Past
Productions

Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness, created in 2009, takes the audience through a dance voyage to modern Africa. The  emotional, spiritual, and frighteningly raw work is presented through Bawren Tavaziva’s eyes. The work features four short works in different moods: Sinful Intimacies, Kenyan Athlete, Silent Steps and My Friend Robert.

Sinful Intimacies

A sensual duet investigating the unease of same-sex love, a notion that is typically perceived as a dark possession of dangerously subversive bewitchment within African cultures.

Kenyan Athlete

An uplifting, high energy, and fast-paced exploration of the beauty and physicality of Kenyan people and their surroundings.

Silent Steps

Choreography: Harriet Macauley

Silent Steps is a statement of physicality and aesthetics. The work uses music visualisation, pathways, obstacles, and movements to explore thoughts, feelings, and solitude (the places where personal struggle thrives). Yet, only from a place of seclusion can recognition, equality and acceptance be made.

My Friend Robert

This work draws on Bawren’s personal experiences and memories of growing up in the newly independent Zimbabwe, under leadership of adored Robert Mugabe. However, his visionary and promising beginning, including reconciliation and improvements to education and health care, rapidly declined into megalomania, an economic meltdown, corruption and violence. Bawren’s work offers a deeply personal comment on the challenges Africa faced. This work still remains highly relevant today.

This political programme showcased the company’s talents, utilising both African and contemporary techniques.

LondonDance.com

Click here to download the Heart of Darkness programme.

Cast

Anna Watkins

Anna trained at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. She has worked as a dancer with European Ballet, Neville Campbell, Pair Dance, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, Maxwell Dance Project, and ‘Dance in Focus’- for their world Premiere UK tour of ‘Broken’ in 2015 . Anna formed her own dance company Watkins Dance Company, in 2011. She was awarded funding from Arts Council England for her production ‘Angled Eye’. In 2014–2015 Anna was commissioned to choreograph for Third Row Dance Company, New College Youth Dance Company, Suffolk Youth Company, English National Ballet Youth Company and LSC Expressive Arts. She was appointed a role on the CAT teaching faculty at Dance City, Newcastle. Anna was Rehearsal Assistant for Tavaziva 2009 – 2010, and is Project Manager for Tavaziva Male. Anna joined Tavaziva in 2007.

Amanda Lewis

Everton Wood

Gerrard Martin

Ingrid Abbott

Kristina Alleyne

Kristina Alleyne trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD) 2005-08, working with The Place Prize winner Anna Williams, 2009. After graduating she toured with postgraduate dance company Verve, working with choreographers Fillip van Huffel, Milan Kozanek and Glenn Wilkinson. Prior to her contemporary training, Kristina trained as an athlete and toured internationally with hip-hop company Dance 2Xcess 2005. Kristina has acquired a number of additional skills including circus arts stilts and fire skills. More recently she has performed for the International Dance Festival April 2010 working with choreographer Arthur Pita, has taught dance in primary schools in collaboration with Chisenhale Dance Space, and has worked as a teacher and project organiser for Dance Physics. Kristina joined Tavaziva Dance in 2009.

Katie Cambridge

Katie grew up in Brighton and trained at London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS) where she worked with Marc Brew, Colin Poole and toured works by Siobhan Davies and Merce Cunningham to Italy and London, as part of LC3. Katie joined Tavaziva Dance in August 2009 as part of LCDS’s Post Graduate Apprenticeship Scheme. During her time as an apprentice, Katie was also involved in Tavaziva’s Education Programme, creating works for Cornwall Youth Dance and the Wycombe Swan’s United in Dance project. Katie is also an Administrative Assistant for the Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) scheme at The Place. More recently she has performed with Cscape in “The Venus Flower” as part of the Global Garden Project. Following her apprenticeship, Katie joined Tavaziva Dance as a full time dancer in September 2010.

Jade Yung

Jade was born in Hong Kong and started her dance training at Jean M. Wong School of Ballet, and was awarded scholarships to train at the Gifted Young Dancers Programme (Hong Kong Academy for Performing Art) and Teens of Colour (City Contemporary Dance Company). Jade moved to London in 2006 to train at London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS),  and has worked with artists such as Jan de Schinkel, Anna Williams, Jorge Cresis and Hanna Gillgren. During her third year, she danced in Siobhan Davies’ White Man Sleeps (1988), and Merce Cunningham’s Fielding Sixes (1980), as well as working with Darren Johnston for research and development for his project Ousia. Jade joined Tavaziva Dance as an apprentice dancer in August 2009 as part LCDS’s postgraduate diploma in Contemporary Dance.

Graham Adey

Graham trained at Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD) graduating in 2006. He then went on to tour with State of Emergency; Mission Dance Company and ACE Dance and Music. Alongside his performing work Graham has taught on the ‘Young Offenders Programme’ run by Dance United as part of the Destino project. In 2008, Graham was invited to take part in the prestigious Ballet Gala in Yokohama, Japan and in 2009 appeared at The Place, London. Alongside his work with Made By Katie Green, Graham performed and toured in a festival piece choreographed by Marc Brew. Graham joined Tavaziva Dance in September 2009.

Martina Bussi

Martina was born in Torino, Italy, and the age of 13 she went onto pursue dance training in both Ballet and Contemporary dance. In 2006 Martina moved to London and gained a Certificate in Contemporary Dance from London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS). Martina joined Henri Oguike Dance Company as an apprentice dancer for the 2007-08 season and toured nationally and internationally in events such as STEPS Festival (Switzerland) and Jerusalem Dance Festival. She then went onto work as a freelance dancer for choreographers such as Tom Dale and Leila McMillan, as well as collaborating with “SE8 Sound&Motion”. Martina joined Tavaziva Dance in August 2009.

Tony James-Andersson

Tony was born and raised in Sweden and moved to London in 1998 where he did his training at The Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. He has performed in various musicals in London such as Lion King, Bombay Dreams, Showboat and Hair. He has performed with the Royal Opera House, English National Opera and The National Theatre. Tony also did a post grad at the Royal Academy of Music where he trained as a singer and actor. Tony joined Tavaziva in August 2009.

Creative Team

Artistic Direction and Choreography

Bawren Tavaziva

Guest Choreographer (Silent Steps)

Harriet Macauley

Music

Bawren Tavaziva

Rehearsal Assistant

Anna Watkins

Lighting & Set Design and Production Manager

Chris Copland

Costume Design

Abigail Hammond