Nine companies come together for DanceX

After a long wait, the Australian Ballet's DanceX, a festival designed to bring together the Australian dance community, is about to take to the stage.

Originally planned to take place in 2021 before falling victim to COVID-19 lockdowns, DanceX will give dance-lovers a unique opportunity to experience some of the nation’s top dance companies performing alongside each other at Arts Centre Melbourne.

The original plan was to have showcased seven companies plus the Australian Ballet over two programs: Bangarra Dance Theatre, Sydney Dance Company, Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin Inc, Australian Dance Theatre, Queensland Ballet and the West Australian Ballet.

The new line-up will be eight companies over three programs: Australian Dance Theatre, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Chunky Move, Karul Projects, Lucy Guerin Inc, Marrugeku, Queensland Ballet and Sydney Dance Company. There will be two premieres – one from Chunky Move and one from Lucy Guerin – commissioned by the Australian Ballet.

The festival is the brainchild of the AB's Artistic Director, David Hallberg, and demonstrates his stated determination to engage with Australia’s wider dance community and Australian audiences through inclusive contemporary ideas and collaborations.

“There has never been a more important time for DanceX than in 2022; an opportunity to reconnect and celebrate the vibrancy of dance here in Australia after the challenges of the past few years,” he says.  

“. . . Like most arts sectors, the dance community’s spark has been dimmed by the pandemic. Lockdowns and restrictions temporarily took away the most important aspect that validates our artform – the opportunity to perform to live audiences. Every chance to perform to an audience is now a privilege for us."

DanceX program details

PART ONE 
20 – 22 October (4 shows): Bangarra Dance Theatre, Terrain (ch.Frances Rings]; Sydney Dance Company, ab[intra] (ch. Rafael Bonachela); Lucy Guerin Inc, How To Be Us; The Australian Ballet, I New Then (ch. Johan Inger).

PART TWO
25 – 28 October (4 shows): Queensland Ballet, Glass Concerto (ch. Greg Horsman); The Australian Ballet, I New Then (ch.Johan Inger); Karul Projects, SILENCE (ch.Thomas E.S. Kelly).

PART THREE
29 October – 1 November (4 shows): Australian Dance Theatre, The Third (new work by Daniel Riley); Chunky Move, AB TA_Response; Marrugeku, Gudirr Gudirr (ch. Dalisa Pigram); The Australian Ballet, Imposter (ch. Luke Jervies) Solstice (ch. Alice Topp).

For more information go here.