Rafael Bonachela

Rafael Bonachela
Rafael Bonachela in 2013
Born 28 March 1972 (age 45)
Barcelona, Spain
Residence Sydney, Australia
Nationality Spanish
Education Cadaqués Dance School, Barcelona
Occupation Choreographer
Years active 2006–present

Rafael Bonachela (born 28 March 1972) is a Spanish choreographer of contemporary modern dance and is currently Sydney Dance Company’s artistic director.

Bonachela's aesthetic has been described as a fusion of classical and neoclassical ballet; formally constructed with use of patterning and layering, 'canon set in evocative contexts' and often set against 'dramatic projections' [1] He has worked not only with contemporary dance but also with artists from popular culture, such as Kylie Minogue, Tina Turner, Sarah Blasko and Katie Noonan as well as fashion designers Dion Lee and Toni Maticevski. Bonachela has been commended for his efforts to popularise dance in Australia and ‘stimulating collaborations with Australian artists from other fields'.[2][3][4]

Bonachela was named winner of the dance category for The Monthly’s (Sydney Magazine) Art Awards 2013 and was listed as one of Sydney’s Top 100 Most Influential People in 2012 for his efforts to popularise dance.[2]

In February 2013, Bonachela was also honoured with an Officer’s Cross of the Order of Civil Merit by His Majesty the King of Spain in recognition of his achievements in culture and extraordinary services in support of Spain.[2]

Early life and education

Bonachela was born and raised in Barcelona, Spain.[2][5] At 15, Bonachela began commuting from his home in the Barcelona precinct La Garriga into the city to take jazz and dancing lessons at the Cadaqués Centre Dance School.[6]

Career

Spain

Encouraged by a teacher at the Cadaqués Dance School, Bonachela auditioned for the Catalan dance company Lanònima Imperial when he was age 17. Bonachela spent a year touring with Lanònima Imperial.[6]

London

Bonachela auditioned and successfully secured a position at the London Studio Centre Dance College in 1992.[6] With the help of a scholarship granted by the local mayor at the time, Bonachela moved to London.[6] Three years later, he successfully auditioned for Britain's oldest dance company, Rambert - he was 20 years old. After a decade of dancing with the company he became Rambert's associate choreographer and quit dancing altogether.[2]

In 2006, Bonachela set up the Bonachela Dance Company in order to focus on and develop his own choreography.[2]

Between 2006 and 2009 Bonachela Dance Company was commissioned to make works for Candoco, George Piper Dances, IT Dansa (Institut del Teatre Contemporanea de Cuba), Transitions Dance Company, Dance Works Rotterdam and Kylie Minogue.[2][7][3]

Sydney

In 2008, Bonachela premiered his first full-length production 360° for Sydney Dance Company at Carriageworks and in 2009 replaced the late Tanja Liedtke as the company's Artistic Director.[7][1] Since taking on the role, Bonachela has choreographed and curated several pieces for Sydney Dance Company, collaborating with many Australian and International organisations and artists from a variety of fields (see Works below).[2]

Works - Sydney Dance Company

We Unfold (2009)

Following the success of 360°, Bonachela premiered We Unfold in 2009 – his first major work as Artistic Director for Sydney Dance Company. Inspired by and set to the music of the Italian Composer Ezio Bosso, We Unfold was described as 'genuinely moving and other worldly'.[8]

New Creations 1: 6 Breaths (2010)

In 2010, Bonachela collaborated again with Ezio Bosso for his piece 6 Breaths. 6 Breaths is a composition inspired by six forms of breath and was followed by a second work LANDforms (listed below), an emotional response to the effect of weather elements on landscapes. 6 Breaths charts the journey from human’s first breath (at birth) to their last. Played by six cellos, it is divided into six sections including ‘Out of Breath (breathless)’, ‘Crying Breath (weeping)’ and ‘Under One’s Breath (whisper)’.[9]

Are We That We Are was also performed as part of the work New Creations 1 and was choreographed by Sydney-born artist Adam Linder. His work investigates mysticism and spirituality, rapture and trance states, psychedelia and sexuality, to expose realms of awareness beneath the surface of everyday reality.[10]

New Creations 2: Irony of Fate and Soledad (2010)

New Creations 2 re-staged two of Bonachela's works: Irony Of Fate and Soledad—an intimate and intense duet .[11]

Originally performed in London in 2004/2005 for Rambert Dance Company, Irony of Fate was a solo work created for and danced for the final time by Amy Hollingsworth in 2010. Accompanied by the violinist Ruth Palmer, this duet of musician and dancer combines both performers abilities to 'transport themselves to the outer limits of possibility' in a simultaneous movement of stretching and weaving.[12]

Commissioned by Probe in 2005, performed in Europe by the Bonachela Dance Company and set to the music of Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, the remounted repertoire Soledad was awarded both the Guglielmo Ebreo Prize and the Critics’ Prize at the first ever Biennale Danza e Italia international competition for best independent choreographer in 2006.[11] Soledad is a Latin style duet, performed by Emily Amisano and Richard Cilli.[13]

LANDforms (2011)

Born out of a creative concept devised by Bonachela and Ezio Bosso, LANDforms took its inspiration from the landscape; the elements and their impact on the earth and the industrial landscape of cities.[14] LANDforms is a continuation of the piece 6 Breaths and was described by Antonia Salib as 'an emotional response to the effect of weather elements on landscapes'.[15] Bonachela also collaborated for the first time with Australian Singer Katie Noonan for this piece.[14] LANDforms was performed as part of a double bill titled Shared Frequencies, alongside Italian choreographer Jacopo Godani's piece Raw Models.[16]

The Land of Yes & The Land of No (2011)

Another collaboration between Bonachela and Ezio Bosso, The Land of Yes & The Land of No was a dance that explored movement, tempo and lighting.[17] The performance started slowly and gently - building in intensity and speed as it reached its finale.[18]

Designed by a British team made up of Alan Macdonald (production), Guy Hoare (lighting) and Theo Clinkard (costumes), the performance generated a 'fizzing electron storm of activity'.[19]

2 One Another (2012)

In 2012, Bonachela premiered his piece 2 One Another; ‘a sensual study of human interaction’ with a ‘baroque-meets-electronica soundtrack' created by composer Nick Wales and featuring fragments of poetry by Samuel Webster.[20] This piece brought much acclaim to Bonachela’s work in Australia, and won several national awards including Most Outstanding Choreography (2013 Australian Dance Awards) and Best Ensemble (2012 Green Room Awards).[21]

Project Rameau (2012)

Joining forces with the Australia Chamber Orchestra, Bonachela and Richard Tognetti (Artistic Director and Leader of the Australian Chamber Orchestra) presented a collaboration titled Project Rameau. Project Rameau is a celebration of the music of Jean-Philippe Rameau. The piece combined baroque ballet, opera music and contemporary dance to present a theatrical and dynamic performance.[22]

Emergence: Chapter One and Chapter Two (2013)

As part of the De Novo programme of works at Sydney Dance Company premiering March 2013, Bonachela presented Emergence – a collaboration with Sarah Blasko and composer Nick Wales. For the first time, Bonachela also worked with Fashion Sydney-born fashion designer Dion Lee, who created tailored and fitted costumes for the dancers.[23]

The two performances, titled Emergence Chapter One (Order/Chaos) and Emergence chapter Two (Conceal/Expose) were described as Bonachela as being 'all about patterns, chaos and complexity and how there is an elegance about complexity.’[24]

Kaldor Public Art Projects: 13 Rooms (2013)

In April 2013, Bonachela collaborated with Kaldor Public Art Projects to develop the choreography for artists Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla’s work Revolving Door. The live performance was presented as part of the Kaldor Public Art Project 27, curated by Klaus Biesenbach and Hans Ulrich Obrist.[25]

Les Illuminations (2013)

Les Illuminations performed in two acts, was dedicated solely to Benjamin Britten’s music and was described as 'a reflection of love in all forms'.[26] Originally performed in the 1940's, the orchestral piece Les Illuminations was dedicated to Britten's lifelong partner Peter Pears. According to Ian Bostridge (Guardian), the piece was 'an emotional serenade of tenor, horns and strings'.[27]

Featuring the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Dance Company, legendary soprano Taryn Fiebig (Melbourne performance), songstress Katie Noonan (Hong Kong performances) and costume designed byToni Maticevski, Les illuminations was presented as part of the Australian Chamber Orchestra's Program Illuminated alongside Project Rameau(2012).[28]

Interplay: 2 in D Minor (2014)

In 2014, Sydney Dance Company and Carriageworks (with the support of The Balnaves Foundation) launched a major multi-year program New Breed, under the Artistic Direction of Bonachela. The program supported young Australian choreographers through the creation and presentation of new and diverse dance works.[2]

The program began with a triple-bill titled Interplay which included:

Scattered Rhymes: In My Own Words (2014)

Nominated for an Australian Dance Award for Dance on Film, Scattered Rhymes: In My Own Words was a short dance film presented at Sydney Theatre in October 2014 as a part of Louder Than Words. Directed by Pedro Greig and featuring choreography by Bonachela, the piece was accompanied by an original score by acclaimed GRAMMY® nominated composer Tarik O’Regan and Australian composer Nick Wales.[30]

The piece drew on the poems of Petrarch, the 14th-century Italian poet who wrote verse after verse about a woman whom he fell deeply in love with, even though they never spoke.[31]

Louder Than Words also showcased Andonis Foniadakis’ new work Parenthesis, investigating the theme of duality in an intimate relationship.[32]

Inside There Falls (2015)

For Sydney Festival 2015, Bonachela was invited by Artist Mira Calix to choreograph a piece for her installation Inside There Falls at Carriageworks in 2015. Inside There Falls was a combination of art, dance and music; an installation in the form of a shimmering paper labyrinth and invites audiences to 'explore her and create their own narratives from hidden paper pathways'.[33][34]

Frame of Mind (2015)

Sydney Dance Company's 2015 season premiered Bonachela’s Frame of Mind. The piece featuring a dramatic contemporary-classical soundtrack by Bryce Dessner (The National) and recorded by Kronos Quartet and was described as 'a hymn to the joy and pain of life and a salute to the redemptive power of motion'.[35]

Frame of Mind was showcased as a double bill - the first performance titled Quintett was presented by the 'living legend' William Forsythe.[35] Set to Gavin Bryars’ iconic track Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet, Quintett was 'a glorious celebration of movement, light and life'.[35]

CounterMove: Lux Tenebris (2016)

Included in another double bill, Lux Tenebris was presented as Part One of Sydney Dance Company's CounterMove in 2016.

Exploring the way light and darkness affects our moods and memories, Bonachela worked closely with composer Nick Wales, and designer Benjamin Cisterne to achieve Lux Tenebris. Lux Tenebris presented a striking environment in which disturbing images suggesting group violence or orgiastic sexuality were glimpsed as snapshots through ominous flashing lights.The dancing for both the men and women in this piece was aggressive and muscular.

Alexander Ekman’s Cacti was presented as Part Two of CounterMove; a 'laugh-out-loud' piece that 'poked fun at contemporary dance'.[36]

Nude (2017)

In collaboration with the Art Gallery of New South Wales' and their major summer exhibition: Nude: art from the Tate collection presented as part of Sydney Festival 2017, Bonachela choreographed Nude. In the highly physical piece, dancers 'responded' to paintings, sculptures, photographs and works on paper by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Lucian Freud, Henri Matisse and Louise Bourgeois.[37]

Ocho (2017)

Most recently, Bonachela's piece Ocho was presented alongside Taiwanese choreographer Cheng Tsung-lung's Full Moon, as a part of a double act titled Orb in April / May 2017. Ocho (translated to eight in Spanish) marks the eighth year Bonachela has been with Sydney Dance Company. Ocho explored the notions human connection, acceptance and unity at a time of unfolding political maelstrom.[38] The work's soundscape combined a electronica score created by Nick Wales and vocals by Aboriginal singer Rrawun Maymuru.[38]

Full Moon by Cheng Tsung-lung, the Artistic Director of Taiwan’s Cloud Gate 2, completed the double bill and explored the 'striking new piece harnesses the power of the moon and the mythology and poetry of mankind'.[39]

List of awards

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
2015 Helpmann Awards Best Choreography in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work [Sydney Dance Company][40] Frame of Mind Won
2015 Helpmann Awards Best Ballet or Dance Work [Sydney Dance Company][40] Frame of Mind Won
2014 Helpmann Awards Best Choreography in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work [Sydney Dance Company][41] Les Illuminations Nominated
2013 Australian Dance Awards Outstanding Performance by a Company [Sydney Dance Company][20][42] 2 One Another Won
2011 Australian Dance Awards Outstanding Achievement in Choreography [Rafael Bonachela][1][43] 6 Breaths Won
2009 Helpmann Awards Best Ballet or Dance Work [Sydney Dance Company][44] We Unfold Nominated
2009 Helpmann Awards Best Choreography in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production [Sydney Dance Company][43] We Unfold Nominated
2006 Guglielmo Ebreo Prize Independent Choreographer [Rafael Bonachela][45] Soledad Nominated
2006 Critics’ Prize Independent Choreographer [Rafael Bonachela][45] Soledad Nominated

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Christofis, Lee (April 2012). "Artistic vibrancy among Australia's five major dance companies". Australian Drama Studies. 60: 120–137.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Rafael Bonachela: Artistic Director". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 Mackrell, Judith (17 November 2011). "Rafael Bonachela: I'm gonna live for ever". The Guardian.
  4. ↑ "Rafael Bonachela". Dance Consortium: International dance across the UK. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  5. ↑ "From small-town Spain to head of Sydney Dance Company: Rafael Bonachela's First Day". SBS News. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Law, Benjamin (21 May 2016). "Sydney Dance Company's Rafael Bonachela". The Saturday Paper.
  7. 1 2 Pascoe, Jacqueline (Feb–Mar 2009). "Man on the move [The new artistic director of the Sydney Dance Company, Spanish-born choreographer Rafael Bonachela, discusses his plans to re-energise Australia's flagship contemporary company]". Dance Australia. 160: 39–40 – via Informit.
  8. ↑ Ransom, Paul. "We Unfold – Sydney Dance Co". Dance Informa. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  9. ↑ Salib, Antonia (5 December 2011). "Rafael Bonachela's 6 Breaths performed by the Sydney Dance Company". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  10. ↑ "New Creations 1: Choreographed by Rafael Bonachela and Adam Linder". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  11. 1 2 "New Creations 2: Choreographed by Rafael Bonachela and Emanuel Gat". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  12. ↑ Wells, Annie (23 February 2005). "Rambert Dance Company". Ballet Dance Magazine.
  13. ↑ Sykes, Jill (15 October 2010). "New Creations 2". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  14. 1 2 "LANDforms". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  15. ↑ Salib, Antonia (5 December 2011). "Rafael Bonachela's 6 Breaths performed by the Sydney Dance Company". Bachtrack.
  16. ↑ "Raw models: Jacopo Godani". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  17. ↑ Barnes, Frank (14 November 2011). "The land of yes and the land of no". Education. 92 (11): 29 – via ProQuest Central.
  18. ↑ "The Land of Yes and the Land of No: Choreographed by Rafael Bonachela". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  19. ↑ Jennings, Luke (4 October 2009). "The Land of Yes and the Land of No". The Guardian.
  20. 1 2 Ashley, Elizabeth. "Australian Dance Reviews Sydney Dance Company's '2 One Another': Power and precision". Dance informa. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  21. ↑ Sydney Dance Company (20 August 2014). "Sydney Dance Company presents Louder Than Words: Andonis Foniadakis and Rafael Bonachela - Two world premieres" (PDF). Sydney Dance Company Media Release. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  22. ↑ "Project Rameau". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  23. ↑ "Emergence: Choreographed by Rafael Bonachela". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  24. ↑ "Emergence - Chapter One (Order/Chaos)". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  25. ↑ "Kaldor Public Art Projects 13 Rooms: Choreographed by Rafael Bonachela". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  26. ↑ "Les Illuminations: Choreographed by Rafael Bonachela". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  27. ↑ Bostridge, Ian (7 October 2005). "From Britten with love: Benjamin Britten's tribute to Peter Pears is a gift to tenors everywhere". Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  28. ↑ "Illuminated with Sydney Dance Company". Australian Chamber Orchestra.
  29. 1 2 3 "Interplay: Choreographed by Rafael Bonachela, Jacopo Godani and Gideon Obarzanek". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  30. ↑ "Scattered Rhymes: In my own words". Sunny Side Up. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  31. ↑ Iselin, Kate. "Movement is the aim for 'scattered rhymes'". Backyard Opera. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  32. ↑ "Louder Than Words: Choreographed by Rafael Bonachela and Andonis Foniadakis". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  33. ↑ Burke, Justin (20 December 2017). "Mira Calix brings Inside There Falls installation to Sydney Festival". The Australian.
  34. ↑ "Inside There Falls – a major new mixed media installation from Mira Calix presented by the Sydney Festival announced World premiere January 2015". Mira Calix. 23 October 2014.
  35. 1 2 3 "Frame of Mind: Choreographed by Rafael Bonachela and William Forsythe". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  36. ↑ "CounterMove". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  37. ↑ "Nude Live". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  38. 1 2 Boon, Maxim (24 April 2017). "Sydney Dance Company's Rafael Bonachela turns dance into a political movement". The Music.
  39. ↑ "Orb". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  40. 1 2 "Past nominees and winners". Helpmann Awards. 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  41. ↑ "Past nominees and winners". Helpmann Awards. 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  42. ↑ "2013 Australian Dance Awards winners". Ausdance. 5 August 2013.
  43. 1 2 "2011 Australian Dance Awards". Australian Dance Awards. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  44. ↑ "Past nominees and winners". Ausdance. 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  45. 1 2 "Australian Premiere: Rafael Bonachela's Soledad". Sydney Dance Company. Retrieved 7 February 2018.

Media related to Rafael Bonachela at Wikimedia Commons

  • "Rafael Bonachela interviewed by Martin Portus, 9 June 2016". Amplify - State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
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