The artists of SWDT

 

 

There is no show without punch...  

Anna,  Emily,  Nicola, EmmaRFleur  Lucia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anna  

Born in London, Anna began training in Cecchetti Ballet at the age of 3, and later attended classes alongside dancers of the Royal and English National Ballet Companies.  Her performing career began with a London based ballet company, Chelsea Ballet, as a soloist performing roles in ‘Swan Lake’ and ‘Coppelia’.

 

In 2006, she moved to Tokyo, continuing her training at K Ballet and the Tokyo Ballet Company.  In Tokyo, she also discovered salsa and performed with a Latin troupe by the name of Sabor in Roppongi.

 

Alongside her training and performance Anna has eight years’ experience teaching ballet, which began with Starlight Theatre School in Golders Green and Chelsea Ballet School in Chelsea, where she was a former pupil.

 

On returning to England, she performed with Ballet Bristol as a founding member and soloist before forming SWDT with Laura Rowlands. Although Laura has sadly since left the company, it has been exciting to see SWDT continue to attract dancers of such brilliant, eye-catching a calibre and multi-faceted talents.

 

Photo courtesy of Derwood Photography

 

Emily

Emily began dance training at the young age of 4 joining a local Ballet School. She then attended the Annette Adams School of Dancing to study classical ballet, repertoire and modern.   

 

She met Anna and Laura through Ballet Bristol.  Taking part in The Bristol Fashion Show was her first professional performance at the age of 18. “I loved every minute of it, so when the girls asked me to take part in a number for SWDT's Gangsters & Molls, I couldn’t wait to do it all again.”  Emily has since uncovered a natural aptitude for choreography as well as performance and has also now joined Anna as co-director of the company.

 

Photo courtesy of Derwood Photography

 

Renee

Renee began dancing at 16. After discovering a passion for dance whilst studying musical theatre she began studying Dance at Filton College. She now has a degree in Choreography and Dance from the University of Winchester. She is a keen choreographer and enjoys many different styles of dance.

 

Emma

(2014-2018)

Emma began her love of dance from a young age when her school introduced her to ballet at the age of 4. She enjoyed it so much that she also sought out tap classes, and later jazz at the age of 7.

 

Emma continued to train in all 3 disciplines at the dance school until the age 17. Shows with the dance company gave Emma her first taste of performing in public, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

 

Emma continued her love of dancing at the University of the West of England where she added modern and hip hop to her previous ballet, tap and jazz  training and joined South West Dance Theatre in 2014.

 

Photo courtesy of Derwood Photography

 

Nicola

 

Nicola started dancing at the age of three at her local dance school in Milton Keynes. Whilst studying ballet, tap and jazz she had the opportunity to perform in many amateur productions, pantomimes and dance shows at local venues.

 

In 2007 she moved to Bath to study Music at Bath Spa University, where she became involved with some local youth theatre groups. She is now choreographer for Merriman Theatre group based in Midsomer Norton, and runs Merriman Dance Academy which she set up to provide younger members of the group the opportunity to further develop their dance technique. Joining South West Dance Theatre has provided an opportunity to really focus on dance and put her ballet and contemporary technique to the test.

EmmaR

 

Emma started ballet classes at 4 years old at her local dance school in Highworth, Wiltshire, and still loves to dance now. Emma enjoyed ballet, tap and modern classes throughout her school years and then forayed into some different styles later on with capoeira and salsa classes during university. Emma got back into dance with adult ballet classes in London and really enjoyed dancing in her previous firm, PwC's, 30th pantomime at the Peacock Theatre in January 2016. Emma also danced with Chelsea Ballet for a year, dancing as part of the company in their annual performance in November 2016, performing in Swan Lake and Paquita, as well as a number of local community dance shows at hospitals and retirement homes. Emma has really enjoyed the opportunity to dance with South West Dance Theatre and looks forward to continuing to explore new styles and repertoire.

 

Fleur

 

 

Fleur began dancing at three years old at her local dance school where she stayed for fifteen years training ballet, tap and jazz. At age sixteen she studied contemporary dance and physical theatre for two years at the Somerset performing Arts Centre for Education. To increase her dance vocabulary she began classes in aerial silks, hoop and pole which discovered her love for circus. She is currently studying contemporary circus and physical theatre at university where she looks to combine her dance knowledge with acrobatics

Lucia

Lucia is an Oxfordshire born performer and lover of the weird and wonderful.

She performed in both music, dance and drama, including various musicals, dance shows in both classical and modern dance forms and plays such as Under the Milk Wood at The Playhouse Theatre and a tour of Shakespeare's ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ (modern interpretation). She gained experience in 'theatre in education' whilst in a tour of The Three Little Pigs and Billy Goats Gruff and as well as teaching both dance and acting she toured professionally in roles including Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel the musical and Princesses  Ariel and Elsa in Disney princess tours. She has also choreographed a number of dances for musicals and events, including a show of Joseph and the Technicoloured Dream Coat, using umbrellas.

For the last two years she has completed a degree in contemporary Circus and physical theatre to broaden her abilities and horizons, where she graduated specialising in aerial (namely aerial pole), and acrobatic dance.

This year she has been dancing with South West Dance Theatre troupe, as well as performing in other contracts and independently. She aims to carry on finding new projects to mix her eclectic skills in acting, singing, acrobatics and dance.

 

 

 

SWDT Alumni...

Kim Lye, Matt Seow, Jorge Garcia Hidalgo, Lola Elujoba, Lucy Ferrier-Jones, Georgia Smart, Corrin Martin, Rhiannon Taylor, Kate Wycherley, Laura Rowlands, Kate Williamson, Lucy Aldrich-Smith, Georgie Rennolds, Shanna Re, Jess Hall, Sophie Walters, Sarah Wright, Sarah Sigley, Katy Aldred, Fleur Hoefkens, Kate Demidova