DANCER: A National Portrait Gallery touring exhibition

Image: Beau Dean Riley Smith, Wiradjuri and Gamilaraay nations, Bennelong 2017 (detail) from the series ‘Space in between’, Jacob Nash, Daly River © Jacob Nash
Image: Beau Dean Riley Smith, Wiradjuri and Gamilaraay nations, Bennelong 2017 (detail) from the series ‘Space in between’, Jacob Nash, Daly River © Jacob Nash

From letting loose in the lounge room to enthralling audiences on stage, this exhibition captures the experience of lives lived through dance. Drawn from the National Portrait Gallery collection and incorporating the work of contemporary photographers, Dancer reflects the freedom and joy of dance and its power to connect.

The exhibition features 52 works including works from the National Portrait Gallery’s collection of dance legends Irina Baronova, Robert Helpmann, Hélène Kirsova, Graeme Murphy, Gideon Obarzanek, Anna Pavlova, Marilyn Rowe and Janet Vernon.

Dancer will be on display from Friday 7 February to Saturday 26 April, 2025.

Opening Hours:
Monday:               Closed
Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 5pm
Saturday:             10am - 2pm
Sunday:               Closed
Closed on Public Holidays

Dancer is a National Portrait Gallery touring exhibition.

This exhibition is supported but the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to the national collections for all Australians.

Upcoming Events Submit an Event

July

Sydney: Until 31 Dec 2025. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

September

Canberra: 11 – 23 November. Step into the heart of Canberra through the eyes of local photographers. Essence of Canberra marks 80 years of creativity, community, and the unique perspectives of Canberra Photographic Society (CPS) members.

November

Sydney: 7–30 November. The festival transforms Sydney into a photography haven with major exhibitions at Bondi Pavilion Gallery and outdoor displays throughout Paddington Reservoir Gardens and along Bondi Beach.

Sydney: 13 Nov – 20 Nov. Mushroom Ocean is an exhibition of culinary mushroom photos by Kate Ireland running as part of the Head On Photo Festival Open Program.

Sydney: 17 Nov – 23 Nov 2025. This collection of photographs offers a glimpse into the lives of the community of Varanasi, capturing the spirit of its people and the beauty often found in ordinary moments.

Melbourne: 28 Nov 2025 – 26 May 2026. The exhibition celebrates the wide-ranging photographic practices of more than eighty women artists working between 1900 and 1975.