Lucy Guerin to Retire from Namesake Company After 25 Years; Melanie Lane to Lead from 2027
At the conclusion of 2026, Lucy Guerin will resign as the Artistic Director of Lucy Guerin Inc., with Melanie Lane set to assume the role of Artistic Director and Co-CEO under a new name starting in early 2027. Guerin established the contemporary dance company in Melbourne in 2002 after returning to Australia in 1996, following a seven-year stint in New York. Her final season will feature the debut of her solo work, Place Dances, at Buxton Contemporary in Melbourne from October 15 to 18. Guerin has made significant contributions to independent dance artists and has secured a permanent space at WXYZ Studios, though she acknowledges challenges in the industry related to funding and touring. She expresses pride in her achievements and enthusiasm for Lane's future leadership.
Key facts
- Lucy Guerin will retire as Artistic Director of Lucy Guerin Inc at the end of 2026.
- Melanie Lane will become Artistic Director and Co-CEO, leading the company under a new name from early 2027.
- Guerin founded Lucy Guerin Inc in 2002 after returning to Australia in 1996.
- She lived in New York from 1989 to 1996, dancing with Tere O’Connor Dance and the Bebe Miller Company.
- Her solo Place Dances premieres at Buxton Contemporary, Melbourne, from 15 to 18 October, marking her return to performing after 13 years.
- Guerin trained at the Centre for the Performing Arts in Adelaide (now AC Arts) and worked with Russell Dumas in Sydney.
- She received a $2 million grant for Lucy Guerin Inc and the dance sector from former Chair Chloe Munro.
- The company secured a permanent home at WXYZ Studios in North Melbourne.
Entities
Artists
- Lucy Guerin
- Melanie Lane
- Tere O’Connor
- Bebe Miller
- Russell Dumas
- Nanette Hassall
- Martha Graham
- Merce Cunningham
- Tricia Brown
- Twyla Tharp
- Chloe Munro
- Jo Pickup
- Lewis Major
- Lilian Steiner
- Raewyn Hill
- Kyle Page
- Amber Haines
- Rafael Bonachela
- Gideon Obarzanek
- Stephanie Lake
- Gianna Rizzo
Institutions
- Lucy Guerin Inc
- Centre for the Performing Arts
- AC Arts
- Dance Works
- Tere O’Connor Dance
- Bebe Miller Company
- Dance Theatre Workshop
- New York Live Arts
- Stephen Petronio Company
- Gasworks
- Melbourne Festival
- RISING
- Australia Council
- Creative Australia
- Buxton Contemporary
- WXYZ Studios
- Adelaide Festival
- Venice Biennale
- Theatre de la Ville
- ArtsHub
- ScreenHub
- Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels
- Brisbane Festival
- Bleach Festival
- ORBIT
- Fremantle Arts Centre
- STRUT dance
- Aboriginal Arts Centre Hub of WA
- Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
- The Kitchen
- The West Australian
- ABC
- RTRFM
- Co3 Contemporary Dance Australia
- Dancenorth Australia
- Sydney Dance Company
- Australian Dance Forum
- Rising
- Melbourne Queer Film Festival
- Melbourne Fringe Festival
- Green Room Awards Association
- Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards
- Back to Back Theatre
- Queensland Ballet
- Blakdance
- Chunky Move
- New York Dance and Performance Awards
- Bogliasco Foundation
- The Guardian
Locations
- Melbourne
- Australia
- Adelaide
- Sydney
- New York
- United States
- Manhattan
- Bushwick
- Brooklyn
- Queens
- Paris
- France
- Venice
- Italy
- Perth
- North Melbourne
- West Melbourne
- Batman Street
- Australian Dance Biennale
- Genoa