50 YEARS OF DEFINING CONTEMPORARY DANCE “It’s not every year that a Sydney icon celebrates its golden jubilee, which is why it’s a big deal that Sydney Dance Company is turning 50.” Time Out Sydney ii 2019 Impact Report 2019 Impact Report 1 Contents 2019 at a glance 4 Chair’s Report 6 Executive Director’s Report 9 Artistic Director’s Report 10 The Company 13 The Dancers 14 On Stage 16 New Breed 24 On the Road 28 Our Reach 30 A Golden Year 32 Wharf Renewal 37 Training the Future 38 PPY19 Revealed 40 Our Community 42 Your Impact 46 Thank You 48 Our Performance 50 Sydney Dance Company 2019 52 Our Partners 54 2 2019 Impact Report On Stage 15 works, 73 performances, National tour International tour and 38,632 total attendances, 6 Australian states and territories, 4 countries, 12 performances 2019 at 10 world premieres 12 Australian towns and cities a glance 47,918 km travelled by 82 days on the road 1,950 hotel and apartment nights land and air 437 Airline tickets 24 Coaches and hire cars 17 Choreographic and music 227 Taxis commissions Training the Future Revenue 7 School Matinees with 12,324 4,321 attendances Number of young people 2,792 Students from NSW, and teachers engaged including 1,510 from across Australia Western Sydney Our online community YouTube views Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Weibo, WeChat, LinkedIn 66.66% of total revenue self generated Work provided for 154 people 197,644 559.7K 73% artists and 27% administrators In 2019 we held a total of 3,669 adult classes, with a total of 78,247 dance class attendees. The total face to face engagement was 128,239 people. 4 2019 Impact Report 2019 Impact Report 5 Chair’s Report Mid way through 2019 I was humbled to take over the pandemic and the future of the performing arts, along reins as Chair of Sydney Dance Company in our 50th with many other industries, will be significantly impacted. anniversary year, having served on the Board since 2015 Sydney Dance Company is positioned to withstand the and as Deputy Chair since 2018. My sincere thanks go headwinds of this challenge, but it will certainly bring to my predecessor Karen Moses, for her outstanding additional pressures throughout 2020 and into 2021. leadership over the seven years she served on the My sincere thanks go to the NSW Government Board and with three of those as Chair. Her clearsighted for their ongoing support of Sydney Dance Company. guidance and stewardship has helped position us for the We are enormously grateful for the investment they are challenges in front of us. making in Walsh Bay and in furnishing the Company with Sydney Dance Company’s 50th birthday year temporary premises in this once-in-a-generation period. was a milestone both on and off the stage. It gave us a The Australian Federal Government continues moment to pause and take stock. To reflect on what has to support Sydney Dance Company through the Australia been achieved over that time and to focus on what the Council for the Arts and we thank them for that valuable future looks like. We undertook that 2019 would be a year assistance. Government support of the arts is vital for that marked not just a celebration of the past 50 years, the cultural life of Australia to flourish and Sydney Dance but an establishment of the foundations of the next five Company is proud to be a flag bearer as we tour the decades. As the company celebrated its artistic legacy world. I was thrilled to be able to join the company in with a diverse program of new Australian work, we were Europe and see first-hand the extraordinary response also busy with ongoing activity around the renewal of our the dancers received. Standing ovations and sold out home at Walsh Bay. performances at every stop! The revitalisation of the Walsh Bay Arts Sydney Dance Company exists as a company Precinct will be a landmark turning point for the driven to create new work as well as increase access Performing Arts in Sydney. As one of the original tenants to dance to the broadest possible range of people. in the precinct – who helped the area come alive and be Our efforts in the areas of commissioning new work, synonymous with theatre, dance and music – we know education, outreach and training would not be possible that our future will be bright and expansive from our re- without the support of the donor family and corporate imagined home there. partners who share the vision with us. Thank you. This A great number of people have rallied behind ongoing support is essential to the sustainability of this that vision for the future and I do want to thank them for company and is truly and warmly appreciated. their leadership as over the course of 2019 we continued To Anne and Rafael, the talented management, detailed work on the development, in lock step with the staff and dancers of Sydney Dance Company, we do NSW Government; The Neilson Foundation, Simon and not exist without your dedication, tenacity and creativity. Catriona Mordant, The Wales Family Foundation, Jane and Thanks to your collective contribution, truly in 2019 our Andrew Clifford, Carla Zampatti and Julian and Lizanne art reached new heights of international acclaim and Sydney Dance Company Knights. Each has made a significant contribution to excellence. It has been a journey over many years to Board Directors 2019 our Capital Campaign and along with many others, their achieve these outcomes and Anne and Rafael are a collective support means we look to a future where our formidable combination. This is an arts organisation of artists will create their work in fit for purpose and world which all Australians should rightly feel proud. Brett Clegg (Chair) class facilities. To my fellow Board members, I extend my Pamela Bartlett Sydney Dance Company had a busy year sincerest gratitude. We are fortunate to have such a David Baxby (appointed 12/8/19) across 2019 with an extensive performance schedule as diverse and capable set of individuals around the table, all Jillian Broadbent AC well as the far-reaching education and access activities of whom demonstrate great commitment and passion for Peter Brownie (resigned 03/6/19) which traverse the nation. Our open dance class advancing the cause of Sydney Dance Company. As we David Friedlander (appointed 14/10/19) programs continue to provide a valuable participation confront the impacts from Covid-19 on our organisation, Kiera Grant (resigned 02/12/19) pathway for thousands of attendees. Despite operating in the alignment and capability among this group is a Mark Hassell temporary premises at Ultimo, the team has continued to great asset. All of us are committed to seeing through Sandra McCullagh (appointed 12/8/19) ensure that Sydney Dance Company remains accessible the current period of disruption and protecting what is Catriona Mordant AM for as many people as possible. special about Sydney Dance Company – so we can come Karen Moses (Chair - resigned 12/8/19) It was pleasing to end the year with a surplus through to the other side shining, and as hungry as ever Beau Neilson (resigned 29/4/19 of $825,139 which is comprised of an annual operational to make Australia and the world that much more vibrant, Paris Neilson (appointed 12/8/19) surplus of $10,850 in addition to a surplus result for the providing inspiration to our audiences at a time when it is Emma-Jane Newton Capital Campaign, noting the bulk of our outflows for that never more needed. Chrissy Sharp project will take place in 2020. It is sobering to note that Carla Zampatti AC these results are being posted during the global Covid-19 Brett Clegg, Chair 6 2019 Impact Report 2019 Impact Report 7 Executive Director’s Report It was a great pleasure to lead Sydney Dance Company It is exciting to watch the progress of works and we are into its 50th Anniversary and to work so closely with looking forward to returning to expanded premises at Rafael and the Board to deliver a program that both the end of 2020. Our sincere thanks go to our Capital reflected on the past and looked to the future. Rafael’s Campaign donors and the NSW Government for their vision for the year focused on Australian voices on shared investment in Sydney Dance Company’s future. the stage and it was wonderful to see 10 incredible Our thanks also go to the Federal new choreographic commissions brought to life Government for its support through the Australia across the year. Council for the Arts, who in partnership with the The company delivered 73 performances NSW Government, provide a base of support for the to audiences across Australia and Europe. Featuring company which we were able to leverage and grow to a diverse range of choreographic and composition ensure we could deliver the breadth of activity the year voices, the program absolutely shone a spotlight on encompassed. In the current climate of the Covid-19 the contemporary dance landscape in Australia. Over pandemic, the importance of Government support for the course of the year Sydney Dance Company directly the Arts has never been more keenly felt. employed 154 people, and contracted many more, to There are many people who work tirelessly create and deliver performances ranging in scale from a behind the scenes at Sydney Dance Company to bring 250 seat theatre at Sydney’s Carriageworks through to every performance to life, to greet each class attendee, international stages in halls of 2,000 seats.