Acclaimed Australian dancer and choreographer Lucy Guerin AO has announced that she will step down as Artistic Director & CEO of Lucy Guerin Inc (LGI) at the end of 2026, marking the end of a remarkable 25 year tenure that has seen Lucy Guerin and her company develop a remarkable body of work and expand the boundaries of contemporary dance in Australia and beyond.
“After 25 years, I’ve decided to step down as Artistic Director of LGI to explore new directions in dance. I founded the company in 2002 to support the making and touring of my dance productions, but over the years it has become so much more than that,” said Lucy Guerin AO, Artistic Director and CEO.
“It is now a centre for choreography, discussion, learning, connection, and ideas and there are so many people who have worked incredibly hard to create and support this organization. I am deeply grateful to all of them. The chance to research and explore my choreographic practice over this time has been something rare and precious; it has truly transformed me and taught me so much.
“I have an ongoing dialogue with dance that will never end. It’s about the strange complexity of being a physical human, and all the parts of us that are in conversation. This has been my driving inspiration ever since I first began to dance.”
“I am immensely impressed by all the artists who have danced and choreographed at LGI, and I feel excited knowing that there is so much more to come from this talented and committed community of creative people. Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to my future projects beyond LGI,” said Guerin.
“Lucy Guerin founded this company with a singular artistic vision and the determination to build something lasting – not just for audiences, but for the entire ecology of Australian dance. Twenty-five years later, that is exactly what she has done,” said Peter Jopling AM KC, Lucy Guerin Inc Chair.
Her decision to step down is characteristically clear-eyed. Lucy has always known what she was building toward, and she leaves LGI at a moment of real strength: artistically vital, financially sound, internationally respected, and with a community of artists and supporters who are deeply committed to its future.
On behalf of the Board, I want to express our profound gratitude for everything Lucy has given to this company and to Australian dance. We are now looking for an exceptional choreographer and artistic leader to build on what she has created – and we are excited about what comes next,” said Jopling.
“When Lucy invited me to be in a new work of hers in 2011, I didn’t know that it would be the beginning of a life-changing relationship. Working with Lucy and Lucy Guerin Inc. over a 14-year period was, and will continue to be, one of the most special and rewarding opportunities of my life,” said Lilian Steiner, Dancer and Choreographer.
“The traces and impressions Lucy and her company have left in generations of dance artists is remarkable and admirable, and her legacy is one I feel honoured to hold so deeply in my own body and memory.”
“This is truly the end of an important era, and I feel confident to speak on behalf of the wider Australian dance community in giving a heartfelt thank you to Lucy and everyone who has made Lucy Guerin Inc. possible, for their utter devotion to our art form and our community for the last 25 years. It has created a strong foundation for future Artistic Directors and the dance community in Melbourne,” said Steiner.
Guerin will continue to lead the company through to the end of 2026 She will perform a new solo work in October 2026, marking her first performance since 2013 and final performance with the company. Her recent works will continue to tour in 2027-28.
Lucy Guerin Inc Board will begin a leadership search in the coming weeks for a new Artistic Director and co-CEO to commence in 2027.
For more information about Lucy Guerin Inc, visit: www.lucyguerininc.com for details.
Image: Lucy Guerin AO – photo by Gregory Lorenzutti