Team

  • Artistic Director

    Born in 1980, Alexander Whitley is an award-winning choreographer whose pioneering work with digital technology has placed him at the forefront of innovation in contemporary dance. His multi-disciplinary practice, focusing on the use of motion-tracking and interactive technology, spans stage, installation, film, and immersive platforms.

    Founding Alexander Whitley Dance Company in 2014, his productions, created in collaboration with studios such as Marshmallow Laser Feast, The Guardian VR and HTC Vive Arts, have toured theatres around the UK and internationally and have been presented at London Film Festival, SXSW, Mediale and Romaeuropa amongst others.

    Alexander has held associateships and affiliations with the UK’s most respected dance institutions including Sadler’s Wells Theatre, the Royal Ballet and Rambert and has created work for many of the UK’s leading companies. He is a founding member of New Movement Collective and a lecturer on the Design for Performance and Interaction Masters’ program at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL.

    Alexander trained at the Royal Ballet School and began his career at Birmingham Royal Ballet before moving into contemporary dance, where he enjoyed a wide range of experiences working with companies including Rambert, Michael Clark Company, Sydney Dance Company and Wayne McGregor Random Dance. During this time he was twice nominated for Outstanding Performance in the Critics' Circle National Dance Awards. His choreography won him nominations for the 2012 Arts Foundation fellowship, the 2014 Sky Arts Southbank Awards and the 2015 Critics' Circle Awards.

    Alexander has developed a strong network of collaborators across numerous art forms, working with filmmakers, designers, digital artists and composers to create innovative and wide-ranging work that seeks to broaden the scope of dance and deepen an appreciation of movement across the many mediums it bears relevance to.

Our Team

  • Executive Director & Producer

    Originally from the U.S., Donna has been the producer for Alexander Whitley Dance Company since 2012. She is also an adjunct faculty member for the Roger Williams University London Dance programme (US/UK).

    Other past freelance projects include producing the dance-digital work, Blood (Royal Opera House ROH2 commission) and INSIDE for Jean Abreu Dance and managing Freddie Opoku-Addaie’s Royal Opera House ROH2 commission Absent Made Present and Hofesh Shecter’s deGeneration tour. Prior to that Donna was Dance and Performance Event Co-ordinator at the South Bank Centre and Artist Fellowship Coordinator for the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (US). Donna danced professionally from 1986 – 2002 and was co-Artistic Director and Executive Director of Groundwerx Dance Theatre.

  • Digital Education & Engagement Manager

    Stacie Lee Bennett-Worth is an Artist-Researcher and PhD scholarship candidate at De Montfort University (DMU) in the Institute of Creative Technologies (IoCT). Her PhD study focuses on the role of creative digital technologies in post-16 performing arts education and aims to find solutions to the national shortfall in digital performance capabilities of performers entering higher education and industry. As an artist Stacie’s work sits at the intersection of performance, film and installation. Her work has been exhibited in a variety of contexts including at Turner Contemporary with two collaborative installations commissioned as part of the Seaside: Photographed exhibition (2019), Big Screen Southend (2018) a tryptic of performance films titled Daphne in Three Movements, and The National Maritime Museum with a collaborative screen dance installation titled Who is the Land (2016) as part of the pioneering places exhibition. In 2018 Stacie produced a digital resource for Physical Acting with Professor’s Paul Allain and Frank Camilleri titled ‘Physical Actor Training: an online A-Z’ which was published by Methuen Drama Bloomsbury as part of Drama Online. Stacie joined AWDC in the role of Digital Education and Engagement Director in September 2022.

  • General Manager

    Natasha joined Alexander Whitley Dance Company in 2022, after working with Collective Act on the immersive experience Dreamachine, presented as part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK. Originally a contemporary dancer herself, Natasha also works freelance as a yoga teacher and massage therapist.

  • Content Creator & Social Media Intern

    Alicja, originally from Warsaw, Poland, currently based in East London, is a dynamic multidisciplinary artist and recent graduate in BA Graphic and Media Design from the University of the Arts London. With a passion for seamlessly blending diverse interests, including dance, music, graphic design, photography and videography, she crafts a unique artistic narrative.

  • Creative Technologist

    Luca Biada, co-founder of the London-based digital design company Fenyce, is a programmer and developer creating participatory digital environments that provide immersive experiences for the arts and aims to push the boundaries of interactive experiences. Since 2005, Luca has been creating interactive installations and virtual dynamic spaces for different applications from cultural heritage sites to theatres.

    Work for Alexander Whitley Dance Company includes Overflow and Anti-Body (stage productions), Strange Stranger (installation), Digital Dance Studio (software app) and Celestial Motion (VR) dance experience in collaboration with The Guardian’s award-winning VR studio.

    Other projects include a 360 film for Italy’s Olympic bid, and the development of audience-wearable robotic structures for New Movement Collective.

  • Producer - Digital Body Festival

    Gemma is a collaborative, thoughtful and ambitious producer with an impressive record of achievement working with a wide range of organisations including Leeds International Festival, The Royal British Legion, York Mediale, Hampshire Cultural Trust and UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK.

    She has over ten years’ experience of leading and nurturing complex projects to success. Her portfolio includes immersive and multi-disciplinary artworks, international conferences and working with veterans of the armed forces on participatory theatre and opera productions. Her work is driven by a passion to bring people together to produce projects that engage, educate and inspire those from all walks of life.

    Having worked with Alexander Whitley Dance Company on ’Strange Stranger' for the inaugural York Mediale in 2018, she is thrilled to be working with the company again to scope & develop plans for a new digital dance festival.

Our Dancers

  • After graduating from London Contemporary Dance School, Joshua went on to join Rambert2 where he obtained his Masters Degree. During his time with Rambert2 Joshua toured and performed the works of Sharon Eyal, Benoit Pouffer, Rafael Bonachela and Ohad Naharin. Joshua joined Alexander Whitley Dance Company in 2019 for the creation and tour of his latest work ‘Overflow’. In addition to this, Joshua dances for the National Dance Company of Wales for their 2019-2021 seasons performing internationally. Throughout Joshua’s career he has also had the opportunity to perform works by choreographers such as Hofesh Shechter, Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Damien Jalet, Robert Cohan, Theo Clinkard, and Julie Cunningham.

  • Elisa is an Italian dancer who having trained in ballet and contemporary dance at the Balletto di Roma moved to London to complete her Bachelor’s degree at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance.

    During her time at Rambert she had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Richard Alston, Alleyne Dance, Christopher Bruce CBE and Akram Khan.

    Since graduating Elisa has gone on to work with with dance theatre company Sweetshop Revolution and most recently started working with Alexander Whitley Dance Company in October 2022.

  • Gabriel was born in Monza, Italy, but grew up in the UK in Cambridge. After graduating from Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, Gabriel was invited to work in Beijing as part of ArtsCross 2019, before going on to join the Ballet Junior de Genève in 2020, where he furthered his training, dancing work by Marcos Morau, Jan Martens, Cathy Marston, Ambra Senatore, Roy Assaf and Sharon Eyal.

    Since then he has become a member of Russell Maliphant Dance Company, participating in the creation of new work as well as touring existing repertoire internationally. Gabriel began working with Alexander Whitley Dance Company in November 2022.

  • Originally from Gothenburg, Sweden, Hannah began her training at the National Swedish Ballet School and The Royal Swedish Ballet School before moving to England to continue her training at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts.

    As a freelance dancer Hannah has worked in both theatre spaces as well as commercial spaces. She has had the opportunity to work with artists and brands such as Gareth Pugh, Benjamin Milan, Chrysalis London, Kianí Del Valle, Pablo Bronstein, Alexander Whitley, BBC, CR Fashion Book, Nowness, YEARS & YEARS, Joy Crookes, James Wilton and others, getting to tour all around the UK and internationally.

    Hannah has also choreographed adverts and music videos, taught in different institutions, as well as traveling around Europe battling and judging in the vogue scene.

  • Born in Cairns, Australia, Tia completed a Bachelor of Dance at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, where she achieved the RAD Solo Seal Award and worked with Nils Christe in SYNC, and Sue Healey in The Four Seasons - Retouched. Since moving to London in 2016 she has worked with Alexander Whitley Dance Company, James Cousins Company, Richard Chappell Dance and Gandini Juggling. Working closely with Alexander Whitley as Dancer and Assistant to Choreographer she has performed at Sadler’s Wells, The Royal Opera House and toured extensively in new creations including 8 Minutes, Noumena, Strange Stranger, Between Two Fires, Spring and Overflow. Tia worked with Hessisches Staatsballett as Choreographer’s Assistant for Alexander’s new creation, The Butterfly Effect.

    Additionally, as a freelancing artist she has been involved in a range of other collaborations, experimental projects, underwater work, VR, AR and motion capture technologies, commercial, independent and feature films.

  • Born and raised in Hong Kong, Yanki later on moved to the UK and began her training at London Contemporary Dance School where she recently graduated with a First Class BA(Hons). During her time at The Place, she had the pleasure of performing works choreographed by Ohad Naharin, Hofesh Shechter, Richard Alston, Theo TJ Lowe, Sung Im Her and Jamaal Burkmar.

    Since graduation, she has worked with a range of choreographers including Corey Baker (Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony 2022), Tribe// Company, Lila Dance, Chhaya Collective, Alethia Antonia, Babel theatre and most recently Alexander Whitley Dance Company. Through freelancing, Yanki has also been featured in commercial works such as films, music videos and brand events.

  • Yu-Hsien was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and has been based in London for four years. As a freelance dancer, she has worked with various artists and choreographers including Russell Maliphant, Alexander Whitley, Sean Gandini, Marina Mascarell, Morgann Runacre-Temple, and Ming-Lung Yang.

    Yu-Hsien’s self-choreographed solo Dirty Paw was selected and performed at UK Young Artists-City Takeover 2019 and Resolution The Place 2018. She performed a special version of Dirty Paw at the V&A, as part of Friday Lates in summer 2019. Previous works include Childhood and Cross, which won awards from Chin-Lin Foundation Dance Alliance and 2011 Next Choreography Project. Wu is currently working with Alexander Whitley Dance Company and Gandini Juggling.

  • Born and raised in Hull, Jessica’s contemporary dance training started at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance CAT scheme, and then she went on to attend Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, gaining a first class BA (Hons). During her time at Laban she had the opportunity to perform a restaged work by Daniel Squire of Merce Cunningham’s Mini Events.

    Since graduating, she has been working professionally with Kennedy Muntanga Dance Theatre (KMDT) as a company dancer and co-choreographer, and most recently joined Tavaziva dance company for the national tour of Boy’s KHAYA.

Board of Trustees

  • Toby Coffey is an award winning Director and Producer with a strong background in storytelling with the use of emerging technologies.

    He was formerly Head of Digital Development at the National Theatre in London where he founded the Immersive Storytelling Studio in 2016. The Studio examined how Virtual, Mixed and Augmented Reality along with other emerging technologies could enhance the NT’s remit to be a pioneer of dramatic storytelling.

    The Studio’s portfolio of work has shown at the Venice, Sundance, Tribeca and London Film Festivals, IDFA, National Theatre, The Young Vic, MoMA and TATE Modern.

     Toby's undergraduate studies were in psychology, human computer interaction and AI and he has over 25 years expertise in the digital arena from creative, technical, production and social perspectives.

  • Tom works with artists, developers, designers, arts organisations and policy makers all over the world to curate and produce ambitious artworks and creative projects. He is interested in the enabling power of digital technology, and inspired by well considered, simple and effective ideas and artworks. He is deeply committed to the development of arts, culture and creative technology in the UK, and the North in particular.

    Clients and collaborators have included Arts Council England, British Council, Innovate UK, NESTA, Digital Economy and Future Cities Catapult, TodaysArt, Hyper Island, Unsound, Insomnia, National Football Museum, Centre for Contemporary Culture Barcelona, Art Science Museum, Singapore, and Sonar.

    Tom is a fellow of Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Leaders and Clore’s Emerging Leaders programme. He’s also a type 1 diabetic, father of two and runner.

  • Emma is Design Lead at Nesta, integrating design and digital innovation practice into Nesta’s mission to to create better life outcomes for children from disadvantaged families.

    Emma is a creative innovator and strategic designer who worked for most of her career in the arts and cultural sector, directing, designing and producing professional, educational and community based initiatives across dance, performance, museums and film. She joined Nesta from The National Gallery where she led their innovation programme alongside running her own innovation practice working with organisations including Studio Wayne McGregor and Trinity Laban.

    Emma gained MA Digital Management (Distinction) from Hyper Island and also holds PG Cert Community Dance practice from Trinity Laban and BA (Hons) Economics.

  • Mahesh is a digital pioneer with 25 years of experience creating B2B SaaS and B2C entertainment services around the world.

    Mahesh is Co-founder and CPO at SMASH, the award-winning B2B IP marketplace for film and TV. SMASH has been awarded multiple Innovate UK grants, including most recently to research and test AI solutions for the creative industries. SMASH was also recently part of the University of Edinburgh Bayes Center AI Accelerator Programme, and won the media innovation prize at the Cannes NEXT festival.

    Mahesh is also Director of Content Partnerships at Nex, the award-winning new active play system or families that revolutionises game play through motion-capture technology. He has led licensing deals with major IP owners such as NBC Universal, Paramount, Hasbro and Mattel.

    Mahesh previously led the pre-school digital studio at eOne/Hasbro and has held product leadership positions at KidsKnowBest, Azoomee, Hopster and Cellcast. Mahesh provides strategic product advice for new and incumbent companies in the entertainment, gaming and early years education space.

    Mahesh is a regular contributor to and speaker at industry events, most recently at the Children’s Media Conference (Sheffield, 2024) where he appeared on a panel addressing ‘Practical AI for the Creative Industries’. He holds an MA in Design for Interactive Media (1996) from Middlesex University.

  • Born in East London, Hope is a full-time technical business analyst working at IBM; a top technology and consultancy firm. After graduating the University of Essex with a Bsc in Computer Science, Hope has been a consultant for public sector projects for the past 4 years; working with technical specialists and business leaders to deliver successful projects. Hope has also been an avid dancer for the past 12 years specialising in Hiphop and Hiphop theatre. She recently performed at Sadlers Wells at Breakin' Convention 2023 and 2024 and you can often see her supporting community events, battles and performances. 

  • Born in Tokyo, raised in Paris, Florence established her own art advisory in 2006 in New York City with an expertise in Japanese Contemporary art. After having spent a decade working in the music industry for avant-garde multi performance venue and producer the Knitting Factory and global advertising agency Havas Worldwide, formerly known as Euro RSCG, she helped built acclaimed art-focused ad campaigns for MasterCard and various media companies, and was the main advisor to Kyobai, a ground-breaking auction exclusively devoted to Japanese art, photography, ceramics and design. In 2008, she flew to Hong Kong to be the lead auctioneer of a Tokyo-based auction house sale.

    She went on to advise significant private art collections in Asia and Europe and in 2010, she moved to the U.K. Over these 8 years, she established herself in London working for private art collections both in the U.K and overseas.

    Florence has been an active supporter of Artangel and the ICA for which she has done some fundraising work in the past, and a devotee yogi practitioner registered with the Yoga alliance. She holds a Masters degree in Political and Social History from the Sorbonne in Paris and lives between London and Paris.

  • David is CEO & Co-Founder of Poplar.Studio, a creative platform that provides award-winning 3D and Augmented Reality experiences for marketing, e-commerce and the Metaverse. He was Head of the YouTube Studios at Google throughout Europe, Middle-East & Africa for 6 years and has 21 years of international leadership experience within Fortune 500 and start-ups.

    David plays an active role in the Metaverse sector (VR, AR, MR, web3) as President UK for the VR/AR Association, the largest trade body in the industry, with 25,000 global members. As well as Strategic Advisor Metaverse to Portfolio T (venture builder in stealth mode for a large global corporate), Advisor to FOV Ventures (investor in Metaverse startups), Scout for Landscape VC (Metaverse/web3 focus), Investor/Non-Executive Director of Bodyswaps (VR for Education) and an Investor/Advisor to Emperia (virtual showrooms for Arts & Fashion).

    David has been Involved with charities as a Trustee of Save the Children UK and Sadler’s Wells for the past 6 years, and an Executive Judge at the Webby Awards- the leading international award honouring excellence on the Internet.

  • Dr Cindy Sughrue OBE has been the Director of the Charles Dickens Museum since October 2015. Prior to this, she was Chief Executive & Executive Producer at Scottish Ballet where she developed opportunities for the company to present its work across the UK and internationally, and moved the company into new national headquarters following a major capital project.

    Cindy has worked in the cultural sector for over 30 years in jobs as varied as running a contemporary art gallery and producing theatre. Cindy is also a Trustee of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Dame Margot Fonteyn Scholarship Fund.