New Breed Choreographer Spotlight: Richard Cilli

Richard Cilli is a Sydney Dance Company dancer and one of the four choreographers creating new pieces for our third edition of New Breed(29 Nov – 10 Dec) at Carriageworks.

What can audiences expect from your piece?
I’ve tried to make a work that takes unexpected turns. Hopefully audiences will be able to have a few laughs, the dancers make a lot of weird sound effects for each other’s movement. There’s also some beautiful romantic piano music involved, and a few references to the movie Titanic.
How would you describe your choreographic style?
I am most interested in how it feels to dance, and I think this really effects my style. I love using different rhythms and textures in the body. The dancers might be imagining their body is made of a different substance, like broken twigs, or chewing gum.

What was your inspiration?
My first inspiration was the title. I thought the word Hinterland evoked an interesting idea or concept: where is the hidden ‘back country’ of our minds? It’s like the bottom drawer of our brain. For me the title suggests we are going beneath the surface and into unmarked territory.

What has been your career highlight so far?
It was pretty awesome to accept the Helpmann Award for best male dancer in 2010 for Rafael Bonachela’s We Unfold.

What do you love most about contemporary dance?
I love that it can create a whole universe with just bodies and movement. It can be anything and it can mean anything, and it’s happening for real in front of you.

New Breed
29 Nov – 10 Dec, Carriageworks
#SDCNewBreed