DANIEL RILEY, a Wiradjuri man from Western NSW, is the current Artistic Director of Australian
Dance Theatre (ADT). He is the sixth Artistic Director in the company's 59-year history, and
the first First Nations person to do so. He also currently sits on the Board of Tandanya
National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, is an Honorary Fellow through the Faculty of Fine
Arts (Dance) at University of Melbourne and previously sat on the Board as an Associate of
A New Approach (ANA), Australia leading cultural think tank.

He began his contemporary dance journey at QL2 (previously Quantum Leap), ACT and
since graduating from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 2006 has danced for
Leigh Warren & Dancers (2005-2006), New Movement Collective UK (2014), Fabulous
Beast Dance Theatre UK (2014), Chunky Move (2019), Australian Dance Theatre (2022-
2023) and was a senior artist with Bangarra Dance Theatre (2007-2018).
Other arts organisations he has worked for are: ILBIJERRI Theatre Company as Associate
Producer (2019-2020), and Creative Associate (2020-2021), Moogahlin Performing Arts as a
mentor (2021) and was a Board Director for Chunky Move (2019-2022). In 2020 he was
appointed as a Lecturer in Contemporary Dance at the University of Melbourne, Victorian
College of the Arts, where he launched and led Kummarge, a self-determined mentoring
program for First Nations dance students.

Daniel's choreographic credits include Australian Dance Theatre: The Third (2022), SAVAGE
(2022), Tracker (2023, in partnership with ILBIJERRI Theatre Company), THE HUM (2023,
in collaboration with The Australian Ballet), Marrow (2024), Victorian College of the Arts:
WAX (2021), RISE (2020), Louisville Ballet, USA: Tonal (2020), Sacred Shifts (2015),
Melbourne International Arts Festival: Tanderrum (2019), Dancenorth: Communal Table
(2019), Bangarra Dance Theatre: Dark Emu (2018), Miyagan (2016), BLAK (2013), Riley
(2010), Sydney Dance Company: Reign (2015), Third Row Dance Company UK (2014),
QL2 Dance: Hit the Floor Together (2013, 2018), QUT: Twelve Ascensions (2013), Thirteen
Ascensions (Twelve Ascension Rework) (2018).

His film credits as Director and Choreographer include: mulunma Inside Within (2021) for
RISING: Melbourne & Yirramboi, and ACT V (2021) for The Australian Ballet's Bodytorque
Digital 2021. As performer: Dan Sultan: Under Your Skin, Stephen Page (Bangarra Dance
Theatre): Spear in which he worked as Director's Attachment.

He has been nominated at the Australian Dance Awards (2010, 2013) and for the National
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Deadly Awards (2010, 2012 & 2013). Daniel is highly
experienced in conducting masterclasses, facilitating workshops and teaching professional
company class for a range of organisations, educational institutions and dance companies
across Australia and around the world.

Contact

Email

Credentials

Position

Education

ORCID

Mr Daniel Riley

Honorary

Faculty of Fine Arts and Music

HIGHLIGHTS

2020

RISE

Daniel Riley