Choreographer Graeme Murphy, known for his three-decade tenure leading Sydney Dance Company, has embraced new creative directions since departing the company in 2007. Reflecting on his time with Sydney Dance Company, Murphy described it as the “Camelot years” of his career, marked by a stable team of long-term dancers. However, after more than 30 years, he and his partner Janet Vernon chose to move beyond the company’s confines to explore broader artistic opportunities.

Since then, Murphy has extended his choreography to film and musical theatre, notably contributing to the movie Mao’s Last Dancer and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies. More recently, he has found a productive niche in opera, an art form that initially fell outside his career focus but has since captivated him. He described his first operatic experience as overwhelming, struck by the power and range of the human voice during a performance of Puccini’s Turandot at age 16. Murphy enjoys challenging opera singers to stretch their abilities, balancing his kinetic style with respect for the medium’s musical demands.

Murphy also discussed one of his early groundbreaking works, Poppy, a 1978 narrative dance piece based on the French artist Jean Cocteau. Created when Murphy was young and willing to take risks, the work remains avant-garde decades later. He emphasized his belief that the arts must continually advance rather than settle into complacency, urging artists to push forward even when financial or commercial pressures encourage caution.

Murphy credited his longtime collaborator and partner Janet Vernon as a vital influence on his creative process. Their dynamic, marked by frequent debate and differing opinions, has helped deepen and expand his choreography. Vernon’s ability to reinterpret his ideas has enabled Murphy to realize work beyond his initial vision.

Addressing the broader landscape of dance, Murphy expressed concern about the homogenizing effects of digital media and constant global exposure. He noted that past Australian performances, such as those by Sydney Dance Company on international tours, carried a distinct cultural identity akin to “a piece of toast with Vegemite on it.” Today, he worries younger dancers may lack connection to historical figures like Margot Fonteyn, partly due to the rapid dissemination of diverse influences through technology.

Looking ahead, Opera Australia is reviving Murphy’s production of The Merry Widow at the Sydney Opera House from July 8 to August 18. Originally commissioned in 2017, Murphy admitted initial apprehension about choreographing for a word-heavy opera but found the work’s exuberance and joy an invigorating change. He welcomed the opportunity to present opera as a fun and lively form, inviting audiences to experience the excitement of the arts.