DANCERS - Past and present

Neus Gil Cortes - Shadow of a Quiet Society

Originally from Valencia, Spain, Neus trained at the Professional Conservatory of Dance of Valencia, and at Codarts, the Rotterdam Dance Academy. Neus has danced for Hofesh Shechter Company, National Dance Company Wales and Dance Works Rotterdam. She has also performed with other world-class choreographers such as Ohad Naharin, Itzic Galili and Dana Caspersen.

She is now a freelance dancer and choreographer based in the UK, working with independent choreographers as well as creating her own work. Her choreographies have been performed in Holland, Spain and UK, in festivals such as One Night's Dance, Wales Dance Platform, World Stage Design, Feedback Festival, Ignition Dance Festival and Emerge Festival.

Eleesha Drennan - Shadow of a Quiet Society

Eleesha Drennan is a multi award winning dancer and choreographer. She trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and McMahon School of Ballet. Eleesha was an integral member of NDCWales for many years also becoming House Choreographer. Eleesha has performed in works by internationally acclaimed choreographers including Ohad Naharin, Christopher Bruce, Itzik Galili, Nigel Charnock, Stephen Petronio, Stephen Shopshire, Angelin Preljocaj, Andonis Foniadakis and Stijn Celis. Recently Eleesha performed in ‘Betrayal: A polyphonic crime drama by I Fagiolini produced by The Barbican.

Eleesha has also created work for Maiden Voyage Dance, Edge 15, and Fertile Ground, was awarded first prize for performance of 'Whiskers' at the International Solo Dance Theatre Festival Stuttgart 2012 and received the Sky Academy Arts Scholarship 2014 for the creation of Channel Rose. 

Albert Garcia – My People (2015) & Of the Earth, from where I came

Albert trained classically at the Conservatori Superior de Dansa Illes Balears, and in contemporary at the Conservatori Superior de Dansa de l’Institut del Teatre in Barcelona.  He has worked with James Cousins Company, Icosaèdre Dance Compagnie (France), IT Dansa Jove Companyia (Barcelona), and Tanzkompanie Oper Graz (Austria) performing in works by choreographers including Alexander Ekman, Ohad Naharin, Rafael Bonachela, Stijn Celis, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, James Wilton, Natalia Horecna, Itamar Serussi, Tilman O’donnell, Rosana Hribar, Catherine Allard, Marilen Iglesias-Breuker, Jiří Kylián, Luc Petton and Darrel Toulon. 

Chihiro Kawasaki - Shadow of a Quiet Society

Chihiro is a dancer, Pilates instructor, dance teacher and also an Aikido (shodokan) instructor. She has danced with James Cousins Company, Gecko Theatre, (BBC 4 & Battersea Art Centre), Punchdrunk (National Theatre), Hofesh Shechter, Ramin Grey & Simon Stephens, Enuki Dance (curated by Donald Hutera), Phoenix Dance Theatre, Akram Khan and Henri Oguike Dance Company

Eddie Ladd - Shadow of a Quiet Society (Development)

Eddie Ladd was born and brought up in Wales. As a solo performer she has made work that features dance, bilingual text, music and new media technologies. She has made site-specific work in opera houses, fields, farmyards and tonnes of corn and flour as well as more regular theatre pieces.

After graduating from Aberystwyth University, she worked with a number of theatre companies in Wales. She was a regular performer with the experimental physical theatre company Brith Gof for ten years from 1990. Since 1996 she and her collaborators have made eighteen full-length pieces, many of which have toured internationally. 

Eddie co-devised and performed in Caitlin with Gwyn, the award winning production directed by Deborah Light based on the lives of Caitlin and poet Dylan Thomas.

Anaïs Michelin – My People, Shadow of a Quiet Society and Of the Earth, from where I came

Anaïs, a founding member of Gwyn Emberton Dance, was born in the south of France and began her training in a small conservatory. After her high school diploma she moved on to Ballet Junior de Genève where she worked with Alexander Ekman, Stijn Cellis, Itzik Galili. Anaïs has worked with various companies in Geneva and Paris such as company DCA, company Alias/Guillherme Botelho, Company Arnica 9CH. Recently she worked with Ballet Preljocaj and is also a trained circus artist and singer.

Johanna Nuutinen - Shadow of a Quiet Society

Johanna is a dancer-choreographer, and graduate of the Finnish National Opera Ballet school. Since then she has been a member of the Finnish National Ballet and created a successful career with the company while dancing soloist parts in works by Ohad Naharin, William Forsythe, Johan Inger, Jacobo Godani, Sylvie Guillem, John Neumeier, Jorma Elo and Jorma Uotinen, as well as creating her own productions on stage and on film. In 2013 Johanna created a short dance film ME  The Story of a Performance in collaboration with filmmakers Jopsu and Timo Ramu (MUSUTA Ltd.). So far the film has been presented at over 40 international dance and design film festivals. Her solo production HATCHED is also becoming an international success having been premiered in Hong Kong and continued touring in Russia and Finland.

Sophia Preidel - Shadow of a Quiet Society and Of the Earth, from where I came 

Sophia was born in Munich, Germany, where she competed as a gymnast for many years. At the age of 13, she discovered her passion for dance, and started professional training at the Iwanson School of Contemporary Dance at the age of 19. After her graduation in 2009, Sophia moved to London. She has worked with companies such as Fleur Darkin Company, ACE Dance and Music in Birmingham, United Fall in Ireland, Bristol based Vex Dance Theatre, Recoil Performance Group from Denmark, Pair Dance and Exzeb. She has worked in several dance and opera productions in Belgium, Germany, Wales and Switzerland for choreographers Amir Hosseinpour and Jonathan Lunn.

Past performers

Federica Esposito – My People (2015) and Shadow of a Quiet Society (development)

Federica, who is from Sicily (Italy),  holds a BA in Foreign Languages and Cultures. She also graduated from Modem Studio Atelier. She has worked with Compagnia Zappalà Danza (IT), Legitimate Bodies Dance Company (IRE), Compagnia Pareri Variabili (IT), Animated State Dance Theatre Company (IRE), Teatro Stabile di L'Aquila (IT), Cie Eco (FR), Altered Skin (UK). She is currently working with Underhand Dance.  In 2014 she co-founded Fuora Dance Project along with the colleague G. Montalbano, presenting works at various venues and festivals including DanceLive, Resolution!2015, Cottier Dance Project.

Ryan O'Neill – My People

Ryan achieved a first class honours degree in Dance at the University of Ulster and a Masters in Dance Performance at Trinity Laban school of Music and Dance, as part of a professional post graduate touring company Transitions. Ryan has worked with Maiden Voyage Dance Company, ponydance theatre company, Off the rails dance theatre, Puredance aerial dance company, Irish Modern Dance Theatre, Junk Ensemble and Paperdolls.

Rachele Rapisardi – My People

After graduating from Rotterdam Conservatory (CODARTS) Rachele relocated to Paris where she worked closely with Nina Dipla. In 2010 she joined Edge11 directed by Jeanne Yasko which toured internationally. Rachele has since worked with Jorge Crecis, Jose Agudo (Akram Khan), Emma Martina Dance (Ireland), ilDance Company (Sweden). She is currently working with Ben Duke (Lost Dog) and Gwyn Emberton.

Jure Gostincar – My People (2014)

Jure grew up on the Slovenian coast, where he trained in hip hop and contemporary in local dance school until he was 18. Currently Jure is training with Ballet Junior de Genève. After moving to Ljubljana he joined Kjara's dance project, a company for young dancers. Since 2012 He has been a soloist in the company and performed in Slovenia's biggest theatres and festivals. Jure regularly take classes and workshops in London and New York.

Lauren Poulton – My People and Dance Shorts (2014)

Lauren trained at the Central School of Ballet and has worked with Marc Brew, Christopher Hampson, Cathy Marston, Patricia Vallis and Will Tuckett and has performed for Ampersandance, Ballet Cymru, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Covent Garden Dance Company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Royal Opera and English National Ballet amongst others. Lauren has also choreographed for Ballet Central, Ballet Cymru and AIW Dance.