Contemporary

A performer kneeling on stage, holding a large flat drum, with a focused expression, in a dark setting.

Suara Dance create innovative new dance works that speak to the contemporary Indonesian experience in the diaspora. Our directors, Alfira and Murtala, are acclaimed choreographers who interpret the traditions of the archipelago, and use this repertoire in ground breaking modern productions. They increasingly collaborate with other groups who are navigating what it means to preserve knowledge and culture as part of a living tradition.

A woman with dark hair and makeup, wearing a red and green polka dot blouse and a patterned skirt, standing outdoors in front of trees during sunset, gesturing with her hands.

Sisa-Sisa

A double-bill of two dance solos by Alfira O’Sullivan and Murtala. In Gelumbang Raya, Murtala retraces his time as a volunteer in the aftermath of the 2004 Aceh tsunami, where he spent months pulling bodies from the earth. Through movement and story, he transforms trauma, migration and resilience into a shared act of remembrance and belonging. In Jejak & Bisik, Alfira alchemises cultural silences around fertility, peri-menopause and the shifting female body, exploring the realities as woman, mother and ageing dancer.

Sisa-Sisa’s world premiere is part of the Sydney Festival, 2026. Original score by Gondrong Gunarto. Learn more and buy tickets.

Two dancers perform on a dark stage with red lighting, with one dancer kneeling and the other standing behind them.

Bunyi Bunyi Bumi

Uniting Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Indonesian artists, a rebuke to colonial amnesia that uses immersive choreography to celebrate the interconnectedness of cultures. Tired narratives of trade and Empire are challenged with personal stories of truth, resistance, and resilience.

Bunyi Bunyi Bumi was produced in collaboration with Raymond Blanco, Dr. Priya Srinivasan, and Waangenga Blanco. Commissioned for ASIA TOPA 2025, the work premiered at Bunjil Place.

Group of nine dancers in colorful costumes performing on stage, some kneeling, some bowing, against a black background.

📷 @moscamediaoz

Cicem- A Story of Migration

A bird takes flight pulled by a force she can't understand. She leaves the safety of the feeding grounds, seeking something new, something better, something different. A journey of faith and hope. Migration is moving towards the unknown, carrying a sense of nostalgia for what was left behind.

Cicem was developed as part of the EDGE Greenway Residency in 2021 and performed at Inner West Fest and at the Maritime Museum of Australia as part of Vivid Sydney 2022. Original score by Gondrong Gunarto.

A group of performers is engaged in a dance or theatrical performance on a stage with an audience watching. The stage decor includes hanging ornate fabric banners with colorful patterns. The performers are dressed in traditional costumes, some with brown patterned skirts or pants, and one person with their face painted, possibly as part of a cultural or artistic expression.

Response to Citra Sasmita, Ten Thousand Suns

Suara Dance takes a ritualised journey through museum halls as it responds to Citra Sasmita’s work. Suara Dance explores the role of women, individual and communal, as an ongoing force in Indonesian culture.

2024 Biennale of Sydney, Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney

A stylized black and white abstract cloud or smoke design with swirling patterns.