Careers in dance: a panel discussion

Hear from a panel of industry experts as they discuss their journey into dance, how they progressed and diversified their career, and their advice for thriving in the dance sector.

Chair: Ama Rouge, Multidisciplinary Artist, Creative Educator, Host, and Co-founder of Wild Within

Panel:

Biography: Ama Rouge

Ama Rouge is a multidisciplinary artist with over 18 years of movement-centred experience, a host, model and company manager for Circolombia; a high-energy modern circus company with a distinctive Latin feel.

Ama’s work centres around heritage, identity, embodiment, & females using visual & digital forms, dance, movement & voice. She is the co-creator of wellbeing collective Wild Within which explores wellness through the pillars of Ritual, Movement, Nourishment & Rest. And co-creator of PowerUp! podcast which supports people to unlearn & empower themselves back to their true nature.

As a creative educator, she has delivered for CSSD, Dance Umbrella, Greenwich Dance, Kinetika Bloco, RAD Step into Dance, and London School of Samba amongst others. Outside of the UK she has travelled and trained in Afro-Latin and Contemporary dance in Brazil and Cuba.

Career highlights include; voiceover for Cannes XR, choreographing for the formal opening of the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Selfridges EveryBODY campaign led by Wayne McGregor and captured by Norbert Schoerner, parading in 2008 Rio Carnaval and performing in the 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony.

When Ama’s not doing any of this you’ll find her deep in a book, eating, cooking, hiding playfully in small spaces, practising yoga or learning to longboard.

Biography: Jimmy Parratt ARAD

Jimmy is a London-based photographer, videographer and founder of A Dancers Lens; who also happens to be a professional dancer. He started his training at Penny Taylor School of Dance in the RAD syllabus from the age of three and later went on to train at Central School of Ballet. Jimmy has an ongoing freelance career where he’s worked with many prestigious companies such as English National Ballet, Sergei Polunin’s company Polunin Ink, Crystal Pite’s Kidd Pivot, Semperoper Ballett and New English Ballet Theatre to name a few.

Jimmy found his passion for photography whilst dancing with The National Ballet of Ireland where he also ran some of their marketing and Instagram. Since then he’s taken photos of many big names including Alina Cojocaru & Juliano Nunez at Sadlers Wells in rehearsals as well as on stage, English National Ballet School, Polunin Ink, Suffolk Pointe, Central School of Ballet, and several dancers of The Royal Ballet and English National Ballet as well as Prix de Lausanne winners. Now down the line he is providing all kinds of dance photography and video services; with the attitude of creating dynamic, impactful and clean bespoke work.

Biography: Jennifer Curry

Jennifer joined Dancers’ Career Development in 2010, becoming Executive Director in 2014. Her vision is to drive the Transition Centre forward as a world leader in dancer transition, delivering high-quality transition support for all professional dancers in the UK.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Surrey with a BA in Dance and Culture with Professional Training. She then obtained an MA in Cultural Policy and Management from City University, London. Jennifer has extensive experience working in the arts, at organisations such as The Place, The Fleming Collection, The Royal Society of Literature and most recently at the New York City Center in New York. Jennifer completed the Clore Leadership Programme Emerging Leaders Course in March 2014.

Throughout her tenure at DCD Jennifer has been invited to contribute her expertise on the subject of career transition for dancers at a number of international conferences. She is President of the International Organisation for the Transition of Professional Dancers (IOTPD). Jennifer is also a member of the International Women’s Forum.

Biography: Kate Scanlan

Kate is a creative producer working in the cultural sector since 1998. She has a track record of producing pioneering projects and curating transformative events with artists, young people and communities.

Through her company, Scanner’s Inc, she produces creative concepts, events and festivals; teaches producing and creative entrepreneurship; and consults on programming, building community and cultural placemaking.

Kate is joint Creative Director/CEO of East London Dance with Tia Hassan and together they have also been Creative Directors at MOVE IT, the world’s largest dance event of its kind for seven years. Taking over ExCel London annually with over 32,000 visitors over three days, MOVE IT embodies all that is good about dance and the performing arts. She has also worked produced for Breakin’ Convention, Fuel, Sadler’s Wells, Random Dance, Rambert, Battersea Power Station, EcoWorld London, Lendlease Elephant Park, Croydon Council and others.

A Clore Fellow (Clore Leadership Programme) with a solid background working in the education team at Sadler’s Wells, as Director of Education at Rambert and more recently through her work with Scanners Inc, education is at the heart of all she does.  Kate was the founding facilitator and wrote The Fi.ELD programme at East London Dance to train the next generation of producers. She guest lectures at organisations including Ravensbourne, UEL, Swindon Dance, Matthew Bourne’s Re:Bourne and for Shechter II.

Scanner’s Inc

Scanner’s Inc creates healthier communities through the arts and street culture. We also run a world-class production house, teach entrepreneurial creative business and provide consultancy. We produce extraordinary creative events in public and hidden spaces, we build community and place, and we create extraordinary experiences. We tell stories, facilitate next level experiences creating smiles and memories for all.

Scanner’s Inc brings world-class culture to high streets, galleries, car parks, shipping containers, museums, parks, theatres, empty shops and public spaces. We create possibility in spaces that are often over-looked.

kate@scannerinc.com

www.scannersinc.com

@scannersinc