Last year, Rafael Bonachela, the Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company, approached Melbourne dancer/choreographer Joel Bray to see if he was interested in taking part in New Breed, SDC’s annual showcase of emerging choreographers. Bray appreciated the offer but said no.

“Because most of my practice has been with me making solos on myself I actually said to him that I didn’t feel quite ready to make a work on an ensemble at such a fast pace as the company schedule would require, and he was very gracious and said that was fine; ‘give me a call when you are ready’,” says Bray.

Over the following year, Bray did some creative development on making ensemble work. “So I took a little bit of a look at my process and how that could be unrolled and rolled out on other bodies, so when Raf called me again I said ‘absolutely, let’s do this!’”

Joel Bray in Dharawungara. Photograph © Pippa Samaya

Bray is one of four choreographers participating in SDC’s 2020 New Breed program along with Sydney choreographer/performer Raghav Handa, and SDC dancers Chloe Leong and Jesse Scales.

It will be the seventh edition of New Breed,...