About, Press and Interviews

Since starting her career in 2011, Sophie has created 10 large scale productions in Europe, countless live event, performed in some of the biggest shows on the planet a travelled across the globe to work, play and discover. Here’s a bit about it her in her own words, and from the words of others.

"I grew up in Chesterfield, a historic town in the middle of England, and began dance at 3 years old with the local dance school - mainly so my mum could take a much needed break from an obscenely energetic, A.D.D and otherwise boundless me"

"Simple tap, ballet and 'freestyle' were on offer in the 400 year old, dusty church hall, but it gave me those first few moments of performance that sparked my creative ambitions. 

10 years on, while at Brookfield Community School, I met Nia Yule, the newly appointed dance teacher. There, I performed in every school musical, choir, theatre production while studying theatre, dance and art but without this lady, undoubtably my career would be completely different - she introduced me to Contemporary Dance.

I studied contemporary and neoclassical dance techniques while touring the Midlands and to the Edinburgh Festival. I performed works from (then) upcoming choreographers Morgann Runacre-Temple (Ballet Ireland), Regina Wielingen (Rambert) and also Jamie Thompson. In 2008 I auditioned for the prestigious London Contemporary Dance School, a.k.a 'The Place'...and to my surprise (and to Nia's delight), got in!

"'The Place' gave me all and everything I never knew I needed to know about contemporary dance. We had the pleasure of working with some of the finest contemporary directors and choreographers, including Richard Alston, Tom Dale, Ben Duke and most notably Daniel Kramer (King Kong), for whom I performed for in Pictures from an Exhibition at The Young Vic.

I became more focused on Physical Theatre, creating many short pieces, all performed in LCDS's termly platforms at the 'The Robin Howard Dance Theatre'. My final year solo piece, based on the Nicolas Winding Refn's 2001 film 'Bronson' - 'Rob The Post Office' - was selected for the our 2011 graduation show and received an incredible response.

Shortly before I graduated, I received a call from Romanian director Horia Suru, who'd I'd met during a project in France a couple of years before. He asked me to come to Braila, Romania (Teatru Maria Filotti) to choreograph a new theatre production of 1969 film, 'To Sir, With Love' or Domnului Profesor, Cu Dragoste as it would be called.

I didn't speak Romanian then, but working with 16 young school kids and a handful of Romanian dramaic actors was an extraordinary experience. We premiered in October 2011, and due to rave reviews (see here) and high demand, the show ran for 2 years.

Since then , Horia and I have created 5 productions in Romania and one, during the 2020/21 Covid 19 Pandemic in Alexandria, Egypt.

Thanks to that early experience, and during this time being shortlisted for Matthew Bournes New Adevntures Choreographic Award, I was fully confident in creating my first professional full length solo work UNSOUND, Adapted from Hunter S. Thompson's 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', I presented it back in familiar territory - The Place's annual Resolution! platform in February 2012. It received positive reviews and it was around this time that. Shortly after, I teamed up with my old uni friend, John Ross as assistant choreographer on EPIDEMIC - produced by 'The Old Vic, New Voices' - to merge together a story facing obesity and mental illness that was “Simply above and beyond expectations. Superb!”

Finally, in July of 2012, I packed my suitcase and arrived into circus world, and into the epic production, Franco Dragone's The House Of Dancing Water After inital training in Belgium, i spent 3 years and 1242 shows in the world renowned production,  I diversified from Dancer into House Troupe profiles, performing acrobatics, diving and harness work.

After leaving in 2015, I travelled to Stockholm with the GYNOÏDES, as a porter and dancer. I worked again with Horia Suru on COLUMBINUS, in Baia Mare, Romania, which won Grande Prize at The National Theatre, Bucharest's 'Teen Fest' in September 2016. 

That summer I had my first encounter with Cirque Du Soleil on Scalada Vision, which was an absolutely amazing gig and led me to create the short film CREEK - a short with hand balancer Sascha Bachmann.

Myself and long term friend Joshua Ecob also formed NGDance in April of 2016.  We wanted to share the experiences we've has so far as professional dancers, and have since held 8 intensives, teaching over 70 young dancers.

In 2017, I returned to Macau, as dance captain, and dance/house troup on MGM / Scenoplus’s collaboration, DESTINY. There, I worked with legendary Choreographer, Travis Payne, Michael Jackson’s choreographer and confidente. And reconnected with Director Aoife Carry, who I collaborate with today.

During that time I formed an interest in Pole Dance and with just a year of training, I won the Hong Kong Pole Idol Championships in 2018, winning my 'Drama' category, and Best Choreography and Overall Winner. In October of the same year, I won the Professional Category of UKPPC and in January 2019, I won the Semi Pro Drama cateogory of Pole Theatre Hong Kong and Professional Drama Winner at PTUK 2019. With my pole partner in crime, LISA HAMMOND, we launched The Foundry By Hammond and Duncan. A pole and dance training program, teaching workshops and classes…which inevitably went online very successfully during 2020/21 lockdowns in the UK.

In 2019/20 I retuned to Cirque Du Soleil as a soloist on Pole in Exentricks and also dance captain on 2 new shows. Until of course, the COVID-19 Pandemic holted life as we know it.

Despite the closing the the worlds theatres and travel restictions making movement very hard, I spent a great deal of 2020 in Hamburg, teaching pole, aerial pole, dance and launching a new circus / theatre company, NEW RELIK, with a team of volunteer / former Cirque Du Soleil artists and classical musicans from The Freestyle Orchestra.

Reuniting with Horia Suru, Never Ending Circles, became our first international production, working with young performers and dancers from Alexandria. The adaption of Jon Fosse’s Plays Six was translated into Arabic and performed at The Bibliotecha Alexandrina, as part of The Joy Project Festival. It was there that I premiered by first aerial pole performance, KIN.

The pandemic did see a new focus come to fruition; becoming a radio DJ and host. Starting with community station Crags Radio. I was quickly snapped up by DAB commercial station Peak Radio as their Weekday Evening Host. Following that, I now work with Force Radio, presenting my Dance Chart Show every Thursday from 7-9pm and create syndicated shows for 365 Radio/Zeitgesist Broadcasting, which has to potential to reach hundreds of stations around the UK.

Combining a life of radio, coaching and performing in mostly London on pole and aerial pole, life is as busy as it can be!

PODCAST

Interview with This Creative Nomad author, Aoife Carry.

Check out the full TCN blog and podcast here

"I grew up in Chesterfield, a historic town in the middle of England, and began dance at 3 years old with the local dance school - mainly so my mum could take a much needed break from an obscenely energetic, A.D.D and otherwise boundless me"

"Simple tap, ballet and 'freestyle' were on offer in the 400 year old, dusty church hall, but it gave me those first few moments of performance that sparked my creative ambitions. 

10 years on, while at Brookfield Community School, I met Nia Yule, the newly appointed dance teacher. There, I performed in every school musical, choir, theatre production while studying theatre, dance and art but without this lady, undoubtably my career would be completely different - she introduced me to Contemporary Dance.

I studied contemporary and neoclassical dance techniques while touring the Midlands and to the Edinburgh Festival. I performed works from (then) upcoming choreographers Morgann Runacre-Temple (Ballet Ireland), Regina Wielingen (Rambert) and also Jamie Thompson. In 2008 I auditioned for the prestigious London Contemporary Dance School, a.k.a 'The Place'...and to my surprise (and to Nia's delight), got in!

"'The Place' gave me all and everything I never knew I needed to know about contemporary dance. We had the pleasure of working with some of the finest contemporary directors and choreographers, including Richard Alston, Tom Dale, Ben Duke and most notably Daniel Kramer (King Kong), for whom I performed for in Pictures from an Exhibition at The Young Vic.

I became more focused on Physical Theatre, creating many short pieces, all performed in LCDS's termly platforms at the 'The Robin Howard Dance Theatre'. My final year solo piece, based on the Nicolas Winding Refn's 2001 film 'Bronson' - 'Rob The Post Office' - was selected for the our 2011 graduation show and received an incredible response.