★ “Dance moves for the end of the world… Choreographer Rafael Bonachela sets his excellent dancers on a whirling, bounding trajectory that sustains them in duets, trios and interestingly constructed ensembles…” – The Sydney Morning Herald

“…it is arguably the single best piece created by and for an Australian dance company for many years”  – Adelaide Advertiser

★★★★ 1/2 “A hypnotically beautiful work, stunningly performed by the Company’s 17 dancers to music that is visceral and moving” – Limelight

★★★★★ “The music alone is worth hearing live in concert and Bonachela’s choreography adds a whole other dimension to these collaborative contemplations of humanity for our times.” –  ClassikON

“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

“A tear-jerker without being baroque, with a finger on the vein of our collective anxieties and dislocations, Impermanence is a triumph of collaboration and passion.”  – ArtsHub

“Moving and powerful, at-once capturing transience and fragility then strength and passion.” – Timeout

“Awareness of the impermanence of everything makes me feel that we must use every moment – that every moment counts – and that the transitory nature of life inspires a need for energy, urgency and radiance.” Rafael Bonachela

“The dancers, wow. They are incredible, so talented. I love the physicality of them, and Rafael’s work really suits my music. The new piece is very much for them – definitely the musical language is inspired by the company itself even to the point that I was seeing those dancers in my mind as I composed… a stunning, inexplicable alchemy happens with the melding of movement and sound. A third art form is born.” Bryce Dessner, The Australian

“There’s a certain sense of beauty about bringing something back, but also there’s this sense of regrowth and rebuilding on the experiences and perspectives of what we have all been through as people and as artists ourselves.” Liam Green, Company dancer

Impermanence was pure magic – fleeting – a moment in time of delicacy, softness, stillness and breath” Alyssa Hanley, audience member. 

“We have been twice now. So good!” Selina Baxby, audience member. 

“Unbelievable performance! We loved every minute – such superb choreography and amazingly talented dancers.” Melanie Jane, audience member. 

“We have a world top dance company in our very own city. We feel nourished by your art and it breathes sunshine and joy into our life. We so appreciate your generosity in a very personal way. We don’t quite get that feeling from any other dance companies.” Michael P., Subscriber

 

Performance History

2024 Performances

Mercat de les Flors, Barcelona, Spain
19 – 20 March

Kennedy Centre, Washington DC, USA
25 – 27 April

 

2023 Performances

Sydney Coliseum Theatre, West HQ, Rooty Hill
26 August
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever

International Premiere – Teatros del Canal, Madrid, Spain
23 – 24 September

Theatre Bonn, Bonn, Germany
17 – 18 October
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever

Amare, The Hague, The Netherlands
20 – 21 October
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever

2021 Performances

Premiere – Roslyn Packer Theatre Walsh Bay, Sydney
16 – 27 February

Warrnambool, VIC
12 May

Frankston, VIC
15 May

Mildura, VIC
19 May

Bendigo, VIC
22 Mau

Canberra, ACT
4 & 5 June

Newcastle, NSW
9 June

Tamworth, NSW
12 June

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Information

Duration 65 minutes

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 and co-commissioned with the Australian String Quartet.

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.

Experience the power of dance and music performed live together as Sydney Dance Company’s “awe-inspiring” (In Daily) ensemble performs alongside a string quartet. This is epic, driven performance that packs an emotional punch.

Trailer

The Creative Team

Choreographer: Rafael Bonachela
Composer: Bryce Dessner
Music Co-Commissioned and Recorded By: Australian String Quartet
Music Features: Another World by Anohni
Lighting Designer: Damien Cooper
Stage Designer: David Fleischer
Costume Designer: Aleisa Jelbart

 

Behind the Scenes: the creation of Impermanence

+

Impermanence/Disintegration - the album

Impermanence/Disintegration places Grammy Award-winning composer Bryce Dessner in partnership with Sydney Dance Company and the Australian String Quartet in constructing a dynamic, profoundly moving emotional response to the fleeting transience of life.

Influenced by the searing impact of the wildfires that ravaged Australia late in 2019 and the devastation of the Notre Dame fire, Impermanence reflects on the mutability of the structures around us, both tangible and intangible.

Click below to discover more about the album.

+

Media Reviews

International Premiere 2023

Impermanence is an invitation to experience the power of dance in conjunction with music. A goal that is fully achieved during the 60 minutes of the show. Impermanence is an ambitious work that few dance companies are capable of offering…” El Español (Spain)

“Rafael Bonachela seeks to connect with the public in a visceral and emotional way through his work… This night of dance is a transformative experience for the audience, who will leave with a new perspective on art and dance.” Prenser Madridsur (Spain)

 “A disruptive effect of a wave of beauty, a visceral tide of high physical tension… sequences of electrifying, unstoppable dance flow. 15 dancers from the Australian company whose energy, from inside to outside, radiates for 75 minutes of performance, magnetizing us.” Exibart magazine (Italy)

Sydney Premiere 2021

★★★★ “Dance moves for the end of the world… Choreographer Rafael Bonachela sets his excellent dancers on a whirling, bounding trajectory that sustains them in duets, trios and interestingly constructed ensembles…” – The Sydney Morning Herald

“…it is arguably the single best piece created by and for an Australian dance company for many years”  – Adelaide Advertiser

★★★★ 1/2 “A hypnotically beautiful work, stunningly performed by the Company’s 17 dancers to music that is visceral and moving” – Limelight

★★★★★ “The music alone is worth hearing live in concert and Bonachela’s choreography adds a whole other dimension to these collaborative contemplations of humanity for our times.” –  ClassikON

“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

“A tear-jerker without being baroque, with a finger on the vein of our collective anxieties and dislocations, Impermanence is a triumph of collaboration and passion.”  – ArtsHub

“Moving and powerful, at-once capturing transience and fragility then strength and passion.” – Timeout

“Awareness of the impermanence of everything makes me feel that we must use every moment – that every moment counts – and that the transitory nature of life inspires a need for energy, urgency and radiance.” Rafael Bonachela

“The dancers, wow. They are incredible, so talented. I love the physicality of them, and Rafael’s work really suits my music. The new piece is very much for them – definitely the musical language is inspired by the company itself even to the point that I was seeing those dancers in my mind as I composed… a stunning, inexplicable alchemy happens with the melding of movement and sound. A third art form is born.” Bryce Dessner, The Australian

“There’s a certain sense of beauty about bringing something back, but also there’s this sense of regrowth and rebuilding on the experiences and perspectives of what we have all been through as people and as artists ourselves.” Liam Green, Company dancer

Impermanence was pure magic – fleeting – a moment in time of delicacy, softness, stillness and breath” Alyssa Hanley, audience member. 

“We have been twice now. So good!” Selina Baxby, audience member. 

“Unbelievable performance! We loved every minute – such superb choreography and amazingly talented dancers.” Melanie Jane, audience member. 

“We have a world top dance company in our very own city. We feel nourished by your art and it breathes sunshine and joy into our life. We so appreciate your generosity in a very personal way. We don’t quite get that feeling from any other dance companies.” Michael P., Subscriber

 

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Performance History

2024 Performances

Mercat de les Flors, Barcelona, Spain
19 – 20 March

Kennedy Centre, Washington DC, USA
25 – 27 April

 

2023 Performances

Sydney Coliseum Theatre, West HQ, Rooty Hill
26 August
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever

International Premiere – Teatros del Canal, Madrid, Spain
23 – 24 September

Theatre Bonn, Bonn, Germany
17 – 18 October
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever

Amare, The Hague, The Netherlands
20 – 21 October
Double Bill – Impermanence and Forever & Ever

2021 Performances

Premiere – Roslyn Packer Theatre Walsh Bay, Sydney
16 – 27 February

Warrnambool, VIC
12 May

Frankston, VIC
15 May

Mildura, VIC
19 May

Bendigo, VIC
22 Mau

Canberra, ACT
4 & 5 June

Newcastle, NSW
9 June

Tamworth, NSW
12 June