Karen Poley

Creative Producer

Karen is an independent producer of outdoor arts, with a particular interest in creating dynamic relationships between artists and communities, site specific and dance performances.

Bicycle Ballet was conceived one summer during a bike ride on Shoreham Beach, where the retreating low tide leaves a vast sandy shoreline. ‘the dance of cycling’ is BB’s second manifestation and Karen plans to continue evolving the project.

Karen is also developing a number of other projects, with ACE support, including:

• Here Now with Charlie Morrissey, a movement performance by 1,000 people at Devil’s Dyke on Sunday 3rd May 2010; the first phase of a larger project, 10,000. www.10000.org.uk
• 1,000 revolutions per moment by Periplum www.periplum.co.uk a participatory trail of urban exploration, inspired by the transformative power of music.
• A future project with Strangelings www.strangelings.co.uk, and an idea for a public art project.

Ollie Aylmer

Sound and Music

Oliver Aylmer has been working in the music industry for 11 years. He started working in a record shop and DJ ing in clubs and parties in the 90's, Oliver has his own band (Downtempojazzbreaks) under the guise of "Mistermute". He writes music for "Lift" Library music company and has recently toured with the "Go Team" for their UK Tour. He also works extensively in the performing arts writing and producing soundtracks for public performance and exhibitions.

Involvement in recent shows include. "Soundspace" at Eureka in Halifax. - interactive permanent exhibition of sound - receiving best European exhibition for kids 2005. "Chesick House" for The World Famous - Large scale pyro to sound public performance in the grounds of Cheswick House. "The Barbershop" for 3Monkey Productions. Touring comedy stage show. "Crackers" for The World Famous. Large scale touring pyro to sound show. "The Big Dance" for South East Arts. Large scale dance performance to sound, on Brighton beach.

Next Up " Bicycle Ballet" Keep on peddling. Image: Ollie's makeshift recording studio in our warehouse rehearsal space

Janine Fletcher

Choreographer – the dance of cycling

Janine has a ferocious love of disciplined movement, comedic detail and creates work informed by a variety of performance languages and creative processes.

As a solo practitioner, Janine uses a myriad of genres in her work, and has performed at The National Review of Live Art, Visions International Festival of Performance and Navigate Live Art Festival.

She is co-artistic director of dance-comedy duo The Two Wrongies...'the double act who dare to do the dirty', and in 2008 became a member of Prodigal Theatre's Urban Playground Team, working collaboratively with Gravity Style to create Parkour-inspired physical theatre and dance.

Janine is a supported artist of The Basement, Brighton, and was an original cast member of the Bicycle Ballet Mass Participation Project.

 

David Bernstein

Additional Direction - the dance of cycling

David is a founding member of Strangelings, a street theatre company who have toured internationally for the last 12 years. He trained with John Mowat and Fraiser Hooper in mime and clown and toured with theatre company Cartoon De Salvo for 5 years. When not on the road he is usually to be found working on his boat or one of the too many bicycles he's accumulated. Currently rides a 10 speed Eddy Merckx 70's racer.

Joe Wild

 

Joe Wild is a Dance Artist, making work for theatre, screen and site-specific locations as well as dancing professionally for other choreographers. He compleated a BA in Dance Theatre at Laban, and has since studied LeCoq based Clown, Action Theatre and Native American Mask Clown. He is the co-creator of ‘First Person Theatre’ and has danced for Earthfall, Arcane, Athina Vhala and works and collaborates with Firenza Guidi. Joe also sometimes works as a cycle courier, and has a close relationship to his bicycle.

 

 

 

Kate Evans

 

Kate was made for the Bicycle ballet, whilst her ballet skills were never quite up to scratch her cycling experience dates back to an early age where she completed her cycling proficiency at the tender age of 7.

12 bikes or so, and many miles later she’s never looked back (except to turn right) and has performed around the world with her Street theatre company ‘Creature Feature’ and ensemble stilt troupe ‘the Wrong Size’. You can also find her teaching at Circus Space on occasion, as well as The Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club prancing around with cabaret group Glass Eyed at their night ‘Celebrityville’.

Sarah Alexander

 

Sarah has been dancing for the Bicycle Ballet since 2006, and her role is now performer and workshop leader.

Sarah trained at Rambert Dance School and then furthered her studies at the University of Brighton, gaining a degree in Dance and Visual Art. She now works as a freelance dance practitioner in Brighton and the South East, teaching dance for organisations such as Rambert Dance Company and Creative Partnerships. 

She has recently completed a new choreography for BILLED Dance Company, for the Brighton Fringe Festival ,and hopes to develop her choreographic practice further by continuing to create work. She enjoys the diversity of being able to perform, create and teach dance within her career.

Sarah was an original Bicycle Ballet cast member and principal dancer in subsequent projects.

Stephanie McMann

 

Stephanie graduated from De Montfort University with a first class honours degree in Dance, also receiving an award for outstanding achievement in performance.

Stephanie has collaborated on numerous diverse dance works including performances, both live and on film, with Jelka Millic (Place Prize Semi-Finalist 2008), Kerry Francksen-Kelly, Jo Breslin, Lexi Bradburn, KTDT and most recently with Laura Bridges and Lauren Willis.

Stephanie is also a freelance teacher and regularly researches and collaborates in performance and live art projects exploring notions of space, place and examining the barrier between performer and audience.

Tom Adams

 

Tom trained at Circomedia, Bristol under the tutelage of Bim Mason specialising in Physical Theatre. Since then, he has worked with Miracle Theatre, Ragroof Theatre, Metro-Boulot-Dodo, Company FZ and co-founded The Awkwards.

He is also a solo musical comedian making his way on the comedy circuit. He will be performing at this years Edinburgh festival with his show, ‘Tom Adams: Dropped as a Child’. He has performed this act on Radio Four’s ‘Loose Ends’ and was nominated to be a finalist in this years Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year.

Virginia Farman

Choreographer
Virginia Farman has been working is a choreographer with over 15 years experience of directing live and recorded performance work, formerly a performer for Liz Aggiss and Billy Cowie's company Divas, she also works as a senior lecturer at the University of Chichester and has travelled internationally as a student and creator of dance productions for stage, site specific setting and film.

She has worked extensively with professional and community performers of all abilities,and ages and is passionate about extending access to participation in high quality art practice among the community.

Farman has been given awards for both her research into contemporary Butoh dance and her short films, and is currently working on a series of flick books with photographer Charlotte Macpherson. 

Other Projects:
Twitterns	Falling Down Stairs	In The Road

Photos: Charlotte Macpherson

Warren Haigh

Costume Designer
Since graduating in 1995 Warren has constructed the weird and the strange, from giant inflatable spiders and caterpillars to nine foot drumming ants and remote controlled lady birds.  Multi-sensory rooms for special needs; to spending two weeks making tents for the earthquake disaster in Afghanistan for the homeless. Most costumes have been for large outdoor festival performances with pyrotechnic displays.

Warren has also manufactured clothing for contemporary dance companies, theatre and small independent films as well as working for celebratory arts companies such as Artscope and Same Sky creating sculptures and installations with communities and schools.

www.garmentology.co.uk and www.nwsi.demon.co.uk

Anna Weatherston

Core Performer
BA (hons) Theatre w Visual Practice

Enjoys a variety of creative endeavours. Recently shortlisted for the Singleshot short film competition, 'Beachjam' is due to go on a National tour begining at the Tate Modern in Nov.

Pleased to join in the making of the bicycle ballet as although she
can't yet do a popa-wheely, she has discovered the delight of riding around in circles all day with one leg in the air. 

AnnA completed the Theatre w Visual Practice degree at Brighton Uni specialising in site specific performance based installations and is trained in sports acrobatics. She is currently working with an experimental theatre lab who are gaining momentum for an outdoor piece this winter.

AnnA has worked with Volcanoe and The Rightsize at The Pegasus Theatre in Oxford and recently at Komedia. She facilitates workshops as well as writing and devising her own work.

Her first film 'Beachjam' made together with dj and Visual Artist Tula Parker has been selected as a Singleshot competition winner and will be on a national tour commencing at the Tate Britain in November 2006.

Alex Beech

Core Performer

Alex studied dance at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds and then at Laban in London.

Since graduating Alex has collaborated with a wide range of professional dance companies working on live performance, site specific work & film using both movement and text.

She has performed extensively around the UK in festivals including Resolution! & Choreodrome at The Place Robin Howard Dance Theatre (London Contemporary Dance School), the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival and the Big in Falkirk Festival, Scotland.

Alex is currently Media Manager at Laban. 

Augusto Correiri

Core Performer

Since graduating in Theatre from Dartington College of Arts, Augusto has been directing and performing devised theatre and dance works. He co-founded theatre company Deer Park, whose work won best devised piece at the NSDF festival (Scarborough) and toured the UK and Europe. In the last two years he has been creating performances and teaching with Propeller, a group of artists collaborating around themes of ecology and perception. Currently he is developing his first solo work, Quartet, which will soon be showing at BAC (London) and the Nightingale theatre (Brighton). 

Victoria Mcmanus

Core Performer

Victoria has been working as a physical performer for the past 9 years combining theatre, dance and circus skills.  Graduating with a BA Hons in Performing Arts she went on to broaden her skills at The Circus Space in Hoxton, London.

Victoria specialises in aerial rope, trapeze, silks, acrobatic bungee and harness work.  Using these skills in a theatrical context has seen her performing at the prestigious Shakespeare’s Globe in Pericles directed by Kathryn Hunter and Man Falling Down directed by Jack Shepherd, La Clique at The Famous Spiegeltent, Chichester Festival Theatre and The Barbican amongst others.  She has toured Europe and the UK extensively in the circus shows Storm and Gangstars and international corporate events including Tate Modern and An audience with Kylie Minogue.  Victoria also teaches aerial skills on the degree course at The Circus Space (London).