Bobby Soutar

Bobby is an Emmy & Costume Designer’s Guild award winning costume designer with a diverse portfolio in film, theatre, and dance.

Recent credits include Better, Stop The Clock, and After the Word.

He has worked on major projects such as Universal’s Wicked (Oscar, BAFTA & CDG winner for Best Costume), Tim Burton’s Wednesday (Emmy winner for Best Contemporary Costumes) and Bridgerton, along with critically acclaimed productions like Phantom Thread and Harry Potter & The Cursed Child.

Bobby’s background as an actor adds a unique perspective to his design work, shaping how he creates characters through costume.

Naomi Chockler

Naomi Chockler (She/Her) is a dancer, choreographer, and writer based in London. Her passion for reading and writing poetry has fueled many of her choreographic pursuits, as she strongly believes in the synergy between text and movement. In May 2023 she premiered her first public work "...If I wanted I could use this time wisely" described as "original, intricate, musical, expansive" (Matthew Paluch). 

Naomi trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, where she cultivated her passion for highly physical and expressive movement language. In her third year, she joined Mobius Dance Company on a placement, co-creating a trio for “Curious Playground” with Annie Hanauer. 

Naomi's career has spanned a breadth of venues and platforms, from festivals like Electric Picnic to co-creating and performing in "Dance Maven”, a captivating schools show with Waggle Dance Company, fostering her adaptability and commitment to reaching wider audiences with dance. 

Naomi has performed at prestigious venues and events, including the Royal Opera House in the revival of 'Macbeth' and the opening ceremony of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. She has collaborated with a diverse array of esteemed artists, including Barnaby Booth and FUBUNATION.

Michelle Scappa

Michelle Scappa experimented with rhythmic gymnastics during his childhood and

then devoted himself to dance, investigating corporeality also through research on

physical theatre and improvisation. Finally, he tried his hand at choreography.

His professional training started at D.A.F., then Opus Ballet and finally N.S.C.D (UK)

where he obtained an MA in Contemporary Dance Performance.

Allegra Vistalli

Allegra Vistalli (She/Her) is a freelance dance artist originally from Italy

and now based in Leeds,UK. Allegra graduated from Northern School of

Contemporary Dance in 2022 and then she joined the postgraduate

company VERVE, where she performed works by Faye Tan, KOR’SIA and

Sharon Watson. Allegra then continued performing in Florence and

Germany with Kinkaleri company and the artist Nico Vascellari. She

joined the companies Maddogs Dance Theatre and Extended Play

Dance, in Leeds, collaborating on new creations. Allegra started working

with the company Excessive Human Collective in 2023 and is still

currently collaborating with them.

William James (JJ)

JJ grew up in Bristol where they began to dance, and then went on to attend Rambert school. JJ then joined the postgraduate company of VERVE, forming part of the 2022 cohort led by Matteo Marfoglia. Since graduating JJ has worked with choreographers such as Jose Agudo, Alessandra Seutin, Sita Ostheimer, James Pett, Susan Kempster, Georgia Tegou and Michalis Theophanous as well as Corey Baker and Tough Boys Dance Collective.

Andrew McMillan

Andrew McMillan’s debut collection physical was the only ever poetry collection to win The Guardian First Book Award. The collection also won the Fenton Aldeburgh First Collection Prize, a Somerset Maugham Award (2016), an Eric Gregory Award (2016) and a Northern Writers’ award (2014). It was shortlisted the Dylan Thomas Prize, the Costa Poetry Award, The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year 2016, the Forward Prize for Best First Collection, the Roehampton Poetry Prize and the Polari First Book Prize. It was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation for Autumn 2015. In 2019 it was voted as one of the top 25 poetry books of the past 25 years by the Booksellers Association. His second collection, playtime, was published by Jonathan Cape in 2018; it was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation for Autumn 2018, a Poetry Book of the Month in both The Observer and The Telegraph, a Poetry Book of the Year in The Sunday Times and won the inaugural Polari Prize. His third collection, pandemonium, was published by Jonathan Cape in 2021, and 100 Queer Poems, the acclaimed anthology he edited with Mary Jean Chan, was published by Vintage in 2022 and was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards. Physical has been translated into French, Galician, German and Norwegian editions, with a double-edition of physical & playtime published in Slovak in 2022. He is Professor of Contemporary Writing at the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. His debut novel, Pity, was published by Canongate in 2024, and was named as one of the top 20 books of 2024 by The Independent. It has been translated into numerous languages including Norwegian, Swedish, French, German, Turkish and Slovak.

Fabiano Culora

Fabiano is the Co-Director and Vice-President of Mobius Atelier, with a multifaceted background as an accomplished artist, educator, therapist, trainer, and supervisor dedicated to somatic practices and well-being. Since completing his degree at the University of London in 2001, he has been actively involved in teaching, research, and disseminating knowledge across performative arts and health disciplines on an international scale - including UK, Europe, USA, Russia, and Iceland.

His extensive training spans multiple disciplines: he is a certified Pilates instructor from Trinity Laban, a yoga teacher trained at Sivananda and Amritapuri ashrams in India, and studied Body Psychotherapy with Processwork UK. Fabiano holds professional certification in Body-Mind Centering®, Authentic Movement, and Somatic Psychology from the Institute for Integrative Bodywork and Movement Therapy (IBMT), and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy via the Craniosacral Therapy Educational Trust (CTET).

Academically, he holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. His academic work focuses on developing somatic research methodologies that connect expressive movement arts with therapeutic processes, aiming to support both faculty and students. He specializes in somatic movement processes, somatic psychology, and collaborates with undergraduate and master’s programs, providing therapeutic support for students dealing with injuries and well-being issues. Fabiano has also served as a Safeguarding, Equality and Diversity, and Prevent officer, and is qualified in First Aid at Work and Mental Health First Aid.

His teaching roles have included lecturing at notable institutions such as the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, GSA Conservatoire, Trinity Laban, E15 Acting School, IBMT, and CTET, along with guest lecturing internationally at Jacksonville University (Florida), Listaháskóli Íslands, the Central School of Speech and Drama, and London Contemporary Dance School.

He actively develops training programs in collaboration with organizations such as the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Yoga Kula, and Yoga Campus, One Apotation, BHA Skyline, Creative Listening Space, fostering international partnerships and opportunities for conference collaborations.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Fabiano has had a rich career in contemporary dance and theatre as a performer and movement director, collaborating with companies like Candoco, Random, Razor Edge, Etta Ermini Dance Theatre, Íslenski Dansflokkurinn,  Spiral Dansflokkur, and Lubdub. He currently partners with Mobius Dance and Displace Yourself Theatre, exploring how somatic practices can cultivate ethically conscious artists by supporting their physical and emotional resilience.

Fabiano offers  individual and group clinical  sessions as a Master Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator, Craniosacral Biodynamic Practitioner, Senior Yoga Teacher, Pilates Instructor, and Supervisor. He is registered with professional organizations including ISMETA, ICrA, IABT, IBMT, YAP, CNHC, and A.CSI. Committed to maintaining high standards, he engages regularly in peer and professional supervision.

His work at Mobius Atelier aims to support and cultivate dynamic, resourceful, curious, and relatable movement artists prepared to engage with the contemporary performance landscape. Additionally, he provides a nurturing environment for artists, bodyworkers, therapists, and teachers to restore, inquire and expand their practices.

Yuma Sylla

Yuma (she/they) is a freelance movement artist based in Leeds. After graduating from LCDS (The Place), they continue with MA at Northern School of Contemporary Dance, and join Phoenix Dance theatre, touring their 40th-anniversary program around the UK. Yuma is currently performing with Ramped, a community interest company focused on advancing accessibility as well as exploring the relations of communities and spaces we inhabit. They are also collaborating with artist Mandy El-Sayegh, exploring the deconstruction of political bodies and artworks. Yuma enjoys researching relations between identity and improvisation.

Corinne Bailey Rae

From Leeds, England, singer/songwriter/musician Corinne Bailey Rae shot to stardom with her self-titled #1 UK debut album in 2006, featuring the global hits “Put Your Records On“ and “Like A Star”

Bailey Rae has received two GRAMMY AWARDS, two MOBOS, alongside multiple nominations including BRIT and BET Awards. She was awarded her first GRAMMY® in 2008 for Album Of The Year when featured on Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters. Her second album,The Sea (2010) was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize. The subsequent EP Is This Love garnered a GRAMMY® for Best R&B Performance

In 2016 Bailey Rae returned with “boundary-defying, epic music” (NPR) for her third studio album, The Heart Speaks In Whispers, also declared “the best R&B of 2016” (The Guardian). The album featured the stunning "Green Aphrodisiac" named “10 best R&B songs of 2016” (Billboard) and selected by President Obama for his summer playlist.

Bailey Rae’s success has lead her to composing music for film and television, including the theme to Stan Lee’s Lucky Man (SKY1). She recorded “The Scientist” for Universal Pictures’ Fifty Shades Darker opening title and soundtrack, which charted globally. 2020 included The High Note with Bailey Rae’s “New to Me”, performed in the film by Tracee Ellis Ross.

Bailey Rae continues to collaborate and perform with artists across musical genres, including Mary J Blige, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, KING, Paul McCartney, Kele Okereke (Bloc Party), Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Questlove, Salaam Rami, RZA, Tyler The Creator, Paul Weller, Richard Hawley, Stevie Wonder, Tracey Thorn, Pharrell, Logic, Mick Jenkins, and many more.

Throughout Bailey Rae’s career she has performed worldwide from Glastonbury to Byron Bay Blues Festival. In 2019 Bailey Rae performed at BST Hyde Park, Newport Jazz Festival, Central Park SummerStage, London Jazz Festival, Delicious Festival (Johannesburg, SA), Rio Montreux Jazz Festival, The O2 (London), and Billboard Live Osaka & Tokyo. Most recently Bailey Rae performed Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” as a duet with Leslie Odom Jr. at the 2021 BAFTA’s in London at The Royal Albert Hall.

Sharon Watson

After studying at London Contemporary Dance School, Sharon graduated from the BPA (Hons) in Contemporary Dance at NSCD in 1997.

Sharon Watson is the fourth Principal of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Prior to this she was the longest-standing Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre. Her journey with the company began when she was one of the first female Principal Dancers invited to join the all-male award-winning company, touring from 1989 to 1997 and choreographing Never Still and Shaded Limits. Having left Phoenix to pursue a number of other ventures including setting up her own company ABCD, Sharon returned in 2009 as the new Artistic Director. Sharon choreographed numerous works for the company including the celebrated Windrush: Movement of the People and Black Waters.

Andi Walk-er

Andi Walk-er:/  is a textiles art-ist:/ their studio practice is deeply rooted in process. From their dye-ing:/ techniques of creating unique paint-erly:/ fabrics which are records of the often perform-ative:/ methods of applying the dye to the surface of the cloth.

Their work frequently challenges and subvertssocietal norms around gender and masculine femininity’s. and exploring this through the garment and stitch-ed:/ narratives sited on the body and this work is frequently positioned within the context of dance.

Their work investigates materials that are at odds with each other which can been seen as autobiographical of their life journey with their gender.

Since graduating from the Royal College of Art Constructed Textiles in 2010 they have been engag-ed:/ in collaborative projects with choreographers & dance companies to explore the relation-ship:/ between dancer & garment.

They have recently completed working with the Yorkshire Sculpture Park within their summer exhibition ’On Queer Ground’ which saw them create a quilt of ‘stitched stories.’

Mayowa Ogunnaike

Mayowa is a British-Nigerian dance artist based in London and Leeds. Her name means ‘brings joy’ and she aims to encourage that sentiment throughout her practice. She graduated from Trinity Laban in 2017 and has since worked as a performer for several companies including Phoenix Dance Theatre, Uchenna Dance, Ace Dance and Music and Mobius Dance. Currently she is performing in work by Fubunation and with choreographer Seke Chimuntengwende. Alongside performing, Mayowa delivers creative and technique classes across the UK and collaborates with artists to create multi-disciplinary work.  

Carlos Martinez

Born in Cuba, I graduated from the National School of Ballet in Havana taking part in various competitions and international Dance Festivals and working with many established choreographers and dancers including Fernando Alonso, Carlos Acosta and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

I joined “The National Dance Company in Havana, Danza Contemporanea de Cuba” where I performed works by Sasha Waltz, Rafael Bonachela, Mats Ek, Itzik Galili, Juan Cruz, Jose Carreño (Principal Dancer at American Ballet Theatre), Carlos Acosta amongst others.

I received the “Luna” award for my role in “Carmina Burana” at the National Auditorium in Mexico City choreographed by George Cespedes and directed by Leo Kramer.

In 2009 I began to teach professional dancers and to create my own work. I went on to be a founder member of two dance projects, “Ebony Dance Company” and “MalPaso Dance Company” where I became Artistic Director, Rehearsal Director, Choreographer and Principal Dancer collaborating with “The Joyce Theatre in New York” and “National Ballet of Cuba”.

Additionally, I was awarded a special nomination at the Iberoamericano Ballet “Alicia Alonso” competition for my role in “Anoxia” by Osnel Delgado and I became a finalist in the Gran Prix Vladimir Malakhov for my own choreography “Equilibrium”.

During this time, I was offered several scholarships for companies in France and the USA.

I joined “Phoenix Dance Theatre” in November 2016 where I performed works by Sharon Watson, Christopher Bruce, Sandrine Monin, Aletta Collins, Jeanguy Saintus, Amaury Lebrun, Shambik Ghose and Dr Mitul Sengupta, Miguel Altunaga, Douglas Thorpe, Ben Duke and Raquel Meseguer, Edward Lynch Darshan Singh Bhuller amongst others.

In 2021 I created my first work “Kardec” with Phoenix Dance Theatre for the Digital Program and I have been choreographing as well as directing as an Artistic Associate for Capuagate Dance in Newcastle under the Direction of Martin Hylton.

Matteo Marfoglia

Matteo graduated from Codarts in Rotterdam and danced for many years with Introdans in the Netherlands and National Dance Company Wales in the UK, performing works by international choreographers including Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Roy Assaf, Alexander Ekman, William Forsythe, Christopher Bruce, Johan Inger, Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon, Inbal Pinto and Angelin Preljocaj. In 2011 Matteo danced in the multi-disciplinary project Nierka created by Satore Studio in London, directed by Tupac Martir and choreographed by Fernando Hernando Magadan (Netherlands Dance Theater).

In 2017 Matteo founded his own project-based company in Cardiff (Wales, UK). Matteo’s work has been commissioned by organisations in Wales including NDCWales, Wales Millenium Centre and Rubicon Dance, as well as being presented at international festivals such as Altofest (Naples, IT), Vetrina della giovane danza d’autore (Ravenna, IT), Interplay/18 (Turin, IT), Teatro Fontana (Milan, IT), HangartFest (Pesaro, IT), and Valletta 18 European City of Culture (Malta).

In 2018 Matteo worked as Rehearsal Director for National Dance Company Wales and has been an Associate Artist with the company since 2017. He is also a certified Gaga Teacher, having undertaken the Gaga Teachers’ Training in Tel Aviv under the artistic direction of Bosmat Nossan, Saar Harari, and Ohad Naharin. Matteo is the creator of Together We Create//Creu Gyda’n Gilydd a project created in partnership with arts and non-arts organisations, artists and community members that gives voice to the hopes, desires and needs of the Penrhys community in Rhondda Cynon Taff.

In 2020, The Sunset Show was commissioned through The Agency programme run via National Theatre Wales. Matteo supported The Agency participants to create an outdoor show in Grangetown streets, with Grangetown artists, for Grangetown residents.​

Amy Voris

Amy Voris is a dance-maker based in Manchester.  Her practice is process-oriented and collaborative, driven by the desire to develop relationships with people and with movement material over long stretches of time.  The outcome of the work is contingent on hunches and interactions that occur during the process and varies widely.  Examples of current projects include a site-responsive project (enter inhabit), a collaboration with a jewellery maker (flockOmania) and a collaboration with three Northwest-based artists exploring the curation of experimental performance practices (Accumulations).  Her projects have received support from Chisenhale Dance Space, Dance Northwest, Dance Manchester, Yorkshire Dance and The Arts Council among others.  With choreographer Ruth Segalis and performer Natasha Gilmore, Amy was a founding member of Rose’s Thoughts Dance Company (London, 1996-2003).   

Amy will be taking part in Möbius Atelier - Choreographic Intensive. During this two-day research period, Amy will adapt a solo score called perch to the unique capacities of four dancers. There will be two key elements of research during the adaptation process: the exploration of transitions between energetic states and the spatial potentialities of working with a quartet. In its original form, perch explored the theme of temporary dwellings, the chronological arrangement of disparate movement content and the significance of the dancer’s deepening relationship with movement material.

www.amyvoris.com

Photo: Christian Kipp

Annie Hanauer

Annie Hanauer is an independent dance artist based between the UK & France, originally from the USA. Annie works internationally and has performed, toured, choreographed, and taught extensively for over a decade, currently performing with long-time collaborator Rachid Ouramdane/CCN2 Grenoble and the Paris Chamber Orchestra. She is interested in the experiences of people who have been 'othered', stemming from her own lived experience as a disabled woman, and extending to a wider idea of inclusivity.

She is interested in who has access to dance both as an audience and performer, and wants to disrupt dominant ideas of a normative dancing body. Her own choreographic work has involved developing methodology for group performance improvisation, and she is currently developing projects around disability, caring & motherhood, and ideas of utopia & collective imagination. She approaches movement with curiosity and looks for the coincidence of pleasure and sweat. Annie's choreographic work has been supported by Arts Council England, Siobhan Davies Dance, CCN2 Grenoble, Candoco Dance Company and The Place.

website: https://www.anniehanauer.com/

Maya Carroll

Maya graduated from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance with a First Class BPA(Hons) degree in 2018. Maya continued her training with Verve, the postgraduate performance company at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, graduating with a Distinction as well as being awarded the ‘Overall Achievement in Professional Practice Award’ for her year in the company. Throughout her training, Maya had the opportunity to work with artists such as Ben Wright, Maxine Doyle, Joan Clevillé, Noa Zuk, Ben Duke, Gavin Coward and Francesco Scavetta.

Since graduating, Maya has worked as a freelance dancer in projects with a variety of artists including Jamaal Burkmar (Extended Play Dance), Petri Delights for Resolutions 2020, Douglas Thorpe (Mad Dogs Dance) and Rod Dixon (Red Ladder Theatre Company), Matthew Robinson, Night People Events and Wilhelmina Ojanen as a part of Mobius Dance. Maya also works creatively in a choreographic duo with Henry Morris.

Jamaal Burkmar

A graduate of the Northern School for Contemporary Dance in Leeds. Jamaal’s first creation as a student ‘Ocean’ was commissioned for VERVE, the postgraduate company at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. ‘Ocean’ proved successful with audiences in UK and beyond. Since graduating Ocean has been reworked 3 times on different groups and performed at several highly prestigious events. During this period Jamaal was also successful in gaining his first Arts Council England Grants for the Arts award for the creation of a short work called ‘Sonder’. It was during the summer of the same year that Jamaal applied and won the highly prestigious New Adventures Choreography Award.

Photo: Foteini Christofilopoulou

Iolanda Portogallo

Born in Italy, Iolanda’s passion for dance began at an early age.  Graduated from Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2019, she had the opportunity of training with amazing dancers and perform works by Vinicius Salles, Sharon Watson and Jake McKernan.

While in her third year Iolanda started working with Mobius Dance and she is also currently working with Extended Play, directed by Jamaal Burkmar. 

Iolanda is also one of the former of NORTHVIBES, providing improvisation classes and events around Leeds. 

Prior to this she undertook pre-professional training at the Accademia Internazionale Coreutica in Florence, studying ballet and contemporary technique

Otis Jones

Otis Jones is a Professional Musician, Composer and trained Contemporary Dancer.

He began dancing with Swindon Dance, and then trained for 3 years at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.

His musical journey was more self-led, taking piano lessons when he was younger, and then teaching himself guitar, bass and how to record music during his dance training. He has worked as part of a Dance and Music duo called Snakebox since his graduation, exploring the synergy of music and movement, and taking lessons and techniques from both to further his artistic craft. He has composed scores for many contemporary dance pieces and dance films, with companies and artists such as Mobius Dance, JV2, Jamaal Burkmar and Gary Clarke. He has also worked as a composer for independent feature films, and online advertisements.

Otis has much musical experience as a multi-instrumentalist, playing keys, guitar, bass, singing and programmable electronic hardware & software instruments. He has utilised these skills not only in his composition work, but also performing with bands (both original work and covers) and his work as an accompanist for the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, and Swindon Dance. He is also currently the bass player for Jinjé & A Brief Utopia.