VIRIDIAN
Created in 1979, VIRIDIAN premiered in New York in 1981 with DIALOGUES and DAPHNIS AND CHLOÉ, and was restaged at the Sydney Opera House in 1992. VIRIDIAN takes its name from an evocative score by Australian composer …
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BODY OF WORK – a Retrospective
Body of Work – a Retrospective was both a gala performance at the Sydney Opera House on Saturday 6 May 2000 but a slightly different show was also performed nationally throughout Australia in the same …
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VAST
In 1988, Graeme Murphy was commissioned by the Australian Bicentennial Authority to create Vast, the National Bicentennial Dance Event. Involving seventy dancers from four dance companies – Australian Dance Theatre, West Australian Ballet, the Queensland …
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POPPY – the life and art of Jean Cocteau
Poppy premiered on 12 April 1978 at Sydney’s Theatre Royal and was Graeme Murphy’s first full-length work for Sydney Dance Company, also the first full length Australian contemporary dance work (it was later restaged in …
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KRAANERG
Performed and filmed at the Sydney Opera House in 1988, Kraanerg is about 80 minutes of ceaseless invention on stage from Graeme Murphy, with an intense and entrancing music score by Iannis Xenakis conducted by …
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SOME ROOMS
CHOREOGRAPHER’S NOTE In Some Rooms choreographer Graeme Murphy has chosen four rooms to reflect different aspects of the human outlook. “The character of The Voyager is on a journey of discovery,” explained Murphy before the …
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Shéhérazade
Ravel’s images are more of desire and erotic anguish than the hedonistic passions conjured by the title “Shéhérazade“. This intensely private composer has created an exquisite sensuality out of melancholy – where longing itself threatens …
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Homelands
Choreographer’s Note: A woman, at last in harmony with the harsh Australian environment, recalls her youth in gentler surrounds and the tortured longing she felt before finally recognizing and accepting the strange beauty of her …
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RUMOURS – a trilogy
Graeme Murphy devised Rumours in 1978 (restaged 1979-81) as a three part ode to the city of Sydney. Each part of this trilogy is related to the other by the source of its inspiration – …
ContinueHarry Haythorne MBE
Former assistant artistic director of the Scottish Ballet and artistic director of both the Queensland Ballet and Royal New Zealand Ballet, Harry Haythorne recently passed away in late 2014. Born in Adelaide in 1926, he …
ContinueGerard Manion
Gerard Manion was born in Southport, Queensland. He has been a stable artist with Maunsell Wickes Gallery in Paddington since 1998 and his work is strongly represented in collections around the world. In recent years …
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Body of Work – Documentary segment
Film components were designed for Body Of Work which were projected on stage, one for the Sydney Opera House’s Gala performance and the other for the show that toured nationally in Australia in 2000. Part of …
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Astonish Me – Graeme Murphy
54 min observational documentary (circa 1989) exploring the world of choreographer Graeme Murphy. The camera finds him in rehearsal, in performance and with his wife Janet Vernon. He was born and raised in rural Tasmania …
ContinueBehind The Sun – Documentary
This 54 min documentary (circa 1988) looks at a number of artists working in NSW in 1988, including Jonathan Throsby, painter; Susan Norrie, painter; Martin Wesley-Smith, composer; John Coburn, painter; Robyn Gordon, sculptor; Graeme Murphy, choreographer; David …
ContinueAbout the photos, artworks and videos…
Please note the publishing of any photographs or artworks (and some videos) posted on this site needs prior approval before re-publishing or using in any shape or ways.
ContinueAerial Samples
The previous video showcases aerial samples (flying/sliding, etc…) in a selection of Graeme’s works over the years. From Salome, Mythologia, Air & Other Invisible Forces, Tivoli, Synergy with Synergy
ContinueRumours Interview (1979)
“Why don’t you just dance?” – an interview with Graeme Murphy during the making of Rumours (1979) when Sydney Dance Company was still called the Dance Company of NSW
ContinueMurphy’s New York interview (1981)
A short interview with Graeme Murphy during Sydney Dance Company very first American season (the photographer in the opening montage is Branco Gaica). Known for its risk-taking repertoire, the Company made its American debut at …
ContinueConversation with Graeme Murphy (2005)
An interview conducted by Philippe Charluet, originally made to contextualise Graeme Murphy’s new work GRAND (2005); but the conversation went on of course, Graeme always contributing interesting insights on diverse subjects.
ContinueFrank van Straten interview (2001)
Frank van Straten AM passed away on 19 April 2024. He was a celebrated Australian performing arts historian, author and former director of the Performing Arts Museum at the Arts Centre, Melbourne. In recognition of …
ContinueMurphy on TIVOLI (2001)
An interview with Graeme Murphy AO, conducted at the Australian Ballet during the making of TIVOLI just prior to its premiere in 2001 at the Arts Centre Melbourne. Great insights on the making of this …
ContinueIva Davies interviews
An audio interview with Iva Davies, the front man and musical creative force, that lead the band Icehouse to an amazing 28 platinum albums, eight top 10 albums and over thirty Top 40 singles. Iva …
ContinueConversation with Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon (2019)
Intimate talk, hosted by former Australian Ballet’s artistic director, David McAllister, with Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon. David discusses the creation of Nutcracker – The Story of Clara (created in 1992 with many revivals), how this …
ContinueCarl Vine interview on Piano Sonata
In this episode of CLIBURN MASTERPIECE, host Buddy Bray explores Carl Vine’s Sonata No. 1 – a work he composed for Graeme Murphy’s work Piano Sonata in 1991) – with insights from the music composer …
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Giselle
Graeme Murphy reinvents one the greatest ‘romantic ballet’ of all times, Giselle for Sth Korea’s Universal Ballet with an entirely new music score by Christopher Gordon. Performed at the Seoul Arts Center See also program/ …
ContinueAkira Isogawa on making costumes (2011)
Behind the scenes of Graeme Murphy’s Romeo & Juliet for The Australian Ballet, we take a closer look at the costumes designed by Akira Isogawa (interviews with Akira and Graeme Murphy). Akira also designed the …
ContinueConversation with Gerard Manion (2011)
Conversation with Gerard Manion, set designer, conducted by Philippe Charluet whilst making a documentary on the making of Graeme Murphy’s Romeo and Juliet for The Australian ballet. Videos Tab above: highlights from Graeme Murphy’s Romeo …
ContinueOne Plus One Murphy interview (2012)
ABC TV One Plus One , a weekly long-form interview show talking with Graeme Murphy
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