Meet The Core Team
Angela
Artistic Director
Angela trained at Northern School of Contemporary Dance, gaining a BPA Dance degree, before going on to undertake Professional Certificate in Education (Further) (PCE) teaching qualification.
In 2016, Angela gained a Masters in Arts, Management, Policy and Practice from University of Manchester.
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Angela started working with Eleni (formally NEW Dance) in 2010. This was her first community role and instantly fell in love with the ethos and goals of the organisation. Angela became Artistic Director at Eleni in 2016.
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Angela is passionate about the transformative power of dance, its ability to enrich lives, cohese communities and bring joy to both those who consider themselves as non-dancers and those who feel destined for a life on the stage.
Jo
Dance Practitioner & Project Coordinator
Jo trained as a contemporary dance artist and completed a BPA with Honours at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. She then went on to complete a Graduate Diploma in Professional Contemporary Dance, during which she worked and performed with Scottish Dance Theatre. Since graduating, Jo has worked as a performer with Arcane Dance Company, choreographer and teacher gaining a wealth of experience within professional dance, education and dance within the community.
In 2010, Jo completed the Graduate Teaching Programme gaining qualified teaching status. She then worked in education for 13 years within a range of secondary and primary schools across Manchester and Cheshire delivering dance across all key stages. Jo recently embarked on a career change from full time education and has commenced a more diverse role as a dance teacher working with a wide range of ages and abilities, choreographer and education consultant delivery dance specific teacher training.
Dance is and will always be something Jo is passionate about and she believes that it is important for everyone to have the opportunity to have it in their lives.
Meet The Freelance Team
Amanda
Amanda has always had a keen interest in dance and gymnastics. After years of training, she went on to study dance through GCSE PE and A-Level Performing Arts, then completed her BA (Hons) degree in Dance at Manchester Metropolitan University.
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Whilst at university, Amanda found a love for teaching. She has been a NEW Dance practitioner since 2012, and enjoys working creatively with children, linking in topics from the school curriculum to enhance children’s learning in a creative way. The majority of Amanda’s work with children is performance-based projects. Most recently, she has been working on Eleni’s partnership project with Ballet Cymru, delivering ballet classes to a group of pupils as part of their three-year scholarship.
Anita
Anita graduated from Merseyside Dance and Drama Centre, having gained her ISTD teaching qualifications. From there, she went straight into teaching, entering pupils for various ISTD dance exams, GCSEs and A levels, and BTEC Performing Arts in Dance. She has choreographed for many shows and pantomimes, including S4C pop groups and solo artists. She taught national curriculum Dance at St Brigid’s School for 18 years, both primary and secondary. She joined Eleni in 2017, and has been able to work in the community on various projects, including weekly mature dance classes and school projects.
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She believes everyone should be given the opportunity to dance, through laughter and fun.
Rachel
Rachel graduated from Edge Hill University with a first class degree in Dance and Aerial Performance.
Her teaching/ choreographic experience includes primary and secondary schools, universities, classes for elderly, dance schools, prison work and wedding first dances.
Her main performance credits include Company Chameleon, Lisa Simpson Inclusive Dance, Boney M, ITV2’s Time Wasters, Box Events UK, Holly Ellison, Avanti Display and Walk the Plank. Her dance training is versatile, with her favourite styles being contemporary, African, lyrical and jazz.
Rachel joined the Eleni team in June 2017.
Kristina
Profile coming
Emma
Emma completed her undergraduate training in Dance at DeMontfort University, and graduated from the University of Chester with a Masters in Dance. Emma joined the Eleni team in February 2019.
Emma has taught in a wide range of settings such as primary and secondary schools, gifted and talented programmes, all male groups, and older people. Emma specialises in working in inclusive settings. She has set up and run workshops and projects for those with physical and learning disabilities, as well as working with those suffering with Dementia and Parkinson's.
Emma's style of movement is challenging and engaging, and strives to create choreography that challenges ideas. Emma believes dance is for everyone, and is a powerful tool to express yourself and effect change.
Patricia
Originally from Portugal, Patricia began her dance training from a very young age, passing the RAD exams up to grade 7 with distinctions. She graduated with a BA Honours in Performing Arts from Escola Superior de Dança de Lisboa in Lisbon.
In 2005, she moved to the UK, where she pursued a career as a performer and dance teacher with the contemporary dance company Arcane.
Since then, she has worked with artists and organisations such as Fenfen Huang, Sophie Taylor, Ithalia Furel, Chester University, Brindley Theatre, Cheshire Dance and the London Ballet Company. She started as a Eleni practitioner in March 2019. Her favourite styles of dance include ballet, tap and hip hop.
Dina
Dina is a contemporary dance artist delving into the field through choreography, performance, screendance, teaching and research. She was classically trained in Ballet and Modern Jazz before training at the University of Chester in Simonson technique, David Zambrano’s low flying technique and a variety of Somatic Practice methods such as Skinner Releasing Technique taught by Manny Emslie. It was here where she obtained her BA (Hons) and Masters degrees in Contemporary Dance.
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Dina’s career thus far has taken her to curate and perform around the North West with organisations such as Cheshire Dance and the Liverpool Empire Theatre as well as participating in funded Research and Development projects such as ‘The Dawning’ led by Connor Elliman. Not only this her choreographic work has been performed at the Storyhouse in Chester and the NOW Northwich Festival 2019 under Kinematic Dance Company, which she co-directed. Her most recent research and tactile practice was recently presented in People Dancing UK’s online platform Perspectives on Practice.
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Dina is currently a Visiting Lecturer teaching Contemporary Release Based technique, Jazz and Ballet at the University of Chester and The Hammond whilst working as a Freelance Dance Artist here at Eleni.
Dina is a versatile dance artist, however she is particularly interested in body-mind integration and revels in the phenomenology of the sentient being and uses it as a tool for choreographic approaches and learning. She is particularly interested in using this to augment organic individual moving identity whilst working collaboratively and cohesively. This authentic process is something she aims to support and develop throughout her career within herself and other aspiring dance artists.