R I L E Y W A T T S

Riley is a dancer, teacher, and researcher based in Portland, Maine, USA.  He has danced extensively with choreographer William Forsythe since 2010, initially as part of The Forsythe Company, and now as an independent artist.  In 2015, Riley performed Forsythe’s DUO2015 on the farewell world tour of iconic dancer Sylvie Guillem, and has continued to perform this piece internationally for galas, festivals, and museums. 

Previous to joining The Forsythe Company, Riley danced with the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Stadttheater Bern, and the Netherlands Dance Theater 2.

In addition to performing around the world, Riley has been frequently invited to teach master classes at universities, dance companies, and choreographic research centers around Europe, USA, UK, Asia, and Australia.  While living in Germany, he was an Associate Researcher with Motion Bank and the Dance Engaging Science workgroup, through which he developed interdisciplinary research between neuroscience and dance. 

He studied dance at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts and the Juilliard School in NYC, where he received his BFA in 2007.  He is a Princess Grace Award winner and was named Contemporary Dancer of the Year for the Leonide-Massine Positano Prize, Italy, 2015.

Riley led New Dialect's Winter Intensive 2017.