Michaela Cisarikova / Artistic director
Michaela Cisarikova is a UK based choreographer, dancer and movement director who “is equally at home as an actor with a natural emotional range and as a dancer of contemporary and hip-hop movement" (Jo Tomalin, Fringe Review). She is also the Artistic Director of MCDC – Michaela Cisarikova Dance Company - which she founded in 2014.
In 2019, Michaela worked as Assistant Choreographer for Andrea Walker’s “HOME”: a new production commissioned by The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago. She has become a prominent voice on the UK dance scene, and is now an associate artist of Walker’s 201 Dance Company. She was a dancer in 201’s break-through hit ‘SMOTHER’ and took the lead role, touring across the UK in the company’s second show ‘SKIN’. Michaela’s ‘aLove Story’ was the first ever site-specific work at Breakin’ Convention, Sadler’s Wells in 2017 and since then Michaela has produced and performed over indoor & outdoor works across the UK, Slovakia and Sweden.
‘Paranoid About Our Origins’ is Michaela’s most recent outdoor work where dancers from other dimensions showcase how to party in 3031, commissioned by the Jim Jam Arts for an outdoor art installation created by Jyll Bradley as part of the Folkestone Living Advent Calendar in December 2019. Michaela is currently in preparation to take her first full-length show ‘I Love Myself, Do You?’ across UK and Europe after a successful International rural tour.
Ania Straczynska/ Collaborator
Ania Straczynska dance artist based in London. Originally from Poland. She graduated Academy of Music with Choreography and Dance Techniques degree. Her works been has been presented in Poland and UK.
Ania's mission as an artists is to create works which can exercise audience perceptions and give a potential to experience life more fully. She believes that she is ready to taking creative risk is a key to shape future.
Ania has completed Fi.ELD Future Innovators of East London Dance programme. She specifically focusing on her own project within the festival: a Secret SiteSpecific Performance. This dance performance was based on the collaboration between Anna Lisa Marie Hearn and Rosie WhitneyFish who created a dance performance strictly designed to the outdoor site. Ania was also an Intern for Hofesh Shechter Company during their #Hofest ( autumn 2015).
Currently Ania is Trainee Artists for East London Dance and works with MCDC - Michaela Cisarikova Dance Company. Ania's contribution for MCDC has been varied from choreographer, rehearsal and communication assistant to producer.
Cecilia Berghäll / Dance Artist
Cecilia is dance artist based in London. Originally from Finland she received concurrent degrees at the University of Oregon for Dance and Cinema Studies where she focused on the relationship between the two idioms, as well as extensively studying analysis and writing in gender, race, and cultural film.
Whilst performing extensively she also toured with the University Repertory Dance Company. Cecilia received the Outstanding Dance Major Award upon Graduation.
Cecilia has participated as a student and performer at three separate American College Dance Festivals and has attended the six-week summer session at the American Dance Festival. Notably Cecilia has worked with T. Lang, Charles Anderson, Holly Johnston, and Mark Haim - just to name a few. Currently Cecilia is a core dancer for MCDC, and Sarah Louise Kristiansen.
Cecilia is an assistant, blogger and website developer for Kaleidoscopic Arts Platform - helping to build a network for female choreographers. She is also a freelance writer and choreographer. Read more at ceciliaberghalldance.com
Rikkai Scott / Dance Artist
A native from Bermuda. Rikkai Scott is a graduate from the London Contemporary Dance School (The Place) where he received a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts. His dance training began at the age of four at United Dance Productions training all foundations of dance.
He has travelled to California (Debbie Allen Dance Academy), London (London Contemporary Dance School), Amsterdam (De Kiss Moves Fusion Dance company) to gain experience and dance professionally. Rikkai has also received full three-year scholarships whilst studying at LCDS.
Scott is well versed in tap, hip-hop, contemporary, improvisations, and urban dancer. He has had the pleasure in working with many artists such as Richard Alston Dance Company, Jeanie Steele, Alfredo Fernandez, Doroytta Kiss, Andrea Walker, Hannah Meraki and Michaela Cisarikova.
Currently, he resides in London, UK as a freelancer striving to connect with professional artists, choreographers and to also continue on following his dreams a professional performer/choreographer.
Holly Wilmot / Dance Artist
Holly is contemporary dancer with a BA (Hons) Dance from York St John University. After graduating in 2012, she went on to continue her training as a member of Springs Dance Company’s apprenticeship scheme, Elevate. During this time she performed nationally and taught dance to people of all ages and abilities.
Holly currently works as a freelance dancer teaching performing arts in primary schools and community centres. She has worked on numerous performance projects including film, site specific and photography.
She has choreographed and performed with Flyaway Theatre at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival and as part of Froghouse Dance Company at Fresh: North East and ICON.
Hugely passionate about the arts, Holly loves movement’s capacity for universal communication and storytelling. She enjoys exploring and experimenting with new ideas and to share her enthusiasm for the arts with others.
Kayleigh Atkinson / Dance Artist
Kayleigh is a contemporary dancer and graduated from De Montfort University with a First Class Honours Dance degree.
During training she performed at The Curve Theatre, Embrace Arts and the University as part of the annual University Dance Festival.
She has completed residencies and workshops with Jorge Crecis, CoDa Dance, Penny & Jules Dance, and Fleur Darkin Ensemble.
Credits include: MCDC’s short film Plasix (2015); Ciarra Nevitt’s short film Impossible Beauty (2015); Kayleigh’s own film Volatile Three (2011) which was screened at the Dance for Camera Festival, University of Utah; Moving Pictures (2015) a CoDa Dance commission for Wandsworth Festival; Routes to the River (2014) a Siobhan Davies BIG Dance commission.
Kayleigh is influenced by and endeavours to experience as much dance as possible, and is looking forward to continuing dancing with MCDC this year.
Natalie Watson / Dance Artist
Natalie graduated from Chichester University in 2013 with an BA in Dance and then continued her training to obtain an MA in Dance Performance.
She has performed nationally and internationally with Map Dance, been in various music videos and been part of the Greenwich and Docklands International Dance Festival.
Along side performing, Natalie is a freelance dance teacher, teaching contemporary, musical theatre and street dance to a variety of ages and abilities.
Natalie is constantly to looking to be influenced and influence others within Dance.
Edurne Alegria / Dance Artist
Edurne Alegria graduated from Cambridge Performing Arts at Bodywork Studios in 2015.
Soon after, she begun working as a dancer for Incandescence Circus Theatre Company at their 'Aspen Rocks' production.
She has also collaborated with Royal Academy Of Arts student Celine Park on her project Placebo Funeral at Southbank Centre.
In the meantime she has had other modelling projects for exhibitions and music videos. Edurne joined MCDC in February 2016 and is looking forward to all new exciting projects.
Lily Lawrence / Dance Artist
Lily Lawrence (Essex, UK) has a background in Ballet, training as a child with Joanne Bond.
She later trained at London Studio Centre, graduating in 2013 with a 1st class BA(Hons) Theatre Dance degree.
In her third year, she specialised in Contemporary Dance, touring the UK with LSC's Contemporary Company - Intoto Dance. Since then Lily has worked abroad, touring Mallorca in Circo del Sol and dancing in Can Can West at Port Aventura.
Lily has now returned to the UK to work with MCDC and retrace her love of Contemporary Dance.
Zoë Tsim / Dance Artist
Zoë trained in dance from the age of 3 in RAD Classical Ballet and Contemporary. In 2012 she graduated from the University of Surrey with a First class BA Honours Degree in Dance and Culture.
She continued her training with Springs Dance Company as part of the apprentice company Elevate.
Since graduating, she has worked on projects and performances with Dance Umbrella, Tea Dance for little People, Dance United and Dancing Strong - The Trip project.
Zoë has also worked on a site specific film at the Barbican, an interactive performance at Stratford Circus and performed at a number of festivals.
Zoë currently works with Springs Dance Company and Freshwater Theatre Company, leading dance workshops for adults and children across the UK. She also works with Shooters Hill School of Arts leading movement sessions for adults with special needs.
Angeliki Theodorou / Dance Artist
She has always been involved in, and fascinated by, the arts and more specifically, dance.
After completing her matric certificate she enrolled in a yearlong graduate program at Contemporary Dance Company, Kmad.com in Pretoria, South Africa before her hunger for the arts led her to the University of Cape Town School of Dance.
Throughout her time at UCT, she took part in various performances and programs including the Baxter Dance festival, a summer program at the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing arts in Kingston, Jamaica and being chosen for the prestigious international artistic dance workshop - Crossings - run by Vincent Mantsoe and Germaine Acogny.
For the past two years she has been freelancing as a contemporary and African dancer while interning as a website manager and dance reviewer for WhatsoninCapeTown; an online reference guide to the best events in Cape Town and teaching Ashtanga Yoga.
Nick Herman / Dance Artist
Nick first started training in dance when he was 21 at the University of Oregon in the USA.
He was able to hone is technique while attending many dance festivals and conferences in the US, including ADF in North Carolina twice.
While at ADF Nick was able to dance and perform with some of the best young talent in the US, and danced for notable choreographers Reggie Wilson, Jessie Zaritt, and Yun Ting.
While at university Nick was frequently selected to perform in pieces by faculty, students, and guest artists.
Nick's dance style comes from his years of playing sports, and the theatrical influence of his parents.
Playing sports since he was 4, Nick has always been a physical person. He also grew up around the theater as both his parents were actors. Participating in both sports and plays at a young age set Nick up to be the dancer he is today.
Flavia Caselli / Dance Artist
Flavia started dancing at a very young age. She keeps expanding her knowledge in all dance styles like contemporary, jazz, ballet, theater jazz and tap, and also focuses in street dance, mostly old school styles like popping, locking, breaking.
She trained in Debbie Reynold’s studios in Los Angeles and graduated in Broadway Dance Center, New York City.
In NY she shot several music videos with American artists, such as Konshens, and a tribute video for Madonna's birthday, choreographed by Travis Payne and Stacy Walker (Michael Jackson choreographers).
In Italy she works for a Michael Jackson tribute dance company, as a dancer and assistant choreographer. She also choreographed the Italian version of the musical “A Christmas Carol”.
With "Delirium 3mens" hip hop crew she appeared on Rai1 (one of the main Italian TV channels). She also represented the Italian street dance scene as one of the protagonists of a TV program on channel Rai2.
In the UK she performs with the MJ impersonator Danny Oliver, she teaches street dance and she judges dance competitions.
Helen Penn / Dance Artist
Helen began her dance journey aged ten at Southcoast Stage School in West Sussex where her dance passion was ignited through tap. She went on to train in other styles including ballet and modern before studying Contemporary dance at Chichester College.
After completing her studies Helen was successfully accepted onto the Limon Institute international intensive programme at Peridance Capezio Centre, New York. During 8 months in New York, Helen performed with contemporary company Sublime Dance Company and further pursued her love of tap.
After her New York adventure Helen then began training at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, where she worked with various renowned choreographers and graduated summer 2015 with a BA (Hons) in Contemporary Dance.
Helen has a broad interest in all arts and loves to discover and play new music, as well as having a deep fascination with philosophy and science.