Future Now programme 2019

3-6 JULY, 7.30PM

4-15

GUEST CHOREOGRAPHERS

16-17

STUDENT WORKS

20-30

DANCERS

FUTURE NOW MARKS THE CULMINATION OF OUR BA DANCE STUDENTS’ THREE-YEAR PREPARATION FOR ENTERING THE PROFESSION AS CONTEMPORARY DANCE ARTISTS. The evening features three commissions created for and with the students by guest choreographers Antonia Grove, Vinicius Salles and NSCD alumni Sadé and Kristina Alleyne. Other smaller pieces afford just a glimpse of the huge body of work created by our aspiring dance artists.

Several of our graduates now step out to forge freelance careers in the UK, their home countries or further afield. We are excited that some will remain in Leeds, adding to a growing talent pool. Many more are going on to apprenticeship placements within professional companies across the UK and in Europe, or have secured places in postgraduate companies, including our own VERVE. It is fantastic that some of our graduates will be adding formal teaching qualifications to their BA Dance degrees. I’m also very supportive of those who tell me they plan to take some time out - to rest, travel and reflect after an intense educational journey.

The staff and I are all proud of the students’ achievements and will watch with great interest and be here for support as our students become professional colleagues and friends in the creative arts industries and beyond, wherever they are in the world.

I hope you enjoy this evening’s performance.

Janet Smith MBE Principal & Artistic Director

GUEST CHOREOGRAPHER

SUPERHUMAN

CHOREOGRAPHER: Antonia Grove This piece was written and choreographed in collaboration with the dancers.

Superhuman looks at the challenges arising from positions of power - iconic figureheads, unrealistic ideals, notions of greatness and expectations of brilliance.

CAST: Harriet Batty, Laura Booth, Jodie Chan, Beth Connellan, Ellie Grice, Tristan Harris, Marla King, Lok Yiu Lo, Ellie Marsh, Dominic McAinsh, Riccardo Pastore, Paulina Porwollik, Mollie Sutcliffe, Zoe Tankard, Wenwen Wang, Sasha Woods, Lisa-Sofia Ziemann, Julia Zlotnick

The work investigates the ability of humans to go to the opposite extremes - feeling defeated, incapable, vulnerable and dejected.

Can we find a middle ground? Without an overly inflated or deflated sense of worth? Honest, determined and trusting. Just being human.

Special thanks to...

The dancers for their contribution to the choreography and text, and their generosity of spirit.

Greig Cooke for mentoring support.

MUSIC: Ah Cama-Sotz - ‘Roots of Eternity’ Soulwax - ‘The Singer Has Become A Deejay’ Ah Cama-Sotz - ‘Rapture of the Skin’ White Rainbow - ‘Warm Clicked Fruit’ Ori Lichtik - ‘Chairman’ Fluke - ‘Atom Bomb’ LIGHTING: Mark Baker COSTUME: Melissa Burton-Parry REHEARSAL DIRECTOR: Phil Sanger

ANTONIA GROVE

Antonia Grove is a choreographer, teacher, performer and Artistic Director of dance theatre company Probe. She trained at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, then danced with Rambert Dance Company (19982003), the National Theatre, Random Dance, Bonachela Dance Company, The Cholmondeleys, Charles Linehan Company, New Art Club, Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre, Clod Ensemble, HeadSpaceDance and Vincent Dance Theatre.

Antonia has worked with choreographers such as Christopher Bruce, Jiří Kylián, Mats Ek, Merce Cunningham, Ohad Naharin, Richard Alston, Wayne McGregor, Javier De Frutos, Fin Walker, Mark Bruce, Yasmeen Godder and Wendy Houstoun. She has three times been nominated for the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards. Antonia founded dance theatre company Probe in 2004 and has toured six full-length productions to date.

5

GUEST CHOREOGRAPHER

THE WHOLE SHEBANG!

CAST: Jonny Aubrey-Bentley, Michèle Benz, Matilda Bjärum, Lou Ditaranto, Marcus Francisco, Bar Groisman, Ania Jurek, Annie Kelleher, Reece Marshall, Meg Pennington, Genevieve Reeves, John Robinson, Gabby Sanders, Amandine Villeneuve, Ellen Vollmer, Hannah Wilson, Mathilde Ytterstad

The Cow’s Arms is a place lost in a mundane, urban wilderness. A refuge for locals to ruminate on their political ideologies. The customers’ stories intertwine, creating a contemporary physical tale that is sharp, funny and cruel.

MUSIC: Mixing and Sound Design by Vinicius Salles Samples from: Pierre Desprats - ‘Pluie passagère’, Modeselektor - ‘Kalif Storch’, Downer Canada ‘Side Two’, Parasse - ‘Temple’, Ola Saad - ‘Nuba’, Say No! To Architecture - ‘666-voices’, Ben Frost ‘Theory Of Machines’

In this ring of hate, the landlady has an impasse; how to deal with certain groups in the pub who are subverting the meaning of words to reinforce their beliefs and to regulate how a body should move.

The whole shebang! presents a statement about the distortion of words in our time.

Special thanks to Fernanda Prata, Glyn Hawke, Janet Smith, Matias Kruger, Alessandra Cali and Francesca McCarthy.

CHOREOGRAPHER: Vinicius Salles The work was devised with the whole cast and Iolanda Portogallo.

SCRIPT: The script is a collage of several texts, partdevised by the company and Vinicius Salles. Also extracts from: Joseph Kahn - Bodied , Hollie McNish - ‘Mathematics’, Supertramp - ‘The Logical Song’, Claire Colebrook - Gilles Deleuze ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHER: Iolanda Portogallo LIGHTING: Mark Baker COSTUME: Melissa Burton-Parry REHEARSAL DIRECTOR: Matthew Slater

VINICIUS SALLES

Vinicius graduated from the performing arts school Martins Pena in 1993, studied filmmaking at the London Film Academy and holds a Master’s degree in Documentary Film at UAL. Over the last 25 years, Vinicius has performed with leading Brazilian and UK dance companies including Punchdrunk, Gecko, Jasmin Vardimon Company and others.

Vinicius’ works include Disruptive Narratives, 2019; The Return of the Unknown, 2018; Glitch, 2018; OX, 2017; Witches in Disguise, 2016; Human Marvels, 2016; Copycat, 2009; No Contact, 2007; Xristos, 2003 and Esquinas, 2002. Currently, he is producing Tutu Trouble, funded by ACE and Croydon Council. He also works as visiting lecturer at both Royal Holloway University and Christ Church University.

9

GUEST CHOREOGRAPHER

INNOCENT CHILDREN “Your bargain with your Lord is finally complete, Because you are all martyrs without fear or grief Who gave all you had for your precious belief, You promised Him your souls and He promised you much more.

Now you can enjoy what He’s kept in store…?”

Innocent Children was inspired by BBC TV series The State. This piece plays with the concept of following traditions, beliefs and stories told. One character challenges this and suggests alternative choices. Do choices equal liberty? Does structure create security?

Special thanks to all the young artists who have been part of this creation. It was beautiful to create, explore and work in a studio full of so much curiosity, positivity and bravery.

We wish all the dancers success in the future for whatever they decide to do.

CHOREOGRAPHERS: Alleyne Dance – Kristina and Sadé Alleyne CAST: Rachael Harrison, Eva Hendier, Lydia Herbert, Charlie Hogan, Abigayle Holt, Ashlin Huck, Keitija Kalnina, Lucy Martin, Marit Meløe, Mathilde Navarro, Jessica Rose Nixon, Elena Peschechera, Chris Pilbeam, Savanna Ramnarine, Oliver Robertson, Elisa Ruffato, Joke Swennen, Sarah Swift, Elly Welford MUSIC: Music production by Sadé Alleyne Julia Kent - ‘The Leopard’ Jocelyn Pook - ‘Adam’s Lullaby’ Barbatuques - ‘Faz Parte/Barbapapa’s Groove’ Saltillo - ‘Remember Me?’ Ólafur Arnalds - ‘Main Theme’ DESIGN: Sadé Alleyne CO-DESIGN: Kieron Johnson LIGHTING: Mark Baker COSTUME: Melissa Burton-Parry REHEARSAL DIRECTOR: Hana Goseling

ALLEYNE DANCE

NSCD alumni Kristina and Sadé Alleyne founded Alleyne Dance in 2014.

Their aesthetic reflects their diverse background of athleticism and dance training. AD blends Afro-Caribbean, Hip Hop, Kathak, Latin and Circus Skills within a contemporary dance context. Their movement is fast-paced and dynamic with infusions of lyrical and fluid motion, with a focus on rhythms and textures.

The company’s production A Night’s Game has been touring since 2016 in the UK and internationally to over 9 countries, and The Other Side of Me premiered in 2019. Alleyne Dance has received over 10 choreographic commissions and their workshops have been delivered across 3 continents.

13

STUDENT WORKS

STUDENT WORKS

ONE SOUL

A (PH)ACE

EPILOGUE

- MATILDA BJÄRUM

- RICCARDO PASTORE

MUSIC: thefaded. - ‘IXTLI’

MUSIC: IDER - ‘Pulse’

A BOSIE

RESENT

- JESSICA ROSE NIXON MUSIC: Ek Jaan - ‘Nitin Sawhney (Bob Holroyd Deep Blue Mix)’

- LAURA BOOTH

- MEG PENNINGTON

MUSIC: Jónsi & Alex - ‘Boy 1904’

MUSIC: DakhaBrakha - ‘Dibrova’

MISS TOKEN WOMAN

RHEINS

- ANNIE KELLEHER

- AMANDINE VILLENEUVE

HUMAN RESOURCES

CAST: Matilda Bjärum Marla King Ellen Vollmer Sasha Woods Mathilde Ytterstad

- ANNIE KELLEHER IN COLLABORATION WITH JONNY AUBREY-BENTLEY

MUSIC: Original score by Azizi Cole

CAST: Jonny Aubrey-Bentley Annie Kelleher

SEWING ARRANGEMENT: Ellen Vollmer

MUSIC: Relaxing Sounds - ‘Office Sound Effect’ and ‘Background Noises’

MUSIC: ABBA - ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

(A Man After Midnight)

CERRYNT Y CEFNFOR - MARLA KING

MOOD INDIGO - ELLY WELFORD MUSIC: Nina Simone - ‘Wild Is The Wind (Live in New York 1964)’

MUSIC: Muslimgauze - ‘Under The Burka’ Edited by Tristan Harris

ALL WORKS

IT GETS EASIER...

LIGHTING: Mark Baker

- REECE MARSHALL MUSIC: Monty Python - ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’

REHEARSAL DIRECTORS: Francesca McCarthy Matthew Robinson Janet Smith

17

DANCERS JONNY AUBREY-BENTLEY Jonny began studying dance at High Storrs School in Sheffield and later joined the Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) scheme at NSCD. Whilst training at Northern he has enjoyed

passion for movement was completely changed when, at the age of 17, she discovered contemporary dance and the limitless ways in which she could move her body. Auditioning for NSCD was a lucky coincidence for Michèle, but one which she wouldn’t regret for a second. Michèle’s time at NSCD has not only made her ready to step out as a professional mover, but has given her the opportunity to grow as a person and a multidimensional artist. Michèle will keep on playing next year as she joins the second generation of La Faktoria in Pamplona, Spain. michelebenz

MATILDA BJÄRUM

the freedom that the BA course has offered him creatively. It has not only provided him with exceptional dance training, but it has also allowed him to pursue other creative interests as an artist, particularly in music and theatre. After graduating, Jonny will be completing his MA at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Matilda was born in 1996 in Sweden, where she started dancing at the age of 4. She passed the audition for LDMG in Lund, where she studied dance and musical theatre for 3 years. She then

HARRIET BATTY

DANCERS

Born in 1999, East Yorkshire, Harriet started dancing at the age of 3. She attended her local dance school, LWHS School of Dance, and was also a part of the Northern Ballet Associate programme.

Harriet performed and competed in various dance styles until she was 16, when she decided to pursue contemporary and completed the Foundation course at NSCD. She went on to study the BA (Hons), performing works by the likes of Sharon Watson and Joseph Mercier, as well as student works, at Riley Theatre and off-site. Harriet will be moving onto the Postgraduate Apprentice Scheme (PAS) at NSCD, joining Black Box Dance Company. She also performs at Sadler’s Wells this summer as part of the Young Associates programme in a piece by Ruby Portus. harrietbattydance

MICHÈLE BENZ Michèle was born in 1998 in Bern, Switzerland.

Growing up surrounded by musicians, the enjoyment of every art form was soon an essential part of her life.

At the age of 4 she joined her first ballet class. Her

discovered contemporary dance and delved into a foundation year in Malmö before applying to NSCD. While at NSCD, Matilda received an Erasmus Exchange Scholarship to study in the Netherlands for 3 months, which inspired her greatly. She has had the pleasure of working with choreographers such as Humanhood (Spain), Vinicius Salles (Brazil), Vloeistof (the Netherlands), Graham Adey (UK/Sweden), and Tiia Ourila (UK/Finland). After graduation, Matilda will join Scottish Dance Theatre as an apprentice while completing a Master’s in Contemporary Dance.

She will continue expanding her improvisation practice and her interest in the fusion of games and playfulness in choreographic work. matildabjarum

LAURA BOOTH Laura was born in Aberdeen in 1998.

Her childhood was spent dancing to her grandparents’ cassettes, and at age 6, she asked to go to dance classes at the village hall, insisting on having the leotard, skirt and ballet shoes. Prior to NSCD she was part of Fusion Dance Company. Highlights of her training include performing works by Jane McKernan, studying Body-Mind Centering, and completing her 200 Hour Yoga teacher training. Laura has loved having the time, space and support to delve into the

creative process of storytelling through movement, voice and props. After graduating from NSCD she will be working as an apprentice with balletLORENT. Laura hopes to continue creating her own work, study further into somatics, and travel the world.

LOU DITARANTO Lou was born in 1997 in Rouen, France and moved to Trondheim, Norway at a young age. She started developing a strong passion for dance and grew up with the wish to one day make a living from this passion. She

laurie__j

JODIE CHAN Growing up in Scotland, Jodie began dancing at her local dance school at the age of 3.

She then started her professional dance training at Scottish Ballet Associates and later at The Dance School of Scotland, based in Glasgow. At age 17 she started her studies at NSCD. As a result of her training experiences, she has had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Joseph Mercier, Tiia Ourila, Sharon Watson and Antonia Grove.

studied at Trondheim Katedralskole before flying to Leeds and starting her professional training at NSCD. Thrilled and excited to learn and be inspired by the incredible people around her, she will now continue training at NSCD as part of VERVE 20.

She is also working with Barnaby Booth, as well as staging her own work in Oslo, Norway. louditaranto

MARCUS FRANCISCO

After graduating, Jodie will continue to live in Leeds and take an active role in project-based works, while also working towards becoming a certified yoga instructor.

21

BETH CONNELLAN Before joining NSCD Beth trained at Susan Robinson School of Ballet and danced for Shift Dance Company at The Place. During her studies she has worked with choreographers including Joss Arnott, Theo Clinkard, Charlie Morrissey and Sharon Watson.

Her highlights at Northern were performing in a restaging of Rosas danst Rosas at Riley Theatre and Live Art Bistro, as well as organising and stage managing the Student Platform. After she graduates, Beth hopes to gain further experience as a producer and project manager, alongside developing her videography work. bethconnellanuk

ELLIE GRICE Ellie’s contemporary dance training began while she was studying Dance at Birmingham Ormiston Academy.

Some of her highlights of training at NSCD have been working with Charlie Morrissey, creating and performing site-specific work at Harewood House, developing her interest in film and screendance, working collaboratively with artists and musicians in Leeds, and working towards the graduation piece choreographed by Antonia Grove. After graduating, Ellie plans to build on her collaborative work with other artists in Leeds, before going travelling to experience dance in other countries. She also plans to develop her own work in screendance before continuing her future studies.

BAR GROISMAN Bar was born in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1998 and was raised in Cambridge, UK. She started her dance training at the DanceEast CAT programme, where she platformed her work Intrusion. Shortly after, she spent a year with the National Youth Dance Company, performing Michael Keegan-Dolan’s In-Nocentes. In her next adventure, Bar will be performing in a work by Ruby Portus at Sadler’s Wells for the Young Associates production Together, not the same. Following this, she will be performing in Protein Dance’s outdoor project (In)Visible Dancing. After this, Bar wishes to keep performing in dance theatre works and to keep developing her choreographic skills, creating original dance theatre productions. She will miss sharing the studio and theatre space with her peers and the fabulous musicians at Northern, and hopes to cross paths with them in the future.

DANCERS

TRISTAN HARRIS Born in 1997, Tristan attended Ballet, Tap and Jazz classes at Dionne Turpie School of Dance for 11 years and trained in Musical Theatre at Preston Dance College for 2 years before joining NSCD. A week’s workshop with Anton Lachky was Tristan’s favourite memory of NSCD as it brought a new quality of speed and dynamics to his work. After graduating, Tristan is moving to the countryside and working as a freelance musician and music producer for dance, pursuing his mission to spread a message of love and positivity wherever he goes.

RACHAEL HARRISON Rachael was born in Hartlepool in 1998.

She started dancing at the age of 3, learning Tap, Modern, Ballet and Acro at Watson Academy of Dance until she was 18. When she was 13 she joined the CAT programme at Dance City in Newcastle, and she was also part of National Youth Dance Company from 2015-2016. Her favourite memory from her time at

Northern is being able to demonstrate for Donald Edwards. After graduating she will be taking a year out.

EVA HENDIER Eva was born in 1996 in Geneva, Switzerland.

She discovered her love of dancing at a young age while listening to Madonna’s music.

She first trained as a synchronised swimmer and began dancing at the age of 16. Before coming to NSCD, Eva trained at Arts Appliqués in Geneva. Highlights of her training have been working on two pieces with Jane McKernan and having the opportunity to create her own work. After graduation, Eva would like to explore the world.

LYDIA HERBERT NSCD has been the sole provider of Lydia’s dance training. She started on the CAT scheme at NSCD in 2012 before going on to study on the Foundation course, and continuing onto the BA (Hons) course.

Lydia’s highlight from the last 7 years of NSCD has been the opportunity to work with such a wide set of choreographers, who have inspired her to become the artist she is today and taught her to challenge herself as a mover and an individual.

After graduating, Lydia would like to develop her teaching practice and create more platforms for community dance works in and around Leeds, inspiring younger and older generations to share their passion for dance.

CHARLIE HOGAN Before starting his training at NSCD, Charlie spent 3 years on the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance CAT scheme.

His highlights at NSCD are training with some of his closest friends day in, day out, and forming strong and supportive relationships. He has also enjoyed finding a way to overcome the challenges dancers face every

day, particularly during rehearsal periods and workshops. After graduation, Charlie will perform for Möbius Dance in an international tour to Malaysia, before joining VERVE 20 in September.

ABIGAYLE HOLT Abigayle has been dancing since the age of 3, training at the Susan Handy School of Dancing in Cecchetti Ballet, Modern, Tap and Contemporary, as well as dabbling in Musical Theatre. Joining the Cecchetti Associate Programme at the age of 8, at age 14 Abigayle joined the CAT scheme at The Place before moving to Leeds to go into full-time training on the Foundation course at NSCD. Being at NSCD has opened Abigayle’s eyes to new possibilities within the industry. While at Northern, she has practiced sound design and lighting while co-ordinating an external public performance.

After graduating, Abigayle would like to develop her knowledge of lighting design in theatres, whilst also developing her practice for television.

ASHLIN HUCK Ashlin was born in 1998 in Truro. He started dancing at age 13 at Dance City in Newcastle, taking part in the CAT scheme for 4 years while also studying dance at Gateshead College.

One of Ashlin’s many highlights from studying at Northern has been performing to a 360-degree audience at Light Night in a work created by Sara Ribeiro, sharing the space with a highly inspirational and talented set of people. After graduating from NSCD, Ashlin is moving to Newcastle and basing himself there as a freelance dancer and artist.

ANIA JUREK Ania was born in 1994 in Poland. She graduated with 2 Bachelor’s degrees in Dance Composition and Social Policy before continuing her dance education at Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität in Austria. Before getting into dance she gained stage experience by taking part in theatre projects.

She started dancing at the age of 17, joining STW training school and Natalia Draganik’s company, and came to NSCD via an exchange programme. She has recently worked on pieces led by Jason Jacobs, Regina van Berkel, Bruno Genty, Jianan Qu, Natalia Iwaniec and Maciej Kuźmiński. In 2018 she joined EXIM Dance Company, performing in a creation by Adam Benjamin. The mixture of social and somatic aspects is her main area of interest.

KEITIJA KALNINA Keitija graduated from Calderdale College with a BTEC Level 3 in Dance in 2016, before joining NSCD’s CAT scheme. While studying on the BA (Hons), she has particularly enjoyed working with guest choreographers who have pushed and challenged her as a performer. After graduating, she is looking forward to continuing to develop her body, moving forward with dancing and seeing what the world has to offer.

ANNIE KELLEHER Annie’s journey into contemporary dance started through Suffolk Junior Dance Company and youth theatre groups in Ipswich. She trained at the CAT at DanceEast for 3 years while continuing to explore her interest in theatre. Her fondest memories at NSCD are of performing her own works at the Riley Theatre and Live Art Bistro. Whilst dancing at NSCD, Annie has thought about the future, eaten cake, and been an asteroid, a politician, a hot mess, a mermaid, a business woman, a beauty queen, a drag king and a dominatrix. Now Annie plans to dive into

23

the freelance world, where she’ll be continuing to work with lecturer Joseph Mercier on his research into queer presence, and hopes to carry on creating and performing her own work. annie_kelleher_dance

MARLA KING

DANCERS

Growing up, Marla attended a local dance school in Brecon, Wales and was part of an associate programme with National Dance Company Wales and Ballet Cymru.

The performance opportunities and diverse rehearsal periods at NSCD have been Marla’s main highlights. Working with Charlie Morrissey in first year made Marla realise what she values as a performer, as well as providing a safe space to develop contact improvisation practices. She loved the development project modules as she found the opportunity to work creatively and collaboratively with others and perform in a variety of choreographic works really enriching. After graduation, Marla is excited to join National Dance Company Wales as an apprentice through the Master’s programme at London Contemporary Dance School. marla.k_dance

and Juliet. Ellie previously trained at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts and was a member of National Youth Ballet for 7 years before making work for the company. Alongside her training at NSCD, she obtained a sports massage qualification from the London School of Massage. A highlight of her time at NSCD was the site-specific project at Harewood House, as she had the chance to choreograph on talented artists in a challenging setting. _elliemarsh_

REECE MARSHALL Reece was born in 1997. He trained with Hertfordshire Youth Dance Company from 2014 to 2016, and was mentored by James Williams. Reece’s favourite memories from his time at Northern are mostly made up of the sweaty classes with Tiia Ourila and Phil Sanger. He will also never forget the time Tristan bought and handed him a much-needed whiskey to drink while he was performing at Live Art Bistro. Once Reece has graduated, he will spend a year with Company Chameleon as their new apprentice on NSCD’s Postgraduate Apprenticeship Scheme (PAS).

LUCY MARTIN LOK YIU LO Lo was born in 1992 in Hong Kong. She graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts before travelling to Leeds to complete the BA (Hons) in Contemporary Dance.

After graduating, she

plans to keep moving and travel around the world.

ELLIE MARSH Ellie will be joining National Dance Company Wales as an apprentice for their 2019/20 season.

This summer, Ellie will also be rehearsal directing for Matt Nicholson at the National Youth Ballet and will be shadowing Alan Vincent as rehearsal director for the New Adventures production of Romeo

Lucy was born in 1998 in Kent. Dancing from an early age, she had a keen interest in performing and started at The Place’s CAT scheme in 2013, before joining Shift Youth Dance Company in 2014. Lucy came to NSCD in 2016 and has been very inspired by those around her. She is grateful for all the opportunities she has been given, including working with choreographers such as Tiia Ourila, Sharon Watson and Joseph Mercier. Some highlights of Lucy’s time at NSCD have been doing improvisation jams, creating various installations and exhibitions and performing Joseph Mercier’s piece at Live Art Bistro. Following graduation, Lucy is excited to be joining VERVE 20.

DOMINIC MCAINSH

MATHILDE NAVARRO

Prior to his training at NSCD, Dominic was on the CAT scheme at The Place, where he realised that his passion for dance was more than a hobby. He was fortunate enough to work with choreographers such as

Mathilde was born in 1997 in Geneva, Switzerland. She trained in contemporary dance and theatre before joining Arts Appliqués in Geneva. Since being a child, Mathilde has always been hyperactive

Theo Clinkard and Richard Alston and dancers from Company Wayne McGregor. He toured with National Youth Dance Company in 2016/17, and performed in In-Nocentes by Michael Keegan-Dolan. During his 3 years at NSCD he has had the pleasure of creating works with Tiia Ourila, Sharon Watson, Joseph Mercier and Antonia Grove. Since moving to Leeds, Dominic has discovered his love for ballet, food, hot pants and house plants. In August 2019 he will join Tanzmainz in Germany as an apprentice dancer on NSCD’s Postgraduate Apprenticeship Scheme (PAS). dom_mac

MARIT MELØE Marit was born in 1996 in Tromsø, Norway. At an early age she dreamed of being able to dance professionally. With the knowledge she has gained from NSCD, she is now taking that dream to Oslo to work as a freelance dancer, focusing on authenticity in improvisation and character-based work. Marit can currently be seen in Ruby Portus’ Together not the same, and in August you can catch her performing in Dans/5 in Oslo. She will always remember the dripping sweat from Tiia Ourila’s contemporary classes; the brilliant pieces watched and performed at Riley Theatre; the one time she perfectly landed a triple pirouette in Hana Goseling’s ballet class. Her time at Northern was essential for her to find her own artistic voice and movement language. maritmeloe

and needed to move and run everywhere, which is the reason why she auditioned for NSCD. Mathilde has so many good memories from NSCD, she has stored them in a jar in her bedroom. She has grown up a lot during the past 3 years, leaving her country, working with amazing choreographers, and meeting wonderful humans. In the future she would love to travel to South America to discover new cultures.

JESSICA ROSE NIXON Prior to commencing the BA course at NSCD, Jessica trained in Musical Theatre at CAPA College, Wakefield, where she also gained her A Levels. Alongside college she trained at NSCD’s CAT scheme, as well as training and performing with the National Youth Dance Company. After graduating, Jessica is looking forward to continuing her training as an apprentice dancer with Phoenix Dance Theatre as part of the NSCD Postgraduate Apprenticeship Scheme (PAS).The highlights of Jessica’s time at NSCD are choreographing her third-year solo and working collaboratively in creative processes with Jane McKernan, Sharon Watson, Joseph Mercier and Alleyne Dance.

RICCARDO PASTORE Riccardo was born in 1997 in Milan, Italy, and started training in Ballet, Contemporary, Tap and Jazz at age 16.

He took part in national and international competitions including the YAGP European Semifinals, where in 2015 he won third prize in the Solo Contemporary section. He also received prestigious scholarships at institutions including Palucca Hochschule and Wiener Staatsoper. In 2016,

25

thanks to a full tuition scholarship from Peridance, he moved to New York, where he performed works

by Igal Perry as an apprentice with Peridance Company. In September 2017, as a second-year BA (Hons) entrant, Riccardo started his training at NSCD and in the meantime performed across Europe with MN Dance Company (Slovenia) and Montaggio Parallelo Dance Company (Italy).

CHRIS PILBEAM Chris was born in 1998 and started his dance training at Gateshead College with a BTEC in Dance. He progressed onto the CAT scheme at Dance City in Newcastle, and danced with the National Youth Dance

MEG PENNINGTON

DANCERS

Originally from Leeds, Meg began her training at a local dance school before gaining a place on the CAT scheme at NSCD in 2012, where she trained for 4 years. Meg enjoyed discovering her choreographic voice while creating her pieces Anon and SMAK. Another highlight is the opportunity to perform in works by her peers and a variety of professional choreographers, not forgetting dancing the night away at the post-performance party at Live Art Bistro. Meg is pleased to be spending another year at NSCD completing her MA in Dance Performance as a member of VERVE, making it 8 years since she first joined the school.

ELENA PESCHECHERA Elena was born in 1996 in Italy. She started her dance training at Dance & Movement Studio under the guidance of Michela Borrelli. She enriched her training by attending Accademia Internazionale Coreutica (Italy) and Conservatorio Superior de Danza Maria de Avila (Spain). Elena’s past 2 years at NSCD have gone quicker than she could have imagined; her highlight is creating the piece Rosas danst Rosas with her lecturer Fernanda Prata, as it helped her to discover herself and the performer she could be in the future. Elena’s next experience will be as an apprentice at Danish Dance Theatre Company in Copenhagen, through the London Contemporary Dance School’s Master’s programme.

Company in 2015/16. The highlight of his time at NSCD was performing in the student showcases, in pieces choreographed by Charlie Morrissey, Sharon Watson and Alleyne Dance. He plans to work as a ski and snowboard instructor in France and will train to be a qualified mountain guide. chris__pilbeam

IOLANDA PORTOGALLO Iolanda was born in Italy in 1998. She previously trained at Accademia Internazionale Coreutica in Florence, directed

by Elisabetta Hertel.

During her time at NSCD, she really enjoyed performing in pieces by Jane McKernan and having the opportunity to meet amazing people who contributed to building her improvisation skills. She is currently working with Möbius Dance, directed

by Gianluca Vincentini, and after graduating she is hoping to continue to work with them and get involved in more projects around the UK.

PAULINA PORWOLLIK Paulina was born in 1994 in Hamburg, Germany.

Before she came to study at NSCD, she did a 3-year qualification in Dance in Education at Erika Klütz Schule in Hamburg.

From September, she will do her Master’s at NSCD, completing an apprenticeship with Candoco Dance Company in London. Her favourite moments from the course were the rehearsal periods with Tiia Ourila, Joseph Mercier and Antonia Grove and performing at the Riley Theatre, Live Art Bistro and Harewood House.

Beside those highlights, she is very grateful to all the incredible and inspiring people she danced with every day during the past 3 years.

SAVANNA RAMNARINE Savanna, born in 1997, originally competed in Latin American and Ballroom dance.

She danced with contemporary youth groups in her hometown before starting her training at NSCD, completing both the Foundation course and the BA (Hons). Performing her Foundation solo was a very memorable moment in her training, as it showed her how strong she was becoming as a performer. She loved improvisation classes, and always looked forward to the creative process for new projects. After graduation, Savanna is hoping to complete a PGCE in Secondary Dance to further her understanding of teaching. She also hopes to work on small independent improvisation performances around the UK and Europe.

GENEVIEVE REEVES Genevieve has danced ever since she can remember. Prior to joining NSCD, she was a member of Oxford Youth Dance Company, The Place’s CAT scheme, Shift Youth Dance Company and East Oxford Youth Ballet. During her time at Northern, she has enjoyed working on and performing in pieces

by Tiia Ourila, Humanhood and Vinicius Salles. A particular highlight was performing her own solo and being in multiple creations by her peers. She is excited to start her post-degree journey as an apprentice at Scottish Dance Theatre.

OLIVER ROBERTSON Before joining NSCD, Oliver danced with Legacy Dance Company for 1 year, and took part in DanceEast’s CAT scheme for 6 years. He has always been driven to become a performer, and has loved the rehearsal periods and performances he has experienced at NSCD. Pushing himself outside of his comfort zone and trying to mould to a different style, technique or discipline has been highly rewarding for Oliver, and he is grateful to NSCD for offering these

regular opportunities. Oliver has been offered a place with James Wilton Dance Company as an apprentice dancer, and will be gaining a Master’s at the same time.

JOHN ROBINSON John started dancing when he was 4 years old, attending local ballet classes. He then went on to train on the Royal Ballet School Mid Associates Programme, before joining the DanceEast CAT scheme in 2010. Here he was first introduced to contemporary and had the opportunity to work with choreographers including Joss Arnott and Alexander Whitley. Some of his favourite memories at NSCD include working with Jane McKernan on 2 pieces and performing in works created by his peers. After graduating, John will start his MA at NSCD, working as an apprentice dancer with 2Faced Dance Company, hoping to pursue a career in performing and teaching.

ELISA RUFFATO Born in 1998, Elisa began studying Contemporary and Ballet at the age of 6 at SpazioDanza (Italy), directed by Elisa Bozzato and Antonella Schiavon. She then joined the Oliva Contemporary Dance Project, where she studied with Michele Oliva and Francesca Dario. She has always been keen to supplement her academic training with new learning experiences, so has taken part in many workshops and intensives.

She attended a Gaga Intensive, where she studied with Yaara Moses, Michal Sayfan, Matan David and Ohad Naharin, a MoveMentor workshop at SEAD led by Edivaldo Ernesto, and Impulstanz Festival in Vienna, where she studied the Rosas repertory with Marta Coronado. Next year, Elisa will join the Kibbutz programme in Israel, and is excited to see what she can achieve in the future.

27

GABBY SANDERS

JOKE SWENNEN

Prior to her training at NSCD, Gabby attended Ballet, Modern and Ballroom classes, and went to Stagecoach for several years. She was first introduced to contemporary when she joined Ceyda Tanc

Joke was born in 1998.

Before coming to NSCD, she did most of her training at her secondary school, a performing arts school dedicated to contemporary dance. One of her highlights from

Youth Dance Company, and has recently been taken on as an apprentice with the professional company. Some of Gabby’s highlights include the rehearsal and performance of Stardust by Tiia Ourila, performing her solo in the second year showcase, and creating her own work, Etude 1, which was performed at the student-curated Flock Fest earlier this year. Upon graduating, Gabby is looking forward to doing an MA at The Place with EDGE20. She has helped to set up a registered charity, Let’s Dance, and hopes to continue working with them to develop more accessible performance opportunities for young people in the UK.

DANCERS

gabby_sanders

MOLLIE SUTCLIFFE Mollie began training at the age of 3 in many different styles of dance, and joined NSCD’s CAT scheme aged 14. This is where her passion for contemporary dance really began, and what led her to continue onto the degree course. Her biggest highlights were taking an original piece to The Place as part of an exchange with their third-year students and leading her own workshop. Mollie has enjoyed collaborating with different choreographers for their works, and getting the chance to explore a variety of concepts and movement qualities. In the future, she hopes to perform for a professional company, and is keen to keep exploring her creative interests, researching and making work.

NSCD is giving Tiia Ourila tea during rehearsals to help her get through the day when she was feeling ill. After graduation, Joke is going to do a project with NSCD alumna Judith Clijsters, and will start her teaching degree. Her aim is to completely recover from her injury, so that she can audition, travel and teach around the world. jokeswennen

SARAH SWIFT Sarah danced with the Worcestershire Youth Dance Company, and in 2015 began studying at NSCD on the Foundation course. Highlights of Sarah’s training include the creation and performance of

Glittoris by Joseph Mercier and the Ideas in the Arts module, which included a range of lectures covering many different creative disciplines.

She is interested in the role of dance within healthcare and is passionate about the idea that a dancer’s knowledge of the body and movement can help to improve the lives of others. As she leaves NSCD, Sarah hopes to work in community-based dance practice.

ZOE TANKARD Zoe trained at Highgate Ballet School and Chiltern Academy before gaining a dance scholarship at St Marylebone School, where she was a member of their dance company.

Some highlights of her training include having the opportunity to make interdisciplinary work and organising events off-site, in particular an installation she created at Yorkshire Dance as part of the thirdyear Collaborative Arts module. After graduation, Zoe plans to continue creating multidisciplinary

work, combining dance and visual art to create immersive installations.

WENWEN WANG Born in 1996, Wenwen competed as a rhythmic gymnast for China’s national team, winning numerous accolades.

After retiring she joined the dance programme at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in

artisinmotion

AMANDINE VILLENEUVE Amandine was born in 1996 and studied Contemporary Dance at Arts Appliqués in Geneva, Switzerland.

She really enjoyed the internationalism of the student body at NSCD, and the sharing and supportive atmosphere amongst the students. She loved the creative module, and is grateful for the amazing choreographic experience she shared with the dancers she worked with this year. She is passionate about choreography, and would love to create her own work professionally in the future.

She also loves travelling, and is interested in anatomy and dance therapy.

Singapore, and participated in The Third Space for the Singapore da:ns festival, the eighth ASEAN Para Games opening ceremony and the World Dance Alliance in Korea.

The night Wenwen presented SESSION1 for her Collaborative Arts project was her most memorable moment at NSCD, as the process helped her to come out of her comfort zone. Wenwen will be joining Emergence, the MA Dance Performance and Professional Practices programme at the University of Salford. www_wenwenwang

amandinevilleneuve

ELLY WELFORD Prior to NSCD Elly attended Chichester College, completing a Level 3 and HNC in Dance.

During this time she also trained with Ceyda Tanc Youth Dance and Penny & Jules Youth Company.

One of her highlights

ELLEN VOLLMER Ellen was born in Germany in 1998, and from a young age was part of her local community dance group.

Ellen moved to the UK in 2014 and joined Ceyda Tanc Youth Dance Company in 2015. Her favourite memory from NSCD is her first ballet assessment, where she managed to do the petit allegro correctly for the first time, serving as a reminder that dedication and hard work can pay off. After graduation, Ellen will join BalletLORENT as an apprentice through the postgraduate programme at London Contemporary Dance School, and hopes to further build her artistry as a performer and a teacher. Ellen would also like to continue her work to raise awareness about living with a facial disfigurement or other differences. obviouslyellie

at Northern was finding her love for dance photography and getting the opportunity to take photos for VERVE and her own year group. This year Elly will be joining Motionhouse as an apprentice as part of the PAS Master’s degree at NSCD. She hopes to come back to Leeds afterwards to freelance as a dancer and photographer. ellyweldance

HANNAH WILSON Hannah was born in 1996 in Sheffield. She started out training in gymnastics at the age of 7, then moved onto trampolining and finally began dancing at the age 12. She trained in Latin, Ballroom and Urban Commercial styles as a teenager. She started the Foundation course at NSCD in 2015 and stayed on

29

to complete the BA (Hons) degree. She has enjoyed doing independent projects, and wishes to continue to work as an independent artist. Her interests are philosophy, psychology, inclusivity, mental health, visuals, horror, comedy, theatre, somatics and people. She hopes to travel and explore many different avenues.

SASHA WOODS

DANCERS

In 2012, Sasha volunteered to be a community dancer for Retina Dance Company with Filip Van Huffel.

She began training on the CAT scheme at NSCD, then graduated from the Foundation course and continued onto the BA. At NSCD, Sasha has discovered her appreciation for improvisation and connected with guest artists such as Joan Clevillé, Lenka Vagnerová and Jennifer-Lynn Crawford. Sasha has cherished every chance she has had to perform at the Riley Theatre and other venues with choreographers such as Tiia Ourila, Charlie Morrissey, Joseph Mercier, Phil Sanger and Antonia Grove. After graduating she wants to continue building her creative artistic knowledge by collaborating with many more artists and choreographers.

MATHILDE YTTERSTAD Mathilde was born in 1996 in Norway, and started Hip-hop, Jazz, Contemporary and Ballet classes at the age of 12.

She trained in Dance and Choreography at Rud VGS for 3 years, followed by a one-year Foundation course at Spin Off. Since moving to the UK to train at NSCD she has had the pleasure of working with choreographers such as Humanhood, Vinicius Salles, Charlie Morrissey and Masja Abrahamsen. Working on projects such as movement research and screendance and collaborating with others to create dance and lighting design have been the highlights of her training. After graduating, Mathilde will move back to Norway to work freelance, in the hopes of expanding the national dance scene. In the future, she wants be part of a company, broaden her knowledge of lighting design and screendance, and study nutrition.

LISA-SOFIA ZIEMANN Lisa-Sofia was born in Berlin in 1997. At the age of 4, Lisa started dancing at Little Bowden School of Dancing, later training at Urdang Youth Academy and Jasmin Vardimon Intensive before joining NSCD. Some of Lisa’s favourite memories at NSCD are the inside jokes with her year group and teachers, performing in other students’ works and at Harewood House in first year, working with NSCD Learning & Participation and assisting Mark Baker with lighting. After graduating, Lisa will complete an MA at NSCD as an apprentice dancer with Company Chameleon.

She is looking forward to challenging herself as a performer, working in a company setting and experiencing touring.

JULIA ZLOTNICK Julia was born in 1998, and was part of the CAT scheme and a member of Shift Youth Dance Company at The Place before joining NSCD. Some of Julia’s highlights from her time at NSCD include creating a music video and a cult and seeing people do things that made her laugh. Julia doesn’t have any set plans after graduation, but she hopes to do a bit of dancing, creating, travelling, meeting people, and continuing to encourage an appreciation of Pingu.

SPECIAL THANKS: Janet Smith, Francesca McCarthy and all the staff at NSCD DESIGN: Tom McGinn (art direction), May Simargool (design), Alice Hiley (copy)

31

PHOTOGRAPHY: Cover: Iolanda Portogallo & Marcus Francisco © Nicole Guarino p.2-3: Lisa-Sofia Ziemann © Nicole Guarino p.4: Students in rehearsal, Superhuman by Antonia Grove © David Lindsay p.5: Antonia Grove headshot © Matthew Andrews p.6-7: In rehearsal with Antonia Grove © David Lindsay p.8: Marcus Francisco in rehearsal, The whole shebang! by Vinicius Salles © David Lindsay p.9: Vinicius Salles headshot © Milk Films Cafe p.10-11: Students in rehearsal, The whole shebang! by Vinicius Salles © David Lindsay p.12: Chris Pilbeam in rehearsal, Innocent Children by Alleyne Dance © David Lindsay p.13: Alleyne Dance headshot © Irven Lewis p.14-15: In rehearsal with Kristina Alleyne © David Lindsay p.16: Jessica Rose Nixon © Nicole Guarino p.18-19: Paulina Porwollik © Nicole Guarino p.20-30: Dancers’ headshots © Justin Slee p.28: Joke Swennen headshot © Elly Welford p.31: Meg Pennington © Nicole Guarino

Northern School of Contemporary Dance 98 Chapeltown Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS7 4BH, UK T: 0113 219 3000 E: info@nscd.ac.uk W: nscd.ac.uk