Alex has been a member of the DanceXchange team since 2015 and as Head of Learning and Participation, her role is to oversee the learning and participation programmes including the Centre for Advanced Dance Training (CAT), Generate Feeder Route, Class Programme, DX Summer School, Education Work, Community Projects and U.Dance West Midlands.

Alex began dancing at the age of 3 at her grandmother’s dance school and her passion for dance has continued to grow ever since. Alex gained a BA (Hons) Dance Studies at Middlesex University, London and then joined DanceXchange on graduation for Birmingham International Dance Festival (BIDF) as a Performance Intern before progressing to her current role. Alex has also worked at a variety of other dance festivals including Dance Umbrella, More! Dance and MY Dance Festival.

Alex is currently studying at the University of Wolverhampton and on completion in 2021, will receive an MBA, Senior Leaders MA Degree Apprenticeship and Chartered Management Institute Level 7 Extended Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership.

Anuradha Chaturvedi is a Reading based Dancemaker and teacher. She has studied Kathak under late Pundit Arjun Mishra in Lucknow India and is a recipient of Sringaarmani from Sur Sringaar Samsad, Mumbai, India. Anuradha has been a performing artist for nearly 15 years and she works as dancer, choreographer and teacher in Reading and surrounding areas. She has done Sangeet Praveen from Prayag Sangit Samiti and also holds ISTD’s level 6 Diploma in Dance Pedagogy. She is the founder and artistic director of Drishti Dance, performing arts organization known for its Vibrant Youth Dance wing, which has represented Southeast Region in National U Dance in 2018 and 2019.

Camilla has worked as a performer, choreographer and dance teacher for over 10 years. She has performed professionally for many Midlands-based companies at venues such as The Hippodrome, The MAC, Symphony Hall and more.  

Alongside performing, Camilla has taught dance and gymnastics in primary, secondary, further education, higher education and private education. Camilla was a dance and gymnastics lecturer at The University of Worcester until she decided to go back to full-time work as a freelance dance artist.  

Camilla has been commissioned to choreograph professional works such as the European Wheelchair Basketball opening and closing ceremonies and multiple Ballets funded by Arts Council England and Google Rise. Camilla worked on the Beyond Borders 2021 project which focussed on inclusive dance and she is currently working on Critical Mass 2022 as a dance artist. 

Carnette Richardson-Jacquet specialises in the field of Languages and Linguistics. Carnette was born and grew up in Birmingham. Carnette studied languages at Lancaster University and spent a year in Lyon, France, as part of her first degree.  After completing a Masters in Linguistics also at Lancaster, Carnette moved to France where she spent several years working in Paris as a Language consultant before spending 12 months in Brazzaville, Congo teaching English to children.

Carnette speaks fluent French and Spanish and is currently working as a Lecturer in Modern Languages at University College Birmingham. Alongside this, Carnette is a qualified Translator from French to English and English to French and a Member of the Charted Institute of Linguists. She is also an external examiner for the Delf/Dalf French language qualifications.

Carnette has experience in tailor-made language courses as well as an expertise in creating vocational language materials. As well as collaborating on European funded projects, Carnette has also contributed to the CiLT Vocational Language Resource bank. Carnette has one daughter.

Charley Perks has a First-Class Degree in Dance and has a background in Street Dance Styles and Commercial Dance. She was the First Dance Captain of ZooNation Youth Company Birmingham. Charley’s career has enabled her to perform in fashion shows, theatre shows, events such as the worlds biggest Primark launch. Music videos for UK and international artists such as KIOKO (UB40). Some of her Professional Credits include Dr King: The Aftermath Production Tour covered by the BBC. Curtain raisers for ZooNation’s Some Like It Hip Hop, BBC Young Dancer, and West Side Story Birmingham Hippodrome. She strives to inspire others and has set up her own dance brand CJP Company.  

Charley started as the first apprentice at DanceXchange and is now a Dance Practitioner for our schools programme. A few words from Charley…“I am thrilled and so grateful to have been given this opportunity. I have now gained confidence and developed my skills teaching dance in primary schools as a dance practitioner. Teaching dance is so fulfilling. I have helped the children to progress in an inclusive environment and overcome challenges. I am enthusiastic in my approach to working in schools, and it has been truly amazing to see the students expressing themselves through dance. In schools, I incorporate a freestyle circle which encourages the children to dance and support their peers. Also, I include movement games that most importantly allows the children to have fun while working on teamwork, strength, balance, and creativity skills. I am excited to continue advancing myself as a dance practitioner and see where this journey can take me!”

Debbie has worked in the creative sector for over thirty years.  She is passionate about empowering people to achieve their full potential and transforming organisations through positive change.  She believes firmly in making an active contribution to the evolution of the creative sector.

Debbie holds a BA(Hons.) and an MBA and held a number of senior leadership roles in dance and the film and digital sectors before specialising in mentoring, interim senior leadership, company change management and turn-arounds.

Debbie considers that creativity and imagination apply as much to how a business organises itself as it does to its creative output.

Divya Ravi is a Bharatanatyam practitioner, performing artiste, choreographer and educator. Recognized among the most prominent young soloists in the South Asian Dance arena, Divya’s sensitive and immersive performances are marked by conviction and ownership of the movement vocabulary, finesse and fluidity in expressions, innate musicality, and a commanding stage presence.

Divya’s artistic journey is driven by the quest to make indic ideologies relevant and accessible in a modern society. Her solo choreographic works for the stage – MANJARI, SARVASYA, POEMS OF LOVE, SAARINI and NARMADA, and for the digital medium – ‘Kanhopatra’, ‘The 12 names of Lord Ganesha’, ‘Kaapi with Krishna’, ‘Navadurga #NotJustAnIdol’, ‘Taaye Taalelo’, ‘Lal Vakh’, and ‘Tiranga’, have been lauded for their thought-provoking premise and path-breaking choreography. A graded artiste of Doordarshan and empaneled with the Ministry of Culture for Festivals of India Abroad, Divya is a recipient of many awards and accolades and has extensively performed at coveted dance festivals in India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Hong Kong, UK and China.

Divya’s sound technique stems from rigorous formative training under Sri. Kiran Subramanyam & Smt. Sandhya Kiran, Dr. Soundarya Srivathsa, and Smt. Bragha Bessel. She continues to explore her artistic pursuits in the UK, training with Sri. Mavin Khoo.

Emily Labhart is an experienced Producer and Project Manager, specialising in Dance of the African Diaspora and international collaboration.

Emily began her dance journey aged three at her grandmother’s dance school in Wolverhampton, Sheila Groom School of Dance. She went on to study Dance and Culture at the University of Surrey, where she graduated in 2014 with First Class Honours and received the Pauline Hodgens Memorial Prize for the best piece of work in dance analysis.

Since then, Emily has worked for some of the UK’s leading dance organisations including Sadler’s Wells, Phoenix Dance Theatre and Greenwich Dance, and has significant experience of managing and producing a range of artistic projects. From dance education workshops on tour and schools partnership schemes to festival programmes across indoor and outdoor sites, in addition to international projects working with partners in Germany, Canada and Jamaica, Emily loves what she does and believes great things happen by bringing people together through arts and culture.

In 2016 she was invited to speak on One Dance UK’s opening panel at Launch Leeds, and in 2017 she was published in Routledge’s “What Moves You? Shaping Your Dissertation in Dance”. Emily is also a 2017 Clore Emerging Leader.

Now based in the West Midlands, she works as a Freelance Producer on projects across the UK, including working with independent dance artist Dickson Mbi and his renowned Popping Crew Fiya House, as well as producing festivals such as Birmingham Weekender in Digbeth. She also delivers her own international programme Dancehall Origins and is the Creative Producer for MOVE IT – the world’s biggest dance event.

In November 2019, Emily joined the team at DanceXchange as Festival Producer for Birmingham International Dance Festival 2020. Working closely with the Head of Artistic Programmes, she will be responsible for co-curating and delivering the varied artistic programme, and she will lead on the planning, production and management of the festival’s outdoor and site-specific events across Birmingham.

Website: http://emilylabhart.co.uk/