AMELIA JEAN O’LEARY
A SHORT BIOGRAPHY
Amelia Jean O'Leary (she/they/yinarr) is a proud queer First Nations Gamilaroi Yinarr dance artists and storyteller based across so-called “Australia,” currently living between Naarm/Melbourne and Gadigal/Sydney. O’Leary is Gamilaroi from Barraba Northern New South Wales on her Father’s side with Irish ancestry and on her mother’s side they are Wadawurrung from Ballarat Victoria, with Scottish ancestry.
O’Leary’s practice is in a transitional space currently but it honours rich and soft places of connection and creativity, their practice is multidimensional and evocative, it isn’t interested in being digested, understood nor stereotypical. O’Leary is staunch in cultivating art from a place of truth and honesty. This can be seen in O’Leary’s work by how they are able to jump between multiple worlds and experiences while still being deeply true to the story or stories. Her dances are 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 multi-disciplinary skills spanning from dancing, choreography, dramaturgy, film, writing, directing 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 made her choreographic debut performing in her first solo full-length work ‘Yinarr’ in Adelaide Fringe and at Dancehouse in 2022. She performed in ‘Collision’ by Jo Lloyd presented at Junction Arts Festival and ‘Garabari’ by Joel Bray at Arts House in 2022.
In 2023 O’Leary created and performed in her second work ‘A Certain Mumble’ presented by Darebin Arts Speakeasy in Frame Dance Festival. She also created her second solo work '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’ and in 2024 was nominated for a Green Room Award for ‘STAUNCH ASF.’
2024 was an exciting year for O’Leary as she was brought to Vancouver by Raven Spirit dance company to attend Matriarchs Uprising and began developing multiple works including CODED and TWO GATHER. O’Leary was commissioned to develop her new work CODED for the Queer Development Program by Performance Space in Sydney May 2024. After touring, performing and teaching as a trainee with The Australian Ballet’s Education and Out Reach Team in 2024, O’Leary became the artist-in-residence at Abbotsford Convent for 2025.
2025 is such an exciting year for O’Leary as she created ‘CODED: A NIGHT OF QUEER STORYTELLING,’ where she presented and performed in her own triple bill, which included her three-fifteen minute new dance works, ‘CODED,’ ‘NGAMBAA’ and ‘I LOVE YOU’ presented at the Abbotsford Convent. In March O’Leary presented her fifth major work ‘SAD EYES’ which was performed at Dancehouse. During this time O’Leary also choreographed for RAWCUS theatre’s new projection work EN MASSE. In May ‘Peggy Sue’ will be presented in the Lawler at Melbourne Theatre Company for Yirramboi Festival where O’Leary debuts her writing skills and she extends her skills in creating sound for theatre. O’Leary is interested in having a nourishing and fun career and practice that is connected deeply to community and produces meaningful
O’Leary’s practice is in a transitional space currently but it honours rich and soft places of connection and creativity, their practice is multidimensional and evocative, it isn’t interested in being digested, understood nor stereotypical. O’Leary is staunch in cultivating art from a place of truth and honesty. This can be seen in O’Leary’s work by how they are able to jump between multiple worlds and experiences while still being deeply true to the story or stories. Her dances are 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 multi-disciplinary skills spanning from dancing, choreography, dramaturgy, film, writing, directing 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 made her choreographic debut performing in her first solo full-length work ‘Yinarr’ in Adelaide Fringe and at Dancehouse in 2022. She performed in ‘Collision’ by Jo Lloyd presented at Junction Arts Festival and ‘Garabari’ by Joel Bray at Arts House in 2022.
In 2023 O’Leary created and performed in her second work ‘A Certain Mumble’ presented by Darebin Arts Speakeasy in Frame Dance Festival. She also created her second solo work '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’ and in 2024 was nominated for a Green Room Award for ‘STAUNCH ASF.’
2024 was an exciting year for O’Leary as she was brought to Vancouver by Raven Spirit dance company to attend Matriarchs Uprising and began developing multiple works including CODED and TWO GATHER. O’Leary was commissioned to develop her new work CODED for the Queer Development Program by Performance Space in Sydney May 2024. After touring, performing and teaching as a trainee with The Australian Ballet’s Education and Out Reach Team in 2024, O’Leary became the artist-in-residence at Abbotsford Convent for 2025.
2025 is such an exciting year for O’Leary as she created ‘CODED: A NIGHT OF QUEER STORYTELLING,’ where she presented and performed in her own triple bill, which included her three-fifteen minute new dance works, ‘CODED,’ ‘NGAMBAA’ and ‘I LOVE YOU’ presented at the Abbotsford Convent. In March O’Leary presented her fifth major work ‘SAD EYES’ which was performed at Dancehouse. During this time O’Leary also choreographed for RAWCUS theatre’s new projection work EN MASSE. In May ‘Peggy Sue’ will be presented in the Lawler at Melbourne Theatre Company for Yirramboi Festival where O’Leary debuts her writing skills and she extends her skills in creating sound for theatre. O’Leary is interested in having a nourishing and fun career and practice that is connected deeply to community and produces meaningful
and powerful work, she is most excited about her collaboration with TOGETHER Pan-Indigenous collective. Stay connected to O’Leary via Instagram @ameliaa.jeann