Biographies

Greig Cooke

Greig graduated from London Contemporary Dance School in 1995 with a Post Graduate Diploma in Contemporary Dance and subsequently performed internationally for fourteen years originating roles for Adventures in Motion Pictures’s production of Swan Lake, Richard Alston, The Featherstonehaughs, Aletta Collins, Charles Linehan, Yorke Dance Project, Mark Bruce, Arthur Pita, Tom Sapsford, Fleur Darkin and the reworking of Peter Schaffeur’s west end production of Equus in 2007. As a Teacher, Greig enjoys working with different age groups and abilities and teaches extensively in the UK delivering workshops and regular classes to schools, boys groups, professionals, over 50’s and vocational dance schools. Greig recently joined the selection team for the Exeter based, Centre of Advanced training in the South West, and in 2007 was a member of staff for London Contemporary Dance School’s Centre for Advanced Training and the rehearsal director for their youth performance company, Shift.

Eleanor Duval

Eleanor grew up in France and trained at the Hamburg Opera in Germany and Rambert school in London. Before joining The Mark Bruce Company for the production of ‘Sea of Bones’ in 2006 she worked with Dansconnect performing works by Scott Ambler, Jonathan Lunn, Nikki Smedley, Yael Flexer, Kenneth Tharpe and Richard Bank as well as various productions at Glyndebourne Opera and The Royal Albert Hall.  Eleanor teaches for Swindon Youth Dance Academy and adult classes in Frome.

Darren Ellis

Darren trained at Rambert Dance School (1987-90), at the Laban Centre, and Transitions Dance Company (1990-91). He has danced with David Massingham Dance, Janet Smith and Dancers, PAGE Dance Theatre (Freiburg, Germany), Mark Bruce  Company, Small Bones Dance Company, Jeremy James Dance Company, Matthew Bourne (Swan Lake original cast, Cinderella, Nutcracker! and Play Without Words), Random Dance Company and Snag Project (Jo Fong and Sarah Warsop). Darren has been teaching at Rambert Dance School since 2003 and joined Richard Alston Dance Company as rehearsal director in August 2005. In 2007 he danced in Martin Lawrance’s Brink and Richard Alston’s Gypsy Mixture. Darren has also performed  in ‘Unbroken’ at the Gate Theatre, Notting Hill.  Darren formed Darren Ellis Dance in 07 and made Romeo Error and Good to Go (for Evolution at The Place) and Tempt My Better Angel and No More Ghosts( for Richard Alston Dance Company).  Darren is currently touring his solo ‘Sticks and Bones’ and is newly appointed associate artist at Dance East.

Marian Bruce – Design

Marian is a visual artist making assembled installation/sculpture. She has shown widely in the UK and in the US, including The Angel Trilogy presented on the Merlin Theatre Stage for the Frome Festival 2002 to 2004. Her work is currently on exhibit in The Love London Recycled Show at The Wetlands in Barnes, South West London. In 1991 she began a parallel career designing for contemporary dance. Her recent stage credits include Three Songs -Two Voices for The Royal Ballet, A Steel Garden – Rambert Dance Company, Hush -The Houston Ballet and Rambert Dance Company, Rooster – the National Ballet of Canada, Dance at the Crossroads – Ballet Mainz, Ten Poems – Ballet Kiel and Sea of Bones, Bad History and Stars – Mark Bruce Company.

Lucia Snell – Costume Maker

Lucia Snell has continued her professional career in costume since leaving The Donmar Warehouse and The Old Vic Theatre amongst many of London’s West End Theatres, making, designing and creating  bespoke garments for fashion, theatre, film, festivals and individuals alike.

Pickled Image- Special Effect

Pickled Image is a production company specialising in puppetry for live performance and theatre. Since 2000 the company has created a distinct trademark style, which has become the brand for all its productions. Over the years the company has gained international recognition for their darkly humorous visual productions and has won many awards for their work. Proud to be at the forefront of British puppetry the company is continuing to create exquisite puppets and performances, which are enjoyed all over the world! Vicky Andrews trained as a sculptor, illustrator and theatre designer and has been involved in designing shows for venues such as Bristol Old Vic, Bath Theatre Royal and the Welsh National Opera over the past 10 years.  Her artistic skills have been applied to producing and designing all of Pickled Image’s shows since 2000. As a driving force behind the Company, Vicky was responsible for developing the link with Nordland Visual Theatre based on the Lofoten Islands in Norway – co-produced Houdini’s Suitcase 2006 & Hunger 2009) and Delit De Façade in Paris – Mange Tout 2008. She is intrinsic to the creative process as a performer, maker and administrator to the company, often working in non-traditional theatre spaces with collaborators from all over the world.

Max Humphries

Max formed his first company at the age of six and twenty years later he’s still going strong, splitting his time between designing shows in his head and in the real world.  He has made work for Green Ginger; Pickled Image, Headlong, Figurentheater Nordland, Bristol Old Vic, Farnham Maltings, Salisbury Playhouse and the Lyric Hammersmith amongst others, as well as performing in How to Build a Rocket (Farnham Maltings), The Love of a Good Woman (Soho Writers Centre), Jack and the Beanstalk (Lyric Hammersmith) and Un Boite Andalou (Bootworks). “My puppets are built more out of the traditions of the eighteenth century automata makers then any modern puppet styles. The most important constant collaborator in my work, and my oldest friend, is mechanical science.”

Luned Aaron – Designer’s Assistant / Supervisor

Luned trained as a set designer at the Royal College of Music and Drama, Cardiff. Recently, she was set and costume designer for the National Dance Company Wales’ production ‘How to Use Curiosity in Ordinary Life,’ choreographed by Joanne Fong and shown at the Wales Millennium Centre. She has worked extensively as a designer with many theatre and television companies, including The National Welsh language Touring Theatre Company, Fiction Factory, DK4, Sherman Cymru. Cwmni Da and Apollo.