Professional Classes

The aim of my class is to give you a sense of moving joyfully, expansively, musically, with nuance, eloquence, power. The movement is underpinned by contemporary ballet, but not in a scary way, the point is that contemporary dancers feel good using some ballet to shift across the space. The class moves from somatic/yogic warm up, a few basic warm up exercises for the legs and feet, lots of three dimensionality, and then quickly towards moving through the space - it's good if you've warmed up a bit. The emphasis is on dancing combinations - more moving than getting ready to move - and on respect for everyone in the room.

About

Pip trained and danced with the Royal Ballet and went on to dance with Nederlands Dans Theater and Hofesh Shechter for The Place Prize in Cult. She taught at London Contemporary Dance School for several years and since becoming a mother, has freelanced as a teacher, rehearsal director, creative consultant for Lost Dog, mentor and performer. She is a qualified montessori teacher and life coach, and founded the space dancers-talking for dance artists in 2020.

About

Aneta is a professional dancer, capoeira teacher and choreographer. She obtained a double MA degree at Anton Bruckner University in Austria studying movement research and dance pedagogy. She has trained and worked extensively in Brazil, Poland, Austria, Greece and the UK. She carried out her movement research in Brazil, exploring possibilities to exchange experience between contemporary dance and capoeira. Aneta performed with various dance companies and theaters in Europe and Brazil. She is currently working as a dancer/performer for Beatrice Allegranti Dance Company.

She teaches her unique combination of contemporary dance and capoeira in regular classes and workshops in the UK and internationally in places such as: Rambert, South East Dance, The Place, Dance Cultural Center Athens Danc.c.e, Trinity Laban, Pineapple Studio, London Studio Center, Royal Dance Academy, Trip Space, Rambert, Grotowski Institute, Escola de Danca Lieria, Centre des Arts et de la Dance France and Academy of Capoeira Barracão da Capoeira in Brazil.

In 2016, she was selected as the main choreographer for the opening ceremony of the European Capital of Culture in Poland.

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‘LOOKIN’ LIKE AN ICON’

This is a dance workshop in-between the commercial and the contemplative, one-part technical, one-part experiential—and is built around the practice of self-actualisation. Seeking to become iconography, something that stands tall in the crowd, this workshop will rely both on dancing as a meditative practice, but also as an engine to feeling fully formed in dance and movement practice. Workshop participants can expect to engage with meditative practices, physical training and conditioning, and complex choreographic repertory work.

Be your own icon. Inspire the person inside of yourself. Externalise your fears, and let them drip-drip-drip onto the ground. May it nourish your body-mind-soul. You will sweat. And it will feel good.

About

Malik Nashad Sharpe is an award-winning choreographer and movement director known for his provocative and formally engaging performance works that address themes of violence, alienation, horror, melancholia, and the horizon. He frequently choreographs underneath his alias, Marikiscrycrycry.

He has received commissions and shown his work at venues and festivals across the U.K., Europe, and Canada, and is currently an Associate Artist at The Place and a studio resident of Somerset House Studios. He has held artistic residencies at Sadlers Wells, Barbican, Performance Situation Room, Dance4, Duckie, and Tate Modern.

He holds a BA in Experimental Dance with highest honours from Williams College and a certificate in Contemporary Dance from Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music and Dance, where he won the Simone Michele Prize for Outstanding Choreography.

In 2019, he was named a Rising Star in Dance by Attitude Magazine and in 2022, he was featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his unique and pervasive choreographic achievements.

He currently lives in London and is a guest professor in dance and performance at the Stockholm University of Arts in Sweden.

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Based on an experimental and physiological approach to flow and travel, his movement signature style often evolves and is inspired from Martial Arts, Breakin, Popping, Contemporary Release, Spirals, Yoga and various movement concepts.

The class is focused on dance (as opposed to just 'movement'), it will explore various topics like:
• Musicality - How to flow between Breakin (Breakdance) and other movement techniques.
• Refining extensions and 'released' versus 'dynamic' movement execution.
• Trending moves/ Soft-acro, Weight distribution and movement concepts through short improvisation, traveling sequences and technical drills.

The class is aimed to develop all professional dancers from those in professional training, through to Bboys/Bgirls/streetdancers wanting to develop their range of movement, or simply wanting to take part in a fun and physical dance class.

About

Marso made his choreographic debuts in 2005 and whilst drawing inspiration from his pioneers (Robert Hylton, Victor Quijada) in hybrid movement genres and Hip Hop theatre, he developed his own language and methodology blurring the lines between Capoeira, Breaking and Contemporary Dance. Marso award winning and founder of Cie Decalage, is known for his unique style of movement, creative thinking and exciting collaborations with Jonzi D, Damien Jalet, Carlos Acosta, HK APA, Rambert Dance Company, The Ballet Boyz, The BBC and numerous venues in the UK. He delivers performance, visual and education work internationally.

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A guided improvisation class embraces the totality of movement infused and influenced by the vibrant rhythms of Afro-Cuban dance. The class aims to deepen the bond between your mind and body, allowing you to be playful, provoke creativity, sync with pulsating rhythms, find your inner groove, and experience a sense of liberation while revitalising your body and spirit.

About

Miguel Altunaga trained at Cuba's National School of Contemporary, Modern and Folk Dance, performing as a principal dancer with the National Contemporary Dance Company of Cuba for six years. He joined Rambert in 2007, dancing in works by various esteemed choreographers. He has also performed with Hofesh Shechter Company, Akram Khan Company, and Lost Dog Company in collaboration with the Royal Opera House. As a choreographer, Miguel has created works for Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and more. Notable accolades include the Cuban Best Male Solo Award and multiple Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards UK nominations.

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This class begins with a focus on structural alignment, helping dancers understand and engage their bodies with precision. The session progresses through a structured ballet class, approached through a contemporary lens, integrating traditional techniques with modern movement principles. Dancers will then transition to dynamic movement across the space, culminating in an across-the-floor phrase, and concluding with jumps and petit allegro. This methodical approach ensures a comprehensive development of both classical and contemporary dance skills.

About

Julian Nichols, a dedicated Canadian-Italian choreographer and dancer, founded Bodies in Action in 2021. His mission is to create inclusive contemporary dance works that represent all identities. Julian's work has been recognized and supported by Arts Council England and the National Lottery Community Fund. Some of his notable works include Affirming Our Identity, The Problem, and the award-winning dance film Creature.

Julian has taught at prestigious institutions such as Rambert Dance Company and The Place. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Purchase College Conservatory of Dance, where he graduated cum laude, focusing on ballet, modern, and improvisation. His teaching experience spans company classes, professional workshops, and international festivals, emphasizing themes of identity and societal resistance.

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Richard's class will consist of structured and grounding movement practice based on principles of somatic practices, floorwork and physical touch. The class will evolve to an exploration of body and mind to also train, hone and develop personal performance practice. Most importantly its an opportunity to connect and create with others.

About

After graduating from the The Place, Richard has performed nationally and internationally with James Cousins, Jose Limon Festival NYC, Wayne McGregor, Lea Anderson, Russel Maliphant Co, Rosemary Lee, Tim Casson, Stefano Poda, Gareth Chambers and more. Richard has also worked with Live Art, Fashion and Film collaborations with artists such as visual Artists Nina Davies, Afra Zamara, Sculpture Artist Eva Rothschild and Poet James Massiah. Richard has created works staged at RichMix, DanceEast, AutoItalia and toured internationally as well as created film works for Venice Bienale, Studio Wayne Mcgregor and Nowness and Music videos for Jon Bringwolves, Casswell and Juri Xi. Richard has also worked as a Movement Director for publications such as Vogue Italia and Gay Times and for brands such as Selfridges, Ice Watch and Stonewall.

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They will lead a session where you explore movement as a means of expression and storytelling. Each day, Chandenie will focus on elements from a specific style— Bharatanatyam, locking, or contemporary dance so no day will be exactly the same. You will utilise a variety of techniques, including breathing and visualization, to tap into your creativity. We will work on improvisation and story-building on the spot, challenging each other while exchanging and learning from one another. This class offers a unique opportunity to delve into different storytelling methods that reflect your individual artistry.

About

Chandenie Gobardhan is a London-based, Netherlands-born artist known for their unique movement vocabulary. Their style is a carefully curated melting pot where elements of Bharatanatyam, street styles (in particular locking and popping) and contemporary dance come together. For the past few years, they have been exploring how to use aspects of these styles to create a movement language that retains the essence of each. Gobardhans’ artistry builds bridges between styles, where others might not see that possibility.

Noteworthy commissions include works for Yuva Gati (FABRIC) (2024), Messums 4X20 ChoreographicPlatform (2023), Tate Britain (2023), Nike London (2023) and more.

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This class centres the unique joy that moving through space with others brings. Working with various tools we will explore physical specificity, technical proficiency and embodied imagination. This energetic class of floorwork and improvisation will hopefully have you sweating and smiling.

We will warm up with strength and technical exercises focused on moving across the floor, low to the ground and upside down, building up to longer sequences. Usually we will practice running to find pleasure in moving with power, speed and agility. Through improvisation tasks that respond to practical, physical provocations we start to open our awareness into performance.

About

Bethany works across improvisation, performance, teaching and creative facilitation. She is a founding member of bad body chaos code (fka The Yonis), a pop-punk band creating euphoric, surreal, riot grrrl, witchy live experiences.

Bethany has toured across the UK and Europe with works by choreographers and companies including Becky Namgauds, Tim Casson, Hannes Langolf, Wired Aerial Theatre and Amy Toner.

She also regularly performs solo and ensemble improvisation. Most recently at Roadhouse in Leeds and Hidden Door Festival Edinburgh.

Contemporary class is inspired by Cunningham Technique, infused with a groove and connecting to rhythm through music and flow. Sharp shifts of weight layered with dynamics and soul are used to awaken the interconnectivity of the body and our love for movement.

About

Monique is a freelance contemporary dancer, choreographer, movement director and teacher based in London. She founded her company JONA DANCE, a project based dance company working fluidly across the live theatre, Tv & Film industries. Over the years, Monique has worked with Richard Alston Dance Company, New Adventures, Agudo Dance, Vidya Patel Clod Ensemble and commercially on the Brit Awards (2021) The Pursuit of Love (BBC, 2021), The Marvels (Disney, 2023), The REGIME (HBO, 2024) Jamie Cullum and Kylie Minogue. Monique is currently playing the role of Juliet in Mathew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet which is touring internationally in 2024.

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This class will feature elements of release and counterpoint techniques to utilise weight to move through space. We will warm up with a series of improvisation exercises to open our presence in the studio and tune our senses to connect internal to external, progressing to traveling across the space, challenging our balance, and finding ease in falling and recovery from the floor.

Improvisation underpins much of my practice and will, in these workshops, encourage spontaneity and curiosity. We will learn some set combinations, drawing upon my own movement interests, which are born out of a desire to move through space powerfully and joyfully.

About

Anders is a Swedish/British non-binary, performer and choreographer. They graduated from London Contemporary Dance School and joined Maresa Von Stockert’s Tilted Productions for 5 years. They have also danced for choreographers including Lea Anderson, Kasia Witek, Opera North, Jose Agudo, Protein Dance and Requardt & Rosenberg, and in their own work. Their 2022 piece Mapping Gender, has been presented at The Place & The V & A among other venues. Little M is a trans retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid for ages 9+ and will premier at The Place in October 2025.

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