Press release

7 November 2008

Rafael Bonachela appointed

Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company
Julian Knights, Chair of Sydney Dance Company, officially announced today the
appointment of Barcelona-born, London-based choreographer Rafael Bonachela to the
position of Artistic Director, a role left vacant more than a year ago by the sudden death
of director-designate Tanja Liedtke on August 17, 2007.

Julian Knights spoke of the extensive and thorough process the Board of Directors had
undertaken to choose and appoint ‘the new artistic leader of Australia’s most high profile
contemporary dance company’.

In continuing its search, the Board acknowledged the legacy of innovation and excellence
established during the three-decade directorship of Australian dance legends Graeme
Murphy and Janet Vernon.

The Board has unanimously endorsed the selection of Rafael Bonachela as a dynamic
choreographer for the 21st Century, whose fresh and exciting vision will enable the
Company to meet new challenges in a changing world.

Bonachela’s 360o was staged at Sydney’s CarriageWorks in July, drawing praise for
‘creative precision and exhilarating energy’ and for ‘absolutely dazzling dancing from the
performers’.

Bonachela Dance Company is delighted with the appointment and looks forward to
continuing to make new work and tour under Rafael’s Artistic Direction. Rafael will also
remain Artist in Residence at Southbank Centre.

Rafael said: ““I am over the moon that Sydney Dance Company has chosen me for this
important role. My goal will be to inspire every individual in the Company and infect them
with enthusiasm and commitment, out of which truly excellent dance will evolve through
my own work and the work of other international and Australian-based choreographers. I
am also delighted that the Board has understood my ongoing commitment to my own
project company and my work at Southbank Centre in London and that I will be able to
create work for two very different but inspiring companies.”
Jude Kelly, Southbank Centre Artistic Director said: “We are delighted that Rafael
Bonachela has been appointed Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company whilst
continuing to be Artistic Director of Bonachela Dance Company and Artist in Resident at
Southbank Centre. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Paul Hamlyn Foundation
for generously supporting our Artist in Residence scheme. Rafael’s new role is a
wonderful example of how our scheme can act as a spring board for further artistic
development.”
Rafael will go to Sydney next week to create his inaugural work for the company in the
role of Artistic Director, before returning to London in April 2009 to create a new work for
Bonachela Dance Company.

For further information and press images please contact:

Cate Canniffe on 07795630675 or email HYPERLINK
"mailto:cate@bonacheladancecompany.com"
cate@bonacheladancecompany.com

Notes to Editors

1. Rafael Bonachela was appointed as Artist in Residence at the Southbank Centre,

London in 2006.

He danced with Rambert Dance Company for twelve years before being appointed
Associate Choreographer (2003- 2005). Rafael won the first ever Place Prize Award
for Choreography in 2004 and both the Guglielmo Ebreo Prize and the Critics’ Prize
at the Biennale Danza e Italia international competition in 2006.

In 2002, he was commissioned to choreograph Kylie Minogue's routine at the Brit

Awards. His unique approach to choreography, combining contemporary dance within
a more mainstream context, led to further work on Ms Minogue’s world tours. He has
also worked with other music artists including Tina Turner, The Kills and Primal
Scream.

Rafael recently collaborated with Nigel Coates and movie Director John Maybury for
Nigel’s presentational at the 11th Venice Architecture Biennale. Recent commissions
include work for Ballet Boyz, Candoco and Danza Contemporanea de Cuba. Rafael
created 3600 for Sydney Dance Company which premiered at the Carriage Works on
26 July 2008.

2. Bonachela Dance Company is a dynamic touring company under the artistic

direction of award-winning choreographer Rafael Bonachela. Since its inception in
2006, Bonachela has choreographed two new evenings of work for the company -
Voices, nominated for a 2007 Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Repertoire, Modern
and Square Map of Q4, which opened the Venice Biennale for dance in June 2008.

BDC is funded by Arts Council England, London on a project basis, the Buster
Foundation and the Foyle Foundation. Subject to funding, the company will be
touring a new work from June 2009.

Bonachela Dance Company is based at Southbank Centre London and is also

Artistic Associate of DanceEast.

3. Southbank Centre is the UK’s largest arts centre, occupying a 21-acre site that sits in
the midst of London’s most vibrant cultural quarter on the South Bank of the Thames.
The site has an extraordinary creative and architectural history stretching back to the
1951 Festival of Britain. Southbank Centre is home to the Royal Festival Hall, Queen
Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and The Hayward as well as The Saison Poetry Library
and the Arts Council Collection. The Royal Festival Hall reopened in June 2007
following the major refurbishment of the Hall and redevelopment of the surrounding
area and facilities.