Information
The Journey Itself Is Home is a 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.
Choreographer: Rafael Bonachela
Composer: Bryce Dessner
Lighting Designer: Damien Cooper
Set and Costume Designer: Kelsey Lee
Rafael Bonachela’s The Journey Itself Is Home is generously supported by Commissioning Partner, Orsolina28 Art Foundation.
A Note from the Choreographer
The Journey Itself Is Home began with a journey.
During Sydney Dance Company’s European tour in 2025, I travelled to France to spend a few days with composer Bryce Dessner imagining what our next collaboration might become. We spent our time talking about life, music, books, poetry, art, nature, memory and the things that move us. Somewhere between those conversations, long walks and sunsets, a simple idea emerged: the journey itself is home.
Matsuo Bashō’s 17th-century travelogue The Narrow Road to the Interior came up in our discussions a lot. It is a collection of writings and haiku born from a journey through landscapes both physical and spiritual. It felt connected to the landscape we found ourselves in, and the work we wished to create. In particular, Bashō’s reflections on solitude, impermanence and nature as a mirror of emotion became a powerful point of departure for us. Soon after this trip, the work began to take shape through exploration of growth and decay; an ever-changing outpouring of emotion. I leant into choreography that felt open-hearted, emotional and presented new challenges.
What emerged was a work in four movements, filled with moments of longing, uncertainty, and ultimately connection. Under the reflected light of a setting (or rising) moon, the dancers grapple with solitude and togetherness. To me the work champions the tenacity required to coexist. To be fiercely unique and in the same breath totally unified. It feels like a prayer to the community of humanity. The title also resonates deeply with where I find myself in life. It comes from a growing understanding that home is not necessarily a destination waiting to be reached. Rather, it is something we create through the act of living through the people we meet, the work we make, the experiences we share and the journeys we undertake together.
The journey itself is home
Summer grasses all that’s left of soldier’s dreams. – Matsuo Bashō
Media Review
★★★★½ “all the things that audiences have come to love about SDC’s exhilarating style of dance.” – Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★½ “This triple bill lives up to its name with driving force and exceptional performance.” – Limelight
★★★★★ “Sydney Dance Company’s latest triple bill celebrates contemporary dance at its most adventurous and diverse.” – Bachtrack
★★★★½ “Engine is powerful and rhythmic, driven by dancers whose strength, precision and energy propel each contemporary work forward.” – Bacchus at the Theatre
“Sydney Dance Company’s Engine Makes the Invisible Visible.” – Time and Tide
“What ultimately distinguishes Engine is not the quality of its individual works, impressive though they are. It is the conversation that develops between them. Bonachela explores transition. Díaz explores coexistence. Lane explores inheritance. Together they map a surprisingly complete picture of contemporary life.” – Time and Tide
“full-on, engine-like physicality” – Canberra City News
“Engine demonstrates Sydney Dance Company performing at an exceptional artistic level.” – Dance Informa
“Perhaps most striking is the maturity of Sydney Dance Company’s current ensemble. These dancers are not merely exceptional technicians; they have developed a collective confidence that allows each work to breathe with authenticity.” Dance Informa
“Together, they suggest that the greatest engine driving human life is neither ambition nor achievement, but connection.” – Dance Informa
“…the dancers are asked for stamina, detail and stylistic agility, and they deliver with the kind of confidence that has become a company signature.” – Dance Australia
“a visual feast” – Sydney Travel Guide
“one of the most visually mesmerising performances I have seen in a long time” – Sydney Travel Guide
“Whether you’re new to Sydney Dance Company or a longtime fan, this is a production that will have you completely hooked.” – Sydney Travel Guide
“…a powerful display of artistry and emotional intensity.” – Dance Australia Young Dancer Scholar Review
★★★★★ “Bonachela’s piece arrives like an exhale.” – Bachtrack
★★★★★ “…undeniably powerful and exhilarating, thanks to the company’s unique combination of athleticism and liquid connection.” – Bachtrack
★★★★★ “…The Journey Itself Is Home’s luminous beauty…” – Bachtrack
★★★★½ “Kelsey Lee’s simple white costumes allow the deep emotions of the dancing and Bryce Dessner’s searing score to take centre stage” – Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★½ “Enchanting solos and pas de deux punctuate the piece.” – Bacchus at the Theatre
★★★★½ “…the dancers, all dressed in white, seem to embody the energy of swirling atoms.” – Limelight
★★★★½ “The dancers’ strength and control are once again evident with strong sweeping movements, precise lines and soaring leg extensions.” – Bacchus at the Theatre
“…one realises how rarely contemporary life allows for such a perspective. Bonachela’s choreography insists upon it.” Time and Tide
“Bryce Dessner’s score contributes enormously to this atmosphere.” Time and Tide
“The partnering throughout is among Bonachela’s most inventive. Bodies support, redirect and continually reshape one another through flowing architectural forms.” – Dance Informa
“The choreography unfolds almost like both the arc of a single day and the arc of an entire life.” – Dance Informa
“breathtakingly fluid lifts and intricate partner work” – Sydney Travel Guide
“the ensemble appears almost weightless, creating a dreamlike performance that is elegant, ethereal and quietly moving.” – Sydney Travel Guide
“…a love letter to the company itself.” – Dance Australia
“…it speaks to the amazing musicality of the dancers to maintain complex uber-physical movements within such a difficult time signature.” – Eastside Radio
Performance History
Premiere
The Art House
Wyong, NSW
19 June 2026
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
2026 Performances
The Art House
Wyong, NSW
19 June
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
Roslyn Packer Theatre
Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Sydney
24 June – 12 July
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre
Shoalhaven, NSW
24 July
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
Albany Entertainment Centre
Albany, WA
29 July
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
Mandurah Performing Arts Centre
Mandurah, WA
1 August
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
State Theatre Centre of WA
Perth, WA
5 – 8 August
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
AANT Centre
Darwin, NT
12 August
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
Araluen Arts Centre
Alice Springs, NT
15 August
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
Information
The Journey Itself Is Home is a 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.
Choreographer: Rafael Bonachela
Composer: Bryce Dessner
Lighting Designer: Damien Cooper
Set and Costume Designer: Kelsey Lee
Rafael Bonachela’s The Journey Itself Is Home is generously supported by Commissioning Partner, Orsolina28 Art Foundation.
A Note from the Choreographer
The Journey Itself Is Home began with a journey.
During Sydney Dance Company’s European tour in 2025, I travelled to France to spend a few days with composer Bryce Dessner imagining what our next collaboration might become. We spent our time talking about life, music, books, poetry, art, nature, memory and the things that move us. Somewhere between those conversations, long walks and sunsets, a simple idea emerged: the journey itself is home.
Matsuo Bashō’s 17th-century travelogue The Narrow Road to the Interior came up in our discussions a lot. It is a collection of writings and haiku born from a journey through landscapes both physical and spiritual. It felt connected to the landscape we found ourselves in, and the work we wished to create. In particular, Bashō’s reflections on solitude, impermanence and nature as a mirror of emotion became a powerful point of departure for us. Soon after this trip, the work began to take shape through exploration of growth and decay; an ever-changing outpouring of emotion. I leant into choreography that felt open-hearted, emotional and presented new challenges.
What emerged was a work in four movements, filled with moments of longing, uncertainty, and ultimately connection. Under the reflected light of a setting (or rising) moon, the dancers grapple with solitude and togetherness. To me the work champions the tenacity required to coexist. To be fiercely unique and in the same breath totally unified. It feels like a prayer to the community of humanity. The title also resonates deeply with where I find myself in life. It comes from a growing understanding that home is not necessarily a destination waiting to be reached. Rather, it is something we create through the act of living through the people we meet, the work we make, the experiences we share and the journeys we undertake together.
The journey itself is home
Summer grasses all that’s left of soldier’s dreams. – Matsuo Bashō
Media Review
★★★★½ “all the things that audiences have come to love about SDC’s exhilarating style of dance.” – Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★½ “This triple bill lives up to its name with driving force and exceptional performance.” – Limelight
★★★★★ “Sydney Dance Company’s latest triple bill celebrates contemporary dance at its most adventurous and diverse.” – Bachtrack
★★★★½ “Engine is powerful and rhythmic, driven by dancers whose strength, precision and energy propel each contemporary work forward.” – Bacchus at the Theatre
“Sydney Dance Company’s Engine Makes the Invisible Visible.” – Time and Tide
“What ultimately distinguishes Engine is not the quality of its individual works, impressive though they are. It is the conversation that develops between them. Bonachela explores transition. Díaz explores coexistence. Lane explores inheritance. Together they map a surprisingly complete picture of contemporary life.” – Time and Tide
“full-on, engine-like physicality” – Canberra City News
“Engine demonstrates Sydney Dance Company performing at an exceptional artistic level.” – Dance Informa
“Perhaps most striking is the maturity of Sydney Dance Company’s current ensemble. These dancers are not merely exceptional technicians; they have developed a collective confidence that allows each work to breathe with authenticity.” Dance Informa
“Together, they suggest that the greatest engine driving human life is neither ambition nor achievement, but connection.” – Dance Informa
“…the dancers are asked for stamina, detail and stylistic agility, and they deliver with the kind of confidence that has become a company signature.” – Dance Australia
“a visual feast” – Sydney Travel Guide
“one of the most visually mesmerising performances I have seen in a long time” – Sydney Travel Guide
“Whether you’re new to Sydney Dance Company or a longtime fan, this is a production that will have you completely hooked.” – Sydney Travel Guide
“…a powerful display of artistry and emotional intensity.” – Dance Australia Young Dancer Scholar Review
★★★★★ “Bonachela’s piece arrives like an exhale.” – Bachtrack
★★★★★ “…undeniably powerful and exhilarating, thanks to the company’s unique combination of athleticism and liquid connection.” – Bachtrack
★★★★★ “…The Journey Itself Is Home’s luminous beauty…” – Bachtrack
★★★★½ “Kelsey Lee’s simple white costumes allow the deep emotions of the dancing and Bryce Dessner’s searing score to take centre stage” – Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★½ “Enchanting solos and pas de deux punctuate the piece.” – Bacchus at the Theatre
★★★★½ “…the dancers, all dressed in white, seem to embody the energy of swirling atoms.” – Limelight
★★★★½ “The dancers’ strength and control are once again evident with strong sweeping movements, precise lines and soaring leg extensions.” – Bacchus at the Theatre
“…one realises how rarely contemporary life allows for such a perspective. Bonachela’s choreography insists upon it.” Time and Tide
“Bryce Dessner’s score contributes enormously to this atmosphere.” Time and Tide
“The partnering throughout is among Bonachela’s most inventive. Bodies support, redirect and continually reshape one another through flowing architectural forms.” – Dance Informa
“The choreography unfolds almost like both the arc of a single day and the arc of an entire life.” – Dance Informa
“breathtakingly fluid lifts and intricate partner work” – Sydney Travel Guide
“the ensemble appears almost weightless, creating a dreamlike performance that is elegant, ethereal and quietly moving.” – Sydney Travel Guide
“…a love letter to the company itself.” – Dance Australia
“…it speaks to the amazing musicality of the dancers to maintain complex uber-physical movements within such a difficult time signature.” – Eastside Radio
Performance History
Premiere
The Art House
Wyong, NSW
19 June 2026
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
2026 Performances
The Art House
Wyong, NSW
19 June
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
Roslyn Packer Theatre
Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Sydney
24 June – 12 July
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre
Shoalhaven, NSW
24 July
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
Albany Entertainment Centre
Albany, WA
29 July
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
Mandurah Performing Arts Centre
Mandurah, WA
1 August
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
State Theatre Centre of WA
Perth, WA
5 – 8 August
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
AANT Centre
Darwin, NT
12 August
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
Araluen Arts Centre
Alice Springs, NT
15 August
Bill: Engine
Works: Love Lock, The Mass Ornament and The Journey Itself Is Home
Gallery
