Biography
I am a choreographer, devisor and performer who has an interdisciplinary approach to the creation of performance work. Over the last 5 years my artistic practice has developed through a creative dialogue with theatre practitioners, dancers, live artists, comedians, film / video artists, aerialists and innovators in contemporary cabaret performance. I worked collaboratively with The Society of Wonders, Voodoo Vaudeville, The Perverted Turkeys, Zu Aerial Dance and Stepback, as well as pursuing solo performance projects.
My choreographic work integrates comedic performance and dance practice to explore the performer’s individual ‘physicality’. Attentive to their characteristic movement qualities and mannerisms, I work towards developing a distinctive physical identity that exaggerates their natural dance.
For the last 7 years I have has been working with dance / cabaret artist Avis Cockbill. Together we have generated over thirty short dance works that parody and pay homage to burlesque / cabaret performance. We are currently developing new work that investigates the notion of ‘duet’ within a choreographic and comedic context. This project is supported by South East Dance Agency, The Nightingale Theatre and The Basement Arts Production, South East.
In my current solo practice, I have been working with the notion of opposed psychological pairs; dominant and subservient aspects of personality that motivate everyday actions. By acknowledging their existence and identifying their ‘personalities’ I aim to present these personalities as individual performers, coaxing each one to build their own repertoire of movement, text and visual vocabulary.
| 2007 |
Devising and performing comedic cabaret performance 'I want to sing you a song' with accompanying research trip to Berlin. Supported by Arts Council England, South East, Company F.Z & The Basement, Arts Production South East. |
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| 2005 |
Devising and performing of Incipient Impediment II: Performed at the National Revue of Live Art (Glasgow) and Navigate Live Art Festival (Newcastle). Supported by the Arts Council England, South East. |
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| 2004 |
Selected for Rules and Regs at The Basement, Brighton. |
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Collaborative Projects
| ongoing |
‘Cockbill & Fletcher’ choreographing and performing a dance theatre duet with Avis Cockbill. Supported by South East Dance Agency, The Nightingale Theatre and The Basement, Arts Production South East.
‘The Perverted Turkeys’ Choreographing and performing in cabaret duo 'The Perverted Turkeys'. Short sharp performance shocks performed at Lost Vagueness, La Clique (Spiegeltent International) and Club 52. |
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| 2001–07 |
Red Devising and performing a fusion of aerial and ground-based choreography with Hazel Maddocks. Supported by the Arts Council England, South East. Performed at Circus Future's (Bristol) and Circus Showcase (Brighton). South East Tour in autumn 2007.
The Society of Wonders Devising and performing SAP as part of the launch pad for Visions: The Festival of International Visual Performance. Supported by Arts Council England, South East. Devising and performing 'The State of Mind of Ghosts' performed at The Chelsea Theatre.
Stepback Working as choreographer and project manager for Stepback, a traditional English Dance Company. National performances at The Purcell Rooms (London), Towersey Festival, Chippenham Festival and theatre shows throughout the South East.
Voodoo Vaudeville Choreographing, devising and performing in cabaret show Voodoo Vaudeville. Based at the Komedia in Brighton with shows across the UK including Edinburgh Festival. |
| 2007 |
Connecting 2007 Facilitating dancers from Longhill School as part of Connecting 2007, culminating in a performance integrating movement, film projection, costume and live music at The Dome (Brighton).
Connecting 2007 Working with The Magic Number and Varndean School's Little Big Band as part of Connecting 2007.
Workshops introducing GCSE and A-Level students to Live Art Practice. Supported by Blatchington Mill School (Brighton) |
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| 2006 |
Mentoring physical theatre students form Northbrook College in the creation of site-specific performance. |
| 2002 – 2007 |
Workshops Ongoing attendance of dance, live art, physical theatre and circus workshops. Inspirational tutors include Rose English, Fern Smith (Volcano Theatre Company), Nigel Charnock, Kira O'Reilly and Stacy Makishi.
Facets, Bangalore, India Participation in an International choreographic laboratory. Supported by the Arts Council England, South East. |
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| 1999 – 2002 |
BA (Hons) in Dance and Visual Art from the University of Brighton. Course leader; Liz Aggiss, with visiting tutors Carol Brown and Lea Anderson. |
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| 1989 – 1999 |
Northern School Of Contemporary Dance, Leeds . |
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