Daniel Riley’s first major work in his role as Artist Director of Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) explores themes of myth and identity while challenging our trust in those in power. Savage comes to the Canberra Theatre on 29-30 September.
A Wiradjuri man, Riley’s ancestral country is that of Western NSW. However, he says Ngunnawal country is home, having found his self-identity here in his teen years. Canberra is also where Riley started his dancing career with Quantum Leap, now QL2.
Riley describes Savage as a piece of dance theatre that is powerful in imagery; he believes that it is not his nor any Indigenous Australian’s role to correct the history books. He says his work comments on the ways we were founded as a nation, how we blindly accept what we have been told, and never question those in power or our national identity.
“As the first people here we had our language, culture, and spiritual beliefs stripped from us. There’s a lot of our history that isn’t spoken about and isn’t told or recognised. It’s not up to me to do that,” he says.
Rather than telling people what happened or what they should believe, Savage is about opening the door to those tough conversations. Riley says that people need to do that work themselves, take the time to read tough books and initiate those conversations.
“Why should it always be up to us to sit at the end of the table and have the tough convo and educate? They need to confront our history on their own terms.”
As the company’s first Indigenous artistic director, Riley says it is a gift to be able to take ADT into an environment where they can touch on the Indigenous experience, to connect with his First Nations community.
“I’m carrying an artistic legacy for the company, and I am building my own artistic legacy and I am having to carry, not in a burdensome way, the flag for my cultural community. I’m really honoured by that.”
Riley will be joining the cast on stage in his first performance since 2018. The production combines dancers of all levels and ages; he is investing back into the community that helped launch his dancing career. For the Canberra performances, Riley has invited nine young dancers from QL2 to dance alongside him and ADT.
See Savage at Canberra Theatre, 29-30 September; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
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