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 Blak artist to hold the position. Riley currently sits on the inaugural Creative Australia First Nations Board and the Board of Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute. He is an Honorary Fellow through the Faculty of Fine Arts (Dance) at the University of Melbourne and previously served as an Associate on the Board of A New Approach (ANA), Australia’s leading cultural think tank.

Daniel 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 (2005–06); New Movement Collective, UK (2014); Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre, Ireland (2014); Chunky Move (2019); Bangarra Dance Theatre (2007-2018) and Australian Dance Theatre (2022–23).

Under his directorship at Australian Dance Theatre, Daniel has worked on various initiatives to support the next generation of First Nations dancers, choreographers and artists. Chief among these is the multi-award-winning BLAK FUTURES, which was delivered by ADT in 2024 in collaboration with BlakDance and Adelaide Festival. Through a rigorous consultation process, BLAK FUTURES developed a set of national and local priorities designed to plant the seeds for the future of Blak artistry in the dance sector.

Other arts organisations Daniel has worked for are ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, as Associate Producer (2019–20) and Creative Associate (2020–21), and Moogahlin Performing Arts as a mentor (2021). He was a Board Director for Chunky Move from 2019 to 2021. In 2020 he was appointed as a Lecturer in Contemporary Dance at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne, 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), A Quiet Language (2025); 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 a performer, they include Dan Sultan’s Under Your Skin and Stephen Page’s Spear (Bangarra Dance Theatre), in which he worked as Director’s Attachment.

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

Brianna Kell is a dancer, choreographer and educator.

Brianna is the current Artistic Associate of Australian Dance Theatre, she was thrilled to join Australian Dance Theatre on Kaurna Yerta in 2022 as a company artist with Artistic Director Daniel Riley. Performing in The Third, Savage, The Hum with the Australian Ballet and Marrow. Brianna Co-directed A Quiet Language the 60th anniversary work for Adelaide Festival and enjoys working closely with Daniel Riley and the company artists.

Brianna was commissioned to create her first full length work The Other Side, with powerhouse musical duo Party Dozen. Premiering February 2023 at Campbelltown Arts Centre.

Brianna’s commissions include NOW/AGAIN for ADT's Cultivate: One 2023, Narcifixion with director Anton for Dance Bites 2021, In Situ commissioned by Dance Makers Collective for Sydney Festival 2021, Rise co- choreographed on Wurundjeri Land with Daniel Riley 2020, Fly by Night with radio producer Mike Williams, The Wave Beneath Us for the VCA 2019.

Brianna spent 2020/21 as a specialist contemporary Dance Tutor at the University of Melbourne VCA coordinating subjects for choreography, contemporary technique, and major production whilst simultaneously completing her Honours.

Brianna has been granted research residencies at Campbelltown Arts Centre, TheFarm, Critical Path, Sydney University, Ready Made Studios and TRIP at Tasdance. Brianna has worked with companies Australian Dance Theatre, Dance Makers Collective, The Farm/Co3, Tasdance, DirtyFeet, and Murmuration.

Brianna has taught nationally for universities, schools, and dance companies including Australian Dance Theatre, Chunky Move, Stephanie Lake Company, Tasdance, and The Australian Ballet School. Kell was lead facilitator of DirtyFeet’s inclusive workshops The RightFoot for 7 years.

A graduate of The VCA in Melbourne, Brianna was awarded the Orloff Family Trust for most Outstanding Talent.

Brianna’s practice investigates environments, connection, and the digestion of time, with a curiosity for theatrical/ situational observations. Brianna is a fan of whimsy and has a chronic health condition which she deems chronic and iconic.

Zoe grew up in Perth and moved to Kaurna Yerta to join Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) as a Company Artist in 2021. Zoe is thrilled to be currently working with Artistic Director Daniel Riley and Artistic Associate Brianna Kell. Zoe has performed in The Third, Savage, THE HUM (in collaboration with The Australian Ballet), Cultivate:ONE, Marrow and A Quiet Language. In these years she has also worked with Adrianne Semmens, Ghenoa Gela and Carly Sheppard. Zoe is feeling very inspired to work with S. Shakthidharan, Jasmin Sheppard and Daniel Riley for the world premiere of ‘Two Blood’ later this year.

Zoe is constantly drawn to the ocean and finds its strength and grace grounding. Nature holds a special place in her creative inspiration and the connection she finds with others.

Prior to ADT, Zoe was a founding Company Artist for Co3 (2015), with Artistic Director Raewyn Hill, as well as having a strong independent career with numerous independent choreographers. She worked closely with the Co3’s youth ensemble program and was a teaching artist on regional educational tours. She has a strong passion to share dance with young people and communities, to ignite a curiosity in creating and learning.

In collaboration with Co3 Zoe has worked with Antony Hamilton (2016), Garry Stewart and West Australian Ballet (2019), CIRCA (2020) and West Australian Opera (2020).

In 2016, Zoe worked with Ochre Contemporary Dance Company and performed in Ohad Naharin’s Decadance with STRUT Dance. Zoe first debuted with Australian Dance Theatre in the World Premiere Season of North/South(2019), choreographed by Garry Stewart and Norwegian choreographer Ina Christel Johannessen.

In 2021 with Garry Stewart at ADT Zoe performed in Stewart’s works; Supernature, South, Objekt and G.

Zoe graduated from WAAPA with a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Dance) in 2013 and was the recipient of the Hawaiian Award for Most Outstanding Graduate. She then completed her Honours with LINK Dance Company in 2014.

Zachary Lopez, born on Meanjin and grew up in the northern suburbs of Brisbane, is an artist working with dance and choreography. An Australian of Filipino heritage, his practice attempts to reimagine the experience of the ‘other’ with focus on identity dualism and draws from the experiential, myth and archive.

In 2022, he joined Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) on Kaurna Yerta as a company artist under Artistic Director, Daniel Riley. Recently, he’s been commissioned as a costume designer for the company’s new cross-disciplinary work Two Blood in collaboration with Jasmin Sheppard, S. Shakthidharan and Daniel Riley, premiering in late 2025.

With ADT, he has performed and toured nationally with productions A Quiet Language, Marrow, The Hum in collaboration with The Australian Ballet, SAVAGE and The Third.

Previous to this role, he has worked on a diverse range of projects and main stage performances with independent practitioners and companies in contemporary dance, physical and immersive theatre and opera (2014-2022).

Lopez has worked with Marrugeku, The Farm, Co3, Opera Australia, West Australian Opera, Legs on the Wall, Sydney Dance Company and with Co-artistic director of Punchdrunk (UK) Maxine Doyle through Strut Dance. He has also worked with choreographers Amrita Hepi, Melanie Lane, Tra Mi Dinh, Ghenoa Gela among others.

Choreographically, he has been commissioned to make work for Sydney Dance Company (Pre-Professional Year) premiering Like a Salmon in the Sahara(Carriageworks, 2016), Dance Makers Collective (Sydney Festival, 2021), the Keir Choreographic Awards 2020 presenting Peril at Dancehouse (VIC) and ADT’s Cultivate:One season with Down Trodden Punk (Kaurna, 2023). He has also exhibited an installation work Roil Horizon at 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art (NSW), supported by Diversity Arts Australia.

He has received a Young Creative Leaders Fellowship from Create NSW (2019), Australia Council Artstart Grant (2015), the Sydney Dance Company (SDC) Mary Zuber scholarship (2014) and the Patricia Macdonald scholarship from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 2013.

Lopez has trained with SDC as a Pre-Professional Year (2014) and began his dance training at QUT, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts (2013).

Outside his artistic endeavours, Zachary is striving towards regenerating bushland impacted by colonialism on Wiradjuri Country (Central Tablelands, NSW) and is on a lifetime search for an ultimate skincare serum to alleviate his dehydrated sub-tropical skin.

Karra Nam is a movement artist of Kaurna, Narungga, and Chinese ancestry.

Through her ever-evolving practice, she aims to communicate knowledge and lived experiences drawn from the exploration of ancestral lineage and culture. Her work is anchored in a meditative engagement with space, time, soul, and healing – generating unique movement pathways that challenge and decolonise dominant narratives of the Blak body’s experience.

Graduating from Adelaide College of the Arts (2022), Karra joined Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) in 2023, debuting in THE HUM – a collaboration with The Australian Ballet (2023).

She has since performed in Marrow(2024) under Daniel Riley’s directorship, as well as in the company’s Cultivate:ONE season in works Down Trodden Punk (2023) by Zachary Lopez and NOW/AGAIN (2023) by Brianna Kell.

Prior to joining ADT, Karra worked with Bangarra Dance Theatre under the direction of Stephen Page and Frances Rings, joining the company for productions of Sandsong (2022) and Terrain (2022).

Grateful for the experience to work alongside artists within multiple disciplines, Karra believes in a constant exploration within the depths of her practice – expanding and deepening connection to self, community, and a holistic approach to physicality.

Yilin is an Australian, Boorloo raised artist with roots from China and Malaysia joining Australian Dance Theatre as company artist in January 2025, debuting in their Adelaide Festival work A Quiet Language.

She is thrilled to have returned home, reconnecting to Australian land after living overseas for 3 years. Yilin returned from London, performing in Punchdrunk International’s The Burnt City as part of the originating cast and creation in early 2022. Since the closure of The Burnt City at the end of 2023 she performed with physical theatre company, Temper Theatre, taking their work HOME on a tour across China and the UK. Prior to hear move, Yilin was a member of Co3 Contemporary Dance company debuting in their Perth Festival 2021 commissioned work, Archives of Humanity.

Yilin is a WAAPA graduate who pursued an extensive freelance career across Australia engaging with various independent choreographers and companies before moving overseas. She has worked and performed with STRUT Dance, Steamworks Arts, Marrugeku, Shaun Parker and Company, OCHRE and Buzz Dance Theatre, and has performed in theatre works with Barking Gecko Theatre Company and Renegade Productions. Independently she has worked and performed globally with multiple artists, including Rachel Ogle – Precipice (2023, 2019), Sally Richardson (Steamworks Arts) – Gui Shu (2019) and Zachary Lopez – Peril, for his 2020 Keir commissioned work.

Alongside The Burnt City, a highlight of Yilin’s performing career has been being part of the first Australian cast to perform Batsheva’s Decadance through STRUT.

Yilin is also an incredibly passionate and experienced teacher, having shared her teaching practice for over 10 years. Her teaching has seen her connect with people across community, with youth and professionals. She enjoys sharing experiences, fostering creativity, encouraging curiosity and creating safe spaces that harbours joy and spontaneity.

Joshua is a Yuwaalaraay and Gamilaraay descendant from Lightning Ridge in North West NSW. Upon graduating with an Advanced Diploma from NAISDA Dance College, he was honoured with the prestigious Chairperson Award in recognition of his artistic excellence and leadership.

He engaged with Legs on the Wall, Sydney Dance Company (PPY), Karul Projects, Moorambilla, NIDA and ADT during his training.

In 2023, he was selected for Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Dance Clan, performing 5 Minute Call by Ryan Pearson. In 2024, he was a Legs on the Wall ‘Leg Up’ Mentee, which culminated in a performance of the site-specific work Now & Ever, which saw Joshua working alongside Artistic Directors Joshua Thomson and Frances Rings.

Josh is also a music composer in his storytelling, creating the soundscapes for Deadly Catch by Glory Tuohy-Daniell as part of the Telstra Emerging Choreographer with The Australian Ballet.

Patrick O’Luanaigh is a dance artist born and raised in Melbourne/Naarm. He joined Australian Dance Theatre in 2023 as a Guest Artist for THE HUM in collaboration with the Australian Ballet, before moving to Adelaide to join full-time in July of that year.

During his time with ADT he has performed and toured nationally other works by Daniel Riley, including Marrow and A Quiet Language. He also performed in Down Trodden Punk by Zachary Lopez and Now/Again by Brianna Kell for Cultivate: ONE.

Independently Patrick has worked with Helen Herbertson on the on-going archival project DIG and performed Signal Issues by Dasha Tolotchkov for MPavillion in 2021.

Pat’s choreographic highlights include Alight, commissioned by Banyule Council, Imbued for Deified (Melbourne Fringe Festival) and 3 Liminal Avenue (Mudfest), which won the Next Platform Award.

A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, Pat received the Paul and Donna Dainty Award for Excellence.

Pat loves extra-curricular activities, taking up martial arts, acting, screenwriting and showing off in his spare time.