Beau Dean Riley Smith
Beau is a Wiradjuri and Gamillaraay man from Dubbo NSW, raised on Yuin Country in Culburra Beach and Nowra, now living on Gadigal land.
Beau is an award-winning dancer, choreographer and actor who performed with Bangarra from 2013 – 2022 under the artistic direction of Stephen Page. He studied Theatre at WAAPA and later joined NAISDA Dance College graduating with a Diploma of Dance. In his 10 years with the company, he has performed in over 22 major productions. Also performing in films, SPEAR (Stephen Page) and Moving Targets (Tony Albert) and choreographed Miyagan from OUR land people stories – a work that Bangarra returned to Country as part of the 2018 regional tour and won a Helpmann Award for best regional touring program.
Beau’s career highlights include performing the title role in Bennelong (2017) of which he later won a Helpmann Award for Best Male Dancer in a Ballet, Dance, or Physical Theatre Production, an Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer and was nominated for the Greenroom Award for Dance (Male Performer).
In 2022, Beau made his musical theatre debut as Dave Daylight in The Sunshine Club by Queensland Theatre under Wesley Enoch’s direction. In 2023 beau will make is his Sydney Theatre Company debut in The Visitors directed by Wesley Enoch. Beau’s passion for First Nations storytelling crosses artistic disciplines to bring to life the distinctive energy and nuanced quality central to cultural and contemporary Indigenous life.