Co3 Contemporary Dance Australia (Co3) has announced that Charmene Yap and Cass Mortimer Eipper have been appointed Co-Artistic Directors. The pair will share the artistic leadership of one of Australia’s most distinctive contemporary dance companies from January 2027.
The couple will relocate with their family to Perth to take up the role, marking a return for two artists whose early careers were shaped by Western Australia long before they forged their creative partnership on the east coast.
The appointment sees Yap and Mortimer Eipper jointly succeed inaugural Artistic Director Raewyn Hill, whose 12 years of bold, boundary-pushing leadership have shaped Co3 into a company recognised for its artistic ambition and strong connection to Western Australian audiences and artists.
Co3 Chair Margrete Helgeby Chaney said the couple shared a compelling vision for the company’s future.
“Charmene and Cass are two of the most awarded and respected dance artists this country has produced, and both have Western Australia running through their creative DNA.
Between them, they bring three Helpmann Awards, an Australian Dance Award and a West Australian Dance Award; careers spanning our leading dance companies, theatre, opera, film and public-space work; and, critically, a long-standing creative partnership of their own.
Theirs is a proven collaboration built on complementary strengths and shared vision, and the board has every confidence they will take Co3 somewhere thrillingly new as they continue to build on the company’s existing strengths and programs.”
She added:
“The board’s decision to appoint a co-artistic leadership model reflected both the calibre of the two artists and their deliberate vision for the company’s next chapter.”
Incoming Co-Artistic Directors Charmene Yap and Cass Mortimer Eipper shared their excitement about guiding the company through its next chapter.
“This isn’t simply a move west for us. Western Australia shaped us both as artists, so the opportunity to return and lead Co3 together means a great deal.
We’re excited to reconnect with the dance community, work alongside dancers and artists across the state, and build on the company’s foundations with care.
We see Co3 as a place where ambitious dance is made, where artists can take risks, and where work born in Western Australia can resonate nationally and internationally.”
Outgoing Artistic Director Raewyn Hill said:
“After 12 extraordinary years, I am delighted to see Co3’s next chapter entrusted to two exceptional artists whose creative partnership is founded on collaboration, generosity and a shared vision for what dance can be.
Welcoming Charmene and Cass home to Western Australia with their young family feels especially significant, bringing their experience, creativity and deep connection to this place back to the community that first nurtured them.
I look forward to seeing Co3 continue to evolve under their shared leadership and wish them every success for the journey ahead.”
A Partnership Returns to Lead
Charmene Yap is an award-winning Australian dance artist, choreographer, rehearsal director and movement director whose practice spans contemporary dance, theatre, opera, film and site-responsive work.
A graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, her choreographic and movement work has been commissioned and presented by Sydney Dance Company, Sydney Festival and Co3, while her creative credits include work across Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir and Opera Australia.
Alongside these collaborations, she has developed an independent practice spanning dance theatre, moving image and public space. Her acclaimed performing career includes work with Sydney Dance Company, Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin Inc, Dancenorth and Tasdance, and has been recognised with two Helpmann Awards and an Australian Dance Award.
Her leadership experience as Sydney Dance Company’s Rehearsal Associate has encompassed creative development, staging and dancer development. Grounded in her experience as both performer and maker, Yap brings detailed physical intelligence and a rigorous, collaborative approach to movement and ensemble practice.
Cass Mortimer Eipper is an award-winning Australian choreographer and director whose practice spans contemporary dance, live performance, film and installation.
His work has been presented by many of Australia’s leading dance institutions, including Sydney Dance Company, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Australian Dance Theatre, Australasian Dance Collective, West Australian Ballet and Queensland Ballet. International commissions include Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal and Milwaukee Ballet.
Mortimer Eipper began his professional performing career with West Australian Ballet, where he also received his first choreographic opportunities. Further support from STRUT Dance and his role as co-director of Perth-based dance and media company Ludwig helped shape his early practice.
He has developed a substantial multidisciplinary independent practice, with work presented through Sydney Festival, RISING and Vivid Sydney, alongside international presentations. His choreography has been recognised with a West Australian Dance Award for Best Choreography, while, as a performer, he received several national and international honours, including the 2015 Helpmann Award for Best Male Dancer.
Hill will remain Artistic Director through December 2026. In 2027, as Co3 Creative Fellow, she will present her next world premiere work, a fitting celebration of a tenure that redefined what contemporary dance from Western Australia could be.
The company’s 2027 program will be announced later this year.
