About Celine Celeesi, Olu Alatise and Juan Sánchez Plaza

Schlüsselkind

Latchkey children are mythical creatures. They teach themselves the ways of the world; they are shapeshifters, monsters, hybrids, will-o'-the-wisps. Their home is wherever their keys fit. Often, this means an early end to childhood, and a feeling of being lost. A moon orbiting itself, always searching for a planet, a world of curiosity and invulnerability, where dreams are more tangible than reality. This piece explores themes of childhood, the subconscious, and the relationship between grief, reality and dreams. Latchkey Child deals with navigating between these worlds, the otherness that comes with it, and the necessity of slipping into different roles and identities in the search for belonging and identity.

About Celine Celeesi

Originally from Hamburg, German-Polish born Celine Fortenbacher who goes by the name Celeesi moved to London in 2015 where she works as a dance artist, actor and choreographer across the theatre (Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club), commercial (On Running, Vodafone, Brit Awards, Birdy, Sam Smith, Rachel Chinouriri) and film industry (Netflix). She is known for her quirky and weird nature in both personality and movement with a background in contemporary, physical theatre, acting and voguing.

Journal of 7

Journal of 7 (JO7) delves into the untold and often taboo stories within African culture, focusing on the 'Seven Deadly Sins'. The piece stems from Olu's lived experiences of these cultural norms, the performance weaves through themes of relationships with her mother, migration, polygyny, fatal curses, and toxic doctrines passed down through generations.

Audiences will get a glimpse into the journal entries of an African woman, exploring her experiences with the seven deadly sins from an African perspective. The narrative is conveyed in an abstract manner while maintaining a strong focus on the overarching theme of the seven deadly sins using African, contemporary and street dance forms.

About Olu Alatise & AfroQueens Dance Company

As a pioneer of Afrodance within the UK, Olu established the UK’s first and only all-female African Dance company ‘AfroQueens’ (AQ) in 2017. Since then, the company has forged a strong track-record in the commercial sector, securing performance and/or choreographic contracts with the likes of Wireless Festival, Sports Direct x Adidas, Mr Eazi and more.

Through AQ, Olu has supported 150+ dancers to develop their careers as performers/teachers/choreographers/movement directors - providing a talent pipeline for black women in dance.

Olu is recognised both nationally and internationally teaching workshops around the world including Singapore, Philippines, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Netherlands and more. Recently nominated for Kora awards- an All Africa Music Awards given annually for musical achievement in sub-Saharan Africa. Both Olu and the group have won the UK Dance awards for Group of the year, female studio choreographer of the year, dance video of the year and widely sought after for various performances.

Cast & Credits

Writer, Choreographer and Artistic Director: Olu Alatise
Producer: Fern Crosbie
Producer: Emily Labhart
Dancers: Abisola Alli, Elsa Roy Gupta, Hazel Culliney, Leonisia Nsaku, Sarah Lisney, Sara Osaya, Amanda Pefkou, Sewit Tekle, Kenya Sterling, Anu Walters, Versha Grant, Jenni Akintola, Chaquille Osborne

The Renegade Master

The Renegade Master is a bold, dynamic dance show confronting social injustice, climate crisis and queerness. At its core is a striking image—a monstrous cape of suits symbolizing corrupt systems. Through powerful movement, dancers embody this oppressive force, then transform, shedding the “monster” to reveal liberation and hope. The performance ends in a Queer celebration of hope and unity, inviting the audience to join the performers in an uplifting, joyful finale.

About Juan Sánchez Plaza

Juan Sanchez Plaza (He/They) is passionate about all forms of movement. His dance journey began at a young age in the world of urban and hip-hop dance. He later pursued formal training at the Conservatory of Dance in Valencia before moving to Austria for higher education at SEAD, graduating in 2018. Soon after, he performed with the Salzburger Festspiele opera festival in Salzburg. He then relocated to the United Kingdom, where he began working as a freelance artist for companies such as Jose Agudo Dance Company, Richard Chappell, Tom Dale, Flute Theatre, and Scanners Inc. Juan has expanded his repertoire by working across stage, television, and film.

He choreographed Risheeh for the BBC and has danced and choreographed for music videos by artists like Joy Crookes, Jay Author, Fil Bo Riva, and Carla Stark and worked in the Netflix production the Squid Game: The Challenge. A dedicated practitioner of yoga, Juan integrates yoga with dance in his daily practice. He has developed his own movement method, The 5 Elements Movement Practice, which blends his passion for both disciplines.

Cast & Credits

Performers and Choreographers: Juan Sánchez Plaza in collaboration with Isabel Alvarez Pinazo
Costume and Scenography: Finn Price