Teachers
Lucy Bennett - Artistic Director
Lucy graduated from Bird College of Performing Arts with a First Class BA Honours.
Currently Lucy is a full time dancer and Assistant Artistic Director with StopGAP Dance Company. StopGAP is an Integrated Contemporary Dance Theatre company, which is regularly funded by the Arts Council and based at the Farnham Maltings in Surrey. Touring both nationally and internationally performing and leading education projects. Lucy has been lucky enough to tour the world with StopGAP’s Triple Bill, Portfolio Collection and Trespass. Working with choreographers such as Hofesh Shecter, Rob Tannion (Stan Won’t Dance), Gary Clarke, Nathalie Purnette (France), Filip Van Huffel (Retina), Carol Brown, Thomas Noone (Barcelona) and Maxine Doyle (Punch Drunk).
Lucy is a lecturer at Gloucestershire University having written and delivered a choreographic module for the Performing Arts Degree.
Recently Lucy choreographed StopGAP’s outdoor dance work Tracking and Chocks Away which was performed throughout the UK Street Arts festivals, including The Royal Festival Hall, The National Theatre, Greenwich and Docklands Festival and as part of the Cultural Olympiad at Trafalgar Square. Other recent choreographic works include Lucy’s for StopGAP’s Portfolio Collection, Whistler for Indepen-dance at The Tramway in Glasgow, and Extra Ordinary for Dave Toole and Lucy Hind at The Lowry. Lucy established brighton dance diversion summer school in 2002 and still manages to pull in only the best talent in the business to teach and lead professional workshops. She is an advocate for contemporary dance in her home town Worthing and is interested in increasing her students’ awareness of diverse, inventive and inspiring dance theatre.
JP Omari
Having graduated from university with a business degree, JP decided that there was only one thing that he wanted to pursue in his life - dance. His passion started from a young age and has continued and expanded until now.
Various musical styles and icons have influenced him in creating his own unique and energetic style of streetdance.
JP started breakdancing 5 years ago and is one of the founding members of the Floor Crusaders, a UK south coast based breakdance crew.
JP is currently very active teaching in his local community and in the south east.
Visit JP's web site: www.jpomari.co.uk
Annabelle Mannix
Whilst training at Bird College, Annabelle toured with Bird Theatre Company, gaining experience both on-stage, as a performer and dance captain, and off-stage as a stage manager.
Since graduating, Annabelle has returned to college to take her A levels, and is currently teaching a range of dance disciplines to children aged two to nineteen.
Jan Spooner Swabey (B.Mus.,PGCE)
Jan Spooner Swabey professionally trained with Hervey Allen and Margaret Field whilst studying for her degree in music at Sheffield University. With a post-graduate degree in teaching from Leeds University and currently employed by Trinity College, London, Jan has combined a busy performance career (Lady Macbeth, Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, Abigail – Nabucco, Mrs Wickstead – Habeas Corpus, Aldonza – Man of La Mancha) with a commitment to teaching young singers.
In 2000 she was the Musical Director for the National Youth Theatre’s production of Salomon Pavey and through her work with Voicecraft and Vocal Process is involved in the continued development of vocal training and teaching methods.
Jan’s pride is her creation of a locally based choir, the JSS Singers, which under her directorship has received a spate of national competition awards and as well as television appearances, recordings and European tours the choir has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Queen Elizabeth Hall and St Albans and Rochester Cathedrals.
Nikki O'Hara
Nikki was trained at Bird College and graduated with a first class honours degree in Dance and Theatre Performance. She has also recently completed a PGCE in Post Compulsory Education. After graduating she spent two years with Motionhouse Dance Theatre, devising and touring the shows ‘Fearless’ and ‘Volatile’. Nikki has recently returned to Motionhouse to complete the tour of ‘Perfect’, whilst also exploring her own work, with company ‘Lunacy Nicked’. She has also worked with ‘Footwerk Productions’ directed by Helen Parlor, and is due to begin another project with her in the summer.
Nikki also choreographs and teaches, with experience in secondary level including GCSE and A Level dance, further education at Bird College and Margaret Howard Theatre College teaching contact improvisation, jazz and contemporary, and also in festival work. She has worked in various community dance settings around the country and has established two student dance companies which are enjoying successful performances and who also offer workshops for younger children. Other choreographic work includes repertoire for Bird Theatre Company and other major theatre colleges all of which have enjoyed success at various London and international theatres, including a performance for The Queen in July 2005.
Raymond Roa
Originating from the Philippines, Ray began his training with the HND dance course at Newcastle College and completed his degree at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. He went on to gain a Masters Degree at London Contemporary Dance School.
In 2001 he became a member of Edge, touring a repertoire of dance internationally.
Ray has choreographed for Roa-Dans in Denmark, Cumbria College of Art and performed for Athena Vhala, Franke Reignhart, various Royal Opera House productions, Darkin Ensemble, Carol Brown Dances, Jurac Korec, Virtual Motion,
Ray joined balletLORENT in 2002 for its production of The Ball and also performed in The Ice Ball, created especially to celebrate New Year's Eve in 2003 at Newcastle's Greys Monument (commissioned by Amino).
Ray has also performed in la nuit intime and the balletLorent latest production, Angelmoth.
Dan Watson
Dan studied at The University of Surrey, Roehampton and received a First Class Honours in Dance with Drama. From 2001 to 2008 he performed with StopGAP Dance Company, working with choreographers such as Hofesh Schecter, Rob Tannion (DV8, Stan Wont Dance), Filip Van Huffel (Retina Dance) and Maxine Doyle (Punchdrunk) amongst others. In that time Dan also danced for Protein Dance, Retina Dance, Green Candle Dance Company and Seven Sisters Group.
Since leaving he has performed with Stan Wont Dance (Babel, UK tour), Evolving Motion (Cathy Seago, Vanishing Point, UK tour ) the improvisational collective 5 Men Dancing (London, Plymouth and Freiberg), Slung Low (They Only come at Night, Resurrection and Visions, The Lowry and The Barbican) and most recently performed in his third piece for Leeds based Motion Manual (Body of Work, DanceMakers and Hyb).
He choreographed two works for StopGAP (Double Booked, Portfolio) co-choreographed Where the land meets the sea, a large scale site specific work on Brighton beach for The Big Dance 2006 and premiered his first independent work, An Untold Amount Of Steps in Resolution! 2007 at The Place, London. His first solo theatre piece Semi Detached premiered in 2009 with support from The BAC, London. He is currently working on a new piece. He has taught internationally in a variety of settings and is currently on the teaching team for Essential Alston, the educational programme for The Richard Alston Dance Company. He is also a fully qualified massage therapist.
Helen Gould
Since graduating from Bird College with a BA Hons in Dance and Theatre Performance in 2004. I have been working professionally as a dancer, teacher and choreographer on a diverse mix of projects in the UK and in Europe.
In February last year I have been working as a Dance Artist and Lancaster Dance Officer for Ludus Dance Company in Lancaster. Working with Ludus I’ve had the opportunity to explore many new and exciting avenues. Some past and current projects include; facilitating and choreographing for Integr8 Youth Dance Company, managing and supporting the delivery of the three year Lancaster Dance Development Project, working as Creative Practitioner within both primary and secondary schools and, most recently, having been involved with the establishment of ‘Out Of Bounds Dance Company’.
Composed of a group of like-minded North West based dance artists, the company provides an opportunity for local professional artists to research, create and perform new contemporary and physical theatre work within the region. ‘Disconnected’, the company’s first work was performed recently at both ‘Turn’ at The Green Room, Manchester and ‘Dance Cuts’ at The Nuffield Theatre, Lancaster.
Over the next year I have a number of exciting activities in the pipeline. I’m looking forward to be managing and supporting the delivery of the 2010-2011 Ludus Youth Dance Company program, embarking on the final stages of my Dalcroze Eurhythmics Certificate training course at Royal Northern College of Music and also devising the second work for ‘Out of Bounds’. I will also be kept busy delivering the great range of exciting community dance projects managed by Ludus Dance.
I am really looking forward to my forth year at BDD. I hope this years tap dancers are ready for a challenge!
KATHRYN HURLEY BA (Hons) AISTD
Kathryn began dancing at the age of three at Corraine Collins Dance Studios. She then went onto train at the prestigious Bird College of Performing Arts in Kent, for three years, gaining a BA (Hons) degree in Dance and Theatre Performance. She also gained her teaching qualifications with Honours.
Upon graduation she toured Germany in Sesame Street – The Musical for six months. She has also danced aboard MS Braemar for Fred. Olsen Cruises travelling throughout Europe, Africa and Scandinavia. Kathryn toured the South West with Meridian Dance Theatre, a contemporary company specialising in cross - curricular learning. She regularly choreographs for professional pantomimes and shows in Wales and England.
Kathryn teaches in primary and secondary schools throughout Bristol and South Gloucestershire and is also an educational facilitator for All You Can Eat Dance Company.
Kathryn runs her own dance Academy and Youth Company in South Gloucestershire.