Donna was born in Rochester, NY receiving a superb extensive comprehensive training under full scholarship with internationally renowned dance luminaries on staff including Patricia Wilde, Anton Dolin, George Zoritch, David Gayle, Fernando Bujones, Woytek Lowski, Valentina Pereyaslavec, Leon Danielian, Miguel Lopez, Jurgen Schneider at the prestigious Botsford School. Her formative training continued in New York at the David Howard Dance Center and the Melissa Hayden School of Dance under full scholarships, training intensively with Melissa and David. After a long and successful career as a professional ballet dancer and a contemporary dancer in Europe and the US in companies such as Cleveland Ballet, Dance Express, Michael Mao Dance Co, and Dance Company Giessen, Donna went on to develop an impressive portfolio of work as a guest teacher, choreographer, rehearsal director, private mentor, and successful entrepreneur. Over the last 4 decades, she has been a frequent guest teacher at leading American and European dance schools, festivals and companies. She held a post at the Millenium Performing Arts school for 3 years in London and guest taught at other dance institutions in London. Her choreography has been commissioned and performed internationally and is used in films and advertising and her Repertory has over 12 full works in it. Her new work to Cecilia McDowall's music premiered in June 2022 in West London. https://ceciliamcdowall.co.uk/ After the birth of her son, in 2004 she founded what was to become Ballet4life®. Her vision was to create an inspiring organisation that would pioneer top quality dance education for adults on a vocational level. Her 1st ballet class for adults in London was offered in January 2004 to eager adult learners in a studio at Rambert Dance Company's former location in Chiswick. 18 years later, Ballet4life® is a well-established and thriving institution, with daily classes both online and in-person and has delivered dance to thousands of Londoners. Driven by decades of personal resonance, passion, and research, Donna created and founded Move into Wellbeing® in 2014. MIW attained charitable status in 2017, Registered Charity 1172264. She has directed and managed this since its inception. Donna is forever grateful to every person who supported her vision and assisted in her endeavours to make this all happen and to all involved in her inspirational organisation. MIW offers unique dance, movement and exercise classes to people living with Parkinson's and a diverse range of other mobility restrictions and wellness issues. This charity is a living legacy to her father Gerard E Schoenherr and brings joy and relief to hundreds each week with classes in over 9 venues and also online. At the Hounslow Business Award 2018, MIW was Commended in the Best Charity category, it won the 2019 Atul Pathak Community Award.

Angela is a Lindy Hopper, Dance Artist, and Blogger living in London, UK: born and raised in London's East End. Her initial dance expression came as part of the first generation of hip-hop dancers. Her official studies on the other-hand, were in Social Pedagogy. In 1991, Angela discovered the Lindy Hop. For more than 30 years, she has taught and performed at dance and music festivals worldwide. https://about.me/angela_andrew

Amy joined Stopgap in January 2013 and is one of our senior dance artists. In 2019 Amy completed an MA in Developing Artist Practice at London Contemporary Dance School. Other qualifications includea first class honours in BA Performing Arts at London Metropolitan University and a Higher Certificate at London Contemporary Dance school. In 2011 Amy was awarded the Lisa Ullmann Travel Scholarship Fund enabling her to complete an Integral Yoga Qualification at the IYI India. Amy is rehearsal director for Akram Khan company, specifically for the pieces ‘Chotto Xenos’ and ‘Chotto Desh’. She performs the role of Choreographic Consultant for Highly Sprung Performance Company and is choreographic mentor to Christopher Pavia on his latest work ‘The Journey Between’. She has performed for Akram Khan company in the 2012 olympics, Enrique Cabrera (Aracladanza), Helene Blackburn (Cas Public), State of Emergency, Highly Sprung, Ascendance Rep., Jonathan Poole, Motionmanual and Balbir Singh. Her choreographic work includes ‘Slide with the Sun’ performed and toured by SG2, ‘Composition in Time’ for Ramallah festival in Palestine, ‘Outside Spaces, Inside Places’ for Ascendance Rep and two short works for Three Scores. Amy’s teaching experience has seen her work for Ausdance NSW and NASDA in Sydney Australia, Solodos En Danza in Costa Rica, Greenwich Dance Agency, Northern Contemporary Dance School, Laban, Phoenix Dance Theatre, RAD, Yorkshire Dance and many other international companies. Amy’s first collaboration with Stopgap was Artificial Things. Since then she has collaborated on The Enormous Room, Bill and Bobby, The Seafarers, and with Sg2 on The Awakening. Hannah has been involved with Stopgap for a number of years, firstly as an original member of Stopgap’s Youth Company and from 2010 as an Apprentice Dancer. In 2013 Hannah became the original member of Sg2 and graduated in 2016 into the main touring team. She also toured a number of countries nationally and internationally as an apprentice and touring member of the main company. Hannah danced in Chris Pavia’s choreographic works Shadowed Voices (performed at schools and conferences across UK, as well as Albania for the Albanian President in 2010), Captured by the Dark (Resolution! 2013 at the Place, London) and The Awakening (2014, Southbank London). From Sg2, Hannah had collaborated on Exhibition, The Awakening and Night at the Theatre (choreographed by Tim Casson). She was a guest artist for Stopgap in our outdoor work Tracking, SPUN Productions and Seafarers. From 2016-17, she took part in the indoor production The Enormous Room. She’s now currently collaborating with other dance artists in our recent outdoor work FROCK.

Gabriel is a dancer and London based Salsa & Bachata teacher He specialised in Dominican Bachata and is the Creator of Unidos Dominican Bachata & London Bachata Boat Party.

Erica Stanton Dancing Limón in the 21st century: the here and now of old knowledge Erica discusses the importance of teaching Limón technique; the identity and history that accompany it; what teaching means as time shifts; and support in teaching practice. Erica is a dance teacher, choreographer and teaching mentor. She is a graduate of Bedford College and of Sarah Lawrence College where she was the Bessie Schönberg Scholar. Erica specialises in Limón technique and has taught it throughout the UK, in the USA and in New Zealand. Erica‘s work with the technique culminated in a website for practitioners interested in the Limón legacy and its contemporary relevance. http://roehamptondance.com/limonproject Erica has choreographed for a wide range of settings and was co-founder of the collaborative company ‘Mothers of Invention’ with Marion Gough. She co-leads the Simply for the Doing project with Sonia Rafferty and David Waring which interrogates the narratives, currents, underscores and values which sustain our intangible heritage of teaching. The Practical Wisdom of Teaching Dance: What is it and how is it nurtured? on Vimeo @ericahargreaves

Temujin Gil & Sunanda Biswas: 'Grounded Movement' Staying power and staying authentic Sunanda and Temujin discuss the importance of honouring the legacy of dance styles through historical understanding; the impossibility of separating a style from the culture it came from; a reluctance to be defined as one thing; and what it means to keep going. Temujin works as a choreographer, director, dancer and facilitator, delivering and managing projects within both professional and community contexts. Sundana 'BGIRL SunSun' is the founder of 'FLOWZAIC': the UK's first all female Breaking crew. She has performed in, battled, judged and hosted some of the biggest Hip Hop, Lindy Hop and B-boy events. Together they are 'Grounded Movement'. Grounded Movement produces work inspired by social and street derived dances, drawing on a rich blend of forms from Lindy Hop and Tap to Funk, Soul and Hip Hop. Through both professional and community programmes, we bring together a wide range of people, artists and cultures, celebrating as a shared experience.Grounded Movement also runs two associate groups, Grounded UK which invests in young people’s training in Breakin’, and Lindy Kicks adult Lindy Hop performance group founded in 2013. https://www.groundedmovement.com/ https://www.sunandasunsunbiswas.com/ @groundedmoves @bgirlsunsun

Hakeem Onibudo from Impact Dance Inspiring the next generation through Hip hop Hakeem discusses the importance of giving young people access to dance within a safe space to grow and express themselves; the art of teaching as a fundamental tool to inspire young students; and the values of his organisation Impact Dance. Since 1995, Hakeem (known as Mister Impact) has been widely recognised for his significant work as a choreographer, performer, mentor and British Council Cultural Leadership International Ambassador. With reputation preceding him, Hakeem has established himself as a renowned, professional host and MC, working on red carpet movie premieres and other prestigious national and international events. Impact Dance is an art from social change organisation that specialises in Hip-Hop Theatre, Street Dance and Youth Development. With a UK-wide reach and a global footprint, the organisation is based on Shaftesbury Avenue in London. Founded by Hakeem Onibudo in 1995, Impact Dance empowers young people aged 11-19 through dance training, mentoring, national and international performances. https://impactdance.co.uk/ @impactdanceuk @hakeemmrimpact

Beverly Glean & Rosie Lehan from IRIE! Dance theatre Championing equality of styles from dances of the African diaspora Beverly and Rosie discuss the history behind the creation of IRIE! Dance theatre, first BA in Diverse Dance Styles; the role of the Moonshot Centre building within the community; the importance of equality and diversity within dance; and where dance sits in the education system. Founder, Artistic Director and CEO of IRIE! dance theatre Beverley has been working in the field of dance for over 20 years. Trained at the Laban Centre London, 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. Rosie trained at Laban Centre and Dance and Middlesex University. She has worked on a diverse range of projects, including Connectingvibes Dance Company for young dancers and the Dance and Diversity project, an action-based research project to investigate the place of African and Caribbean dance. Rosie is director of Accredited Training at IRIE! dance theatre. IRIE! dance theatre is Britain’s leading dance theatre company working in the field of African & Caribbean dance fusion. Founded in 1985 by Beverley Glean with the principal aim of heightening the profile of Black dance in Britain, the company set out to create a repertory of works reflective of the African Caribbean influence on the Black British cultural experience. https://www.iriedancetheatre.org/ @iriedancetheatre