Meet Our
Current Company Members
Photo: Beth MacInnes
JANAYA JACKSON-WILLIAMS
Education and Outreach Team
Janaya, is a London-based dance artist, beginning her dance journey at Glenlyn Dance Academy before immersing herself in street dance at the Inspired Youth Dance Company (IYDC).
Now in her third year of training in diverse dance forms with a special interest in African and Caribbean traditional dance at IRIE dance theatre, she seeks to fuse these traditional practices with her street dance style. Her ambition is to join a professional dance company, allowing her to refine her skills and explore performance further, while sharing her unique blend of dance forms.
Janaya's path demonstrates her dedication to exploring her cultural heritage through movement, an interest that she has striving to develop through her Independent Project.
Photo: Beth MacInnes
KAIA CHINA SEWYER
Education and Outreach Team
Kaia is a movement artist, teacher and choreographer, whose practice involves exchange within culture and dance. Specialising in ballet and contemporary, Kaia is incredibly passionate about dance as an art form. As well as performance and choreography, Kaia strives to share her knowledge and devotion to the arts with aspiring young artists through her teaching.
Originally from Devon, Kaia moved to London in 2016 where she began her professional training at Bird College, gaining a Professional National Diploma in Musical Theatre. In 2022 Kaia was keen to continue her education and expand her knowledge within dance, joining IRIE! Dance theatre and gaining a BA(Hons) Diverse Dance Styles (1st Class).
Developing her skill set and studying African and Caribbean dance styles was where she discovered her artistic identity and is thrilled to be welcomed back to
IRIE! as part of the alumni group to continue growing as an artist in dance and performance.
Aemilia Hylton
Currently a year 3 student on the BA(Hons) Diverse Dance Styles degree- IRIE! dance theatre.
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Aemilia Hylton is a Bristol based artist whose foundations are in contemporary movement. She began training at 14 with P.D.M.S.L, continuing at Boomsatsuma college (2019-2021), in urban styles, dancehall, contemporary ballet, musical theatre and commercial dance. During a gap year she developed teaching skills with Rise Youth Dance, Movema and LAVRAK, training in both dance and aerial circus, assisting with workshops and classes.
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Aemilia has been a part of the 75th and 76th Anniversary Twinning Celebration of Bristol UK and Hannover Germany (2022 and 2023) and was an Arts and Culture finalist for the Bristol Young Heroes Awards in 2022.
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Aemilia is currently developing her own performance and research project, CHAMELEON, an autobiographical performance piece exploring how external interpretations may affect self-perception.
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Aemilia finds dance to be a free and expressive universal language and plans to continue to use dance as a tool of self-discovery.
Deny Ruge Prado
Deny Ruge is a Colombian dancer, artist, researcher and cultural practitioner based in London, currently completing the BA (Hons) Diverse Dance Styles at IRIE! dance theatre, Previously, she earned a BA in Art Education with a focus on Dance and Theatre from Universidad Antonio Nariño in Bogotá, Colombia, where she developed a strong foundation in pedagogy, performance and creative practice.
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In 2010, she founded Somos Chibchas Arts in Madrid, a dance company dedicated to the preservation and activation of Colombian cultural heritage through performance, participatory workshops and interdisciplinary artistic research. Now working through Somos Chibchas Arts, in the UK she has developed community programmes offering support to Latin American women who are survivors of domestic violence and women in refugee contexts.
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Through her work grounded in social justice, she has contributed to initiatives aligned with the Colombian Truth Commission, supporting the visibility of individuals and communities who experienced forced exile as a result of armed conflict and structural violence.
Febe Alexandra Santos Guardado
Born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Febe trained in ballet and contemporary dance. She began dancing at the age of five at the Centro Cultural Infantil and joined
the Compañía Sampedrana de Danza at nine, performing in numerous events across Honduras.
At fourteen, she graduated in contemporary dance and later earned her professional dance certification. She has participated in national and international dance competitions, achieving first place in Mexico in 2018.
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Febe has worked as a dance teacher for children aged 4 to 11 and completed three years of university studies in Psychology, which she believes has enriched her artistic approach.
Febe performed with BA students in 2025 on a Site-Specific production in Fordham Park.
Tais Adela Iskenderov Bonilla
Born in Moscow and raised in Dubai to Colombian and Azerbaijani parents, dance has been a universal language to connect beyond borders and division. 
Moving to London and earning her business degree in 2015, Tais is now studying Acting at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
In Oct 2021, Tais joined Somos Chibchas Arts company focusing on Afro-Colombian and Andean Indigenous dance rhythms, connecting to her Colombian roots, and becoming an active member of the Latin American arts and culture community in London.
Tais is a Multidisciplinary Creative, where dance is energy work—a powerful tool for unlearning trauma, reclaiming space and bodily autonomy.
Tais performed with BA students in 2025 for a site -specific production in Fordham Park.
Aaliyah Dawkins
Aaliyah Dawkins is a London-based dance artist whose training began at the age of four. She has studied ISTD ballet, tap, modern, and street dance, developing a strong and versatile foundation across both classical and contemporary styles.
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Aaliyah trained at The Lesley Hand School of Dancing, Artistry Youth Dance, Uxbridge College (Performance and Production Arts), and IRIE! dance theatre, graduating with a 1st in BA(Hons) Diverse Dance Styles( 2023) Her professional development includes training and performance experience with Boy Blue Entertainment and DoThingsDifferentdc.
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Currently an Education Outreach Tutor with IRIE! dance theatre and undertaking an MA in Diasporic Dance styles, her current practice is centred on deepening her understanding of movement, culture and self reconnecting with a wild range of styles while exploring and defining her own movement identity. Aaliyah will be presenting a piece as part of the current performance programme, entitled ‘Shifting Conversations’ which will integrate her masters research into a visual performance.
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Alongside performing, training and teaching, she is increasingly drawn to creative direction, with a growing interest in concept-led work, storytelling, and visual worlds built through movement. Aaliyah uses her experience as an alumni member to create work, rehearse and perform with the company.
