BIOGRAPHY

 

I have been working as a dancer and dance teacher for the past 9 years between Italy, UK and Australia.

I am currently working Associate Artist for the plan B Collaborative Theatre based in Evanton, Highlands, and undertaking a Masters Degree in Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts at the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow. 

 

I am committed to creating opportunities of public engagement and social inclusion through the medium of dance, and believes in the importance of working in an interdisciplinary and collaborative manner to bridge gaps between different community groups. I am passionate about making the arts accessible to young people and at a community level and introducing them to art forms with which they might not be familiar. Empowering communities through the arts and, working in rural areas and cross art form collaboration are particularly important to me. 

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Although most of my work has been done through the medium of dance, I also uses film, audio, music and art. The core element to my practice is to work in a collaborative & cross-disciplinary manner. I believe in the importance of community, legacy and heritage, and that this can be achieved to its full potential when people combine forces across various settings and social backgrounds. 

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Most of my projects are develop for and with young people, working as choreographer and facilitator to engage young people with their emotions through the arts and allowing them to have an outlet to express, explore and question their world. The work I create take inspiration from the everyday, exploring how our bodies communicate, with a passionate interest in the link between everyday actions and dance. 

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As a choreographer, I am more concerned with honesty than perfection. My goal is to create something meaningful and gratifying and although I am not necessarily always aiming to tell a specific story, I am interested in conveying meaning through emotion. I want to connect to audiences through the exploration of relationships and real-life situations that are the threads in the tapestry of all lives.

 

Click here to see an extract of my classes and perfromances.

 

EDUCATION And TRAINING

2014: Bill Evans Dance Teacher Intensive - The Art and Science of Teaching

A week intensive studying Laban-based Modern Dance Technique, Bartenieff Fundamentals as a preparation for dance technique, Anatomy and Somatics Labs, Dance Science and Somatics-based Ballet, with a primary focus on developing a personal pedagogy.

2013:

• Create:Connect Arts and Dementia Training days for Creative Practitioners Summer 2013. Stonehaven 27th July

• Dance United Stage 1 Training in social inclusion, 4 day workshop. Aberdeen 08th – 11th July.

• It’s Not Rocket Science - A Common Sense Approach to Inclusive Dance Practice  - two day workshop in June with Caroline Bowditch. Inverness

2012 – 2013: Study of Contemporary , Jazz, Ballet and Hip hop with a variety of teachers at The Space Dance & Arts Centre (Melbourne, AU)

2008 – 2011:

• Study of Contemporary technique with Nickley Burke, Josephine Lott (Oxford, UK), INKO Dancers and Maurizio Montis (London, UK).

• Study of Hip Hop with Emma Jayne Greig (EMJ) at Pegasus (Oxford UK). Workshops around UK with Animaneax, Stephen Aspinall, Chris Banaga, S**t Kingz and many more.

• BA Honours Degree in Communication, Media & Culture with Spanish (minor), Oxford Brookes University.

2004 – 2008:

• Study of Ballet (vaganova technique) at Auditorioum ballet, semi professional dance school (Verona, Italy)

• Study of Contemporary technique and Modern dance under Giovanna Venturini & Greta Bragantini at Audititorioum ballet (Verona, Italy.) Workshops around Italy and France with: Mauro Astolfi, Oratio Caiti, Eugenio Buratti, Gianin Loringety and more.

1996 – 2007: Study of Hip Hop with Monica Meneghini and Olivis Lucchini at Arts Studio (Verona, Italy). Workshops over Italy with Gus Bemberay, Omid Ighani & Marisa Ragazzo, Leslie Feliciano and more.

 

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WORK EXPERIENCE

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ORGANISATIONAL WORK

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April 2019 - present:

Therapeutic Arts Co-ordinator, Highland Hospice.

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July 2017 - March 2019:

Associate Artist for plan B Collaborative Theatre, Evanton, Highlands. 

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General: plan and produce an annual programme of work and its delivery, provide a professional high quality artistic leadership on plan B projects and offer support to the Artistic Director and General Manager.

Community Engagement: work with a range of community groups to identify their needs and then adapt projects to meet these needs, project manage one-off events, such as workshops and longer-term projects, including the setting up, monitoring and evaluation of the project, complete administrative duties including bid writing, fundraising and managing budgets, liaise with a variety of people and organisations including local authorities, schools, companies, market and publicise projects via social media, the press, etc. Establish plan B Young Company : recent work with the company includes Variable Continuance (https://vimeo.com/246693088) performed in Ullapool, Dingwall; Ripple (https://vimeo.com/270784774) performed in Eden Court (Empire and OneTouch Theatre), across Inverness city centre and Dingwall and Culloden, a collaboration between young dancers and young musicians performed at UNCON 2.0 in Perth and at Culloden Battlefield.

Professional: develop and manage a network, under the title 57º North, to bring together dance artists in the North of Scotland involved in creative dance practice, to meet and support one another; undertake the role of Rehearsal Director during rehearsals of recent productions Tantulus and A pair of Genes. Choreographer and dancer for new dance theatre piece ‘In the Light of the Moon’ (https://vimeo.com/289452360).

 

October 2015 - July 2017:

Dance Development Worker for Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, Highlands. 

Development duties: assessing and researching the potential to expand the programme of Dance Education in the area, i.e. the potential for presenting performances or operating residential projects; identifying potential partners within the community and build upon the network of dance enthusiasts in the region; assessing the sustainability of dance activities in the Inverness and Inner Moray Firth area.

Schools: duties included developing and delivering dance sessions within the curriculum to schools in the Inverness and Inner Moray Firth area, including nursery, primary and secondary - linking to the Curriculum for Excellence; Developing strong links with schools by offering after-school dance activities, assisting with school productions and supporting them to expand the opportunities for dance.

Classes and outreach events: duties included developing a programme of classes throughout the region which required good networking skills, creativity, time keeping and financial management.

 

December 2015

Performer for Eden Court in ‘When the Winter Wind Blows’

Performing as the wind in Eden Court’s under 5’s Winter Show: “Deep in the wilds of Alaska a little girl named Kaya is trying to play but the naughty winter wind has other ideas. No matter what Kaya does the wind always gets in the way!” (26 shows).

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November 2013 - October 2015:

Dance Development Officer for Ceólas Uibhist, Isle of South Uist, Western Isles. 

Duties included: establish a good base by researching and identifying the gaps in provision for dance tuition, consequently planning a programme of work which encouraged inclusion; liaising with schools, youth clubs, day care centre staff to establish partnerships; contract and supervise freelance dance artists to carry out project work; carry out administration of projects, monitor budgets and keep clear financial records; clearly communicate the work with participants, partners, funders and the communities; develop opportunities for participants to showcase work in central venues and raise the profile of dance education in the islands; organising trips to dance events out with the area; assisting with the creation and  implementation  of  a Western Isles Dance Development Plan; liaise with other agencies (including Health  Promotion,  Community Education, Sport and Health etc) and work in partnership where appropriate.
 

February 2013 - October 2013

Community Arts Management Apprentice at Deveron Projects, Huntly, Aberdeenshire. 

Assist the project manager in all facets of the organisation (event management, finance management, marketing and management of social networks and website), provide creative support to artists in residence as well as support the designing, planning and delivery of arts based workshops, events and training sessions as part of the programme of work and projects Deveron Projects run.

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FREELANCE

 

PERFORMANCE PRACTICE

 

Solo Projects

 

July 2014:

Chromesthesia – solo performance at Taigh Chearsabhagh in response to Norman McLaren’s film Synchromy and as a result of a previous workshop.

 

March 2014 – present:

Out of Place. Solo piece, currently work in progress exploring the notion of sense of place and misplacement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeguaR5Niug&feature=youtu.be

 

March 2014:

Bodysurf’s 4x4 Lab – Dance, Body and Environment.  Awarded a full artist bursary for Bodysurf's 10 day residency and development intensive, equally split between Finhorn village and the Isle of Eigg.

The 4x4 mentor was Jennifer Monson of iLand (USA) whose experience supported the richness and diversity of the intensive and posed critical question of choreographic practice and performance in this context.

 

September 2011:

Solo performance piece for GretArte 2011. Piece developed to honour the memory of Greta, who passed away that year. Song Hometown Glory by Adele:  

 

Collaborations

 

25th November 2014 The Scottish Parliament 

1st - 8th December 2014 The Tent Gallery, Edinburgh

Commissioned upon inivtiation by Hans Clausen for Nil By Mouth - Work in Progress.

Outdoors dance film created on commission for Nil by Mouth, a partnership between The Crichton Carbon Centre, Creative Scotland and the creative organisation Wide Open. 

 

Work exploring the way in which crofters move across the landscape, always responding to the challenges of the often extreme Hebridean environment and weather.  Developed to honour crofting, central aspect of Uist culture and way of life, vital for the sustainability of the land, the fragile environment and in maintaining a healthy population. Choreography and performance: Laura Johnston. Music: Gaoth an Iar – Peigi and Margaret Campbell.

 

July 2014 – ongoing. Chromokinesia (working title) – collaboration with Aaron Jeffrey, artist director of flesh collective (https://www.facebook.com/FleshCollective?fref=ts). Development of a duet in response to my solo Chromesthesia and his previous work Re-[Fr]action, a dance, photographic and film project influenced by the notion of Refraction: The change in direction of a propagating wave (light or sound) when it passes through one substance to another.

 

March 2014 - ongoing. Site-specific piece in Uist - collaboration with artist Simone Kenyon. Initial idea of the project was developed during our residency with 4x4 Lab, and grew following a visit of Simone Kenyon to Uist. We are currently planning to start the research & development phase in February 2014.

 

September 2013: Landings. A dance performance performed as part of Culture Day, 21st September 2013, Findhorn Village. This piece was developed by the performers under the artistic direction of Cath Giles and Jackie Adkins.

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Company Work

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2012: Joe Lott Dance Company. Performer for Peripetiea, a 'first draft' for Tender. This performance piece mines the passions and conflicts of hero stories from around the world. Set in dreamlike pastoral and industrial settings, live and filmed dancers interact creating a vivid and complex visual tapestry.

 

2007 – 2012: Auditorium Ballet Junior, now ‘Iuvenis Danza’ – Auditorium Ballet youth company. Performer and occasional assistant choreographer to Greta Bragantini. Toured nationally with  ‘Emozioni a colori’; ‘Frames, luci in ombra’; ‘Le stanze del desiderio’; ‘Interno con vista’. (http://www.auditoriumballet.com/spettacoli.htm)