Amelia Jean O'Leary

Amelia Jean O'Leary (she/they/yinarr) is a proud First Nations Gamilaroi Yinarr from Northen New South Wales who is currently living in Naarm (Melbourne). Her dance practice is about human and spiritual experiencing, through complexity and adversity she finds ways to tell coded and poetically rich stories. Her dances are personal and personified from her multidisciplinary skills in theatre, film and sound design. Through dance she is trying to understand this world and herself deeper. Her practice and works have relevant questioning and provocations that are resilient and inquisitive. 

After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2021, O’Leary performed her first full-length work ‘Yinarr’ in Adelaide Fringe and Dancehouse in 2022. She was also a part of ‘Collision’ by Jo Lloyd presented at Junction Arts Festival and ‘Garabari’ by Joel Bray at Arts House in 2022. In 2023 O’Leary created two more major new works. Her second work ‘A Certain Mumble’ presented by Darebin Arts Speakeasy in Frame. Her third 'STAUNCH ASF' presented in Melbourne Fringe performed at the Meat Market in the BLAK LODGE as part of the Deadly Fringe program. She was awarded Best Emerging Indigenous Artist at Melbourne Fringe 2023 for ‘STAUNCH ASF.’

O’Leary has choreographed for Melbourne Theatre Companies Young First Nations Program’s show in Yirramboi Festival 2023 ‘One Day.’ As well as directing and choreographing for Ngali/ Richmond Fashion show. 

O'Leary is interested in decoding and recoding storytelling through the body. 'I believe in diverse storytelling and that dance is a powerful medium for greater connection and perspective.' - Amelia O'Leary