The magical Malachi is set to open its doors on April 9 with The Rivoli, which is the first of many performances to take place at the hall after 40 years of lying dormant.
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The Rivoli is a joyous tribute to the iconic dance halls across Australia which will bring local town halls to life and communities together.
From the early 1930s to the late 1960s, the Rivoli Dance Palace in Parramatta was Western Sydney's favourite dance hall. Demolished in 1973 to make way for an office development, now nothing remains of 'The Riv' except the stories of the people who danced there.
The action at the Rivoli Ballroom was broadcast on radio stations across Australia's eastern seaboard for over a decade during the 50s and 60s. It was a place where entire families could gather to share in dancing and music. Today, the venue only exists in the memories of those who danced there.
This dance work began by imagining what such a venue would look like if it existed today. What kinds of communities would come together to reaffirm their shared identity through bodies and rhythm and music? We needed to look no further than our local town halls to find diverse cross-sections of the community coming together to dance.
Throughout this work, you'll hear the voices of people who danced at the Rivoli, as well as the voices of those who dance here, in this town. Dance has a way of bringing people and communities together in a way nothing else can.
The Rivoli features some of Australia's best dancers and a stellar live band.
We invite you and your favourite dance partner to be swept into an immersive exploration of mid-century nightlife, desire and social connection. It is Dance Makers Collective's most ambitious work yet, The Rivoli, an ode to a bygone dance era.
This work mirrors the interest that Dance Makers Collective has always had in social dances.
Director Miranda Wheen said Dance Makers Collective are continuing to expose the secret pockets of dance.
"The Rivoli was such a loss to our dance history. Just imagine 400 or so people every Friday and Saturday night coming together, across generations, to dance together. We need this back! That's why we made this show," she said.
You can find details and tickets of the Malachi's launch show on their website.
The Malachi has partnered with the Discover NSW voucher program and Humanitix ticketing platform where 100% of the booking fee goes to children's education programs.
