Nick Power Named Artistic Director and CEO of Force Majeure

Force Majeure has announced the appointment of Nick Power as its new Artistic Director and CEO, marking a significant milestone in the company's history. Nick is the third Artistic Director to lead the company in its more than 20 year history.

Founded in 2002 by Kate Champion, Force Majeure emerged as a groundbreaking innovator in Australian contemporary dance and theatre, redefining the relationship between movement and storytelling through seminal works including The Age I'm In and Never Did Me Any Harm. From 2015-2025, Danielle Micich continued to expand this legacy, establishing Force Majeure as a company renowned for its visceral storytelling, unforgettable performances, and influential artist development programs.

A recognised pioneer of devised hip hop dance that integrates contemporary choreographic practice and brings street styles into the theatre, Nick Power will advance Force Majeure's legacy of collaborative creation, experimentation and support of emerging artists.

Chair Julieanne Campbell said the appointment reflects both continuity and evolution, “Force Majeure has been shaped by extraordinary artistic leaders who push the boundaries of movement-based performance,” Campbell said. “Nick brings a rare combination of artistic rigour, cultural breadth and deep community-based practice. His vision aligns strongly with Force Majeure's values while opening new possibilities for how, where and with whom the company creates work. The Board is excited by the bold, thoughtful future Nick offers for Force Majeure.”

Nick Power is an Australian B*boy and Choreographer whose practice draws on the rituals and culture of hip hop to create contemporary performance works that cross boundaries of place, culture, language and form. His work spans from remote Aboriginal communities to major international dance festivals across Europe and Asia.

Nick's seminal work Cypher inspired a generation of street dance artists, bringing the audience into the performance space with the dancers and bridging the cultural gap between the street and the theatre.  His long history of intercultural work includes Between Tiny Cities, a duet forged through cultural exchange between hip hop artists from Cambodia and Australia. It went on to tour extensively throughout Australia, Asia and Europe and received Green Room and Australian Dance Award nominations. Other major works include Two Crews, featuring the all-female Parisian crew Lady Rocks and Western Sydney's Riddim Nation, commissioned by Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane Festivals.  His most recent work Deejay x Dancer premiered at Sydney Opera House in 2022.  Nick is the recipient of the 2018 Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship and Creative Australia Dance Fellowship 2024.

Nick Power said he is honoured to step into the role and embark on a new chapter in the company's history. "I see Force Majeure as an iconic Australian company whose work has told important, vital and, at times, difficult stories,” Power said. “I was inspired by Force Majeure's early works under Kate Champion, particularly The Age I'm In, and I have deep respect for Danielle's ten-year legacy of creating work and nurturing artists across the country. Force Majeure has held a key place in the Australian cultural landscape, producing important works grounded in the pressing issues of our time, while mentoring and platforming emerging and vital artistic voices”.

This is the first time a dedicated hip hop artist has led an established company in this country, elevating Australia alongside other international hip hop dance theatre counterparts and foregrounding the artform in the work seen on local stages.

“Hip hop culture is a great conduit for meaningful cultural exchange and connection. Hip hop is a community dance form,” Nick said. “The work I create is forged through deeply collaborative, community-embedded processes, and I feel my practice aligns strongly with the values that Force Majeure holds.  I look forward to respectfully building on this legacy and shaping the next chapter of the company.”

Late last year, the Force Majeure Board initiated an open Expression of Interest process, inviting creative leaders from across the arts community to propose models of artistic leadership that might guide the company into its next phase. The rigorous process led by REA arts + culture sought ambitious, forward-thinking approaches to sustaining and growing Force Majeure, and elicited an overwhelming response from the sector.

“The Board was inspired by the breadth of experiences, the diversity of applicants and the remarkable innovation that came forward from our sector,” said Chair, Julieanne Campbell. “We extend our thanks to all the creative leaders who shared their artistry and vision with us.”

From a highly competitive field, Nick Power was unanimously selected by the Board to lead the company into this pivotal new era.

Nick Power commenced as Artistic Director and CEO of Force Majeure in mid-February.