This month we are turning five years old! Time certainly flies when you’re having fun!
You have been part of our growth, successes, and learning experiences since we began this journey. Savouring even our smallest accomplishments with you is the best feeling ever.
The last five years have been a roller coaster of ups and downs, but the highlight has been returning to the stage post-lockdown. Sharing our works with you in person and hearing your thoughts afterwards is the best experience and what we live for. It gives us reasons to continue striving for artistic excellence in the face of the performing arts’ obstacles and challenges.
We are thankful for your continued love and support.
Here is a summary of the things BCP has achieved over the past five years:
• GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS premiere at the Sydney Fringe Festival – our first ever full-length work!
• Second Sydney season of GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS, followed by tours to Queensland, Melbourne and New Zealand.
BCP Dancer Jessie Rochford-Barber teaching Te Auaha full-time dance students choreography from GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS during our 2019 New Zealand season. Photography by Scott Groom.
BCP Dancer Berni Lorincz all dressed up for our 2018 performance at Anywhere Theatre Festival Sunshine Coast at Eudlo Hall. Photography by Elaine de Wet.
- Wonderland premiere at Annandale Creative Arts Centre.
- We started running inclusive dance classes for adults in the Southern Highlands and online.
- We began a partnership with the Academy of Music and Performing Arts to run an Internship Program for their Bachelor of Dance students. Our dancer Courtney Allerton was one of our 2020 AMPA interns before joining the company in 2022.
Olivia Hadley in Wonderland. Photography by David Bonnell.
Image description: A woman wearing a one-piece fitted costume with a see through sleeves and a white cloth wrapping around her head, covering her eyes. She is on her knee and seems like trying to get rid of the cloth covering her eyes while screaming.
We ran BCP’s International Dance Day Public Dance Class program in the middle of lockdown. This series of free online classes for dancers worldwide was taught by BCP Dancers, giving them paid work while in lockdown. We had 100+ people from across the world participate. Our Patreon supporters made this possible.
Photograph from BCP Dancer Olivia Hadley’s Hip Hop class on International Dance Day 2020.
Image description: A screen capture of the online class. The students are learning a hiphop combination.
- (un)bound premiere, our first post-lockdown one performance. BCP Dancers choreographed short works and shared them with a sold-out audience. (un)bound was many of the dancers’ first opportunity to choreograph professionally for a public performance. I am so proud of what they achieved in a short period.
BCP Dancers Olivia Hadley, Kate Garrett, Rhiannon McQueen, Bridget McAllister, Steph Wyburn and Kara Peake in Reina Takeuchi’s work ‘Daydream Delusion’ during our season of (un)bound. Photography by Coti Cibils.
Image description; 6 BCP dancers in a row close together with both their hands placed on their cheeks. Their knees and backs are slightly bent over.
Collaborative regional residency with Freeroam Theatre Director Jhi Rayner. Jhi shared his improvised theatre processes with BCP Dance Artists. This project was made possible by Southern Tablelands Arts.
BCP Dancers Kate Garrett, Bridget McAllister, Steph Wyburn and Freeroam Director Jhi Rayner during our residency in Wollondilly. Photography by Bonnie Curtis.
Image description: 4 people are in the studio – 3 women and 1 man. The woman wearing a red top and a gray leggings stands behind a man on his knees. Both are facing in opposite sides. Her hand rests at the man’s back, while the other is placed near her mouth. The two other women are away from each other, one is sitting while facing the man and the other woman at the back is standing. One of her hands is placed in her waist, while the other hand is raised and her body is turned to the side. - Limits premiere at The Flying Nun by Brand X. My first solo work. Wow. What a wild ride that was. Limits premiered four days before NSW went back into lockdown. Thanks to Regional Arts NSW and Create NSW, we could make the on-demand video offering of Limits accessible. The Substation created audio description and captioning for the digital offering Limits.
- We started creating a sequel to GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS through the lens of a post-me-too world. We shared snippets from our work at our Creative Development Showing at March Dance.
BCP Dancers Reina Takeuchi, Maeve Nolan, Saskia Ellis, Steph Wyburn, Tina Moss and Kate Garrett in our Creative Development Showing. Photography by Coti Cibils.
Image description: 6 BCP dancers in a straight line doing different facial expressions. 2 dancers on the left are slightly away from the others, while the other 2 on the right is bent over to the front while screaming.
This summary doesn’t include the moments of sheer joy while watching BCP perform on stage, the relationships and life-long friendships developed or the hilarious backstage antics that make the company who it is.Happy birthday BCP, and thank you to each person who has helped us achieve great things.
And last but certainly not least, thank you to the incredibly talented group of people who can call themselves BCP dancers.
I don’t have the words to share how important each and everyone of them is to me, and to BCP.
Without them and their amazingness as people and dancers, BCP wouldn’t be what it is today, pretty bloody awesome if I might say.
Thank you again, and happy birthday to us!
Lots of love
Bonnie
