Francesca Matthys, Harry Theadora Foster and Marie-Astrid Mence

Francesca Matthys is a South African Interdisciplinary Dance Artist, Writer, Facilitator and Kundalini Yoga Teacher based in London. Her practice is rooted in connections to ancestral wisdoms through movement, text, inclusivity, collaboration and community. Francesca has been developing the Stepping in Situ improvisational and choreographic storytelling practice acknowledging connections/disconnections to ancestral wisdom, since 2020. She has worked collaboratively with arts organisations across South Africa and the UK including the Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative, JOMBA, Independent Dance, Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage and The Place, amongst others. Francesca is a Creative Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg.

Choreographer: Francesca Matthys
Performers and Co-Creators: Georgia Thompson, Nomakhwezi Becker, Patricia Olmo, Manuela Albrecht
Musicians and Co-Creators: Pertunia Msani, Michael Mendones
Costume Designer: Mia Tongo Mesembe
Dramaturg: Ameera Conrad
Photographer/Videographer: Bilal Singh
Additional Creative Contribution: Xel Ortega, Aisha Katie, Cala Molinos

Harry Theadora Foster (he/him) is a dance artist and maker based in London. Drawing from autobiographical experiences and his practice as a poet, storytelling is central to his work, focused on capturing and reimagining human experiences. He believes that the reality and universality of the physical body is something that connects all of us, an important tool to bring people together in our divisive present. He is currently exploring the instability of his own identity in dance, and the themes of origin, gender and political identification. Why we are who we are is something that dance can articulate in a specific and unique way. He has been a dancer with Akram Khan Company since 2022. Past works of his have been staged in the UK at Lilian Bayliss Theatre Sadlers Wells, Linbury Theatre Royal Opera House, The Playground Theatre, and at The Point, Eastleigh.

Artist in collaboration/Costume Alice Angus
Lighting design: Emma Gasson
Music composed by stanley
Sound design Phil Wood
Photo and Video Fatima Sashtre
Flyer/Graphic design Rachel Domene
Artistic assistant Bianca Mikahil

Supported by: Rambert School, Katy and Dean at Ugly Duck, Jenna Lee and London Children’s Ballet, EN Dojo São Paulo, Studio Wayne McGregor, Acosta Dance Foundation, FABRIC Nottingham and John Evans

Special thanks to: Clare Foster, Thomasin Gulgec, Hannah Kremer, Anna Smith

Marie-Astrid Mence is a performer with a decade of experience in the UK. She worked with esteemed companies such as Ballet Black, Phoenix Dance Theatre, and the West End, as well as in television productions. In 2016, she was recognized as "Dancer of the Month" in February by the UK magazine Dancing Times.

From 2018 to 2022, Marie-Astrid was a body double for lead actresses in dance series for productions including OCS, Disney, and Hulu. She also appeared as a dancer in Netflix's "Queen Charlotte."

In 2020, Marie-Astrid performed, wrote, and shared her story in the Nowness short film "The Truth of Being a Black Ballerina" by Rebecca Murray. In November 2023, she spoke at TEDx in Paris, discussing the notion of success and the courage to find our voice in an unfair and discriminatory environment.

Throughout her career, she has taught ballet classes and workshops to artists at all stages of their careers, including established companies and schools in the UK such as Rambert, Wayne McGregor, New Adventure, and Laine Theatre Arts.

Performer: Yu-Chien Cheng

Yu-Chien Cheng starts her dance training in Ballet, contemporary, and Chinese dance. In 2018, she entered Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance for BA in contemporary dance, received First Class of degree in 2021 and Simone Michelle Award for outstanding achievement in Choreography.

She continues her training by joining VERVE 22 and completes a MA in Contemporary dance performance in 2022. Throughout VERVE, she performs works by Akram Khan, Sita Ostheimer, and Alesandra Seutin. The three pieces toured nationally within the UK, including The Place (London), Dance House (Cardiff), Dance City (NewCastle), Riley Theatre (Leeds)…and more, and in Grand Théâtre de Genève, Switzerland.

Performer: Shay Bu

Shay Bu is an American movement artist currently based in London. She began her training at a young age attending many prestigious programs across the US, then went on to finish undergrad with a first class degree from the London Contemporary Dance School. Since then she has been freelancing in the UK taking part in a variety of movement based projects.

Performer: Marie-Astrid Mence

Sound designer
Fro. is a French music producer, a rapper and a videographer constantly approaching any of these discipline with the same idea of Freedom. In 2014 he founded the collective Nouteka where he filmed a few music videos, and produced several songs and albums performing for festival and events in London.In 2019 Fro. and Marie-Astrid Mence collaborated on several short films that delved into the relationship between improvisational electro/hip-hop music and dance as an art form. Prioritising his visions before the format you’ll easily recognise his music productions heavily inspired by 90’s movie scores, 2000’s wrap records productions and the Soulquarians movement..

Voice:
Kiran Bansal is a Speech and Language therapy student at University College London. She is also an artist and creator of large freehand murals

Marie-Astrid Mence

Fro.

Writer: Marie-Astrid Mence

Photographer:Jack Tompson