Graduate story: Macon Escobal Riley
Trained: Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
Now: Dancer in ‘Jurrungu Ngan-ga: Straight Talk’ for Marrugeku
What was one of the main life-lessons you learnt through your full-time studies?
Your life can change within a single night: be open to the change that may come your way, don’t take yourself too seriously and to let the pieces fall where they may.
Thinking this way allowed me an understanding that the choices that I’d made and are currently making are special because I made them. I learnt to try not to be a victim of the motions of life, so I can make the unique choices for what I want out of my body and my career.
I’ve let this lesson guide me since graduating. Within a year I had gone from submitting my honours thesis on a mountain of 2-minute noodles to performing across Australia and Europe with a company I love.
I also learned to understand how my body learns and to develop my dancing by giving myself the freedom of choice.
To be able to dance in a way that resonates with myself creatively is a journey that commonly falls between understanding and misunderstanding. I believe that I’ve developed a personal way to let that process simply be itself without judgement. By being aware of my habits and biases as well as my loves and hates I can choose what I want from it freely.
As simple as it sounds I’ve learnt to work with my mind and body closely and that allows me to always be developing.
Macon is a featured graduate in the Full-Time Studies Guide in the current issue of Dance Australia (July/August/September). Print is for keeps! Buy your issue in your favourite newsagent or dance retailer or online here or here.