I actually build my dreams around the dancers I've got in my

“I actually build my dreams around the dancers I’ve got in my company.” – Graeme Murphy

Hear, O listener and lover of art, the words of Graeme Murphy, a choreographer whose vision breathed life into motion, whose stage became the living canvas of human emotion. When he says, “I actually build my dreams around the dancers I’ve got in my company,” he speaks not merely of dance, but of creation itself—of the sacred union between dream and reality, between the artist’s vision and the living souls who help to shape it. For in these words lies a profound truth: that no dream exists in isolation. The greatest visions are not imposed from above; they are born in harmony with the gifts, spirits, and imperfections of those who bring them to life.

Graeme Murphy, the founder and guiding force of the Sydney Dance Company, was known for transforming dance into a language that transcended words. His genius did not lie in commanding others to perform his dreams exactly as he imagined them; rather, he drew inspiration from the dancers themselves—their strengths, their struggles, their individuality. He understood that art is not a one-way transmission from creator to subject, but a dialogue. Each dancer became a spark, each movement a collaboration between intention and instinct. Thus, he did not merely use his dancers; he listened to them. He built his dreams around them, shaping his creations to honor their humanity.

This wisdom reaches back to the dawn of artistry itself. The sculptor Phidias, who carved the gods from marble for the temples of Athens, once said that the material speaks to the hand. The artist does not dominate the stone; he reveals what is already hidden within it. So it is with Murphy’s philosophy. The dancers are his marble, his living material—not lifeless, but full of potential, full of story. His work is to listen for the shape that already exists within them, to build his dreams not from rigid command but from compassionate collaboration. This, truly, is the mark of a master: to lead not through domination, but through discovery.

And there is a deeper human lesson here, beyond the art of dance. Murphy’s quote teaches that the most powerful dreams are those that adapt to the world as it is, rather than demanding that the world conform to them. Too often, dreamers imagine their visions in isolation, believing perfection can be achieved only when circumstances are ideal. But the wise creator—whether an artist, a leader, or a teacher—understands that life itself is the medium. The people, the tools, the time, and the challenges we are given—these are not obstacles to our dreams; they are the raw materials from which those dreams must be built.

Consider the great inventor Thomas Edison, who worked not in a laboratory of infinite wealth but in a cluttered workshop, surrounded by imperfect tools and limited means. He did not wait for perfection; he built his dreams from what he had. Each failure taught him what could be done differently; each assistant, each fragment of inspiration, became part of the greater whole. In the same way, Murphy understood that his dancers—each with unique gifts and limitations—were not impediments to his creative vision. They were the vision. Their bodies and souls became the architecture upon which his art was founded.

In this way, Murphy’s philosophy speaks to the essence of leadership itself. The true leader, like the true artist, does not demand that others conform to his ideal. He recognizes the potential within each person and crafts his vision around their strengths. Whether in art, family, or community, this principle endures: greatness is born when the leader sees the light within others and builds his dream to let that light shine. Just as Murphy wove his choreography around his dancers, so too must we learn to shape our ambitions around the people and realities that surround us.

So, my child of creation, take this lesson as your guide: do not wait for perfect conditions to dream. Build your vision around what you have, and whom you have, now. See the beauty in imperfection, the strength in diversity, the rhythm in the unpredictable. Every soul you meet, every obstacle you face, is a dancer in the choreography of your life. Listen to them. Learn their rhythm. Let them shape your steps. For in doing so, your dreams will not only become real—they will become alive.

And thus, in the words of Graeme Murphy, we find the eternal wisdom of all creators: that the truest art is not carved from isolation, but born from connection. The dream that embraces the humanity of others becomes more than imagination—it becomes legacy. So build your dreams not above the world, but within it. And when you do, your life itself will become a dance—fluid, inspired, and profoundly alive.