Artistic Director
Ruth trained at Trinity Laban, and then qualified as a teacher from Brighton University. Ruth joined Springs as a dancer in 1997, and was appointed Artistic Director in 2003. She has also danced for Marina Collard and Suzannah West Dance Company. Ruth has taught extensively in schools, colleges and universities. Since becoming director for Springs Dance Company she has co-choreographed several works for the company including Waterbugs and Dragonflies, Journey of the Magi, Credo, Cargo and Passage.
Company and Education Manager and Teacher
Eliza joined Elevate Dance Company in 2010, before then completing her training at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, gaining a BA(Hons) in Contemporary Dance. Following graduating in 2014, she worked in an administrative role at Chisenhale Dance Space, before joining the staff team at Springs in 2015. Alongside her office role, Eliza also loves teaching on the Springs Education programme in schools and is a Trustee for a little bit of HOPE (UK).
Assistant to the Director and Producer
Helen was Assistant to the Directors at the Lyric Hammersmith for 2 years before joining the team behind the inaugural Manchester International Festival in 2006 as Assistant Producer. Here she worked across art forms to produce new work with international collaborators which premiered at the festival in 2007. Projects included The Pianist (Dir. Neil Bartlett, Mikhail Rudy and Peter Guinness), Dead Wedding (Opera North and Faulty Optic), Kapital (a film by Greg Hall) and Interiors (Johnny Vegas and Stewart Lee).
In 2008 she began working as a freelance arts producer in Cambridge, with New International Encounter, 30 Bird Productions and Tom Dale Dance before accepting a position as an Assistant Officer for Performing Arts at the Arts Council East office. In this role, she supported several regularly funded arts organisations in the eastern region, as well as assessing grants applications, and being involved in the Escalator East to Edinburgh programme, supporting local artists showcasing their work at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Helen joined the Springs team in February 2023, and has worked on booking a tour of A Time to Mourn, A Time to Dance, co-writing a successful funding bid to the Arts Council for developing Jump In, and helped fundraise and plan the tour for Parable to Cornwall and Norfolk in May 2024.
Company Administrator and Teacher
Hannah is a freelance dance artist: performer, teacher and project manager. She graduated from the University of Chichester with a BA (Hons) Dance degree in 2014, and an MA Dance Performance degree in 2015. She has performed works by Jonathan Burrows, Ofra Idel, Kerry Nicholls, Rick Nodine and Abi Mortimer, nationally and internationally, and has danced for companies including Kindred Folk Dance Theatre, Hannah Pickett Dance, Dance Equation and MÓTUS. Hannah works regularly as project manager for BEEE Creative CIO, company administrator for Springs Dance Company and as coordinator for Surrey Dance Network. Her work focuses on community and people, facilitating space for learning, exploration and having fun whilst moving.
Hannah joined the teaching team for Springs in February 2020 and became Company Administrator in December 2022.
Photo credit: Taryn Muller
Dancer, Teacher and Rehearsal Director
Emily trained at Rambert School and has since enjoyed dancing with Springs for seven years as well as other companies such as Casson & Friends, Hawk Dance Theatre, The Knotted Project and English National Opera. Emily is co-founder of Eek & Wild who are Artists in Residence at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital. Emily also loves teaching dance to people of all ages and abilities and has taught extensively around the UK including for English National Ballet Youth Company, Cecchetti Associates and The Natashas Project, who facilitate restorative dance workshops to survivors of human trafficking.
Dancer and Teacher
Daniel Cossette is a classically trained mime, touring with Mimeistry International 2000-2002. He launched Ambassador Arts, premiering the shows Say it Loud! and Christmivest 2002-2009. Daniel was invited to dance with Ad Deum Dance Company, Houston TX where he danced from 2009-2013, then moved to England and joined Springs Dance Company (2013-present). Dan co-directs Infusion Physical Theatre, Cambridge UK. He has performed in prelude to Dance Houston, Alvin Ailey, Mark Morris, at Project Dance, Resolutions Dance Festival, Edinburgh Fringe and Sprung! He has taught mime, dance, and stage combat for Houston Ballet, the Alley Theatre, and Society for Performing Arts.
Dancer and Teacher
Ella is an independent dance artist and maker based in East London. Ella graduated from Trinity Laban with a First Class degree in 2016. Since graduating, Ella has enjoyed performing with Casson & Friends, Made by Katie Green, Luminelle, Springs Dance Company and Kimberley Harvey in collaboration with Great Ormond Street Hospital. Ella regularly performs at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital with Eek & Wild, a company she co-founded. Ella teaches in a range of community settings, with inclusivity and play at the heart of her teaching practice. Ella is a lead dance artist for The Place, Sadler’s Wells and Magpie Dance for people with learning disabilities. With her work at Magpie, Ella has led choreographic collaborations with the Royal Opera House and Arts for Disabled Association Hong Kong.
Dancer, Teacher and Rehearsal Director
Katie is a performer, teacher and maker based in Birmingham. Since graduating from Trinity Laban in 2013, she has enjoyed dancing with Springs for six years and other companies such as Sonia Sabri, Highly Sprung, Autin Dance Theatre, and as a Featured Dancer in the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony choreographed by Corey Baker. Katie also enjoys rehearsal directing and was Movement Associate for The Ballad of Maria Marten, a play by Beth Flintoff. Katie teaches and facilitates dance in a range of settings and is passionate about dance being for everyone. She is an Associate Artist for integrated dance company FRONTLINEdance and is an Artist in Residence at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital with Eek & Wild, a company she co-founded.
Dancer
Teacher
Helen trained at The Northern School of Contemporary dance and graduated in 2015. She then went on to achieve a Postgraduate Diploma, studying and performing as an apprentice with Motionhouse Dance Theatre. Since graduating Helen has enjoyed performing for a range of different companies, such as Company Chameleon, Hawk Dance Theatre, The Knotted Project, Urban Conceptz and Born and Bred Dance Theatre. Helen has also taught in a variety of different community and professional settings all around the world and loves how movement enables us to connect and tell our stories without words.
Dancer
Teacher
Originally from London, Sarah moved to Coventry in 2006 to study Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Warwick.
After gaining a BA degree she went on to complete a Higher National Diploma in dance, developing specific interests in site specific performance and physical theatre. She is a qualified teacher for adults and young people and has taught within schools, colleges and universities. Her performance work often incorporates film, soundscape, speech, gestural movement and contact improvisation. In recent years, she has trained as an aerialist and now adds this genre to her wide repertoire.
Teacher and Artistic Consultant
Naomi is based in Belgium, working as a dancer, teacher and dance management consultant. As well as working with children, teenagers and adults in Brussels, her freelance teaching still takes her back to the UK as well as to projects such as Project Play in Northern France. Naomi trained at Central School of Ballet and during her career in the UK flitted between dancer, rehearsal director, and education specialist with companies such as Maiden Voyage Dance Company, The Royal Opera House, Artis and Springs Dance Company. Naomi was Assistant Director for Springs between 2010-2017 and is now Artistic Consultant.
Teacher
Helen graduated from Roehampton University in 2003 with a BA (Hons) in Dance & Biology and trained as a member of Elevate Dance Company in 2006.
As well as her work with Springs Dance Company’s Education Programme, Helen is a freelance community dance artist and exercise practitioner with a passion for promoting holistic wellbeing through movement, particularly for older adults. Helen currently teaches for a number of different organisations including Dance to Health, Befriended and AHS Wellbeing. She is also a qualified Postural Stability Instructor, and teaches Psalms & Stretches®.
Previously, Helen has been both Apprenticeship Course Leader and Finance & Governance Manager for Springs.
Teacher
Originally from Bristol, Ashling trained as an apprentice with Springs Dance Company and attended Bird College before going on to graduate with a First Class Honours Degree in Contemporary Dance from Newcastle College. Since then, she has worked as an independent dance artist performing and teaching in the realms of music and dance. Her solo work 'Moving Sound', exploring the embodiment of texture in sound, was performed in both the UK and at Summer Stages in Lisbon. She was a part of Fertile Ground’s Double Bill ‘Twilight Dances’ that toured regionally and nationally and has most recently performed in Surface Area Dance Company's 'Behind the Face of a Rock, Throwing Stones' in the UK and Athens. When not dancing, Ashling can be found hitting the drums in sequinned attire with 'Spark!', a physical theatre LED drumming company, with which she has performed at events and festivals worldwide. Aside from hitting the drums, she teaches with iSingPOP, a Christian Primary School singing project that brings together church and school communities.
Teacher
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Rachel is a Freelance Dance Artist in Contemporary/Ballet, Performer, Choreographer and Teacher based in Manchester. Rachel has toured nationally with Emergence Dance Company and has graduated with Distinction for her Master’s Degree in Dance Performance and Professional Practices under the Salford International Excellence Award from the University of Salford. She is also a graduate of Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts’ Gifted Young Dancer Programme.
As a dance artist, she has worked and performed with Walk The Plank, Hawk Dance Theatre, Ruth Jones, Joss Arnott Dance, Becky Namgauds, Kevin Edward Turner, Christopher Bruce CBE, Thick and Tight.
A strong believer in bringing dance to everybody, Rachel is working with Ludus Dance, The Lowry (Centre For Advanced Training), Springs Dance Company and previously with One Dance UK (ODUK Dance Ambassador 2019-2021) in reaching dance to different communities and sharing the power that dance brings.
Teacher
Anna trained in Contemporary Dance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire. She facilitates movement sessions for the Royal Academy of Dance, Greenwich Dance, Moone School of Ballet and others, specialising in dance for young people with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities. Anna founded Hallomai Dance in 2022 and is currently focused on outdoor, interactive work for Early Years Children and their families. They are supported by Wandsworth Council & Trinity Laban Innovation Award.
Teacher
Catherine graduated from Trinity Laban in 2021, having previously danced as part of Spring's apprentice company, Elevate. Since completing her training, she has worked as a dance artist with Leutwiler Tanztheatre, E33 Dance Company, and Doodle Dance. She also teaches creative workshops and dance technique across a variety of settings and is a Psalms & Stretches® instructor.
Teacher
Synaet recently graduated from Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance where she completed 3 years professional dance training. She graduated with BA (Hons) in Ballet and Contemporary Dance and her training included intense training in ballet/point work, contemporary styles (such as Graham and Cunningham), improvisation and choreography. As part of her training she also worked with well known choreographers such as Darren Ellis, Alleyne Sisters and Darshan Singh Bhuller. Synaet is originally from Cambodia. She started dancing when she was 14 and came to the UK to study in 2019. She is currently spending time living and working in the UK to establish herself as a dancer, choreographer and teacher before she begins to look at ways of bringing these experiences back to her home country.
Teacher
South African-born Liezl is an engineer turned dance artist. She trained at Broadway Dance Center in New York before moving to the UK and joining Elevate Dance Company in 2019. She's since danced with Infusion Physical Theatre and E33 Dance Company in London and is completing her Diploma in Choreography under mentor Rick Tjia. Now working as a dancer and choreographer, she recently founded Dew Dance in High Wycombe, to bring high-quality dance to the local community.
Photo credit: Sonia Sanchez Lopez