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Beau Dean Riley Smith from Bangarra Dance Theatre shares his journey

Culture and Capability
A young aboriginal man wearing a tartan scarf stands in front of a picture of a female dancer.

Bangarra’s Beau Dean Riley shares his journey.

Proud Wiradjuri man, Beau Dean Riley from Dubbo shares his journey from high school student to winning the 2018 Helpmann Award for Best Male Dancer for his role in the 2017 Bangarra Dance Theatre production of Bennelong.

But Beau did not always want to be a dancer.

After high school he started acting classes at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and then moved to the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA). His first professional dance experience was when he joined the Bangarra Dance Theatre in 2013.

Beau encourages other young people who are thinking about their career path to follow their passion and curiosity.

Find out more

Bangarra Dance Theatre is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation and one of Australia’s leading performing arts companies. Bangarra will celebrate its 30th Anniversary in 2019.

Established in 1976, the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) is Australia’s premier Indigenous training college with a proud tradition of producing the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performers 

The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) offers a one-year Aboriginal Performance course, providing intensive training in acting, dancing and singing.