ORBIT 2026: Future History + [gameboy]

Two bold works. Two very different worlds. One night of contemporary dance.

Presented by Burrinja, Sydney Dance Company, Dancehouse and Australian Dance Theatre

ORBIT 2026 brings together Future History and [gameboy] for an evening that explores what it means to be human in a constantly changing world. From the fragile resilience of the body and the cycles of hope, loss and transformation, to the playful pressures of navigating life as a game, these two compelling works push contemporary dance in unexpected directions.

Future History

By Gabrielle Nankivell

Time. Relationships. Oscillating dualities. A solo that is a group piece. A new ritual.

Things could be worse, and things could be better. This is the indescribable paradox of our collective life tumbling through time. The time it takes to build, the time it takes to unravel. The moral decoupling of our micro macro worlds. I read somewhere that some people fall apart continuously, but inside all the falling they are forging. I imagine this as the body rearranging the horizon, defying expectation, reinventing courage as a verb.

Bodies do this – in response to threat, at the precipice of change, in the act of holding on and letting go. Exponentially malleable, infinitely precarious and remarkably resilient, the body is a gateway to both resistance and resonance and a portal to what was, what is and what might be.

Future History is built by many bodies - a tiny universe of life, work and community woven through decades. A new ritual. Grieving something we haven't yet lost. Losing something we only just have a sense of. An endless oscillation between hope and despair, fear and courage, past and future, life and death.

[ gameboy ]

By Amy Zhang

What if life came with a game plan?

[ gameboy ], a dance theatre work by Amy Zhang, fuses street styles and contemporary dance to drop two avatars into the game of life - inspired by Japanese game shows, video games and internet culture, it asks: what's the secret to winning at life?

The avatars, played by two of Australia's sought-after dancers: William 'Billy' Keohavong and Ko Yamada, are put through the wringer and tested on their ability to stay in the game.

Through a series of increasingly dikicult levels, [ gameboy ] challenges players to truly consider the consequences of their actions. Will they win?

About the Artists

Gabrielle Nankivell
Gabrielle’s atmospheric performance works and immersive projects are known for their vivid choreography, attention to detail and evocative combinations of the mundane and the bizarre.

Her work, which ranges from choreographic strategies for collaboration and social practice projects to bespoke solos and main-stage ensemble works, has landed on iconic stages such as Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris, The Joyce in New York City, Sydney’s Roslyn Packer Theatre and Adelaide’s Dunstan Playhouse, as well as unique halls, galleries and open-air venues across Armenia, Andalucía and regional Australia. Gabrielle has toured work independently and been commissioned by Sydney Dance Company, Dancenorth, Australasian Dance Collective, Queensland Ballet, Vitalstatistix, Brisbane Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre, Frontier Danceland Singapore, QL2 and Tasdance. She has also been invited to develop performances, research projects and workshops across festival, training and academic contexts internationally.

As a performer Gabrielle has worked with Australian Dance Theatre, Aaben Dans (DK), Alexander Baervoets (BE), Chunky Move/Gideon Obarzanek, Gavin Webber/Regurgitator, Jurij Konjar (SLO), Maxine Doyle (UK), Punchdrunk (UK), The Farm, Thomas Steyaert (BE), Raul Maia (PT) & Ultima Vez/Wim Vandekeybus (BE) amongst others.

Her collaborative work as an artistic advisor, dramaturg and movement director intersects many artists and companies. She has worked on projects with Nederlands Dans Theater 2, Australasian Dance Collective, Windmill Production Company and State Theatre Company SA, was Artist in Residence at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Training Associate at Sydney Dance Company and is currently Resident Director of Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More in Seoul.

Gabrielle is the recipient of the Arts South Australia Fellowship, Keith Bain Choreographic Travel Fellowship, Tanja Liedtke Fellowship, and Marten Bequest.

Amy Zhang
Amy is a trailblazing choreographer and movement director based on Gadigal Land (Sydney). Her work spans across film, tv, theatre and live performance. Grounded in Chinese ways of knowing and storytelling, Amy’s style plays within the intersections of street style foundations and contemporary frameworks.

Amy's work has caught the eye of many, choreographing for global brands such as Hermes, Cartier, Nike, Calvin Klein as well the likes of Rita Ora, The Veronicas and PNAU PNAU. Her work has been featured at Australian Fashion Week, on Channel 10, ABC, SBS and Nowness. She has also collaborated with Google to curate an AI dance app that was presented at Google I/O annual developer conference in Los Angeles.

In the arts space, Amy has worked with organisations across theatre and major galleries including, Hong Kong Museum of Art (M+), Art Gallery of NSW, The Hayes Theatre, Arts House, QPAC, The Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), Adelaide Fringe Festival and Belvoir St Theatre. Amy was also an artist in residence at the City of Sydney Live/Work residency in 2019-2020.

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ORBIT has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body and delivered in partnership by Australian Dance Theatre, Dancehouse and Sydney Dance Company.

The creative development of Future History has been generously supported by the Government of South Australia Arts South Australia, Australian Dance Theatre’s International Centre for Choreography, The Mill’s Emerging Producer Xchange, Stockholm University of the Arts, Lieues Lyon and Legs on the Wall.

[ gameboy ] was developed with the support of Critical Path, Metro Arts and Mad Dance House.