A freelance dance artist from the heart of Cardiff, Wales. I trained full time at Rubicon Dance for two years. During my time at NSCD I have had the pleasure of working with Lea Anderon MBE, Wayne Parsons, The Hiccup Project, Caroline Finn (as part of National Youth Dance Wales) and most recently, Fernanda Prata. I have also worked with director Ben Taylor and choreographer Ewan Jones, for the Netflix Series Sex Education, where I can be seen dancing as a space alien and a vagina...
Striving to bridge the gap between activism and performance, I have co-founded a physical theatre company, ‘Yoodaloo’. Our work is political, satirical and often child friendly, which we have performed at the Youth Strikes for Climate and across Yorkshire.
Beginning her career within the hip hop community at the age of 12, Duja Sinada has been performing in London for over 10 years working with various choreographers and companies such as Avant Garde Dance, Spoken Movement and Boy Blue Entertainment where she was cast in the hit show Pied Piper. She began her journey at Northern School of Contemporary dance at the age of 21 in wanting to broaden her versatility and physicality. She was mostly inspired by her peers who trained in both contemporary and hip hop but mostly inspired by her brother who helped pave the way for her when starting out. As a young person of Sudanese heritage, dance was never accepted as a vocation or profession. It has taken perseverance and determination to break down these cultural barriers to forge a path within the arts which has led her to where she is now.
I am currently a third-year student at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance where I have performed works by Wayne Parsons, Joss Arnott, Joseph Mercier, Matthew Slater and Fernanda Prata. After completion of my degree I will be joining Phoenix Dance Theatre as an apprentice dancer which I am very excited about. I enjoy travelling and learning about different cultures. I am also interested in film photography and play the flute and guitar in my spare time. I absolutely love RICE and would happily eat it every day for every meal.
Hello! My name is Niamh Milligan, I am 21 years old and currently in my final year of study at NSCD. My home is Bedford in the south of England but soon I will be moving to London to begin my life as an official adult. I have a huge love for photography, dogs, and eating cakes even better together, taking pictures of dogs whilst eating cakes. Throughout my time at NSCD I have been lucky enough to work with and perform works by Lea Anderson, Wayne Parsons, Gary Clarke, The Hiccup Project, Phil Sanger and now Fernanda Prata.
Kevin Julianto came from other part of this world where people drink tea with sugar and eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. His faith and believe in dance Baptist him to make dance as a religion. His believe in dance brought him with full scholarship to Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts for two years before stranded to Leeds to finish his BA. During his religious practise, he got chance to perform his prayer under choreography of Toby Rorimpandey, Siko Setyanto, Marich Prakorso Farida Oetoyo, Nudiandra Sarasvati, Gerard Mosterd, Yon Jing Li, Tracy Wong& Mao Wei, Jaime Redfern, Hiccup Project, Elanor Sikorski And Fernanda Prata.
Raised in Handsworth, Birmingham, music and the arts have always influenced Azizi’s life. Having started dancing with ACE Dance and Music’s youth program from as young as four years old he was exposed to live music played for African technique classes. Since then Azizi has continued to develop his own creative practice accompanying and composing for dance, having worked with internationally acclaimed companies such as Phoenix, Rambert and English National Ballet since 2015. He has also been commissioned to compose for various youth academies and has taught workshops across the country. Most recently Azizi has been building a workshop that aims to strengthen dancers understanding and awareness of music and musicality.
Naomi is a third year student at Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD). During her time there she’s worked with prolific artists such as: the Hiccup Project, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Amaury Lebrun and Fernanda Prata. Throughout her three years, she became interested in how movement can stimulate feelings and be used as a vehicle to express and release emotions. Outside of dance she’s a professional Ryde Instructor and believes that our mind-body connection can direct many other aspects of our day to day lives and decisions. These ideas inform her interdisciplinary practice as an artist and support her work as a dancer and teacher.
Will was born in Brighton when people were still listening to ‘Believe’ by Cher and ‘Baby One More Time’ by Britney Spears. Born into a large family, Will has many loud siblings who are always trying to one-up each other in a never ending battle of wits. Before lockdown Will prided himself on sustainably bought vintage clothes and shopping for local fruit and vegetables from the market. However since lockdown he has seldom left the house apart from the weekly trip to the local Aldi where he scours the frozen isle for vegan pizzas and ice cream, often left disappointed. Like everyone else's bio you’ve probably read by now you might have noticed a trend that everyone is in their 3rd year at Northern School of Contemporary Dance, so it'll come as no surprise that I too am also in my 3rd year and looking forward to finally leaving education. Thanks for reading my life story so far. To (hopefully) be continued...
Drew, is a 21 year old born in the UK. His dance journey started in Scotland. In the studio, and in the bedroom were the places he loved to move. Being a shy guy growing up, dance became an outlet, a way to release, a way to connect without the need for words. Before choosing dance, he never felt a deep passion for any profession he was aware of. Taking the risk to do something that felt right, he decided to move on to college, around the age of 17. Learning Jazz, Classic Ballet, and Contemporary techniques. Outside of college he was an advocate for freestyle and choreography. Exploring styles such as Popping, Hip hop, and Krump. Beginning to progress, he took part in more outside events, and it was those times he felt truely inspired. Each experience driving him to push harder. Attending more and more battles, growing with each one.
I’m Molly and I am from Wigan which is in between Manchester and Liverpool. I only explain it in more detail because most people haven’t heard of it and don’t know where it is. I’m 21 and love to have a boogie. Previously whilst studying at NSCD, I’ve been involved in pieces by Matthew Slater and Phil Sanger, whilst also working with Gary Clark. I have also worked with Eleanor Sikorski producing a piece online and venturing in to the world of zoom for the first time. I have also enjoyed attending workshops with Theo Clinkard who created The Century project, he was looking at how a dance piece/sequence can been remember in 100 years’ time. Also exploring Flying Low and Passing Through technique with Leila McMillian. I also love to travel but can’t quite do that at the moment and I love knitting and love singing; a typical venue for this includes my bedroom and the shower.
Sarah Baugstø was born in China, but raised in Stavanger, Norway by Norwegian and Scottish parents. In a city where you either play football or you’re a loser, she started dancing, and here we are. During her time at NSCD she’s had the pleasure of working with Phil Sanger, Patricia Okenwa, Joseph Mercier and Fernanda Prata. Outside of dancing Sarah loves early nights, a good glass of wine, puzzles and knitting - and believes whoever said “dancing keeps you young” needs to check their facts.
Raised in the south of England on a hill in the middle of nowhere Anastasia grew up building dens in the woods, roasting chestnuts and pressing apples into apple juice, and occasionally cider. She has spent most of her lockdown painting, reading and looking out the window people watching all while attempting to finish her degree in what is not a 2m by 2m space. Perhaps due to the abundance of plants collected over the past few weeks. Only a few months ago could she be found prying the isles of vegan food stores and charity shops with a collection of jars at hand. Like most students graduating this year she looks forward to gaining some independence and leaving education (only for a short time before starting her MA) and roaming freely through parks with as many friends as she can get a hold of.
Growing up in Herefordshire, his first performance was Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio the musical at primary school. Since then he became far too fidgety to continue with the musical theatre scene and decided to pursue dance, with the 2Faced Youth. Via a convoluted route, he then ended up at NSCD, a place that he has considered home for the past 3 years. Along the way he has worked with the likes of Phil Sanger, Patricia Okenwa, Fernanda Prata, Phoenix Dance Theatre and Lea Anderson MBE He also co-founded the physical theatre company ‘Yoodaloo’ who create both politically satirical and child friendly work. Furthermore in an attempt to get as far away from Herefordshire as possible he qualified as a yoga teacher in India last year. George’s favourite hobby is hand balancing, and on stage he has sung into a shoe, juggled, rode a unicycle back and forth, smothered himself in watermelon, cooked an egg and thrusted for 2 mins straight. He is confident that with his strangely specific skill set that he will find a way in the world.
My name is Betty Maguire, I am a dancer in my fourth year at Northern School Of Contemporary Dance. I completed the Access to Higher Education Diploma at NSCD in 2017 and since then have spent the past three years dancing, sweating and crying (sometimes with joy!) on the BA course. Throughout this incredible journey I have had the pleasure of working with choreographers such as The Hiccup Project, Amaury Lebrun, Joseph Mercier and Fernanda Prata. I enjoy creating and performing in sociopolitical dance works that mix a variety of creative mediums including dance theatre, comedy, live art and film. I believe that contemporary dance is an amazing platform to highlight social issues and comment on the world in which we live.
The Cantonese name Keung Hoi Ling means triumph returns, which describes her unswerving determination on reaching goals and dreams as a young dancer. The name Stephanie is just for fitting into the western world.
Stephanie transferred from the HKAPA to NSCD in 2019 due to the upsetting political situation in Hong Kong. The Chinese Government left her no choice but to escape 5940 miles away to retain her freedom of expression. She dedicated herself to voice out for her people, both solo and research project revealed her emotional fluctuations of the helplessness of being far away from home, unexpectedly. God sure jealous her bravery and once again challenge with COVID-19. Luckily by collaborating with Joseph Mercier and Fernanda Prata, she could once again express herself both with platinum wig and indigo bruises.
My name is Bethany Curry but I am definitely a Beth. I am currently in my fourth and final year at NSCD after completing the Access to Higher Education course followed by the BA. Along this journey I have had the pleasure of working with choreographers such as The Hiccup Project, Amaury Lebrun and Lea Anderson MBE; I was also selected to perform in Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet as part of the young cast in Bradford. My home is a town in East Yorkshire called Beverley, it’s near Hull but I don’t like to say that. However, I will soon be moving to Manchester to start an MA in performance with Emergence, a postgraduate dance company of Joss Arnott Dance and Salford University!
My name is Jack Richardson, I am currently in my third year at NSCD but not my final year as in September I will be starting my MA course with Verve. While at NSCD, I have had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as; Matthew Slater, Wayne Parsons and Joseph Mercier. Alongside Northern, I have had the pleasure; to be a Perform in New Adventures- Romeo and Juliet in good old Norwich and also the chance to work with Douglas Thorpe.
From sleepy Hampshire, Polly stands at 5”3 and has hair with a mind of its own. During her time at Northern School of Contemporary Dance, she has had the pleasure of working with and performing works by Phil Sanger, Wayne Parsons, and Eleanor Sikorski. Outside of this, she has worked with Matthew Rawcliffe and is a part of Sababa Bar Company. Throughout lockdown, Polly has been painting, reading, and discovering writing, playing around with writing short poems, and putting together a long piece of text titled ‘i try not to think about (covid 19)’. She has also been working on some film projects, creating ‘The Colour Blue’ with Chana Joyce, and collaborating with Katie Serridge on ‘Tulips for Polly’.
Raised in Handsworth, Birmingham, music and the arts have always influenced Azizi’s life. Having started dancing with ACE Dance and Music’s youth program from as young as four years old he was exposed to live music played for African technique classes. Since then Azizi has continued to develop his own creative practice accompanying and composing for dance, having worked with internationally acclaimed companies such as Phoenix, Rambert and English National Ballet since 2015. He has also been commissioned to compose for various youth academies and has taught workshops across the country. Most recently Azizi has been building a workshop that aims to strengthen dancers understanding and awareness of music and musicality.
Fernanda Prata is an interdisciplinary artist working across Theatre and Dance for over 20 years. She has worked in collaboration with many UK and Brazilian companies where her main collaboration has been with Punchdrunk, working as Assistant Director and performer for over 14 years. Selected Choreographic works includes ‘Kroppen Min’ for Stavanger University, ‘Nos’ commissioned by Horniman Museum and Gardens, ‘Midsummers Night Dream’ for Karamel Club Theatre in London.
Currently Fernanda is a Lecturer at NSCD teaching across the undergraduate and Post Graduate Programme. She is also the MA Course Leader on their Dance and Creative Enterprise course.
www.fernandaprata.com
He graduated from the Performing Arts school Martins Pena, Brazil, studied film-making at the London Film Academy, and holds a Masters Degree in Documentary Film at London College of Communication. Over the last 25 years Vinicius has performed with leading Brazilian and UK physical theater and dance companies including Punchdrunk, Gecko, Jasmin Vardimon Company and others. Also, worked as visiting lecturer at both Royal Holloway University and Christ Church University, educational facilitator Punchdrunk, and 6 years as rehearsal director of Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company.
Multidisciplinary Dance artist, Vinicius is interested in exploring multiple media environments and technology to create work that relies on the experience of the viewer and which also creates a strong visual aesthetic, echoing the contemporary world. Works include The Whole Shebang!, 2019; Disruptive Narratives, commissioned by Croydonite festival 2019; The Return of the Unknown, a Marlowe Theater production, 2018; Glitch, 2018; OX, funded by ACE, 2017; Witches in Disguise, 2016; Human Marvels, commissioned by JVC, 2016; Copycat 2009; NoContact, commissioned by The Place, 2007. Currently, Vinicius is working on his physical theater production Tutu Trouble, funded by Arts Council and Croydon Council.
www.viniciussalles.co
Fernanda Prata and
Vinicius Salles
Choreography and Direction
Fernanda Prata
Mixed Reality Artist and Directing
Vinicius Salles
Architect
Margaret Salles
Vídeo Editing
Chris Yates, Vinicius Salles, Mark Baker and Performers
Music
Azizi Cole
Costume Consultant
Melissa Burton
Rehearsal Director
Eric Assandri
The work was devised with the Cast
Polly Constance
Williams English
Bethany Curry
Andrew Gibson
Naomi Gregory
Amber Howells
Mirabel Huang-Smith
Kevin Julianto
Stephanie Keung
Betty Maguire
Niamh Milligan
Molly Press
Jack Richardson
Anastasia Sheldon
Duja Sinada
Omar Stone
George Swattridge
Glenn Glidden
Ben King
Eric Assandri
Tom McGinn
Edgar Naglis