Freelance Dancer | Choreographer | Performer | Teacher | B-boy
My passion for art and dance lies in the endless creative possibilities: The idea that every time I enter a space or I’m alone with the floor, I have an opportunity to find something new…or reinvent the old.
With every project I approach, I attempt to live between the known and unknown. Utilising the knowledge and experience I have acquired as a multidisciplined movement practitioner, to support myself and those around me as we explore, create and discover through dance and movement.
You can click the link below to view my current CV, and continue scrolling to learn more about me, my dance career and background.
Image credit: Scott Akoz
Full Bio:
I’m an independent pro freelance dance artist from and based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. I grew up on a council estate alongside the River Tyne where as a child I constantly searched for new, challenging forms of self expression (skating, athletics, football, martial arts, etc). At the age of 15 I discovered Breaking via Dance City Newcastle. In that first dance lesson I knew I’d found my calling and a way to truly express myself.
Coming from a working class background a weekly dance lesson was a luxury, but I was more than happy to drop my other interests as dance took over. I quickly fell under the guidance of Bad Taste Cru, who at the time were the UK B-boy Champions, becoming an official member when I turned 18. As part of Bad Taste Cru, I began to battle, perform and teach professionally across the UK, Europe and America.
As my interest in dance grew I persued a more formal education, beginning with A-level contemporary dance at Newcastle College and eventually studying for my degree at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds. I was also fortunate enough to be involved in a range of professional projects and tours during my training, giving me an early insight into the industry. I graduated in 2015 with a 1st class honours and the Carolyn Woolrige award for outstanding performance, before joining the post-graduate company VERVE under the artistic direction of Gianluca Vincentini.
Over the course of my career I have been fortunate enough to work with artists and companies such as: Gary Clarke Company, Anton Lachky, Mobius Dance, Southpaw Dance, Shaper Caper, Richard Chappell Dance, Efrosini Protopapa, Renaud Wiser, Avatara Ayuso, Odette Hughes, Room2Manoeuvre and more, performing and teaching across the UK and Europe. Collaborating with such a broad range of artists and projects has allowed me to perform in theatre, outdoor and site specific work, childrens productions, dance for film and installations.
Alongside my performance career I also strive to maintain and progress as a competitive Breaker, supporting and representing Hip-Hop within Newcastle and the North East. Battling under the pseudonym: Justice, I continue to represent Bad Taste Cru, competing across the UK and Internationally. I am also collaborating with dancers within my home region and Dance City Newcastle to provide lessons, monthly workshops and yearly events to cultivate Breaking within the North East.
In 2017 I became interested in developing my own work and was awarded the Charlotte Grant Early Career Award from Dance City Newcastle, which lead to the creation of my first professional work, a short duet titled ‘Them’.
In 2020 I became an associate artist with Moving Art Management, leading to my first Arts Council England funded project in 2021: Play:In:Motion. In the same year I also collaborated with Culture Bridge North East on their CreatED programme, providing online CPD training in dance for primary and secondary school educators across the region.
In 2022 I was awarded the Open Art Surgery commission from Breakin’ Convention and successfully secured a place on their Back To The Lab platform as one of 4 selected choreographers. I was also awarded the Early Stage Commission from Dance City Newcastle and supported by Arts Council England for the research and development of my first full length work: Buckle Up.
In my free time I tend to enjoy athletic, creative and relaxing activities outside the realm of dance, including; cycling, running, bass guitar, DJing, cooking, video games, walks in nature and reading to name a few. I’ll be the first to admit I’m quick to start new hobbies as I enjoy being in a student-like mentality, always learning!