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.

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!”

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.

My role within DanceXchange is to co-ordinate the performance and artist development programmes, this includes performances in the Patrick Studio and Birmingham International Dance Festival as well as artistic development schemes.

My passion for dance started at the age of three when I took up ballet, shortly followed by jazz, tap, modern and eventually contemporary at the age of 18 when I started my BA Hons Contemporary Dance degree at De Montfort University in Leicester. After graduating I worked as a Freelance Dance Artist before becoming Programme Co-ordinator at Warwick Arts Centre, starting at DanceXchange in March 2017.

Jade is a professional Dancer, teacher and performer based in Birmingham. She spent 4 years of her time training and studying Dance in London at Kingston University. Her styles range from Contemporary to Jazz and Latin, but more recently has really found a love for commercial heels and now teaches every week for a Nationwide dance company alongside doing her own workshops when she finds time. She also enjoys trying different forms of performance such as Aerial hoop and pole which really test her strength.

Since Jade started teaching it has really opened her eyes to how dance helps people and makes them happy. Jade is so excited to now be a participation assistant for the Critical Mass team at DX and in her short time of being here is really enjoying seeing the positive influence the project has on people’s lives.

Jamaal has been a part of the dance community since 2010, practicing a variety of dance styles, and developing a strong technique within the hip-hop style of breaking. In 2019, Jamaal created O’Driscoll Collective to give back to the community, facilitating conversation through movement, continuing to teach and deliver performances in a variety of settings.

With passion and experience in outreach, Jamaal is currently the Participation Producer for Birmingham International Dance Festival 2020, alongside his role as a freelance artist, delivering workshops, classes, choreographing and performing in self-produced performances. Please visit ODriscollcollective.com for more information.

http://odriscollcollective.com/

Jerrel is a neurodivergent leader working in the social, cultural, education and voluntary sector specialising in theory of change, inclusion, inequality, injustice and leadership.

From a place of lived experiences, at the age of 25, he co-founded and is CEO Creative Academies Network (CAN) a multi-layered organisation that supports the development of children & young people in the Black Country to accelerate their full potential through Cultural Education, Creative Practice & Civic Leadership.

Jerrel received his Masters and Bachelor’s degree in Creative Performance, Creative Technology and Media from Chichester University. In 2014 he was awarded Young Educator of the Year (Royal Bank of Scotland and Trinity Mirror) and Princess Diana Memorial Award for recognition of his contribution towards the local community through the arts & education and overcoming adversity/bereavement of his brother and mother at the age of 16.

In 2016 Jerrel was awarded the Arts Council England Fellowship through the Clore Leadership Programme under the direction of Sue Hoyle OBE and mentorship from Andrea Stark FRSA.

Over the past few years, Jerrel has toured across Hong Kong, India, France, Malta, Spain, Dubai, Greece, Croatia, Sweden and Bulgaria to strengthen his international relationships and leadership enquiry of the experience of children and young people across the sub-sectors of Cultural Education, Creative Industries, Cultural Diversity, Community Regeneration and Creative Economy.  Jerrel is a PhD Academic Researcher working towards his publication D.I.C.E (Diversification In Cultural Education) addressing inequalities and injustices experienced by marginalised people.

Jerrel currently holds several strategic board roles; West Midlands Combined Authority Cultural Leadership Board, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust Arts Committee, Windsor Academy Trust, Sandwell Cultural Education Partnership. Black Country Dance Hub, SIPs Education Music Hub & Arts Council England Cultural Education Leadership Programme. He is also a core member of the Strategy and Innovatory group at UK Youth and Co-Creating Change Network at Battersea Arts Centre.

https://creativeacademies.co.uk/

John Houlden is a chartered accountant and since 2007 has been a partner at Ernst & Young in Birmingham specialising in corporate finance and working with a wide range of private and public sector organisations in the Midlands. Prior to his current role, John worked in corporate development and finance at Homeserve plc in Walsall and also in the Birmingham offices of Arthur Andersen and Deloitte. Originally from Yorkshire John went to university in Nottingham and has lived and worked in Birmingham for the last 20 years and has an MBA from the University of Warwick.

Over the last 10 years John has worked with a variety of not for profit organisations, arts and dance companies (including Anurekha Ghosh in Birmingham) through Arts & Business providing strategy, business planning, accounting and financial advice and support.