Riley Fitzgerald’s leap with ‘Everyb0dy’s G0t a B0mb’

After years of interpreting the visions of others on stage, Riley Fitzgerald is taking a bold creative leap — from dancer to choreographer — with his original work Everyb0dy’s G0t a B0mb, now invited to tour internationally to the Festival Internacional de Danza Contemporánea de la Ciudad de México this August. With it, he brings not just a powerful piece of contemporary performance but also a deep emotional and social reflection of a world that feels increasingly fractured.

“I grew up in a small town in Victoria,” Fitzgerald shares, “10,000 people, playing footy, the only boy in dance class. That contrast shaped me. It built resilience and a strong drive to turn passion into something bigger.”

Following this, he moved to Melbourne to study at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, then to the New Zealand School of Dance in Wellington, where his professional journey began. Over the years, his career has taken him around the world — from national tours with Sydney Dance Company to European stages with Ballet National de Marseille, and major international venues like The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. But the hunger to explore more — to say more through movement — was always there.

In 2019, his professional career took flight when he joined Sydney Dance Company under the direction of Rafael Bonachela. There, he danced soloist roles in works including ab [intra], Lux Tenebris, Impermanence and the critically acclaimed Six Breaths, as well as works by Gideon Obarzanek. After several seasons with the company, Fitzgerald moved to France to join Ballet National de Marseille, where he performed pieces by La Horde, Tania Carvalho, Oona Doherty, Lasseindra Ninja and Alexandre Roccoli, touring extensively across France and Europe. Fitzgerald returned to Sydney Dance Company in 2023. Now, with Everyb0dy’s G0t a B0mb, Fitzgerald is stepping out as a creator in his own right — created in Australia with a powerful, urgent voice and a vision that’s ready to shake up the international stage.

Fitzgerald’s opportunity to present Everyb0dy’s G0t a B0mb began with an open call from Sydney Dance Company’s New Breed program in 2023. “I was always interested in choreography,” he says, “but this was the moment something mystical clicked — it gave me a sense of direction.” From that creative spark, a new path emerged. Now, two years later, the work has evolved with new dancers, fresh energy, and an urgency that’s hard to ignore. “It began with people who weren’t part of companies, who were open, raw and ready to explore,” he explains. “There’s something really powerful in working with dancers who are hungry — not just technically strong, but ready to break things open.”

At the heart of Everyb0dy’s G0t a B0mb is a reflection on the contradictions of modern life. “We live in a world distorted by the lens of social media. There’s war, political unrest, climate disaster — and yet most of us feel disconnected from it all,” Fitzgerald says. “This work is my way of processing that chaos. It’s a meditation on how we carry the weight of those things, often without realising it.”

That emotional intensity is captured in the title itself — Everyb0dy’s G0t a B0mb. It’s not literal, but symbolic: of pressure, trauma, confusion and the fragile order we try to hold on to. “Dance is the way I communicate what’s bubbling beneath the surface,” he says. “It’s about what we can’t always name.”

An unexpected influence came from the 2022 Netflix documentary Trainwreck: Woodstock ‘99. “It blew my mind,” Fitzgerald recalls. “The chaos, the breakdown of structure — it showed what happens when there are no rules, and darker instincts take over. There was this eruption of energy when Limp Bizkit played ‘Break Stuff’, and I was just… stunned. I wanted to understand that.” He draws parallels to daily life — how we maintain composure Monday to Friday, then seek release on the weekend. “It doesn’t make sense, and it does. We’re constantly navigating conflicting desires. What happens when the mask drops?”

Rehearsals for Everyb0dy’s G0t a B0mb are ongoing, with development taking place in a studio space donated by the Jesuit Parish, St Francis Xavier, Lavender Bay. “The initial process was fragmented — two weeks of rehearsals spaced out over the entire year. But now we’re really diving in, discovering what’s still hidden,” he says. For Fitzgerald, this next phase is about refinement and risk. “There’s no roadmap, no guarantee. I want to tear the work open, hold onto the pure essence, and question the form. I want to create a space where something unexpected can happen.”

Bringing the work to Mexico is both an artistic and logistical challenge. With travel, dancer fees and production costs estimated at $70,000, Fitzgerald and his team are launching a crowdfunding campaign through the Australian Cultural Fund. “This isn’t just about getting there,” he says. “It’s about giving these dancers a voice on a global stage — and showing the world what Australian independent dance has to offer.” Composer Rami Khalife, known for his intuitive and emotionally charged work, will perform live as part of the tour. “Rami brings something that elevates everything,” Fitzgerald says. “It’s raw, sensitive and transformative.”

For Fitzgerald, this isn’t just a show — it’s a statement about the role of art in facing hard truths. “I started out trying to create sunflowers,” he reflects, “but what came out was hell. Hopefully, by naming it, heaven might start to reveal itself.”

He hopes the work reminds people of the importance of honesty, reflection, and connection. “We all carry so much — trauma, questions, contradictions. But if we stay open to it, art can help make sense of it all. That’s what I’m trying to do.”