The well-known dancer, choreographer and dance teacher, Geoffrey Cichero, passed away in his native city of Sydney in February 2014, aged 69, following a debilitating illness.
Geoffrey spent close to six years with the Australian Dance Theatre (1970–1975), and worked with many Australian companies, including the Australian Ballet, Sydney Dance Company, the Kinetic Energy Dance Company, and the Contemporary Dance Company of Australia. As a choreographer, a number of his works attracted considerable acclaim here and overseas, and he was widely praised for the wry humour, economy of style and wide emotional range of these works.
Throughout his life, Geoffrey overcame many obstacles, some that would have been viewed as insurmountable by most. It was a testament to Geoffrey’s extraordinary resolve that he chose a career in dance at all, for he did not commence training as a dancer until the relatively late age of 22, and, thereafter, he was advised by a specialist that he would become crippled if he continued with dance, for several bones at the base of his spine were missing and in their stead was insubstantial cartilage (not that he shared these details with others at the time). So great was his love of dance, that Geoffrey ignored the specialist but the price he paid was immense, for he was forced to endure considerable pain throughout his dance career. Geoffrey commenced his dance tuition in 1966, undertaking years of intensive training in modern dance at the Bodenwieser Dance Centre in Sydney, where his teachers were Keith Bain, Margaret Chapple and Jacqui Carroll. He also studied classical ballet, attending classes taught by Joan and Monica Halliday, Valrene Tweedie, Rex Reed and Willie de la Bye.
In 1969, Geoffrey choreographed his first work, Seven Golden Candlesticks, for Ballet Australia. In ensuing years, he choreographed other works for Ballet Australia’s competitions and workshops in Sydney, Alone, With Others, Gravitational Pull and Turbulence. He also choreographed Jesu Joy Of Man’s Desiring for the Bodenwieser Dance Centre.
His first professional engagement as a dancer was with the Contemporary Dance Company of Ronne Arnold. After several other engagements, including with the Australian Ballet, where he met Sir Robert Helpmann, he discovered the Australian Dance Theatre, and was captivated by their panache and style of dance. While in Melbourne, he approached the Australian Dance Theatre’s founder and director Elizabeth Dalman, and joined their classes, and thereafter was invited to join the company. It was a major turning point in his life and he learnt an enormous amount during his almost six years with the company as one of its handful of male dancers, performing in many works throughout Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and Asia.
Besides reviving his Gravitational Pull, Geoffrey choreographed a substantial number of works for the Australian Dance Theatre, including In Tune, He’s My Brother, The Wrapping is Gone, Four Dancers In Search Of A Choreographer, Rhapsody In White, Rosemary’s Baby and 7½ (Or the Wrapping is On). Some became signature works in the company’s programmes and a number were staged overseas. He also created works for other leading Australian dance companies.
One of his final performances, which gave much enjoyment to audiences, was with the Sydney Dance Company as one of the Victorian ladies in Graeme Murphy’s Glimpses at the Sydney Opera House in 1979. It was a reprise of the same role he performed in the 1977 season.
Geoffrey made a major contribution to dance in Australia, though sadly, shortly after his career as a dancer finished, he was forced to abandon teaching dance on account of his spinal difficulties. He never lost his great love of the art form, however. In the years that followed, he undertook other work, including a 24 year period in the Sydney Opera House Box Office, and finished in 2003 as Deputy Box Office Manager. Thereafter he enjoyed seeing many performances in London and New York.
A book which Geoffrey wrote and completed, but never published, Real Life or Reel Life? Reflections of a Dancer and Choreographer, will appear in print in Melbourne later this year. Geoffrey is survived by his longstanding partner, Emeritus Professor Richard Charteris.
- Richard Charteris