local artists, local creativity
SpinDrift Dance was co-founded by teachers and freelance performers Suzie West and Sam Dukes in 2010 to find new creative outlets for dance in education and the local artists surrounding it. Now directed by Suzie West, SpinDrift continues to enchorage collaboration, strongly connected dance ecologies and a focus on local creativity. We strongly believe that we are stronger together and most productive when ideas bounce off each other.
Live performance and collaboration is at the heart of every project. We learn create and innovate alongside the school, community or choreographer to bring education and current dance practice together. Suzie West's research in aspirational pedagogy and Dance Creative Partnerships underpin the principles of their collaborations, learning experiences and performance opportunities.
SpinDrift are resident at schools in Devon and Cornwall and have facilitated dance support packages for secondary and primary schools across the South West. With their unique knowledge of dance education SpinDrift have brought professional choreography platforms and their artists to community colleges, created cross generation projects, delivered cross curricular festivals and produced many bespoke experiences for specialist groups of children and community groups.
SpinDrift invite local dancers of all ages to perform and make with us.
SpinDrift interweave current national and regional choreographers, film makers, photographers and musicians with dance and education.
SpinDrift celebrate real stories, memories, places and relationships that matter to the South West
SpinDrift learn , listen and innovate with our partners, communities and teachers
SpinDrift curate and deliver high quality, accessible and sustainable dance experiences for educational settings and their surroundings
Live performance and collaboration is at the heart of every project. We learn create and innovate alongside the school, community or choreographer to bring education and current dance practice together. Suzie West's research in aspirational pedagogy and Dance Creative Partnerships underpin the principles of their collaborations, learning experiences and performance opportunities.
SpinDrift are resident at schools in Devon and Cornwall and have facilitated dance support packages for secondary and primary schools across the South West. With their unique knowledge of dance education SpinDrift have brought professional choreography platforms and their artists to community colleges, created cross generation projects, delivered cross curricular festivals and produced many bespoke experiences for specialist groups of children and community groups.
SpinDrift invite local dancers of all ages to perform and make with us.
SpinDrift interweave current national and regional choreographers, film makers, photographers and musicians with dance and education.
SpinDrift celebrate real stories, memories, places and relationships that matter to the South West
SpinDrift learn , listen and innovate with our partners, communities and teachers
SpinDrift curate and deliver high quality, accessible and sustainable dance experiences for educational settings and their surroundings
Suzie West
Has a passion for dance education and a firm belief that teachers should still get the chance feel like artists. With eleven years of teaching in a secondary school environments and performing for companies and choreographers across the UK, Suzie epitomizes her ethos. As well as directing SpinDrift, she is employed at a number of schools as a dance and specialist, consulting for primaries, GCSE dance and A-level. Suzie has a vested interest in local stories, beauty spots and people when making work, She specialises in site specific performance, large community performance and creative partnership and has also worked for Rogue Theatre, Attik Dance and C-Scape.
Her research and pedagogy has led her to lecture across the UK at Dance UK & NDTA Conferences, Laban, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Exeter University and Denmark. Suzie is currently working on her MA in Creative Education and developing her Action Research practice with Stomping Ground.
Has a passion for dance education and a firm belief that teachers should still get the chance feel like artists. With eleven years of teaching in a secondary school environments and performing for companies and choreographers across the UK, Suzie epitomizes her ethos. As well as directing SpinDrift, she is employed at a number of schools as a dance and specialist, consulting for primaries, GCSE dance and A-level. Suzie has a vested interest in local stories, beauty spots and people when making work, She specialises in site specific performance, large community performance and creative partnership and has also worked for Rogue Theatre, Attik Dance and C-Scape.
Her research and pedagogy has led her to lecture across the UK at Dance UK & NDTA Conferences, Laban, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Exeter University and Denmark. Suzie is currently working on her MA in Creative Education and developing her Action Research practice with Stomping Ground.
Sophie Northmore
Sophie’s training began in acrobatics and followed on into dancing, taking a Foundation Degree at The London Studio Centre and a BA (Hons) Degree at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of music and dance. She is currently working in Plymouth on a Freelance basis for the Theatre Royal Plymouth, Far Flung Dance Theatre, Exim Dance Company and is excited to be choreographing for Spin Drift this year,
Sophie’s training began in acrobatics and followed on into dancing, taking a Foundation Degree at The London Studio Centre and a BA (Hons) Degree at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of music and dance. She is currently working in Plymouth on a Freelance basis for the Theatre Royal Plymouth, Far Flung Dance Theatre, Exim Dance Company and is excited to be choreographing for Spin Drift this year,
Kay Crook
Kay Crook is currently working as a freelance dance artist. Her recent research has taken her to India, where she has been working for two years in collaboration with dance artist Ajeesh Balakrishnan and Attakkalri Centre for
Movement Arts, Bangalore. Kay and Ajeesh Balakrishnan recently worked in collaboration with Interwoven Productions, Theatre Director Amanda Knott (Rambert, Royal Ballet), Musician Cameron Murray and writer Steve Duncan to produce duet Antara ,which toured across the UK in 2013.
In 2013 Kay Crook collaborated with SpinDrift Dance Company, performing in their production, Last Lily, which toured across the UK at venues including
Tacchi Morris (Taunton), Chichester Showroom (Chichester) and Cygnet Theatre (Exeter). Also in 2013, Kay created and performed solo, Vega in collaboration with Theatre Director Alistair Ganely, Actor Sam Burns and Interwoven Productions, which was supported by the Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter.
Kay Crook is the founder of Chhaya Collective, a Contemporary Dance Collective, working to establish relationships between artists in different disciplines and
cultures through the art of collaborative practice. They work to develop a theatrical language, capable of translating through movement, words, images,
music and through all that is interwoven in collaboration. Our projects are aimed at developing innovative, relatable and accessible work that speaks in
multiple tongues, with the company currently working between Southern India and Southern England.
Kay Crook is currently working as a freelance dance artist. Her recent research has taken her to India, where she has been working for two years in collaboration with dance artist Ajeesh Balakrishnan and Attakkalri Centre for
Movement Arts, Bangalore. Kay and Ajeesh Balakrishnan recently worked in collaboration with Interwoven Productions, Theatre Director Amanda Knott (Rambert, Royal Ballet), Musician Cameron Murray and writer Steve Duncan to produce duet Antara ,which toured across the UK in 2013.
In 2013 Kay Crook collaborated with SpinDrift Dance Company, performing in their production, Last Lily, which toured across the UK at venues including
Tacchi Morris (Taunton), Chichester Showroom (Chichester) and Cygnet Theatre (Exeter). Also in 2013, Kay created and performed solo, Vega in collaboration with Theatre Director Alistair Ganely, Actor Sam Burns and Interwoven Productions, which was supported by the Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter.
Kay Crook is the founder of Chhaya Collective, a Contemporary Dance Collective, working to establish relationships between artists in different disciplines and
cultures through the art of collaborative practice. They work to develop a theatrical language, capable of translating through movement, words, images,
music and through all that is interwoven in collaboration. Our projects are aimed at developing innovative, relatable and accessible work that speaks in
multiple tongues, with the company currently working between Southern India and Southern England.
Robert Mennear
Robert left Cornwall for London to further develop his studies in Contemporary Dance at ‘The Place’ (London Contemporary Dance
School). Here he gained both his BA (hons) Degree in Contemporary Dance and his Postgraduate Diploma in performance with the touring company Edge07.After his training at The Place and touring with the company Edge07 Robert continued working in London as well as touring nationally and internationally, performing with such dance companies as Jose Vidal Company, Ffin Dance and Ijad Dance Company. Roberts keen interest in teaching lead him to work in established institutes, schools and academies across London. Robert continues to perform in London but decided to make base back home in Cornwall in 2011.Since his return Robert has performed with the likes of Cscape Dance Company, Angela Praed and Rogue Theatre as well as maturing his on going relationship with Freefall. Robert also has strong aims and desire of pursuing his own choreographic journey, as well as continuing to establish himself across the South West as a dance practitioner spanning across all ages and abilities. Robert is committed to developing Dance in the South West and has set up Boys Dance Groups in Devon and Cornwall, co- directed Cornwall Youth Dance Company and most recently, established an Adults Attik 360 community group in St Austell for Attik Dance.
Robert left Cornwall for London to further develop his studies in Contemporary Dance at ‘The Place’ (London Contemporary Dance
School). Here he gained both his BA (hons) Degree in Contemporary Dance and his Postgraduate Diploma in performance with the touring company Edge07.After his training at The Place and touring with the company Edge07 Robert continued working in London as well as touring nationally and internationally, performing with such dance companies as Jose Vidal Company, Ffin Dance and Ijad Dance Company. Roberts keen interest in teaching lead him to work in established institutes, schools and academies across London. Robert continues to perform in London but decided to make base back home in Cornwall in 2011.Since his return Robert has performed with the likes of Cscape Dance Company, Angela Praed and Rogue Theatre as well as maturing his on going relationship with Freefall. Robert also has strong aims and desire of pursuing his own choreographic journey, as well as continuing to establish himself across the South West as a dance practitioner spanning across all ages and abilities. Robert is committed to developing Dance in the South West and has set up Boys Dance Groups in Devon and Cornwall, co- directed Cornwall Youth Dance Company and most recently, established an Adults Attik 360 community group in St Austell for Attik Dance.
Our Collective...17/18
John Freddy Jones, Lauren Syrett, Kay Crook, Gem Ward, Becky Miles, Charlotte Luke, Lauren Pomfret, Shanice Burgoyne, Daisy Harrison, Sophie Northmore, Kaitlyn Howlett, Nadjeschade Schaefer, Sarah Farrow Jones, Hannah Saunders, Lucy Freeman, Megan Walsingham, Ashliegh Sims, Amber Ward, Ana Christina, Clair Beckett, Becca Moss, Miranda Howard, Isolde Allen, Rob Mennear, Clare Parker, Jaz Moast, Emily Woodman, Steve Kelly, Nathan Marshall, Katie Kirk, Zoe Mote, Emma Pendle,