Who we are

Photo: Miguel Altunaga Jr

Freddie is a critically acclaimed choreographer, dancer/performer, curator and teacher who is the recipient of many choreographic awards and commissions. East London-born, Freddie’s Ghanaian heritage informs his art practices through which he references disparate movement styles, folkloric themes and structured choreography to make witty, conversational and affecting work.

Freddie was Guest Programmer for Dance Umbrella between 2016 and 2019 during which time his Out Of The System programme presented exhilarating work by dance practitioners from the UK and abroad.

Freddie is founder, director and curator of ‘SystemsLAB’ (2016), a platform which responds directly to 21st century diverse artistic needs; offering support and sustained visibility to multifaceted mid-career artists by facilitating connections to festivals, venues, organisations and touring with a bespoke creative team.

Freddie has choreographed and performed internationally in numerous productions including his breakthrough work Silence Speaks Volumes and Fidelity Project (co-created/performed with Frauke Requart) both works reaching the Bloomberg Place Prize finals; Bf with Jorge Crecis (Aerowaves); various Royal Opera House ROH2 commissions; Mis-thread (DU 2010); Remaining Energy (Barbican commission) and solo work Show of Hands (DU 2013).

Freddie is a former recipient of the Robin Howard Commission, One Dance UK (Dance of the African Diaspora) Trailblazer Fellow/Champion (co-curating their annual showcase events at The Place in 2016) and Associate Artist of the Royal Opera House/ROH2 (2009-12).

Freddie has been a Part-Time Lecturer in Performing Arts at the University of East London, composition lecturer at London Contemporary Dance School, a Studio Wayne McGregor Dance Artist, and Visiting Fellow Artist at the Queen Mary University – London. He is also a regular speaker and guest on industry panels both in the UK and internationally.

Tania works alongside the Artistic Director to provide strategic leadership for Dance Umbrella, with a particular focus on business development. An experienced leader in the cultural sector, Tania was previously CEO of Stratford Circus Arts Centre where she programmed ambitious and imaginative work by leading artists and companies such as Punchdrunk and Fevered Sleep, commissioning Akram Khan and Inua Ellams’ first works for young audiences. Under Tania’s realm the organisation built a reputation for its inclusive and participatory ethos and commitment to supporting emerging talent, alongside achieving significant financial growth. She has previously worked for Arts Council England, Sadler’s Wells and the British Council. Tania sits on the advisory board of the charity Power the Fight.

Jessica Greer is an experienced programmer and producer, specialising in dance. Prior to Dance Umbrella Jessica was at The Place, most recently as Programme Producer. In this role she supported artists and companies to present ambitious work in live, digital, festival, site specific and participatory settings. She has previously worked for Hofesh Shechter Company and The Royal Opera House, as well as supported independent artists to make work.

Bethan has been working within the participatory dance sector for the past twelve years as a producer, choreographer and dance artist. Specialising in contemporary and social dance forms, she is predominately interested in creating and producing work that has social engagement and individual expression at its core. Prior to Dance Umbrella, Bethan worked at Trinity Laban as a lecturer and dance artist for 10 years. From 2015-16 Bethan became the first Choreographer in Residence at Royal Museums Greenwich.

Alongside her role at Dance Umbrella, Dawn is an independent producer and fundraiser. She has worked with a diverse range of organisations, including the British Council and Arts Council. Currently, she develops international projects for Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui/Eastman and Manchester International Festival.

Previous roles spanning 20 years at CandoCo Dance Company and Sadler’s Wells gave her many opportunities to work with extraordinary dance artists. Dawn is a Trustee at Boy Blue and a board member at James Cousins Company.

Lucy has over 20 years of experience in arts marketing, 12 of which were at Sadler’s Wells. She has consulted as a freelancer since 2018, holding a wide-ranging portfolio of clients including Greenwich Dance, The Place, New Movement Collective, Richard Chappell Dance, McNicol Ballet Collective and Candoco Dance Company. She was part of the three-woman team who produced five series of the successful dance podcast, Talking Moves.

Lucy is a trustee on the board of Hornsey Town Hall Trust, an independent buildings preservation trust created to promote the regeneration of the Grade II* listed hall currently undergoing a £30m restoration, which will see it becoming a key arts and culture venue in North London.

Isabella graduated from King’s College London in 2017 with a degree in English Language and Literature. She subsequently worked for King’s Cultural Community as an Events and Gallery Supervisor, before undertaking freelance marketing work for a range of cultural organisations including Access All Areas, Split Britches and non zero one. In March 2019, Isabella joined Dance Umbrella as Admin & Digital Communications Officer before becoming Digital Content Manager in January 2023.

Teresa graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire in 2020 with a BA Hons in Contemporary Dance. They then joined the dance department at Middlesex University in the role of Graduate Academic Assistant. As a freelance dance artist, they have had the opportunity to both perform and make work themselves. Teresa has a particular interest in community dance practice and has had the opportunity to work as a teaching artist and dance assistant with Dance West and SLiDE. Teresa is also an artist ambassador for Independent Dance. In May 2023 Teresa joined Dance Umbrella in the role of Admin & Marketing Assistant before becoming Festival Administrator.