Mentoring

My early experience in movement was through Tai Chi and Ba-kua with the late Rose Shao-Chiang Li, Shintaido with Ken Waight and body work with Franklyn Sills.  I trained in Dance and Fine Art (1987-90) at what was then Middlesex Polytechnic, studying Humphrey Technique with Lesley Main and Release with Judy Sharpe.  Soon after graduating I founded CandoCo Dance Company with Celeste Dandeker; the first professional company for disabled and non-disabled dancers. As joint founder and Artistic Director (1991 -1998), I choreographed and danced with the company until 1996 (See Past works ) and established the educational outreach programme.

 

After leaving CandoCo I worked in South Africa as artistic director of Tshwaragano Dance Company, and in Ethiopia for the Adugna Community Dance Theatre. In Europe I freelanced as a choreographer and made work for Adam Benjamin and dancers, and The Stare Cases Project (with Danny Scheinmann) as well as directing movement for the Besht Tellers and AandBC Theatre Company(with Gregory Thompson).  I developed a growing body of work in Japan, both within community dance and with professional performers such as Kim Itoh and Chieko Matsumura. During my career I have choreographed for many companies around the world including Vertigo Dance Company, Scottish Dance Theatre, Stop Gap Dance Company, Remix and Tshwaragano Dance companies in South Africa, Croi Glan Integrated Dance Company in Ireland and more recently for Exim Dance Company and Integrated dance company-Kyo in Japan.

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As an improvisor I have performed with Kirstie Simson, Kenzo Kusuda, Russell Maliphant, Jordi Cortés, Chieko Matsumura, Rick Nodine, Gabi Reuter (Neat Timothy), Susanne Martin, Kim Itoh, Yann l’Heureux, and Eric Languet. I was as a founder member of 5 Men Dancing. (concept by Thomas Mettler).

 

I have written extensively on inclusive dance and improvisation Making an Entrance. Theory and practice for disabled and non-disabled dancers was first  published by Routledge in 2001 (the Second edition 2022).

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While at CandoCo I received a TimeOut London Performance award for Flying in the Face of...,. With Tshwaragano I received Best Ensemble at the FNB Vita Dance Indaba Awards. Remix Dance Company were awarded the Arts and Culture Trust Awards: Cultural Development Project of the Year, 2002 following my production of ‘Taking Care of Small Things’. I have been a Wingate Scholar, an Associate Artist at The Place and received an International Artists Fellowship from Arts Council England. In 2006 I was one of the first choreographers to be awarded a Rayne Foundation fellowship and in 2015 was made a Change Maker by the Southbank Centre London.  From 2008 to 2017 I taught full time on the faculty of theatre and performance at Plymouth University teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2013. 

Currently I continue my workshop programme, I teach tai chi in my local community and I direct The Dancers' Forest project.