Peggy Hawkins Gala 2026

Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, honours cracks as part of an object’s story. Inspired by this, the performance traces the quiet gathering of the self after fracture - small acts of repair, acceptance of our scars, and the fragile path toward wholeness.

CAST & CREDITS

Choreographed by: Aneta Zwierzynska

Music:Spring One – The Four Seasons

Composer: Antonio Vivaldi, Recomposed: Max Richter, Performed by: Daniel Hope

Performed by Centre of Advanced Training students: Aida Aquilina, Aliyah Bola, Camille Astie Baixas, Darcey Meadows, Eva Moroni, Grace Barkley, Grace Mooney, Hannah Cato, Irsia Cox, Isabelle Glendinning, Katherine Keedy, Lilah Hetherington, Lilly Christopher, Maile Cahill-Ritter, Malu Summerfield, Matilda Jones, Naomi Martel, Natalie Samuels, Nikhita Lissauer, Olivia Johnson-Esan, Rosie Miller

ABOUT ANETA ZWIERZYNSKA

Aneta is an internationally recognised multidisciplinary artist and choreographer, pioneering the fusion of Contemporary Dance and Capoeira. Over a twenty-year career, her work has synthesized athletic martial arts with fluid movement and socially engaged research, leading to major commissions like the opening ceremony for the 2016 European Capital of Culture. Having practiced and performed across Europe, Brazil, and Nepal, she teaches at prestigious institutions such as Rambert, The Place, and the Royal Dance Academy.

About Centre for Advanced Training

The Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) at The Place is a vital engine for the future of dance. Part of the National Programme launched in 2004, CAT identifies and nurtures extraordinary potential in young people aged 11–18.

Supported by the Department for Education’s Music and Dance Scheme, CAT programs across the country ensure that the next generation of dance leaders is drawn from every corner of society, creating a diverse and sustainable pipeline for the global stage.

To open this year’s Peggy Hawkins Gala, our CAT students will perform a world premiere specially choreographed by Aneta Zwierzynska.

Aneta’s involvement perfectly bridges our local mission with our international outlook. A graduate of the Anton Bruckner University in Austria, her career exemplifies the global fluidity of dance. By working with an artist of her international calibre, our students gain a direct link to the global industry, learning first hand that dance is a language without borders.

CAT is more than a technical training ground; it is a space where young people build the confidence, resilience, and artistry required to excel - whether they choose a career on stage or as innovators in other fields. By supporting the gala tonight, you are investing in this essential foundation, ensuring that the world-leading artists of 2030 and beyond have a place to start today.

Stories of us but all at once,

Resilience amongst the forgotten petals and dried up memories our feet drum on

The timeless rush you feel before you fall,

Spirals, waves, chests open and close

Through seasons flowers pain and bloom

A process of regeneration,

Reminiscing dissipation,

Anticipated renewal

The beginning of an end, the end of a beginning

A celebration of now, a celebration of us being here, right now

CAST & CREDITS

Choreographed by: Sung Im Her

Music: SyMeta, Sintertizzatrice, Cynthia Cheung

Performed by: Abbie Swan, Abigail Marie Rushton, Alice Brown, Ana Maria Diana Badila, Anna Heinemann, Beau Rose-Lucchino, Carmen De Mattia, Clara Anderson, Corinne Smith, Darel Bekar, Ella Burt, Emma Edwards, Eva Goldfinch, Jayda Dawkins, Lilia Rowe, Lily Browne, Matilda Short, Monica Criscenti, Nayana Reynolds-Boison, Rebekah Chen, Simone-Maggie Thomas, Sveva Varacalli, Tilli Cotton, Zach Swanto

About Sung Im Her

Sung Im Her is a South Korean choreographer and performer with an extensive international portfolio including Les ballets C de la B and Needcompany. Recognised by The Guardian as a “stage sensation,” her acclaimed choreography – including the 5-star work Nutcrusher – has been supported by Arts Council England and the Seoul Performing Arts Festival. Beyond her own creations, she serves as a guest choreographer for the Korean National Contemporary Dance Company and a movement director for the National Theatre.

CREATING STORIES OF US BUT ALL AT ONCE WITH THE LCDS STUDENTS WAS BOTH INSPIRING AND A BEAUTIFUL REMINDER OF THE CREATIVITY YOUNG PEOPLE BRING TO COLLABORATIVE ART.

Sung Im Her

A reimagining of Act 4, Scene 1 from Much Ado About Nothing, this short dance-film follows Hero in a liminal space, caught between the death of “Hero” and her forced second wedding. Told through her perspective, it blends movement with a single monologue to explore the silence, rage, and resilience that follow public betrayal. The film transforms a sacred space into a site of feminist resistance, where haunting imagery and poetic choreography convey what words cannot. Intimate yet universal, it reframes a classical moment through the female gaze, offering a visceral meditation on vulnerability, defiance, and rebirth.

Cast & Credits

Directed and choreographed by MA Screendance Alum Riley RobertsCastellanet

Director of Photography: Elsa Kincaid

About Riley Roberts Castellant

Riley is a choreographer and filmmaker who blends theatricality, feminism, and cinematic language to reimagine classical texts. Having earned an MA in Screendance at LCDS, her work is informed by a diverse background in commercial jazz, contemporary dance, and film production. She focuses on how movement conveys narrative and subtext where words fall short.

MY TIME AT LCDS WAS DEFINED BY FREEDOM. FREEDOM TO MOVE, TO THINK, AND TO IMAGINE NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR MY WORK. I WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL.

Riley Roberts Castellant

OPERAHAUS takes the audience on a journey through Lady Gaga’s music, reimagined through a powerful sound score produced and edited by Jemima. The work explores a world governed by systems that control daily life and strip away individual identity. Breaking free from these structures can feel impossible, yet the piece searches for liberation from power-hungry politics, war, and religion – challenging conformity and celebrating self-expression. Having recently served as Associate Choreographer for Lady Gaga on Tim Burton’s Wednesday, Jemima created OPERAHAUS for the students of LCDS, an homage to Gaga’s unique artistry and influence.

Cast & Credits

Choreographed by Jemima Brown

Projection Design by Pierre Engelhard

Music: Bloody Mary. Writers: Lady Gaga, Fernando Garibay. Producers: Lady Gaga, Fernando Garibay, Paul Blair aka DJ White Shadow, Clinton Sparks.

Heavy Metal Lover. Writers: Lady Gaga, Fernando Garibay.
Producers: Lady Gaga, Fernando Garibay

Electric Chapel. Writers: Lady Gaga, Paul Blair aka DJ White Shadow.
Producers: Lady Gaga, Paul Blair aka DJ White Shadow

Bad Romance. Writers: Lady Gaga, RedOne. Producers: Lady Gaga, RedOne

Alejandro (original strings sample). Writers: Lady Gaga, RedOne.
Producers: Lady Gaga, RedOne

Cast: Connie Thomas, Eve McGlashan, Imran Jallow, Izzy Pringle, Neme Bennett, Samantha Joseph, Sorrel Barnes, Suzie Landwier, Valentina Flores-Briggs

About Jemima Brown

Jemima Brown, an LCDS alumna, has worked across the industry for over ten years. Her career spans touring companies, TV/Film, collaborations with some of the world’s biggest music stars including Kylie Minogue, Sam Smith, and Paloma Faith, West End productions, and aerial circus. Alongside choreography, she is also an accomplished music producer and songwriter.

I AM ABSOLUTELY THRILLED TO BE WORKING WITH THE
STUDENTS AT LCDS. TO RETURN TO SUCH AN IMPORTANT
PLACE IN MY JOURNEY AND SHARE MY OWN CHOREOGRAPHY
WITH THEM IS A TRULY SPECIAL AND REWARDING EXPERIENCE.

Jemima Brown

PART OF AKRAM KHAN COMPANY’S UNPLUGGED PROGRAMME

Akram Khan’s Jungle Book reimagined is a work based on the much-loved story by Rudyard Kipling. With a new sense of urgency, Akram has reinterpreted this known story from another perspective, through the lens of today’s children – those who will inherit our world and become our future storytellers.

Embedded in the roots of Jungle Book is the deep threat that mankind poses towards nature. The piece reimagines the story in a world ravaged by the effects of climate change, inviting us
to listen again – not to our own voices, but to the voices of the natural world that the modern world tries to silence. Jungle Book reimagined speaks to all generations as a call to reflect,
to relearn and to reimagine a new world together.

CAST & CREDITS

From: Jungle Book reimagined

Director/Choreographer: Akram Khan

Composer: Jocelyn Pook

Sound Designer: Gareth Fry

Unplugged Creative Director: Mavin Khoo

Lead Rehearsal Director: Angela Towler

Supporting Rehearsal Directors: Estela Merlos, Nicky Henshall,
Thomasin Gülgeç and Sadé Alleyne

For Akram Khan Company: Isabel Tamen, Executive Director

Project Producers: Emma Bellerby and Harriet Taylor

MA Dance: Performance Cohort 03: Anna Kazwell, Cam Gendron, Carys Thomas, Chuanbao Bob Huang, Guo Grace Tian, Valeriia Mosina, Vanshika, Veronica Comelek, Vidushi D’Souza, Yujia Chen

Production Credits

Jungle Book reimagined is co-produced by Curve Leicester, Attiki Cultural Society, Birmingham Hippodrome, Edinburgh International Festival, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay Singapore, Festspielhaus St. Pölten, International TheaterAmsterdam, Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Maison de la Danse Lyon, National Arts Centre Canada, New Vision Arts Festival, Orsolina28, Pfalzbau Bühnen – Theater im Pfalzbau Ludwigshafen, Romaeuropa Festival, Stanford Live, Teatros del Canal, théâtre de Caen and Théâtre de la Ville. The technical adaptation of Jungle Book reimagined is kindly supported by Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg. With the support of Garfield Weston Foundation, Genesis Foundation and Angela Bernstein CBE. Supported by Arts Council England.

LEARNING THIS PIECE WAS LIKE STEPPING INTO A UNIVERSE – ONE GROUNDED IN THE PORTRAYAL OF HISTORY AND MEMORY AND EQUALLY A MIRROR OF OUR WORLD TODAY – SACRED TO EACH DANCER THAT HAS PERFORMED KHAN’S WORK. BEING GIVEN THE CHANCE TO LEARN AND PERFORM HIS REPERTOIRE IS INCREDIBLY INSPIRING AND MEANINGFUL.

Vidushi D’Souza, MA Dance: Performance student

Cast & credits

Choreographed by Anthony van Laast

BLACKBIRD
Writers: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Executive Producer: George Martin
Performed by: Bohdan Chyborak, Edward Lee III

ELEANOR RIGBY
Writer: Paul McCartney
Executive Producer: George Martin
Performed by: Ellie Peacock

I’VE JUST SEEN A FACE
Writer: Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
Performed by: Ayaka Amos, Kyah Oti, Mia Blue Steel, Nissy Suarez Maldonado, Roisin Gallagher, Sara Soderblom, Tanna Reynolds, Ying yui Tham

YESTERDAY
Writer: Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
Performed by: Jacqui Jamieson

I have always been a fan of The Beatles music and fascinated in particular by the characters that Lennon and McCartney wrote about. These descriptions have inspired my choreography and this piece is a work in progress for a much larger dance that I would like to make in the future.

Anthony van Laast

Reece McMahon’s journey from dance student to trailblazing arts leader is a powerful testament to what happens when potential is recognised and properly supported. His success was built on a foundation of financial aid and expert guidance - a journey he will explore in-depth tonight. We invite you to join Reece and Anthony Van Laast as they discuss how tailored support turns talented dancers into the cultural leaders of tomorrow.

Becoming a Peggy Hawkins Fund beneficiary was a pivotal moment in Reece’s career. More than a scholarship, it was an unexpected lifeline: vital financial support that relieved the pressure of day-to-day survival and allowed him to focus fully on his craft and ambitions. This early investment was a profound vote of confidence, validating his talent and instilling the resilience required to navigate a notoriously competitive industry – particularly for someone from a single-parent family who grew up on a council estate, circumstances that too often limit access to higher education, let alone a sustained career in the arts.

When Reece realised midway through his degree that his true calling lay in management rather than performance, the support system at The Place adapted with him – he received hands-on mentorship from industry legends like Anthony Van Laast, and his tutors provided the advice and care that enabled him to graduate both as a dancer and as a skilled arts administrator, stepping immediately into a role as Assistant Producer at The Place.

The support did more than help Reece graduate – it shaped his professional philosophy grounded in accessibility, inclusion and artist development. Today, as one of the youngest CEOs in the UK dance sector, Reece is paying that investment forward. From co-founding The REcreate Agency and raising £1 million for arts projects to his current role as Director of Chisenhale Dance Space, his impact is felt across the entire industry.

By giving a donation to the fund today, you will directly empower people like Reece. Your gift provides the opportunity for the next generation of cultural leaders to break through. Join us in turning potential into impact.

THE PEGGY HAWKINS FUND GAVE ME THE FOUNDATION FOR
EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWED. THE SUPPORT CHANGED THE
TRAJECTORY OF MY LIFE, GIVING ME THE MEANS TO STAY,
AND THE VALIDATION AND FREEDOM TO EXPLORE, TAKE RISKS,
AND IMAGINE A FUTURE IN THE ARTS THAT FELT POSSIBLE.
I WOULD NOT BE THE ARTS LEADER I AM TODAY WITHOUT IT

Reece Macmahon, LCDS graduate of 2017

Anthony van Laast is a Co-Founder of The Peggy Hawkins Fund and globally renowned choreographer.

Anthony trained at the London Contemporary Dance School, and later joined the resident London Contemporary Dance Theatre company as both performer and choreographer. As a choreographer he has received international acclaim. In 2018, Anthony was awarded the CBE for services to dance and choreography and in 2019 he became an Honorary Doctor of the Arts. Anthony has also been the Director of both the Olivier Awards and the Royal Variety Show for the past few years, bringing a wealth of experience of curating seminal events.

His theatre work includes: Tina The Musical – worldwide (Outer Circle Critics Award, Tony Award nomination); Mamma Mia! – worldwide (Dora Mavor Moore Award, Helpman Award nomination); Sister Act – worldwide (Olivier Award nomination). Film work includes: Beauty and the Beast; Mamma Mia! Here we Go Again; Mamma Mia!; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:Part 1; Never Say Never Again; Excalibur; Hope and Glory.

Pernille Charrington is a Co-Founder of The Peggy Hawkins Fund and dance educator.

Pernille graduated from LCDS in 1980 as one of the youngest students to ever take up a place at the school. After graduating, Pernille joined English Dance Theatre Company, travelling to New York and Canada.

Pernille’s passion has always been to nurture the next generation of dancers and to ensure that everyone has access to dance. She has worked extensively with children with special needs, the elderly, Dance for Brain Health and people living with Parkinsons.

In 1989, Pernille along with Peggy Hawkins formed the School of Creative Dance, to introduce children to dance and gain a deeper understanding of their own bodies as well as appreciation of rhythm and space. Pernille set up the fund alongside Peggy’s son, Anthony Van Laast in 2012 to honour Peggy’s commitment to the teaching of dance and dancers.

The Peggy Hawkins Fundraising Gala is the cornerstone of The Place’s calendar. Since 2012, we have welcomed industry leaders and supporters for an evening of world-class performance, celebrating the incredible talent of our students and the community that sustains them.

The Peggy Hawkins Fund provides the holistic support system today’s dancers need to survive and thrive. While our students are world-leading creatives, the physical and mental demands of the industry are immense. Your support funds:

• Physical Health: Specialised injury prevention and physiotherapy.
• Mental Wellbeing: Dedicated counselling and mental health resources.
• Financial & Learning Support: To ensure that talent, not bank balances, determines success.

We don’t just want our students to graduate; we want to empower them with the resilience and tools to build lifelong, meaningful careers.

Your contributions are more critical than ever. Your support provides a vital safety net that allows both for our students to thrive and for us to maintain this essential level of care by expanding our wellbeing services for a new generation.

Join us in championing the next generation of dance.

Dear Friends,

As an alum of LCDS, I am constantly reminded of the extraordinary work that goes on in this building. This has been the home of contemporary dance for more than 50 years, educating a huge range of ground-breaking leaders and creators, not just in dance but across many sectors. Over the past few years, we have been privileged to welcome remarkable guests to our gala, and this year we are deeply honoured to receive HRH The Duke of Edinburgh on his first official visit as Royal Patron of The Place.

Now, more than ever, the world needs the empathy and connection that dance provides. Our students come from across the globe, representing a spirit of internationalism that transcends borders. However, for many, the path to a career in dance is increasingly complex. At The Place, our mission is to build a world with more dance, and we know this begins with caring for dance artists and creating the conditions in which they can truly thrive.

The reality is that talent is universal, but opportunity is not. Financial aid is no longer just a “support service”; it is a necessity for a diverse and inclusive future. By providing robust financial care, we ensure that the cost of living or the price of a degree never silences a creative voice. We are not just funding tuition; we are protecting the mental well-being, physical health, and artistic freedom of students navigating an increasingly complex global landscape. By easing the burden of financial hardship, we can make sure that the next great choreographer or performer is defined by their talent and drive, rather than their circumstances.

None of this - the international reach, the world-leading training, or the sanctuary we provide our students - would be possible without you, our remarkable donors. Your generosity allows these dancers to focus on what they were born to do: move us, challenge us, and change the world.

We thank you for all you offer to us.

Enjoy the show!

Clare Connor
Chief Executive, The Place & London Contemporary Dance School

For The Place

Royal Patron: His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh

Patrons: Alan Bishop, Farooq Chaudhry OBE, Paloma Faith,Bonnie Greer OBE, Tony Hall, Lord Hall of Birkenhead CBE, Simon Russell, Lord Russell of Liverpool, Gilda Russell, Lady Russell of Liverpool,Sir Tim Lankester KCB,Sir Wayne McGregor CBE,Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE,Anthony Van Laast CBE

Founder: Robin Howard CBE

Founding Artistic Director: Sir Robert Cohan CBE

Chair of Board of Governors: Professor Roni Brown

Chief Executive: Clare Connor

Artistic Director: Eddie Nixon

Chief Financial Officer: Caroline Busby

Head of Operations: Sanjay Dasani

Executive Producer: Elin Williams

Director of Development and Knowledge Exchange: Anna Cassidy

Director of Communications: Holly Conneely

Visitor Services Manager: Eleanor Farrow

Technical Manager: Marco Cifre

For London Contemporary Dance School

Chief Academic Officer: Dr Lise Uytterhoeven

Director of Higher Education (Performance and International Development): Baptiste Bourgougnon

Director of Higher Education (Pedagogy and Enhancement): Josh Slater

Director of Student Lifecycle and Well-Being: Anna Helsby

Head of Learning and Teaching: Jeannie Steele

Head of Dance Science and Health: Stephanie Mattuissi

For the Peggy Hawkins Gala

Production Manager: Anthony Osborne

Lightning Designer: Lucy Hansom

Costume Manager:Emma Lyth

Creative Production: Jessica Steele

Backstage Manager: Katie Vernon-Smith