Meet Our
Team
Rosie Lehan
Co-Director
Trained at Laban Centre (Trinity Laban) BA (Hons) Dance and Middlesex University MA Performing Arts. Working with Beverley Glean since 2000 Rosie has worked on a diverse range of projects, including Connecting Vibes Dance Company, established with Beverley Glean to provide opportunities for young artists at an early stage of their career. Other ventures include the Dance and Diversity project, an action-based research project originally funded by NESTA and ACE to investigate the place of African and Caribbean dance. The Project ongoing since 2004, included a research trip to the USA, Jamaica, Cuba and Ghana.
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Rosie worked as a Dance Lecturer at City and Islington College working on partnership projects with organisations such as Creative Partnerships, conducting research projects and establishing links in the USA and China.
Together with Beverley they created and subsequently led The Foundation Degree in Dance and in 2018 successfully launched the BA(Hons) Diverse Dance Styles validated by University of Roehampton.
Beverley Glean - MBE
Co-Director
Founder, Artistic Director and CEO of IRIE! dance theatre Beverley has been working in the field of dance, in particular African Peoples Dance for over 20 years. Trained at the Laban Centre London (Trinity Laban), The Jamaica School of Dance and The Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba; she has continued her training and development in dance & culture by working alongside artists from West Africa, Europe, America, and the Caribbean. Beverley founded IRIE! dance theatre in 1985. The company pioneered the move towards representing and promoting reggae music and its movement nuances on stage. Over the years, IRIE! has grown in stature. As well as its touring dance theatre company, it has developed a much sought after education & community outreach programme.
Since 1992 Beverley has developed the relationship between IRIE! dance theatre and City and Islington College, delivering workshops, lectures and performance projects. Since 2000 she has co- directed a number of performance/research projects in partnership with the College and IRIE! dance theatre including; Connecting vibes Dance Company and the Dance and Diversity project, funded by NESTA and ACE to investigate the place of African and Caribbean dance within performance and education She has worked to develop the new BA(Hons) Diverse Dance Styles, launched in 2018. In 2016 Beverley received a Lifetime Achievement Award from ADAD and in 2017 was awarded an MBE for services to the promotion of African and Caribbean Dance.
Leroy 'FX' Dias Dos Santos
Choreographer
Leroy 'FX' Dias Dos Santos is a passionate dance artist who continues to perfect his craft as a hybrid performer and choreographer. Born in Angola and raised in North London, Leroy was inspired by Michael Jackson and his cousins to pursue dance from a young age.
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In 2007, he graduated from Middlesex University studying Dance Performance, where he developed his ballet, contemporary and jazz technique. Throughout his career Leroy has worked with HM The Queen, Prince Charles, Jermaine Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Jason Statham, Will.I.AM, Jessie J, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Leona Lewis, Sugababes, Aston Merrygold and choreographers such as Jermaine Brown, Rafael Bonachela, Shobana Jesaysingh, Mavin Khoo as well as The English National Ballet.
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Leroy performed in theatre productions 'Carmen Jones' (2007) at The Royal Festival Hall, 'La Travaita' (2007) and 'Aida' (2008) conducted under The Welsh National Opera. He is also a member of the street dance sensation Flawless, who were finalists on ITV’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. They featured in movies such as ‘Street Dance 3D’ 1 and 2 by Vertigo films (2009) and have currently been touring their new theatre production ‘Chase the Dream 2’ (2018-2019) across the UK and internationally.
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As well as performing, he has also had the opportunity to choreograph and collaborate with Susie Mckenna on ‘Mandem On The Wall’ Live Show at Hackney Empire (2015) and ‘Macbeth’ with Twist Theatre Company (2015-2016), ‘Hosea’s Girl’ (2015) a Hip Hop spoken word play written by Anastasia Osei- Kuffour.
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Leroy currently teaches dance technique and choreography across different sectors and has had the opportunity to work with different dance institutions such as Urdang Academy, Middlesex University, IRIE! Dance Theatre, Frantic Assembly, Dance College London, Wac Arts, Springs Dance Company and Hertford Regional College, which has all played a significant role to his teaching. Nurturing the younger generation and mentoring them through dance is a key part of Leroy’s teaching and philosophy
Fubunation
Choreographers
Rhys Denis and Waddah Sinada teach regular classes on the BA that challenge the students technically and creatively. FUBUNATION provide an invaluable insight into the industry from their perspective as current artists. In 2020 they created an exciting and innovative piece for year 3 students and as performance opportunities open after COVID, they will create a new piece to be created and performed by the upcoming year 3 students in 2022.
Waddah Sinada
Originally born in Sudan, Waddah Sinada is a London Based dance artist and choreographer. Waddah started his journey in dance 11 years ago first integrating himself in street and hip-hop styles alongside his community led collectives. Later he went onto train in contemporary at London Contemporary (The Place) where he obtained a BA (Hons) degree in contemporary dance. Since graduating he has worked with a number of influential choreographers and music artists. It was here that Waddah found his love for working not only in live theatre but in making movement for film. His interests lie in creating honest and authentic work where he draws inspiration from instinctual human nature. Over the course of the last few years Waddah has been working independently teaching , directing, choreographing to further nurture and develop his voice as a young and emerging choreographer.
Rhys Denis
Originally born in London Rhys is from a Jamaican & Barbadian heritage. He began dancing at a young age in Hip Hop, went onto study at conservatoire’s Northern School of Contemporary Dance and later graduated from London Contemporary (The Place) Since graduating Rhys has been working as an independent freelance artist, choreographing for FUBUNATION, curating events and artistic platforms for the companies outreach. He has worked with high profile music artists and toured internationally with a range of contemporary dance companies teaching workshops throughout the UK and overseas.
He believes in movement as a form of therapy and thrives on the collaborative approach to making work. He feels it is a great responsibility to create art that can exist strongly with communities as much as it does on a higher scale.
Nii Kwartey Owoo
Choreographer
Nii Kwartey Owoo is the director of Miishejeloi Dance Theatre (Accra/London), Miishe African Music and Dance (Leeds), Asasaa Ensemble and a Creative Associate at The Geraldine Connor Foundation (Leeds).
Originally from Accra, Ghana, Nii draws on his Ga heritage, including spiritual beliefs, storytelling and symbolism, creating original choreography that blends tradition with current global dance styles. Nii grew up in a traditional royal household and was given the title Custodian of Culture by his elders at the age of 12; he incorporates this knowledge of West African culture and music in his work
Nina Haworth-Hurd
Choreographer
Nina teaches the Contemporary and Urban Module and brings extensive experience of teaching dance and leading on Dance curriculum in the higher education sector, to the course. She has a passion for training young artists and currently leads the teaching modules, supervising year 3 students as they engage with teaching with a diverse range of client groups
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She has an established reputation for enhancing quality through implementing inspired teaching methods which she has developed through practice as a Contemporary dance artist, teacher and lecturer.
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Diverse training in Dance Techniques, a PGCE in Dance and an MA Choreography from Middlesex University make her an invaluable part of the BA (hons) Diverse Dance Styles team!
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Nina has a special talent for creating exciting and thought provoking choreography and is skilled in developing and maintaining links with creative industry networks and individuals.
Rosie Wilson-Sidlauskas
Choreographer
Rosie Rose - a triplet born and raised in Northampton, England was introduced to dance at an early age to give her and her siblings a creative outlet. Later in her teens she discovered Hip-hop and African Dance and relocated to London continuing her dance and drama training at IRIE! Dance Theatre & WAC Arts.
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After graduating Rosie worked as a freelance artist working numerous projects involving creative collaborations, multidisciplinary training, performance and teaching work across London, New York, France, Denmark, Senegal and The Netherlands. Performing extensively with Myself UK Dance Company and The Locksmiths Dance Co. In 2019 she co-produced, directed and performed ‘Pramkicker’ a two-hander theatre piece performed at The Hope Theatre, Islington.
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Rosie was thrilled to reunify with IRIE! dance theatre in 2018 where she lectures in Urban Dance specialising in 70’s funk styles also she encourages students to learn the contexts of where the hip-hop styles originated. In 2021 she joined Rambert’s Teaching Faculty and the new initiative: The Kieran Taylor Scholarship Trust as a mentor.
Photo: Beth MacInnes