Sydney Dance Company (SDC) dancers Emily Amisano and Richard Cilli have both announced that they will be leaving SDC at the end of this year. Dance Australia caught up with these two much-loved dancers to talk about their experiences of the company and their plans for the future.
Cilli speaks warmly of his time at SDC. “I've been at SDC for four years now,” he reflects. “I've had some pretty amazing experiences and have developed and performed such varied and beautiful work. I know under Rafael [Bonachela's] direction SDC dancers will keep having those experiences.” So why leave? “I still felt the need to get out of my comfort zone, and to go looking for more dance that speaks to me around Australia and the world,” explains Cilli. “A dancer's career is (supposedly) short, so I guess I'm trying to max it out!”
For Amisano, opportunities both to perform and create have been an important part of her SDC experience. “I really enjoyed performing Rafael's work Soledad, a beautiful duo that I danced with Rich,” she says. “I also had the opportunity to make two works on the SDC dancers for 'Spring Dance' at the Opera House…. an incredible experience.”
Both dancers say they will miss SDC. “I’ll definitely miss my colleagues,” says Cilli. “Everyone at SDC is inspiring, supportive, and positive. Rafael has done well to select such an amazing talented company, who are also a loving kind family.” And Amisano? “I’ll miss creative and inspirational moments in the studio and on stage, travel, and most definitely the people - my fellow dancers in particular. Kevin Chen's laugh.”
And so to the future.
Cilli wants to keep his options open for now. “I'm trying to have minimal plans for the next year and to hopefully stumble across things that I wouldn't have if I were so organised,” he says. “It involves a few months of backpacking before heading over to Europe, starting off in London, and seeing where to next - workshops, festivals and so on. There are so many inspiring choreographers that I would really like to meet in person and learn more about.”
Amisano’s fans will be pleased to hear that she has no plans to leave home at the moment. “I'm planning to do project/freelance dance work here in Australia,” she reports. “I'm really interested in pursuing choreographic opportunities and developing my own creative practice. I'm also going to study a Diploma of Pilates, focusing on injury rehabilitation. I look forward to being a bit nicer to my body as I will have more time to invest in yoga practice!”
Richard Cilli. Photo: Wendell Teodoro.