Meet Our Creative Team!

Meet our creative team, without this bunch of wonderful people we couldn’t operate and continue to put on amazing performances for you. We are constantly updating this page with new additions to the team. Keep your eyes peeled!

Ben Thompson

Bethan Laura Siddaway

Bruce Tetlow

Cameron Everitt

Charlie Hogan

EIF Sound and Music

Eleanor Stephenson

Emma Dunleavey-Dale

Frankie Hickman

Freya Davis

Gabrielle Rothwell

Gemma Pilgrim

George Perez

India Rose-Cox

Jamie Higgins

Jasmine Chiu

Jennifer Schneider-Lau

Kevaughn Laing

Leanne Vincent

Lindsey Butcher

Matthew Chambers

Meshach Shadare

Mikey Bret

Neus Gil – Cortes

Nina Grindley

Oliver Davis

Olivia Whitter

Patrick Ross Webster

Rachael Veazey

Rebecca Solomon

Richard Shrewsbury

Richy K Chandler

Ruby Portus

Sally ‘Pomme’ Clayton

Sarah Butler

Shelley Eva Haden

Steve Gill

Tom Cleaver

Victoria (Tori) Drew

Will Hodson

Puppeter & Consultant
Ben Thompson
Ben trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since graduating he has worked for many theatre companies all over the country and in various parts of the world. He trained in puppetry with Blind Summit Theatre and toured with them for 3 years. Ben was in the National Theatre’s ‘War Horse’ for over a year puppeteering Joey the horse’s back legs and has recently finished working at the RSC in the new musical ‘The Boy in the Dress’. He has puppeteered many types of puppet including rod, bunraku, table top, multi-operator and animatronic all portraying a huge variety of characters and creatures from dogs, cats and falcons to elephants, ghosts and robots.

Performer / Dance Artist
Bethan Laura Siddaway
Bethan trained in a plethora of dance styles whilst at De Montfort University where she achieved a First Class degree. She is now immersing herself in the dance scene in Birmingham as a professional dancer in Company Apidae who performed at the Birmingham Hippodrome as part of Breakin’ Convention in June 2022 and teaching freelance to deliver high quality dance to young people with a fresh skillset from achieving a dance PGCE earlier this year. Bethan’s desire to continually expand her knowledge and develop has seen her become a part of Elementz Ent Training Company and a RAD Step into Dance Practitioner in London.

Audio Descriptor
Bruce Tetlow
Bruce is a director of Omeetoo Combined Arts CIC, and has a long history of working in disability arts, contemporary dance and physical theatre in the UK, North America and Europe. As a psycho-physical-environmental activist and creative thinker-doer, he is CEO of Aqueozone Solutions LTD, a UK eco-start up business. He also works as a free-lance Audio Describer specializing in Dance AD, and is the resident audio describer at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. He is pleased as punch to be collaborating with the breathtaking Autin Dance Company and lending his words and voice to the AD interpretation of Out of the Deep Blue.

Performer / Dance Artist / Puppeteer
Cameron Everitt
Cameron joined ADT in 2022 as a dancer/ puppeteer and has been touring ‘Out of the Deep Blue’ bothnationally and internationally as part of Team Atlantic. In 2017, Cameron graduated from Trinity Laban, whereafter graduating joined the company of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake which also toured nationally/internationally.As well as working with the likes of Arielle Smith, Stefanos Dimoulas and Jennifer White, Cameron has alsobeen lucky enough to perform at The Royal Opera House in their new 2022/23 revival of ‘Aida’. Most recently,Cameron has been touring as a dancer with music artist ‘Lynks’ and can also be seen in upcoming musicvideos, feature films and TV series

Performer / Dance Artist
Charlie Hogan
Growing up in London, Charlie started dancing at the age of 15 and joined the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance CAT Scheme for 3 years, studying Contemporary and Ballet technique; before gaining a place at Northern School of Contemporary Dance to complete his Degree. Charlie graduated with a First Class BA (Hons) and worked with choreographers such as Charlie Morrissey, Humanhood and Alleyne Dance. Whilst in his third year, Charlie became an apprentice for Möbius Dance working with Douglas Thorpe and Jamaal Burkmar in an international tour to Malaysia and Sardinia. Charlie joined Verve in 2020, the Postgraduate Performance Company at Northern School of Contemporary Dance, touring works by Botis Seva, Lali Ayguadé, Mari Carrasco and Douglas Thorpe before joining 2Faced Dance Company in 2022.

Musicians
EIF Sound and Music
EIF are two eclectic, electronic music producers. Kamil Boguslawski and Kamil Ilcewicz are originally from Poland, but have been producing music in Birmingham for the last decade.
Bestdescribed as ‘sound designers’ theyorganically blendelectronic sounds, world music and rhythms, awakening a tribal feeling within the listener.
They collaborate with a variety of artists from around the world, guiding singers, musicians, visual artists, film makers and dance companies in expressing their art through sound.
Also incorporating elements of trip-hop, ambient, field recordings, IDM, live instruments and vocals, they create a truly unique experience for the listener.

Performer / Dance Artist
Eleanor Stephenson
Eleanor is a UK based, contemporary dancer, currently offering strength and conditioning coaching for dance companies, alongside creating and performing as a dancer. Born and raised in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, Eleanor trained at Rambert School, where she graduated with a 1st class BA (Hons) in 2018. Since, she has achieved a 1st class MA in Dance Performance, performed nationally and internationally to include a self-choreographed solo at Netherlands Choreography Competition, and now manages the supplementary fitness training for Joss Arnott’s postgraduate dance company Emergence. Eleanor has been fortunate enough to have worked with choreographers Joss Arnott, Kevin Finnan, Gosia Mielech, Ashley Paige, Dane Hurst, Jason Mabana, and Kennedy Muntanga, as well as performing works by Robert Cohan, Dan Wagoner and Richard Alston to name a few. Highlights include Rambert Company’s ‘A Linha Curva’ by Itzik Galili and performing at the Queen’s Coronation Festival. Eleanor additionally enjoys sharingher skillset through rehearsal directing, and teaching

BSL interpreters
Emma Dunleavey-Dale

Performer / Dance Artist / Puppeteer
Frankie Hickman
Frank Is a Birmingham based freelance Dance artist. Since finishing his Bachelor performing arts degree in London in 2017, Frank has elevated his passion for creating and performing both in highly muscular and acutely vulnerable movement. He is also an advocate for positive mental wellbeing practices in and out of the studio. This has coincided with projects he has been part of like Restoke’sMan Up in 2018. Frank has performed for several different companies such as Restoke, Highly Sprung and Autin Dance Theatre. Frank’s variety of work has ranged from Dance theatre to children’s theatre and even large-scale puppetry across the UK. Performingphysical theatre has taken him nationally and internationally. Since then, Frank has side-tracked into large scale puppetry, touring as part of Out of The Deep Blue with Autin Dance theatre for the past two years. During this period, he has also performedas a puppeteer for the opening ceremony of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022. Frank continues to work with Autin Dance Theatre as a freelancer

Performer / Dance Artist
Gabrielle Rothwell
Gabrielle Rothwell was born in Coventry and graduated from Coventry University with a degree in Theatre and Professional Practice. She met Autin Dance Theatre through Transformations project and is incredibly passionate and excited to be working on Brimstone The Dragon.

Performer / Dance Artist
Gemma Pilgrim
Gemma is a professional dancer, dance teacher and choreographer from the West Midlands. She graduated from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and is currently a dancer for ME Dance Company based in the Midlands. Gemma has taught around the country teaching in schools, for pantomime productions and Saturday classes at various venues.
Gemma’s style includes Contemporary, Traditional African, Commercial/Hip Hop and she is also a 250hr Yoga teacher teaching Rocket/Vinyasa style. Gemma has been fortunate to work with Dean Lee, Rob Rich, Marcia Edwards, Brendon Hansford and Jay Revell. Gemma is passionate about teaching children as they are the future and introducing them to the creative side of Performing Arts.

Performer / Dance Artist / Puppeteer
George Perez
George is from Kent. He graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 2020 and from JV2 in 2021. George Joined team Pacific for last year’s tour of Out Of The Deep Blue with Autin Dance Theatre! He has worked with choreographers such as Jasmin Vardimon, Sonia Sabri, MCDC, Southpaw dance company and the Royal Opera. George also performed in the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Performer / Dance Artist
India Rose-Cox
India is a Freelance Dancer based in Warwickshire. She Trained at the Hammond, Chester gaining a Level 6 HND, before going on to complete a Top-Up Degree in Contemporary Dance Performance at the University of Chichester. At University India worked with Choreographers such as Amy Morvell, Thea Stanton, Shaun Dillon and Antonia Grove. Other Performance credits include: Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, Romeo and Juliet at the Birmingham
Hippodrome (2019). Featured Dancer in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony (2022). Wired Aerial Theatre’s Bungee-Assisted dance show ‘Me vs Me’ (2023) and understudying in their Vertical Wall outdoor show ‘As the World Tipped’ (2023).
India is currently a teacher and facilitator for Sense’s National Inclusive Dance Programme, BabyBallet Warwickshire and a Bungee-Fitness Instructor. Indy’s Ethos is about finding spaces in our society where dance can support us, connect us, and allow people to be their authentic selves.

Performer
Jamie Higgins
Jamie Higgins is a professional aerial dancer with over a decade of experience in the circus and dance industry. Jamie trained as a dancer, and then an aerialist and has found the marriage between these two art forms to be highly complimentary. After graduating London Contemporary Dance School (2008), Jamie has spent the last 15 years performing all around the world, his expertise have given him the chance to perform at The Royal Opera House, Bregenz Opera house, Opera de Lille, performing with some amazing companies, Gravity & Levity, Fidgetfeet, Levantes Dance Theatre, and performing in shows such as The Olympics, The Commonwealth Games, Bear Grylls arena tour (Endeavour).

Performer / Dance Artist
Jasmine Chiu
Jasmine is a freelance dance artist, actor, maker, and writer based in London. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver BC, she’s moved through New York City to London working with the likes of Wayne McGregor, Akram Khan, Elisa Monte, Chase Brock, the Cohan Collective, and Turner Prize-nominated artist Anthea Hamilton. Jasmine played the leading role of ‘Little Phoenix’ in The Shed New York City’s kung fu musicalDragonSpring Phoenix Rise.She has been featured in the music videos of Biffy Clyro and Paul Weller, and is currently performing with Dresden-based multimedia artist Ulf Langheinrich in VORTEX. She holds a BFA Dance from The Boston Conservatory.

BSL interpreters
Jennifer Schneider-Lau

Performer
Kevaughn Laing
Kevaughn identifies as Black and Deaf, proudly embracing their linguistic minority status and rejecting the notion of disability. Fluent in British Sign Language, Kevaughn brings a unique perspective to the show.
In June 2020, Kevaughn began their artistic journey, working with a talented team in schools. They were then commissioned by renowned Deaf dance leader Billy Read for activities at the Commonwealth Games, marking an incredible milestone.
Their breakthrough came with Troi Lee’s Deaf Rave, commissioned by Billy Read’s Def Motion (@defmotion), to open the prestigious Birmingham International Dance Festival in 2022. Kevaughn performed with the phenomenal “Cog” team of dancers, choreographed by Johnny Autin, captivating audiences at local festivals throughout Birmingham.
During the later stages of Covid restrictions, Kevaughn’s exceptional work as a deaf performer caught the attention of Deaf Explorer, leading to exciting collaborations. They even created creative videos for the Census and participated in the F-Words commissioning program by Creative Black Country.
Now, Kevaughn is determined to focus on developing a creative dance leader role, dedicated to giving back to the deaf community. Their goal is to drive more opportunities for talented deaf individuals, while advocating for the inclusion of deaf and hard-of-hearing young people, especially people of color.

Dance Artist
Leanne Vincent
Leanne is a Contemporary dancer and Movement therapist based in London. She attended LCDS (London Contemporary Dance School-2016), and thereafter joined Motionhouse Dance Company as their apprentice. This year, Leanne gained her MA in Dance movement psychotherapy. Through numerous projects as a freelance artist, creativity and holistic well-being underpinned her work as a therapist, dance teacher and dance artist.

Performer / Dance Artist
Lindsey Butcher
Graduating from London School of Contemporary Dance, back in the 80’s, Lindsey has a very extensive CV.
Her dance credits include; Extemporary Dance Theatre, Random Dance Co (Brighton Festival), Walker Dance/Park Music, Darshan Singh Bhuller, Charlie Morrissey Vincent Dance Theatre, Siobhan Davies Dance Company,
Circus credits include; Ra – Ra Zoo Circus Theatre, Gandini Juggling Project, The Dream Engine, Desperate Men, Caravan Stage, Scarabeus, Momentary Fusion, Fidget Feet Aerial Dance and Upswing.
As a dance and aerial practitioner, she has almost 40 years of professional practise and remains very active as a performer, choreographer, teacher and mentor.
In 2003, Lindsey founded the aerial dance company, Gravity & Levity (G&L) to provide a vehicle for her artistic vision.
Under her direction, G&L have created 3 full length touring aerial dance productions, 3 outdoor pieces, won the Dance for Camera and Jerwood circus awards and created numerous site-specific commissions, alongside providing Creative Professional Development opportunities for people at all levels of their aerial dance practice, including the European Aerial Dance Festival now in its 12th year. https://www.eadf.co.uk/
Much of Lindseys’ aerial choreographic work over the last 25 years has been ‘building based’ vertical dance commissions and she teaches master classes in the UK and Internationally; France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Canada, Panama and Brazil.
Lindsey is a hearing-impaired artist.

Performer / Dance Artist
Matthew Chambers
Born in Birmingham, Mathew trained at Kerrey Clarke’s Adage Dance and Fitness Studios in Harborne. This is where his love for Ballet and Contemporary dance began. Mathew graduated from The Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in 2009. Mathew then went on to work as a guest artist for Rambert Dance Company. He then went onto intensive touring the world with 2Faced Dance Company, The Royal Ballet, Opera North, ATMA Dance Company, Qdos Entertainment, Belinda King Productions, Farah Leisure Dubai. For the past 5 years Mathew has travelled the world as a Choreographer and Dancer for Princess Cruises.

Performer / Dance Artist
Meshach Shadare
Shaq’s training specialises primarily in the Hip Hop and street stylesinfused withContemporary movement.This includes,breakin’, house, popping, krump andtricking.Whileachievinga bachelor’s degree in Medical Science anda masters inPhysiotherapy, Shaq has performed with Wayward Threadat Curve TheatreinLeicesterand Theatre Deliin Sheffield,and hashigh quality choreography andteaching experience, evidenced in his work with Code Crew, BDO British Championsof 2019-2021.Shaq has ensured he is actively engagingand sharingin R&D withartistsacross themidlands, such asRoguePlay Theatre, Gerard Martin Dance,andTheO’DriscollCollective.Theseexperienceshave made him a strongco-Artist Director forCompany Apidae, who have performed as part of Breakin’ Convention, and the TILTfestival in the summer of ’22

Performer / Puppeteer
Mikey Bret
Mikey Brettstudied Acting at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London and has worked with some of the biggest names in the puppetry world including Handspring Puppet Company in War Horsefor the National Theatrein the West End, Blind Summit for the Royal Opera House, and Significant Object for Circus 1903by Cirque du Soleil. TV includes the BBCseries Strange Hill Highand The Furchester Hotel-co-produced by Sesame Workshop-and the Netflix / Jim Henson Companyseries The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Mikey has worked as a Puppeteer and Movement Artist on many feature films including Muppets Most Wanted, Aladdin, The School for Good and Evil, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, and Gravitywhich won 7 Oscars and 6Baftas. Mikey has taught and directed movement and puppetry for the National Theatre, East 15 Acting School, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, and Southwark Playhouseamong others. Mikey is delighted to be working with Autin Dance Theatre again after performing with them for the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremonyin Birminghamin

Dramaturg
Neus Gil – Cortes

Performer / Dance Artist
Nina Grindley
Nina is based in Leeds/Birmingham and is currently undertaking a BA at Northern School of Contemporary Dance.
She graduated from West Midlands CAT scheme and Linden Youth Dance Company in 2023.
In 2020, Nina was selected to be a part of One Dance UK’s Young Creatives programme, her final piece was titled ‘除け者 – NOKEMONO’.
In 2022, Nina collaborated with contemporary artist Lucy McLauchlan, to create live improvised movement within her installation ‘Expressive Deviant Phenology’. This was part of ‘Found Cities, Lost Objects; Women in the City’, an exhibition in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery that encouraged visitors to view the city through a woman’s eyes.

Performer / Puppeteer / Actor
Oliver Davis
Oliver grew up in North Wales and graduated from Warwick University with a degree in Theatre & Performance Studies. He went on to work with Whole Hog Theatre, a company founded by Warwick graduates, and performed as Yakul in the world premiere theatre adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke in London and Tokyo. He has also trained and performed with The Birmingham REP Theatre, Puppet Centre, Little Angel Theatre, Motionhouse, Frantic Assembly, Gecko Theatre and The National Centre for Circus Arts. His recent credits include touring internationally with TNT Theatre’s Julius Caesar, Macbeth and A Christmas Carol, Night Light (Mandala Theatre) and On The Tracks (Brighton Fringe Festival). He is a keen traveller, currently learning Spanish, and is looking forward to hopefully being able to explore the world again soon.

BSL interpretor
Olivia Whitter

Performer / Dance Artist / Puppeteer
Patrick Ross Webster
Patrick is a dance artist working in performance and teaching, whose mission is to share the freedom and joy of dancing with others. They began their training in Birmingham at DanceXchange and RDC Youth, before graduating with First Class Honours from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Since graduating, Patrick has performed across stage, screen and site-specific dance productions. As a teacher, they teach dance technique and creative dance to people aged from 4 to74, as well asacting as a rehearsal assistant and coach to numerous dance companies for older adults. Patrick has been supported by Studio Wayne McGregor (through the Peer Programme andFreeSpaceProgramme), andNew Adventures (Overture Programme –2020/21)

BSL interpreters
Rachael Veazey

Performer / Dance Artist
Rebecca Solomon
Rebecca is a multidisciplinary aerialist, theatre maker, and specialist in authentic jazz era dances such as lindy-hop and Charleston. Since 2018, she has taken her bright eyes and big afro to teach internationally and tour with some of the UK’s leading aerial circus companies with theatre and outdoor shows with credits including Hive City Legacy (part of the Australian Brief factory collective), Mimbre’s Fierce Sisters and Sisterhood of the Ring, all shows focusing on identity. In 2019, she created her, Second-Hand Child integrating puppetry and aerial to weave personal experience exploring identity and history. She is a keen on storyteller and loves its integration within shows and working within fantastical narratives.

Music Composer
Richard Shrewsbury
Richard is a performer and composer living in Birmingham, UK. Richard regularly composes music for film and composed the music for the opening of the Telford Southwater Development, set to Fireworks and watched by 10,000 people and music to celebrate the diversity of a UNESCO world heritage site in Ironbridge Gorge. Richard has collaborated with dance, visual artists and mixed media artists and was Musical Director for ‘Echo Eternal’ in 2019 and 2020. Richard has composed the scores for several Autin DT works; ‘Dystopia’, ‘Queer Words’ and ‘+Life’. Richard is passionate about creativity, music and the arts and their connection to social and cultural mobility. He enjoys working with technology as part of his artistic practice and relishes the challenge of composing music that relates to all kinds of audiences.

Performer / Puppeteer
Ruby Portus
Ruby Portus is a UK based dancer, choreographer and movement director. Performance credits include DeNada Dance Theatre, Southpaw Dance Company, Corey Baker Dance (Birmingham Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony 2022), The Flying Seagull Project, Glyndebourne Opera, John-William Watson, Extended Play, Sita Ostheimer and Liz Aggiss.
Ruby believes in the power of dance and theatre to make positive change in the world by making big topics feel more tangible. She particularly loves performing in works that are politically engaged and that incorporate big, juicy physicality, character work and humou
Ruby is a graduate of London Contemporary Dance School and VERVE at Northern School of Contemporary Dance. She was also an inaugural Young Associate at Sadler’s Wells

Author
Sally ‘Pomme’ Clayton
Sally Pomme Clayton, please call her Pomme, is a pioneering writer and storyteller, author of 14 children’s books, and associate artist at Omnibus Theatre. Her latest books are: ‘The King with Dirty Feet’ (Otter-Barry Books 2021/ 2018) winner of The Oxford Book Award best picture book 2019. ‘The Phoenix of Persia’ (Tiny Owl Books 2019) nominated for the Greenaway Award 2020 and UKLA award 2020. She wrote five-star reviewed ‘The Little Prince’ (based on the book by Saint-Exupéry) for Omnibus Theatre (2019). She has created work for organizations across the UK: Tower of London; Thames Festival; London Philharmonic Orchestra; The Horniman Musuem; Royal Shakespeare Company; Swedenborg Society; The British Museum; Unicorn Theatre; Welsh National Opera; Chichester Festival Theatre; WOMAD. She performs stories for everyone, most recently: Cambridge Junction; Exeter Phoenix; King’s Place; Capstone Theatre; Edinburgh Literature Festival; Soho Theatre; Dhaka Lit Fest; The Cutty Sark; Hakaya Storytelling Festival, Jordan; Beyond the Border Festival, Wales.

Performer / Dance Artist / Puppeteer
Sarah Butler
Sarah is a freelance dance and theatre artist based in South Derbyshire. She has extensive experience working as a multi-skilled performer andmaker across dance, theatre and puppetry. Being part of devised work, with a strong collaborative approach is a particular interest, as well as performing outdoors and in unusual spaces and places.Sarah is currently touring Autin Dance Theatre’s stunning outdoor work, Out of the Deep Blueas dancer/puppeteer and rehearsal director. This year, she will be joining AutinDT’s new work,Parade:The Giant Wheel as rehearsal director. She isalsocurrently performingin Jess Murray’s Soundcatchersand with Inspirate in Ancient Giants. Sarah has recently worked as movement director/ choreographic mentorfor Deaf Explorer on Cog in the Wheel and with Linden Dance Company on their new outdoor piece UNBOXED. Shewillalsobe continuing her work as Dance Ambassador for NDCWales in 2024.Career highlights include three years touring Tell Tale Hearts’ beautifully quirky dance theatre piece Yummm! nationally and internationally, devising and performing in the outdoor works Gift by Beautiful Creatures and the wonderfully dark The Quiet by Glasshouse Dance and a nationaltour of the hilarious Blast from the Past with Spiltmilk Dance. Sarah has also performed and toured nationally and internationally with Coreo Cymru/ Wales Millenium Centre, The Gramophones, Birmingham Opera Company and Katie Green.For several years Sarahlectured at Derby University, specialising in Physical Theatre and last year wasAssociate lecturer at Lincoln University teaching on the MA degree. Since 2018, Sarah has been steering group member for East Midlands Dance Artist Network (EMDAN). Through the network and with support from FABRIC, she has successfully organised and led Contemporary Classes across Nottingham, Derby and Lincoln. Sarah hasalsolead classes for Tom Dale Company, BrumPro Class and EMDAN Open Contemporary.

Film Maker
Steve Gill

Puppet Designer
Tom Cleaver
Hi, I’m Mr Cleaver. I’m a designer of things. Often very big things. I divide my time between theatre and illustration commissions and the construction of colossal, ceiling-scraping puppets.
I’m UK-based (Leicester, to be precise) but my work has taken me to Germany, France, Sweden, and way up into the Arctic Circle. I hope to go even further in the future.
I love Art and I’m fascinated by science. I believe the two are closely linked. I study animal anatomy (especially prehistoric reptiles) for visual and mechanical inspiration and I believe many engineering problems can be solved using Biomimetics (the observation and replication of Natural systems). I also believe in the social benefits of art and I’m regularly hired to consult with community groups and turn their ideas into reality.
My work leaves little time for much else but I do enjoy HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) and may sometimes be found Longsword fencing or learning Military Sabre.

Performer / Dance Artist
Victoria (Tori) Drew
I have come from a working class background and grew up for a while homeless (had to live at my nans house and been put in temporary care) and having being judged by teachers and society as growing up join the 80s as someone who had social care workers was tough. However, it my my foster carer who realised I couldn’t sit still and put me into dance classes and thanks to her I have a career in dance. Having to fight for my own place in dance through having to financially and emotionally support myself in dance I now have a HUGE passion for engaging people in dance who don’t have the opportunities. If dance saved me… I hope to empower others in dance. I have been a freelance dance artist and full-time dance teacher in schools for over 20 years. I have taught dance across London, Leeds, Birmingham and Israel. I have a Dance and Education degree from the University of Roehampton, a postgraduate degree in Dance in the Community from Trinity Laban, a PGCE with QTS from the Royal Academy of Dance and an MSc in Dance Science from the University of Wolverhampton. My secondary school dance teacher highlights include creating an all-boys dance company that featured on BBC London, giving her students opportunities to perform at Sadler’s Wells and being mentioned in The Good Schools Guide as an excellent facilitator for A-level dance. My freelance dance career has been spent mainly in primary schools and with older adult groups. Her breadth of her experiences in this area have given her specialist knowledge. Furthermore, highlights from my career range from planning and delivering an intergenerational dance project across different schools and care homes in Bedford, teaching and planing outreach work for companies including ACE dance and music where she organised and facilitated large scale Caribbean Carnival projects. Also, working for Birmingham Royal Ballet on an older adult dance project. I have also spent a year dancing and working in Israel. I am very passionate about ensuring everyone has opportunity to access high quality dance.

Performer / Dance Artist
Will Hodson
Will Hodson BiographyWill is originally from Eastleigh, Hampshire. He graduated from theScottish School of Contemporary Dance in 2017 with a First Class (Hons) Degree. Will then completed his Masters Degreein 2018 at the University of Chichester whilst touring the UK and Israel with postgraduate company,MapDance.
After graduating Will went onto work with ZoieLogic Dance Theatre, Luke Brown Dance, Tribe, Shaper Caper and was an apprentice dancer for Protein Dance. He was also a company dancer for 2Faced Dance from 2019-2022 where he worked with Fleur Darkin, Sean Moss, Tamsin Fitzgerald amongst other choreographers. Will is now a freelance dance artist in Birmingham