New Breed 2015

The Australian premiere season of New Breed 2015 is set for a spectacular showcase at Sydney’s Carriageworks.

New Breed comprises of a four-part program built by two Australian choreographers handpicked from the independent sector and two selected from the Sydney Dance Company’s own ranks. Given full access to Sydney Dance Company studios, the choreographers selected their cast from the sixteen members of the Sydney Dance Company’s professional ensemble. The four works performing this year include Derived, Reign, Conform and So much, doesn’t matter.

“Where you get given an opportunity to create, it’s a gift in a way because you get to share your ideas and your vision and you get to tell the story you want to tell,” said Daniel Riley, the Indigenous choreographer and dancer behind Reign. “[New Breed is] another outlet for choreographers to present work to an already established audience… The beauty of this program is that they get exposed to work, movement, ideas and sound that they’re not necessarily used to with a Sydney Dance show.”

Creating his first solo work for the main stage in 2010 with Bangarra Dance Theatre, Daniel has now put together a commanding performance for eight female dancers set to an original score by Nick Thayer.

“I was immediately inspired by the women of the company,” said Daniel. “They’re so powerful. And then I got to thinking about powerful women in society… And then on the other end, I was inspired by their demise as well, and why they fall from the throne.”

New Breed comes to Sydney following its international premiere at Festpiele Ludwigshafen in Germany last month. (ES)

Dec 8–13. Carriageworks, Bay 20, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh. $35. Tickets & info: sydneydancecompany.com or 9250 1999 or carriageworks.com.au

BY EMILY SHEN