Professional Classes

Pepa Ubera’s professional class invites dancers to explore dynamic physicality through an interdisciplinary lens.

Rooted in her extensive choreographic research, the class integrates elements of somatic practices, release techniques, and embodied dramaturgy to cultivate a deeper connection between movement, imagination, and collective inquiry.

Through a blend of structured exercises and explorative tasks, participants will engage with notions of relationality, flow, and physical expansion, while developing a nuanced understanding of their own bodies in motion.

The session emphasises attentiveness to sensation, improvisational freedom within form, and the pleasure of dancing as a transformative, shared experience.

About:

Pepa Ubera is a choreographer and performer known for her innovative approach to dance and interdisciplinary performance. With a strong focus on feminist dramaturgy, pleasure activism, and posthumanist theories, her work blurs the boundaries between practice and theory, body and technology, human and non-human.

Her latest project, The Machine of Horizontal Dreams, is her most ambitious commission to date and will premiere at Sadler's Wells East in Autumn 2025.

Pepa’s creative practice often interrogates socio-political themes through immersive and collaborative performance landscapes, fostering collective dreaming and reimagining progress beyond traditional hierarchies.

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.

Hannah uses a combination of intricate spirals to explore floorwork. With a softening of the core and relaxing of the nervous system, Hannah presents the notion of having arms that begin in deeper places than just the shoulder. This class looks at simplifying movement into clear pathways and facilitating a fast floorwork practice that can be enjoyed in a way that feels buttery, pure and safe. Hannah encourages a friendly working environment, honest humbleness and a work-hard-play-harder energy.

About:

Hannah Thomas (she/her) is a movement artist, performer and teacher, specialising in floorwork from the UK. Hannah is currently working with Joshua Monten Dance Company, based in Switzerland. In previous years, Hannah has performed with Wee Dance Company (Germany) and WomanEwer (UK). Hannah has also performed in the works of James Finnemore, Dan Thatcher, Alison Curtis-Jones and Thomas Page. She has led company classes for a number of companies, including St. Gallen Dance Company, Ballet du Grand Theatre de Genève and Sydney Dance Company. Hannah graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (UK) in 2020 with a 1st Class degree in Contemporary Dance.

This contemporary ballet class invites you to find your way of moving through a ballet technique.

Dances will be guided through a series of breathing techniques to start the class with a state of relaxation, slowly waking up the body by articulating the feet.

Rediscover your body's ability, freedom and technique, softening your approach to ballet and deleting expectations.

About:

Marie-Astrid Mence was a former student of the Higher National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris and a scholarship student at Alvin Ailey School. Marie-Astrid joined Ballet Black in 2014 up to 2020 where she performed numerous pieces from Mark Bruce, Will Tuckett, Martin Lawrence, Mthuthuzeli November, Sophie Laplane, Christopher Marney, Michael Corder, Cathy Marson, Arthur Pita, Christopher Hampson, Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa.

She joined Phoenix Dance Company in 2015 for a year where she worked with Sharon Watson, Itsik Galili, Kate Flatt and Darshan Singh Buhller. In 2016 she was promoted dancer of "the month" of February by the Magazine Dancing Times UK.

In 2018 Marie-Astrid featured in Disney's series Find Me in Paris Season 2 and 3 (2019) and OCS production series L'Opera where she was a body double for the 2nd female role in 2020. At the end of that year 2020, Marie-Astrid performed, wrote and shared a story in the Nowness short film The Truth of Being A Black Ballerinaby Rebecca Murray.

In 2021 Marie-Astrid was featured in Moeasy, Jords, Masego, Cascade music videos and Alexandra Luxem's short film. In 2022, she featured in Ulu’s series Spellbound where she was a body double for the 1st female role and also featured in ‘Queen Charlotte’ in the ball scene.

In the same year, she performed a 15-minute solo in Oklahoma! as the lead dancer at the Young Vic before making her West End debut in 2023 at the Wyndhams Theatre. Recently, she performed as a TEDX speaker in Paris where she talked about the notion of success and the courage to find our voice in a homogeneous environment.

These ballet classes start with simple barre exercises that build clear placement, core stability, and movement clarity. The material gradually increases in pace and complexity, preparing both body and mind for centre work. In the centre, dancers tackle longer combinations, focusing on coordination, timing, spatial awareness, and dynamics. The classes focus on fluidity and musicality, encouraging research and careful movement transitions instead of focusing on purely aesthetic forms.

About:

Beatrice is a London-based Italian teacher and dancer. In 2016, she completed her MA in Contemporary Dance at the LCDS. She has been teaching ballet and contemporary dance for the past 12 years in vocational and community settings. She has been working for organisations such as Balle4life® and the Charity Move Into Wellbeing®. In 2018, she co-created BOTH Dance Classes, a company that offers adult dance classes in London. Alongside her teaching, Beatrice continues to perform for choreographers in projects and independent work.

Attack Release - The center of the body as the origin of dynamics. Jose’s technique classes are fast-paced and aim to improve stamina through precise and simple movement patterns. The classes are influenced by Kathak, Flamenco, and martial arts, brought into a contemporary dance context.

The initial warm-up is followed by more complex material with a dynamic focus on the concept of ‘attack and release’. With a passion for rhythm, Jose often uses counts to influence the dynamic of the movement and spinning to engage the core. This work prepares the body to travel - exploring the broadest movement in space, whilst making fast, clean transitions.

About:

Jose started his career as a Flamenco dancer. In contemporary dance, he performed with Charleroi/Danses, Ballet de Marseille, T.R.A.S.H, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance, and Akram Khan Company. He has worked on several creations for Akram Khan Company, including DESH, iTMOi, TOROBAKA, Until the Lions, Chotto Desh, the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony, and Sylvie Guillem’s farewell tour Life in Progress. In 2011, Jose started studying Kathak under Akram’s guidance. Reconnected with his roots, he explored traditional forms in a contemporary context. As a result, he created Silk Road (2017) and Carmen (2020). Jose’s choreographic commissions include: Ki for Phoenix Dance Theatre and English National Ballet School; Selah for ZfinMalta Dance Ensemble; A Thousand Shepherds for ACE Dance and Music,Arctic for LCDS; Regnum for Festival International de Music y Danza de Granada; Glansvit for Norrdans; Bhaj for SEAD/Bodhi Project;SAM for Area Jeune Ballet; For You – a film collaboration with London Mozart Players and the opening ceremony of the Davis Cup by Rakuten in Madrid. Jose was an Associate Choreographer for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club and choreographed the flamenco scene and performed as the character of Rico at Strictly Ballroom: The musical by Baz Luhrmann. He is listed in the new edition of 50 Contemporary Choreographers, an international publication by Routledge. He is developing a new full-length solo based on the Hero With A Thousand Faces.

These classes are an opportunity to research the concepts of improvisation, no matter what level of experience you have with improvisation techniques. We will use these techniques to find new listening methods, practice making choices, and create connections. We will develop tools to carry with us and refine how we approach ideas. We will do this through a playful and open lens, immersing ourselves in exploration and discovery. Each class will begin with a guided improvisation, a durational task of layering ideas. Then, we will do some shorter-format tasks, building on the complexity of our concepts.

About:

Paxton Ricketts was born in Denmark and grew up in Canada. After training at Arts Umbrella Dance, he joined Nederlands Dans Theater from 2014 to 2024.

Paxton lives and works in London as a freelance choreographer and dancer. He has created works for GöteborgsOperans Danskompani (SE), Korzo Theater (NL), Kammerballetten (DK), and Thorvaldsens Museum (DK). His work has been presented at the Rotterdam International Duet Choreography Competition and Aerowaves Europe 2025. He teaches contemporary technique and repertoire classes for educational programs, outreach, and professionals worldwide.

Dynamic and energising sessions, the result of years of experience working with professional dancers as a teacher and rehearsal director. Each class begins with a moment of self-awareness and deep listening, preparing the body and mind for focused, inspired movement. Dancers work through improvisation, set exercises both standing and, on the floor, and movement phrases, exploring individual and group creativity in a playful, supportive environment. Particular attention is given to spatial awareness, the body’s relationship to music, and group connection. The classes develop technical precision, resilience, and expressive artistry.

About:

Livia Massarelli is an international dance artist and creator of The Mindful Dancer method, which blends contemporary dance, life coaching, and meditation to support dancers’ wellbeing while developing their artistry and physicality sustainably. Her method has been shared with institutions including Rambert School, English National Ballet School, Trinity Laban, and leading international dance companies. Since 2021, she has worked with Equilibrio Dinamico as Rehearsal Director and Holistic Coach. Her choreographic works have been presented internationally in Europe and the US, at Jacob’s Pillow (US), Maison de la Danse (Lyon), and The Place (UK).

Fusing contemporary dance styles, informed by yoga principles, Gerrard Martin nurtures and challenges the dancer to meet their potential and feel that they are open to their creativity. Through a relaxed, encouraging, and inspiring style, Gerrard uses imagery to create mental pictures to remember and connect with sequencing. Expect core work, postural alignment, floor work, centre practice, contact work, and technical phrases. Gerrard wishes to encourage the dancer to move through space with dynamism. flow and musicality.

About:

Gerrard is a dance artist, performer, choreographer, movement director, dance educator, yoga teacher, and consultant. His practice investigates the connection between people and the intersectionality of creation, exploration, and well-being.

Credits include: Jose Agudo/Akademi, Tavaziva Dance, Union Dance, Phoenix Dance Theatre, The Lion King, Ballet Black, Aletta Collins Dance Company, State of Emergency, Rosie Kay Dance Company, National Theatre, ENO, and the ROH. Gerrard has choreographed for: Sadler's Wells, Tate Modern, Outbox Theatre, Longborough Opera, British Museum, Pegasus Opera, and the West Bengal Federation of Dance, India. He founded Gerrard MartinDance in 2011 with work featured at Tate Modern, The Place, Curve Theatre, The Royal College of Music, Lyric Hammersmith, and National Portrait Gallery.

Fast-paced contemporary technique classes inspired by Ceyda Tanc Dance’s signature movement vocabulary. We will flow through an extended warm-up, travelling phrases, and professional company repertoire. A fun, energetic, and empowering class. Expect world music, rhythmic phrases, and folk-inspired steps.

About:

Led by British-Turkish choreographer Ceyda Tanc, the company creates athletic contemporary dance influenced by Tanc’s Turkish heritage. Ceyda’s work seeks to challenge traditional gender representation in dance and highlight the intersection of cultures in modern Britain, embedding themes of feminism, ritual, and ceremony. Ceyda Tanc Dance creates work that is accessible, enjoyable, and empowering for audiences from all backgrounds.

ENTER THE DRAGON : COMBAT DANCE

Classes are based on powerful physicality, which involves strong, complex, and technical sequences in conversation with the floor and air. A representation of control, action, stamina, and fearlessness. We will take a deep dive into the understanding of the anatomy, mechanics, & complexity of dragon-shaped lines that have been transforming along evolutionary timelines to provide efficiency, endurance, and safety.

“You are as old as your spine”, as a Chinese proverb says!

About:

Shifu Ash is a dance movement researcher, philosopher, choreographer, and visual artist based in Mumbai, India. His expertise lies in movement practices such as Wing Chun, Aikido, Modern Contemporary Dance, and Contact Improvisation, with 20 years of experience.

He is a former member of CID-UNESCO Paris (International Dance Council) and the founding member and CEO of ProDancer Infotech PVT Ltd. He choreographed for a feature film in India, Kalki 2898 AD, and is the founder and director of the Partner Dance International Festival, India Contact Festival, and Unite Dance Camp. In 2021, Shifu Ash was titled "The Saint Beast" by the International Martial Arts Federation Japan and was also featured as the cover artist for the martial arts magazine Jissen.

He has taught at prestigious dance festivals and companies in India and abroad, like Impulstanz Vienna International Dance Festival, International Contact Festival Freiburg, Tallinn University BFM Koreografia, Tanssille Ry Helsinki, Henny Jurriens Studio Amsterdam, Divadlo Studio Tanca, Nordtanz Contact Festival, Contact Meets Contemporary Festival Goettingen, Tokyo Nomadic Residency, Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company, and Saint Petersburg Conservatory Dance.

Gravity, release, falling, and suspension are at the heart of these contemporary technique classes. Using Gaga, Release, and Counter approaches alongside classical ballet, Graham, and Cunningham, we explore how weight, pleasure, and suspension shape movement. Classes begin with individual improvisations to map joint, muscular, and upper/lower body relationships, progress through alignment and strength work (Cunningham and ballet) to build suspension, then cross-floor falling inspired by Release and Counter. The classes culminate in linked sequences where dancers synthesise technique and personal artistry to find freedom, resilience, and renewed pleasure in movement.

About:

Sam Vaherlehto (he/him) is a multi-award-winning dancer, choreographer, and educator based in London. Winner of the first season of So You Think You Can Dance, he trained at the Finnish National Opera Ballet School and holds a First-Class BA (Hons) in Contemporary Performance Practice from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Sam has danced with Finnish National Ballet, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Scottish Dance Theatre, and SLATE Shanghai, and has worked with Company Wayne McGregor. He is a regular guest teacher at Performers College, faculty at The Place, and works as a rehearsal director and choreographer.

Our classes aim for participants to discover a nuanced and strong sense of identity in their movement. Rooted in our practice and passion for dance, we will explore the convergence of contemporary dance and popping. From exploring ways to come in and out of the floor, to popping drills, and improvisation scores, we offer tools to expand movement pathways and enhance the awareness of movement. Allowing for a full-body exploration of targeted aspects, we focus on isolations, sequential movements, our relation with gravity, and how to activate or diminish movement to find textures and dynamics such as suspensions, accelerations, freezes, and imagined external forces that shape and interrupt us.

About:

Bea Bidault is a choreographer, movement director, and performer. She will be offering, alongside Max Revell, an insight into her practice in relation to her newest work, Les Nuages, commissioned by The Place and premiering in June 2026.

Max and Bea's creative collaboration emerges from a shared commitment to dance as a dialogue between bodies, disciplines, and ideas. As a performer, Bea has worked with Teac Damsa under Michael Keegan-Dolan's direction, Becky Namgauds, and Akram Khan Company. Max comes from a background in popping before extending his practice into contemporary dance. Currently, Maxis part of Akram Khan Company and Far From the Norm. He has starred as a soloist for the BBC Proms 2025. Together, they explore the convergence of contemporary dance and popping, finding suspensions, accelerations, freezes, and imagined external forces that shape and interrupt the movement.

Previous teaching experience: Rambert, The Place, Tripspace, Nunart (BCN), Punchdrunk, Scottish Dance Theatre.

Dynamic contemporary dance classes rooted in Floorwork technique. Each class starts with a thorough warm-up, allowing dancers to connect to their bodies and with each other. We will progress to moving across the space with short patterns and gradually longer sequences of movement, which will challenge your coordination, stamina, and risk-taking. This leads to the centre exploring set material, including rolling, sliding, moving into and out of the floor with efficiency and agility, connecting to the space and others around you.

About:

Giacomo Pini is a British-Italian Dance Artist based in London, working in Education, Performance, and Choreography. Giacomo is a Lecturer in Dance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, specialising in contemporary dance technique and floorwork styles. Their performance credits include: Dora Frankel Ensemble, Eliot Smith Dance, Amina Khayyam, and Shobana Jeyasingh Dance. Their choreographic research has been shown in several art venues across the UK, Europe, and China. In recognition of their experience in teaching in Higher Education, Giacomo has been awarded the Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in 2024.

These classes offer a deep dive into the length and breadth of the Indian Classical dance form of Bharatanatyam. This is a hands-on opportunity to learn about key concepts that underpin the art form, including movement vocabulary (Nritta/Adavus), rhythmic constructs (Taalam), storytelling using gestural language (Hasthas), and unpacking experiential emotions (Rasa).

About:

Divya Ravi is a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, and educator. Backed by formative training in India for over 2 decades, her virtuosic yet sensitive artistry is a product of rigor, ownership of the movement vocabulary, scholarship in literature & poetics, and innate musicality. Her choreographic practice is driven by the desire to transform poetic and abstract ideas into evocative and experiential movement. Divya’s critically acclaimed solo works have been presented to full houses and sold-out theatres in India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, the UK, and Europe. She is the Lead Tutor for the CAT (Yuva Gati strand) and is currently touring with Akram Khan Company’s Thikra.