Graeme Murphy

Graeme Murphy

Graeme Murphy, grew up in Tasmania, and began his career as a student at the Australian Ballet School. From there he became a dancer with The Australian Ballet where he was given opportunities to choreograph. He spent some time dancing with Les Ballets Felix Blaska before returning to Australia in the mid-1970s.

Murphy and fellow dancer/muse/collaborator Janet Vernon formed Sydney Dance Company in 1976. Sydney Dance Company is now one of Australia's most successful and well-known dance companies.

Murphy could be called Australia's Jerome Robbins because of the way he and his company has marketed dance to a wider audience, and brought contemporary dance into a more commercial arena.

Choreographies include (in rough chronological order) 'Poppy', 'Boxes', 'Aftr Venice', 'Daphnis and Chloe', 'Shining', 'Nearly Beloved', 'Beyond Twelve', 'The Nutcracker' (for the Australian Ballet), 'Synergy', 'Beauty and the Beast', 'Free Radicals', 'Air and other Invisible forces', 'Swan Lake' (for The Australian Ballet), 'Ellipse'.