Kay Crook- United Kingdom
Contemporary Trainer and ChoreographerKay Crook is a freelance dance artist, working between UK and India and currently works in collaboration with dance artist Ajeesh Balakrishnan under company, 'Chhaya Collective'. Kay and Ajeesh recently worked in collaboration with Interwoven Productions and Asian Arts Agency UK to produce duet Antara , which toured across venues in the UK in 2013. Kay Crook works in collaboration with SpinDrift Dance Company, and recently performed Last Lily, touring across venues in UK. In 2013, Kay created solo, Vega in collaboration with Theatre Director Alistair Ganely, Interwoven Productions and Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter.
Kay Crook regularly teaches classes in Contemporary Technique, Contact Improvisation and Choreographic Practices in both UK and India, teaching for Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts (Bangalore), Step Up Dance Lab (Bangalore), Chasse Dance Studios (Bangalore), Tacchi Morris Arts Centre (Taunton), Stagecoach Theatre (Devon), Dance in Devon Professional Class (Devon), Somerset Youth Dance Company (Taunton), Earthfall Dance Company (Cardiff) and Associate Lecturer at Bridgwater College (Somerset). Kay Crook worked with Dartington Arts to produce the Tagore Festival, a four day event celebrating Indian Art and Culture, featuring artists Aakash Odedra, Soumik Datta and Nitin Sawhney.
Kay Crook undertook a ten month residency in Toronto, Canada, where she taught and trained in contemporary dance and musical theatre. Kay Crook toured the UK with Map Dance Company in 2011 and worked with choreographers Ben Duke (Lost Dog), Darren Ellis (RADC and Random) Yaara Dolev (Tel Aviv), Gregory Maqoma and Rose English. She achieved a Masters in Dance Performance (2011) and a First Class BA hons in Dance at The University of Chichester, receiving the ‘Lea Anderson Award for Choreographic Excellence’ (2010) and the ‘Valerie Briginshaw award for Dance writing and Academic Excellence’ (2012).
Click here to see her company’s link : www.chhayacollective.com
Ajeesh Balakrishnan -India
Kalaripayattu and Contemporary TrainerAjeesh has toured internationally with Attakkalari since 2006, performing Trans Avatar, For Pina, MeiDhwani and Aardhaara Chakra across Europe and Asia, including a recent tour of France, Belgium and Prague in 2013. Ajeesh worked internationally in association with ICK Amsterdam, with Emio Greco Company for Beyond Project in Seoul (South Korea) and Amsterdam, performing and leading workshops in Korea and in Europe. Ajeesh toured his choreography “Rush” at Museum of World Culture (Sweden), British Council’s India - UK Connections, Southbank Centre and Greenwich Dance. Ajeesh currently works in collaboration with British dance artist Kay Crook under 'Chhaya Collective' and in 2013 toured duet Antara across venues in the UK, in collaboration with Interwoven Productions and Asian Arts Agency. Ajeesh regularly leads workshops and technique classes for LVDS, Step Up Dance Lab, Chasse Dance Studio in Bangalore and Dance Oceans in Pune.
Atalya Baumer- Israel
Ballet Trainer and PerformerProfessional Education
2011-2012: Graduated from “Kelim” (tools) - A two years program for young choreographers guided by Anat Daniely (An Israeli choreographer)
2007- 2010: B.Dance and a Teaching Certificate, Dance and Choreography, the Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem, Israel.
Specializations
]Modern dance, Jazz and Ballet teaching, Chakaty and Vaganova methods. Choreography - Took part in multiple workshops with many Israeli and international choreographers.
1994- 2000: High School Diploma, Dance Studies, Ramot Hefer High School, Ma’abarot (G.P.A 99 out of 100).
Artistic activity
2012: “We are all”, a dance creation - premiere at the “Bridges on the river”annual Festival, Emeq Hefer, Israel.
2012: “Quicksand”, a creation for 3 dancers. Participated in annual Dance Festivals in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Bat-Yam, Israel. 2011: In-house choreographer at The dancers ensemble of the Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem. 2010: “Fixed Familiar View”, a creation for 5 dancers and 5 musicians, participated in the Gertrude Kraus Annual Dance Competition, won special citation. 2009: “Trains”, a creation for 2 dancers, participated in the Gertrude Kraus Annual Dance Competition. 2008: “Tremolo”, a creation for 4 dancers, participated in the Gertrude Kraus Annual Dance Competition. 2008-2010: a dancer in the dance academy company – a repertory company who works with different Israeli and international choreographers.
Currently: Working on a contemporary theatre dance piece with freelance dancers under the KHA foundation in Bangalore. Sep’-Oct’ 2013: created a short contemporary dance peace for a tribute show for Tushna Dallase in Mumbai. Teaching: 2010-2012: Dance teacher in several elementary schools in the city of Kefar Saba, Israel. 2007-2012: A ballet, modern and jazz teacher for children and adults between the ages of 12 - 25 in 8 different private studios in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv- Israel. 2010-2012: A contemporary dance teacher for adults (ages 18-40) in the region of Emeq Hefer – Israel. India: 2013 – A ballet and modern teacher in the Attakkalari’s Diploma Program and in Tarantismo Company in Bangalore. 2013 – A contemporary dance teacher and a trainer in LVDS in Bangalore. Ballet teacher in Terrence Lewis academy
Emily Cobie- United Kingdom
Contemporary Dancer and ChoreographerEmily Cobie Worked with Jasmin Vardimon Company - Professional Development Certificate JV2 (2013-2014), Jorge Crecis, Greenwich Dance and BitterSuite Dance. Laban - BA Hons Dance Theatre, 1 st Class Honours (2010-2013) Middlesex University - BA Hons Dance Performance (2009-2010) Northern School Contemporary Dance - Foundation Diploma (2008-2009) Choreographer and lecturer ‘Sail’ Amersham and Wycombe College,(Commissioner) London Choreographer and Lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University High Wycombe.
Maria Schneiders- Germany
Contemporary Dance TeacherMaria is a German dancer, choreographer and dance teacher in Contemporary Dance. She is trained since her early childhood in Classical Ballet (Royal Academy of Dance 1992 – 2006, Vaganova Method since 2009), followed by Urban Dance Styles and Contemporary Dance (diverse techniques, improvisation and contact improvisation). Next to her artistic training, Maria engages intensivly in methods of bodywork and somatic practices such as Feldenkrais, Biomechanics, Kleintechnique and Yoga. Since 2012 she's collaborating full-time with various organisations in Germany and India as a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher. In 2012 she showed her piece “Zeit Zeit” at Get on stage Festival Dortmund. Her piece “A little of A lot” was shown at Attakkalari's Diploma graduation ceremony 2013. Furthermore, in 2013 Maria was dancing for Thaalavattam by Montry Manuel in the music video of „Accidental“ and her piece “Friday – Saturday – Sunday”, a work in cooperation with The KHA Foundation, was part of Short+Sweet Festival Bangalore 2013. 2014 she created the piece “Secret Me” for Attakkalari Centre of Movement Arts. In 2015 she showed her piece “The Journey” at Dock11 Berlin, was dancing for several choreographers in Berlin, created the short film “Free(dom) Ride” for MaryMe&KattaKa and choreographed for a school musical