Sydney Dance Company

Sydney Dance Company began as the Dance Company (NSW). Originally a dance-in-education group, it was founded in 1965 by Suzanne Musitz (Davidson) under the name Ballet in a Nutshell and later Athletes and Dancers. By the 1970s it had become a full-time performing group with federal and state government support and was led by Musitz until 1974. In 1975 and 1976 the company was directed by Dutch-born choreographer and dancer Jaap Flier. Graeme Murphy was appointed Artistic Director of the company at the end of 1976. The name change to Sydney Dance Company (SDC) took place in 1979. Under Murphy and his Associate Director, Janet Vernon, SDC consolidated its position as a major Australian contemporary dance company, undertaking overseas tours to Europe, the United States of America, South America, the United Kingdom, Asia and New Zealand. The company produced a number of original works by Murphy as well as the work of other choreographers, both from Australia and overseas. It also staged choreographic workshop programs for which company members created original works. Murphy and Vernon resigned from their positions in July 2006, and in May 2007 Tanja Liedtke was announced as the new Artistic Director. Before taking up the appointment, Liedtke tragically died in an accident. In November 2008, Rafael Bonachela was appointed Artistic Director for three years and in 2011 he accepted a further three-year appointment.