A closer look at this amazing womans career and the thought processes behind her work. Richard Cilli

The first thing I want to know is where did you train?
I trained at the Victorian College of the Arts, so yeah, I’m not a Perth person.

So what brought you to Perth?
I was really keen on Buzz Dance Theatre then called Two Dance Plus. When I finished third year, I taught at schools in Mildura for a year but then I decided I still wanted to be a performer. So I joined Dark Swan Dance Company and toured with them for six months. One day I was lying in the studio, and thought ‘what am I going to do next?’ And Two Dance Plus was what had really stuck with me. I auditioned for them, and I was offered a contract. So I moved to Perth!

How did you get to become Artistic Director of STEPS after that?
I think it’s really important to note here that I danced with Buzz for five years. That has a lot to do with my skills and abilities to work with young people. I had learned about STEPS while I was with Buzz, and I thought ‘I really dig what STEPS does,’ so I became a member of the board of management for a while, and kept on going as a freelance film and movement artist. The time came when the previous Artistic Director left, and I was employed as project AD for the 2004 season FIFTEEN. After this project, I applied again for the position of company Artistic Director, and I got it.

Talk to me about working with young dancers, and how you feel about it.
Working with young people is one of the most exhilarating things I could do, because every time I do a project it really challenges me in different ways. And I think what I try to do then is challenge young people in different ways. I want to find a formula that will work to engage the dancers, but I always try to make the process or the type of project a bit different. This way I can develop company members as artists and give them different skills every time. The other day I just thought ‘I have no idea how I managed to make that last show!’ KISSXX had two casts, two 60 minute shows, it required so much organisation and commitment, but it is very rare for young dancers to be given that experience of collaboratively creating a dance theatre work for dual casts. I’ve realised for me, working with young people is about trying to find the right way to encourage them to be confident. It just keeps me alive; it keeps me thinking about different ways that I can engage my audience and dancers.

So it’s about challenging?
Yeah, I’m not really into mediocrity. There’s enough of that going around. For me it’s about finding the less obvious way to approach something.

What do you bring to the company from your own youth as a dancer?
When I found out about STEPS the first thing I thought was ‘I really really wish that I had something like this when I was young.’ I came from Ballarat in Victoria, and there was nothing like this around, or if there was I was unaware of if because I was such a bunhead! I don’t think that I bring much from my youth to the company, I bring to them my professional experience, and then encourage the dancers to bring who they are. I then try to make a professional product from their experiences. I think ‘What would I like to teach these dancers? Things like focus, how to respect other professionals, improvisation, creativity, how to take corrections, performance. There are so many things that you don’t get in normal dance training that we can give to these dancers

What makes a good youth dance work?
You know, I think I could come up with just about anything. If you gave me a topic, I reckon that would be my challenge. I’m definitely up for a challenge and for something different. But it has to be appropriate and relevant. I wouldn’t show something to young people that wasn’t relevant to them. But you also shouldn’t play it down to your audience. You have to be able to make your performers believe in what they’re doing. Performing well comes from believing in what you’re doing, and not thinking that it’s just naff.