Balkan Erotic Epic – Meet the Cast

George Adams

George Adams is a choreographer, mentor, and dance artist who has worked with the Limón Dance Company (NYC), Motionhouse, National Dance Company Wales, and Estonia National Ballet. Founder of LPM Dance, he specialises in inclusive practice, collaborating with Indepen-dance, ConCuerpos (Colombia), and international partners. His research explores play as pedagogy and dance movement therapy, connecting creativity with wellbeing. George has published widely, including with the Royal Society of Medicine, the National Dance Teachers Association, and People Dancing. Integrating Pilates, yoga, and somatic practice, his work merges performance, healing, and pedagogy to shape innovative, inclusive approaches to contemporary dance.

Blenard Azizaj

Blenard Azizaj is an Albanian choreographer and dance performer whose work is rooted in contemporary dance and shaped by themes of identity, belonging and transformation. Born in Albania to parents who were traditional folk dancers, Blenard grew up surrounded by rhythm and movement. At 18, he moved to Greece to study at the National School of Dance (KSOT) in Athens, where he graduated in dance pedagogy and choreography. He has performed and collaborated with leading companies across Europe including Sasha Waltz & Guests (Berlin), Akram Khan Company (London), Compagnie Linga (Lausanne), the Hellenic Dance Company (Athens) and StepText Dance Project (Bremen). Blenard’s stage career includes major productions such as iTMOi (In the Mind of Igor) with Akram Khan Company, which toured worldwide, as well as numerous creations by Sasha Waltz, including Romeo and Juliet, Sacre, Zuhören: Continu, Figure Humaine, Unruhe, Rauschen and Symphonie with the Staatsballett Berlin. As a creator, Blenard’s choreographic voice blends physical precision with emotional depth, delving into the complexities of the human condition. Recent works include Mbi Fjalë (National Experimental Theatre of Albania, 2025), Balkan Express (Theater Osnabrück, 2025), and TERRA (Area Jeune Ballet, Geneva, 2025). Selected previous works include Ukiyo (2020–2021), The Great Migration (Volkstheater Rostock, 2020), Human (Amsterdam University of the Arts, 2018) and Walls (Area Jeune Ballet, 2017). Alongside choreographic projects, Blenard teaches his distinctive “dance dialect” internationally in companies, fine arts academies and studios. In 2025, he was invited by world-renowned artist Marina Abramović to collaborate as choreographer and performer on one of the most significant projects of her career, Balkan Erotic Epic.

Louis Baxter

Louis is a freelance dance artist based in the North of England. He studied at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance before joining Verve 24. During Verve they had the privilege of touring works by Matteo Marfoglia, Joy Alpuerto-Ritter and (LA)Horde. After graduating Verve, Louis has been exploring connections within the dance scene working with various artists such as James Cousins and George Liang.

Maria Vittoria Bortolotti

Originally from Italy, Maria Vittoria discovered contemporary dance at an early age and has pursued it with dedication ever since. In 2019, she moved to London to study at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where she completed her BA. She later earned her MA from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, performing with the postgraduate company VERVE. She is now based in Berlin.

Kennady Brim

Kennady is a US-born, UK-based dance artist working across contemporary and ballet forms. She trained at UNCSA, Adelphi University, and London Contemporary Dance School, drawing on influences including Countertechnique, Gaga, and Postmodern dance practices. She has performed at The Joyce Theater NYC with Martha Graham Dance Company, performed at Buckingham Palace, and has also worked with Motionhouse. Currently a company dancer with Move Manchester performing across the Northwest, she also teaches regularly at The Lowry’s CAT programme and local SEND schools.

Kibrea Carmichael

Kibrea Carmichael is a London based professional freelance dancer, model, actress, choreographer and assistant creative director from Baltimore, Maryland whose work spans across film, television, live performance, multimedia production and branded content. She studied at the Baltimore School for the Arts, Dance Theatre of Harlem and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Kibrea has performed and collaborated with major international choreographers in the US, UK and Europe including Arthur Pita, Jon Ole Olstad, Amy Gardner, Wayne McGregor, Ryan Heffington, Blendard Azizaj, Emma Chadwick, Karole Armitage, Wynn Holmes, Alvin Ailey, Earl Mosley, Darrell Moultrie, Loni Landon, Clifton Brown, Georgia Tegou, Michalis Theophanous, Holly Blakey, Benjamin Jonsson, Masumi Saito, Meshach Henry, Theo Lowe, Mariana Taragano, Magnus Westwell, Joshua Smith and Blue Makwana.

She has Choreographed and Movement Directed and Assistant Creative Directed for: Dimensions DJ 'Turn It Up' Music Video, Paloma Royal Variety Performance 2023, Paloma ITV NYE Big Bash 2023, Jade Thirlwall 'Angel of my Dreams' Live Performance 2024, Breanna Barbara 'The Way Out' Music Video.

Elena Cattardico

Elena Cattardico is an Italian freelance dancer and choreographer, based in Dresden. After training with Area Jeune Ballet in Geneva and dancing with Tanz Theater Pforzheim, she has worked independently in Germany and abroad since 2021, collaborating with artists such as Damian Jalet, Kinsun Chan, Wang Ramirez Company, Kostantin Koval and Katja Erdmann-Rajsk. Her choreographic works have been presented at international festivals in Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal, Italy and received awards such as the Emerging Choreographer Award at SoloDuo NRW 2024 (Cologne) and recognitions at Corpo Mobile Festival 2023 (Rome). 

Between 2024 and 2025, she worked as a permanent member at Landesbühnen Sachsen (Germany). Alongside her artistic career, she completed her studies in Performing Arts and Communication (University of Pisa) and she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Management of Cultural Assets (Rome). 

Molly Crabtree

Molly is a contemporary dancer and performer raised in Rochdale, where she began her dance training through high school and college. Her motivation to explore contemporary movement led her to pursue professional training at Edge Hill University, earning a BA (Hons) degree in Dance and achieving a high grade in the elective module Contemporary Circus Skills.

Since graduating, Molly has worked as a professional performer with companies including ThickSkin Theatre, performing in Shade, and Company Chameleon, touring in the production The Shadow. She is currently based in Manchester, where she performs and choreographs for DieCast, an immersive company creating interdisciplinary works.

Molly’s training also extends to aerial performance. She has developed skills in bungee assisted dance with Wired Aerial Theatre and performed as an aerial silks artist at the Rochdale Feel Good Festival with Skylight Circus Arts.

Molly continues to develop her practice across dance, theatre, and aerial performance, bringing physical storytelling and expressive movement to each of her creative projects.

Daisy Dancer

Daisy Dancer is a freelance contemporary dance artist from the North-East of England. She found her passion at a very young age and it led her to join the National Youth Dance Company, where she worked with choreographers Sharon Eyal and Botis Seva. She went on to train at The Place’s London Contemporary Dance School receiving a First Class Honours, then receiving a Distinction from her Master’s degree with Verve at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Daisy has worked with choreographers such as Kor’sia, Jamaal Burkmar, Liam Francis and Sam Coren amongst many others.

Chiara Duccini

Chiara Duccini (she/her), originally from Italy,  began studying ballet and contemporary from an early age, later expanding her practice through diverse disciplines and creative explorations. She pursued her studies in England, first at Trinity Laban in London, where she also worked with DFP Dance Company and artist Giulia Roversi. Later, in Leeds, she joined VERVE, performing works by (LA)HORDE, Matteo Marfoglia, and Joy Alpuerto Ritter. Chiara’s artistic research is rooted in creation and experimentation, focusing on the body as a channel to access identity and to deepen our connection with the world. She is currently performing as a dancer in Marina Abramović’s Balkan Erotic Epic.

Ayesha Fazal

Ayesha Fazal is a contemporary dance artist based in Manchester. She’s toured internationally with Southpaw Dance Company, Highly Sprung, Rosie Kay Dance Company, Sonia Sabri and many. She has also been a dance leader in many mass community works one being Rugby League World Cup and has movement directed many plays, her most recent one being Mary & The Hyenas. With her unique take on contemporary she founded her practice as Groove & Flow which integrates her research of capoeira, Afro Brazilian dance. She is the Co Director of Move Manchester and is passionate about paving the way for the future of dance and young artists. She’s also movement strives for making dance inclusive, representative and heartfelt.

Myrto Georgiadi

Myrto Georgiadi is a Greek performer and dance artist, trained at the Greek National School of Dance and PNSD Rosella Hightower (Cannes). She is completing a BA in Theater Studies at the University of Athens. Since 2019, she has been a core member of Ballet National de Marseille | La Horde, performing in international works like Room With a View, Roommates, and Age of Content. She has collaborated with Alexandre Roccoli, the Greek National Opera, and Christos Papadopoulos. Her work blends technical precision with contemporary expression, enriched by workshops with leading European choreographers.

Isaac Glenister

Isaac Glenister is a contemporary dance artist based in Salford, Manchester. A graduate of Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in London, Isaac holds a BA (Hons) in Dance. Since graduating, he has collaborated with a range of choreographers and visual artists, including Esben Weile Kjaer, Blackhaine, and Lewis Walker, while also developing his own choreographic work. His practice interrogates themes of embodiment, confrontation, and nihilism, seeking to expand the boundaries of contemporary dance. Through performance, Isaac invites audiences to encounter new ways of experiencing the body in relation to space, tension, and presence.

Silas Grocott Cain

Silas Grocott Cain is a trans femme dancer, choreographer, and performance artist with professional training from London Contemporary Dance School and a master's in contemporary dance performance from Northern School of Contemporary Dance. She now works freelance, creating works in the underground nightlife scene across the UK, as well as theatres and galleries. She works closely with her sister as they develop their collective PussyBoy by building relationships with collaborators to create an interdisciplinary community of friends and trusted creative partners to work with on video, still image, and live works, dissecting the relationship between body and sound and what this can teach us.

Lucy Harries

Lucy is a 24-year-old freelance movement artist from the Northwest. At 16, she gained a place at The Northern Ballet school in Manchester. In 2019, she moved to Leeds, training at NSCD and successfully completing her CertHE and BA. Then gained a place with MA postgraduate company VERVE, presenting works by Matteo Marfoglia, Joy Alpuerto Ritter & (LA) Horde.

Lucy is passionate about exploring the curious, in particular LGBTQIA+ topics, duration & restriction, physical theatre, the process of ageing, life modelling and encouraging performance art to grow up North. As of recent she is collaborating with Newcastle based artist Alicia Meehan and performing her work, What Adult Am I?

JP Hon

Born and raised in Hong Kong, JP started dancing street dance, jazz and contemporary dance at the age of 17. She was trained and graduated at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Art (HKAPA) in 2021, majoring in Contemporary Dance. 

In 2022, JP relocated to the UK to pursue her career as an international dance artist. Since 2023, she has been working and touring with Company Chameleon. Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to collaborate with renowed choreographers including Marcus Jarrell Willis (USA), Martin Piliponsky (Argentina), Mickaël ‘Marso’ Rivière (UK), David Steele (UK), and Li Yongjing (Hong Kong) etc. 

Joshua Hubbard

Joshua Hubbard is a Manchester (Oldham) -born choreographer, dance artist, actor, director, and producer. Trained at NSCD, they work internationally across live art, theatre, cabaret, and commercial platforms. Joshua’s work has been commissioned by the Royal Academy and includes credits with Elton John, Charli XCX, Róisín Murphy,  Brooke Candy and Olly Alexander. They direct and choreograph for pop artists like Alfreda and Kaoti, and starred in Crashing Waves (BFI- and Dinard-nominated). Active in Manchester’s queer arts scene and with major international drag artists.

Esme Jobey

Esme Jobey is an artist from Newcastle upon Tyne, working in dance performance, choreography and drag art. She graduated with a BA(Hons) degree in Contemporary Dance from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2023. Her professional work includes performances with ACCA Dance Theatre, choreographic collaborations with Bradley Creswick MBE and his live orchestra, and as a dance artist with Capua Gate Dance Theatre.

Esme’s work reflects the vulnerability and complexity of the world today; there is realism to her practice, mixed with playful over-exaggeration. She strives to challenge her body’s athletic capacity, finding the body fascinating in its enduring resilience

Spike King

Spike King is a freelance contemporary dance artist currently working in London. Since graduating in 2023 from Rambert School he has worked on projects internationally performing alongside acts such as Eartheater, Matieres Fecales and Patrick Mason. Most recently featured in Olivia Dean’s music video ‘Man I Need’. He has been involved in projects nominated for best choreography at the UKMVA awards and an Off West End nomination for Giselle: Remix, recently performed at Edinburgh Fringe. Alongside this, to develop his personal practice, he has travelled to Japan for a series of masterclasses with Butoh practitioners to learn more about the form and to hone his own artistic voice.

Mak Korda

Mak Korda is a Dancer - Movement artist born to Ex-Yugoslav parents, currently based in London he works to find extremity through the body.

Gabriella Lemma

Gabriella Lemma was born and raised in Italy, where she studied ballet and contemporary dance. In 2016, she began her professional career with companies such as the Agora Coaching Project and the MM Contemporary Dance Company (Reggio Emilia, Italy).

In 2019, Gabriella moved to Germany where she danced for two seasons as a permanent member of the ensemble of the Dance Company Theater Osnabrück. Since then, she has worked freelance, including as a guest dancer at the Semperoper Dresden, the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, and in various dance projects.

As a choreographer, Gabriella created a work for the Theater Osnabrück in 2021 as part of the evening for young choreographers, In spite of me. This work won first prize.

Gabriella also holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the National University of Reggio Emilia. Currently she is enrolled in the Master of Arts in Dance Pedagogy at the Palucca University of Dresden.

Ting Lee

Ting was born in sunny Singapore, where she began her dance journey at nine when she fell in love with Chinese Dance. At 19 she moved to the UK to train in the BA(Hons) programme at Northern School of Contemporary Dance, where she graduated with a First Class Degree.

Since then, she has been freelancing in Leeds, where she has worked with Phil Sanger on Ramped, Joseph Mercier in the Glitterbombs and Kate Cox for Stealing Sheep. Ting has also performed at Roadhouse, a local Leeds improvisational night. When not dancing, Ting sees clients as a qualified psychotherapist.

Andrea Louca

I’m Andrea Louca, a Greek-Cypriot dance artist based in London. I trained at Trinity Laban, graduating with First Class Honours, and completed my MA with Emergence Company at the University of Salford. I’ve performed works by Joss Arnott, Miquel Altunaga, and Noa Zuk, developing a strong foundation in contemporary dance, floorwork, and dance-theatre.

My practice is guided by creativity, authenticity, versatility, and curiosity. I enjoy processes that are raw, collaborative, and experimental, and often bring in my interests in photography and visual art. I’m excited by projects that connect people, push me physically and emotionally, and allow space for genuine expression.

Margherita Mattia

Margherita began dancing at the age of four, starting with ballet and modern jazz under the guidance of her parents who are both dance teachers. At 17 she moved to Rome, where she immersed herself in contemporary dance and began exploring different styles and dynamics. After her studies she had the opportunity to take part in La Biennale di Venezia under artistic direction of Marie Chouinard, before moving to Sweden to join Norrdans.

She then started freelancing all over Europe and had worked with various choreographers including Jasmin Vardimon, Anthony Matsena and Sabrina Gargano.

Sara Maurizi

Sara Maurizi is a UK-based dancer and performer. A Trinity Laban graduate, she toured internationally with VERVE, postgraduate company of NSCD, performing works by Maxine Doyle, Joan Clevillé, Noa Zuk, and Ben Wright.

She has since collaborated on stage, screen, site-specific and outdoors works with artists including Kimberly Bartosik, Claudia La Vista, Compagnia Malacarne and Maxine Doyle. In 2023, she performed in Marina Abramović’s Royal Academy retrospective, and in 2025 at the Southbank Centre in Vexations. Since 2021, she has been a dancer and rehearsal director in WomanEwer. In 2020, she co-founded VI.SA. Dance Project with Virginia Poli.

Nicole Nevitt

Nicole Nevitt is an independent performer and martial arts practitioner working in live performance, film, television, and theatre. Nicole has worked with an extensive selection of choreographers, companies, movement directors, and brands. Some of her credits include Damien Jalet, Scottish Dance Theatre, Ben Duke, Bullyache, Roberta Jean, Stephanie McMann, Adidas, and Nike. Nicole’s practice centres around atmospheres, aesthetic worlds, sensations, and places of absurdity, as well as her relationship to the subconscious. Often experimenting through improvisation and somatic sensitivity, her movement language is raw, meticulous, and complex.

Zara Phillips

Zara Phillips began her contemporary dance training with the Lowry CAT scheme in Manchester before joining the National Youth Dance Company under choreographer Botis Seva in 2018. She went on to train at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, graduating in 2022. During her third year, she became an apprentice with Rendez-Vous Dance, contributing to the creation and initial tour of Le Monocle.

In 2023, she completed her master’s degree while touring with VERVE, performing works by Kor’sia, Faye Tan and Extended Play. She returned to Rendez-Vous Dance the following year for the restaging and UK tour of Le Monocle, choreographed by Mathieu Geffré.

Zara has since collaborated with artists including Alexander Whitley, Bruno Martelli, Ruth Gibson, Extended Play and Mad Dogs Dance Theatre. Alongside performing, she teaches for organisations such as the National Youth Dance Company, Sadler’s Wells, RAME and Northern Ballet. Most recently, she performed as a stunt artist with Wired Aerial Theatre in Austria for the opera Der Freischütz at the Bregenz Festspiele.

Vilim Poljanec

Vilim Poljanec (he/him) is a Croatian contemporary dancer. In the year 2020 he graduated from Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance. Vilim furthered his training at summer intensive at Nederlands Dance Theater where he performed works by Marne Van Opstal, Crystal Pite, Marco Goecke and Paul Lightfoot/Sol Leon.

In the year 2020 he had the opportunity to work with theatre director Bob Wilson at Salzburger Festspiele and later again at Bob Wilson's Watermill Center Gala in New York. In the same year he reperformed solo work Étude V by choreographer Pau Aran Gimeno, from Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch. He has presented his own work at Šibenik Dance Festival in Croatia.

In 2021 he performed works by Wayne McGregor and Crystal Pite at the Venice Biennale. In 2022 he has been a part of Metamorphosis Dance Company, directed by Iratxe Ansa and Igor Bacovich. In 2023 he worked with renowned french choreographer Damien Jalet. He was part of the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony and worked with choreographer Maud Le Pladec. In 2025 he danced in neoclassical work Carmina Burana by Ilya Jivoy and is currently working on a production by performance artist Marina Abramović.

Ella Posti

Ella Posti is a UK based dance artist, performer, and choreographer originally from Finland. She is both a BA and MA graduate from London Contemporary Dance School and a founding member of the performer-led R.A.W collective and the artistic support network MOŸ MOŸ collective. During her career Ella has worked both in the UK and internationally. She’s had the pleasure of collaborating with the likes of Hannes Langolf, Theo Clinkard, Tom English, Tina Afiyan-Breiova, Benjamin Johnson, Routa Company and Prefacemorn company. As a dancer and performer, she enjoys bringing her imagination and inner world into her movement. For Ella, dance is both an intimate expression of self and a bridge to others and our surroundings. 

Emma Poyer

Emma Poyer is a Reunionese multidisciplinary performer and choreographer. Trained in Contemporary Dance, Ballet, and global styles, she has worked with choreographers including Joy Alpuerto-Ritter and James Cousins, implementing Physical Theatre into her practice. At École des Sables, she immersed herself in the raw power of Senegalese Contemporary Dance. At Verve, under the artistic direction of Matteo Marfoglia, she has expanded her connection to instinct through Gaga. Maloya, the ancestral heartbeat of Réunion Island, keeps her tethered to home. 

She is performing in various projects across the UK and France, exploring  mythology, inherited patriarcal behaviour in the female body and vulnerability as a force of transformation.

Dominic Rocca

Originally from Newbury, Dominic trained at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, graduating in 2017. He has since worked with a number of companies and choreographers, including: BalletBoyz, Mark Bruce Company, The Royal Ballet & Opera, Christopher Bruce, Xie Xin, Maxine Doyle, Thick & Tight, Christopher Wheeldon, Katya Bourvis, Shaper Caper and Olly Alexander for Glastonbury Festival.

Away from performance, Dominic teaches in SEN school and college units and is the Co-founder and Co-director of Ample Space Studios Ltd., an East London based multi-disciplinary studio business.

Clara Selberg

Clara Selberg is a Swedish dancer based in Manchester. She graduated in 2023 with a First-Class Honours from London Contemporary Dance School, where she worked with a broad variety of choreographers like Akeim Toussaint Buck and Ella Mesma, Monique Jonas and Jason Mabana. She also performed in Sometimes, Even Now, by James Cousins Company at the National Theatre’s River Stage in the summer of 2023.

With her most recent experience as a company dancer with Emergence Dance Company, Clara danced in pieces by Sofia Nappi, SAY Dance (Sarah Golding and Yukiko Masui), artistic director Joss Arnott and assistant choreographer Lisa Robinson.

Marianna Sfyridi

Marianna Sfyridi is a multidisciplinary performer, Capoerista and pharmacist. Her work explores migration, identity, and corporeality through physical theatre, blending Martial Arts and Greek folk traditions with contemporary dance. She has created and performed political pieces internationally, including in the UK, Greece, Brazil. Her short film NOSTOS: Migrating Bodies, Migrating Dances reflects her current research in dance anthropology which she currently explores via academic research. Marianna also leads workshops of her methodology Circadian Bodies and is involved in collaborative projects connecting dance with permaculture and technology.

Sophie Thomas

Born and raised in England’s Lake District, Sophie’s love for dance, art and nature started from an early age. Whilst a majority of her formative dancing years took place in village halls, she furthered this learning by attending Northern School of Contemporary Dance, gaining her degree in 2021. After graduating, Sophie continues to be based in Leeds and collaborating with artists such as Northern Rascals, Night People Events, Riptide UK, Southpaw Company as well as guest writing for Dance Art Journal. In her personal practise, Sophie is investigating musicality, intricacy and what it means to be human whilst performing.

Jack Trotter

Jack Trotter (he/they) is a movement artist & choreographer, originally from Hull. They trained at London Contemporary Dance School, The Place 2019-22 and VERVE, Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2023. Throughout studies, Jack worked with Becky Namgauds, Seke Chimutengwende, KOR’SIA & Jamaal Burkmar, among others. Professionally, Jack has presented his original dance-theatre work Several Desperate Attempts at Resolution Festival 2024, performed for Hull-based company Tamar & Jo, and has been a dramaturg, rehearsal director and stylist for several performance works and photoshoots.

Yue Ying Ho

Swansea-born, Manchester-based dance artist Yue Ying Ho collaborates widely across the UK, contributing through performance, choreography, and teaching. A First-Class BA graduate from Trinity Laban (2020) and MA graduate from Emergence (2021), she has toured nationally with Joss Arnott Dance, Company Chameleon, Kapow, HAWK, Matsena Productions, and WN Dance. She is rehearsal director for Emergence, Associate Dance Artist at the University of Salford, and Co-Lead for Chameleon Youth Juniors. Recent projects include choreography for BBC Dance Passion Swansea and an associate artist with National Youth Dance Wales. In 2024, she co-founded YIng Productions, a female-led company blending contemporary and Chinese dance.

Dancers

Jem Bentham

Kibrea Carmichael