Associate Artists
Over the last 12 years a number of artists have made DRS their home while working on specific research projects or getting involved in professional development activities. Some of these associates come and go while others are more continuously involved in teaching at the studio, developing their current projects or collaborating with Jacky Lansley on new performance work. Significantly these artists come from diverse backgrounds including dance, theatre, music, live art and community based work. This diversity reflects a basic ethos at DRS which is to place dance at the heart of critical cross disciplinary discussion and practice.
The community of associate artists at DRS supports core activities through teaching, mentoring, attending residency sharings, seminars and other public events. In exchange they receive free studio time where possible, mentoring from peer practitioners, marketing support, networking opportunities and the social/cultural benefits of being part of a dynamic artistic community.
Tricia Durdey
Tricia trained in dance in London and Amsterdam where she first encountered Jacky Lansley’s work during the days of X6 Dance Space. She caught up with Jacky years later through her workshops at Dance Research Studio, and has loved her approach to dance and theatre, that works deeply on a physical and intellectual level, whilst engaging with and exploring narrative. Tricia became an associate artist of DRS when working with Tim Taylor, and values her connection with the studio. At present she is developing ways to teach ballet to older people who have never danced before, and is involved in a project The Dinner Party by Ella Hurman. Tricia also teaches Pilates, and writes fiction. Her novel The Green Table (named after Jooss’ ballet) will be published in September 2015 by Cinnamon Press.
www.movingthemind.co.uk | www.orchardpilates.co.uk
Ursula Early
Ursula is a theatre producer, theatre-maker, facilitator and actress. She is a founder and Director of Waltham Forest based Theatre Companies Blackhorse Arts and East London Shakespeare Festival. She is also Producer and Programmer for Walthamstow’s performance venue The CentrE17. Previously, she founded Big Bear Theatre Company and was a Production Coordinator for Commercial West-End and international touring Production Company: Glynis Henderson Productions (Producers of STOMP and others). Ursula has an extensive TV and theatre acting CV and trained at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Ursula is an experienced workshop leader and facilitator and has designed and delivered an extensive range of acting and drama workshops for theatre companies and Drama Schools. She taught as an adult acting teacher for City Academy, She has Level 3 OCNLR Accredited Diploma in Leading Dance for Older People (course provided by Green Candle Dance Company. She is also currently on the professional development faculty of Dance Research Studio and teaches on their Professional Development Programme.
Jreena Green
Jreena is a professional dancer, choreographer, dance teacher and ‘practical dance historian’. She studied at The London Contemporary Dance School and did a degree in Dance Studies at Middlesex University. She featured in the Len Goodman documentary series ‘Cheek To Cheek’ where she demonstrated historical African American dance forms. Recent choreographic credits include major commercials for Guinness Youtube, Google, Levis and Marks and Spencers. Xmas ad. Credits as a dancer/performer include leads in ‘Falling’ for Green Candle Dance Company, ‘Mrs Wobble’ for Theatre Peckham and her own show ‘The Josephine Baker Show’ which toured the South of England. She was a assistant dance captain/choreographic assistant on the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony and has a background performing in West End musicals (original cast of the Tony award winning show ‘The Lion King’), choreographing music videos and feature films and doing international tours with established musical acts. She also works with the elderly, people with dementia and learning disability and ‘hard to reach’ young people through Green Candle Dance Company in East London. Jreena Green is the founder and artistic director of Jazz Dance Elite a dance company that links the historical line of African diaspora dance forms from authentic jazz, Uk jazz, tap to Charleston and Lindy hop to hip hop.
Green Candle Dance Company – Fergus Early
As an individual artist and as the Artistic Director of Green Candle Dance Company, I have had considerable involvement with DRS since its inception. As a performer, I have been involved in a number of Jacky Lansley’s creative projects, including Holding Space, View from the Shore, Anamule Dance, Guest Suites and The Life Class (film). My company has created and rehearsed several of its productions in the space and I have taught sessions on Jacky’s SDIPT and TIP professional development courses. DRS has Tardis-like qualities – enormous amounts of wonderful creativity emerging from such a seemingly modest amount of space!
www.greencandledance.com
Esther Huss
Esther graduated from London Studio Centre in 2003 with a BA (Hons) Degree in Theatre Dance. Since then she has worked as a freelance dancer, teacher and choreographer in both the professional and community dance sector. Esther’s professional appearances include several productions at the Royal Opera House London, and works with Kate Flatt, Aletta Collins, Jacky Lansley, Michael Keagan-Dolan, Bernadette Iglich amongst others. Esther is Co-Founder of the inclusive dance company Dandelion Collective. As artistic director she has presented three full scale productions at the New Diorama Theatre London, and independently presented work at Tate Britain and the Southbank Centre. In 2019, Esther moved to Northumberland, North East UK, where she made her first appearance by leading a European project ‘Bridges – Dance for Europe’ involving over 100 Europeans across 10 countries. Her current interest lies in bringing together dance and the Visual Arts, and making these accessible to rural communities across Northumberland.
Grace Nicol
Grace Nicol is a choreographer, producer and academic. The primary concerns of her work are place, gender and class boundaries. Grace is the founder and producer of the performance platform, Womxn SRSLY which is a platform and support network for female identified and socialised female artists. To develop this practice further, Grace provides mentoring for female artists and is currently mentoring on the MA programme at ArtEZ.
Grace recently collaborated with Jacky Lansley on R-AGE (commissioned by Chisenhale Dance Space) and her work has been shown at The Place, CentrE17, The Yard, Guest Projects, Hackney Showroom, the V & A Museum and has toured nationally and internationally, winning a Stockholm Fringe Young STOFF Award in 2015.
coegicompany.wix.com/coegi | @GraceBNicol
Ingrid Mackinnon
Ingrid is a London based movement director, choreographer, teacher and dancer. Movement direction credits include #WeAreArrested (Arcola Theatre), First Encounters: The Merchant of Venice (RSC), Typical (Nouveau Riche/Soho Theatre), Liar Heretic Thief (Lyric), Cacophony (Almeida), Mischief Festival: #WeAreArrested (RSC), #DR@CULA! (RCSSD), Mischief Festival: Kingdom Come (RSC), Fantastic Mr. Fox (associate movement Nuffield Southampton and National/International tour). Choreography and rehearsal direction credits include The Headwrap Diaries (assistant choreographer and rehearsal director) for Uchenna Dance, Our Mighty Groove (rehearsal director) for Uchenna Dance, Three Penny Opera (choreographer) for Wac Arts, Boy Breaking Glass (rehearsal director) for Vocab Dance/Alesandra Seutin , Hansel and Gretel (assistant choreographer and rehearsal director) for Uchenna Dance, Imoinda (choreographer), In The Heights (choreographer) for Wac Arts. She has taught for FE and HE institutions such as WAC Arts, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London Studio Centre, Mountview, ALRA and University of Kent. Ingrid holds an MA in Movement: Directing & Teaching from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She is co-founder of MoveSpace.
www.ingridmackinnon.com | @ingridmackinnion
Project O
Project O is the performative fruits of conversations between Alexandrina Hemsley and Jamila Johnson-Small. The London-based project explores ideas around visibility and marginalisation, looking to the body as a site of politics. Their work has included dance performances for the stage (O, 2012), performative interventions in public spaces (BYBG: Be Your Black Girlfriend) and a publication (A Contemporary Struggle, 2013). In 2014 Dance Research Studio supported the research and development of a new work SWAGGA by Project O with Charlotte Cooper and Kay Hyatt. As Associate Artists at DRS, Project O were able to spend valuable time in the studio and in conversation with Jacky. SWAGGA was premiered at The Yard Theatre in June 2015.
www.acontemporarystruggle.com | @ContempStruggle | Image Credit: Katarzyna Perlak
Tim Taylor
Tim is a performer, theatre maker and teacher – has broad experience as an interdisciplinary artist. He has worked across many different genres of performance, and for such practitioners as Lucy Bailey, Martha Clarke, Luke Dixon, Matthew Hawkins, Bill T Jones, Michael Keegan-Dolan, David McVicar, Ian Spink, Jane Turner, Jacky Lansley, Ultz, Sian Williams and the Kosh. In 2017, he worked with artists Beech and Thomasson as a performer on their work Together at Tate Britain. In early 2018/19, Tim participated in the touring performance piece About Us, choreographed and directed by Jacky Lansley. In 2019, he worked with long-time colleague Jane Turner to develop Taylor and Turner Taking Turns, a contemporary cabaret piece combining performance with participatory workshop engagement. Since Covid-19 lock-down, Tim has also contributed as a performer to Jane Turner’s film in development Shape Shift.
Tim has been the Programme Manager for Dance at Morley since 2012. Our curriculum offers an eclectic programme of theatre, world, social and fitness-oriented dance study for the College’s part-time, adult education community.