DARREN ELLIS - Artistic Director of Darren Ellis Dance, Darren trained at Rambert Dance School (1987-90), at the Laban Centre, and Transitions Dance Company (1990-91). He has danced with David Massingham Dance, Janet Smith and Dancers, PAGE Dance Theatre (Freiburg, Germany), Mark Bruce Dance Company, Small Bones Dance Company, Jeremy James Dance Company, Matthew Bourne (SWAN LAKE original cast, CINDERELLA, NUTCRACKER! and PLAY WITHOUT WORDS), Random Dance Company, Snag Project (Jo Fong and Sarah Warsop), Richard Alston Dance Company and Unbroken (a dance theatre piece at the Gate theatre). Darren has been teaching at Rambert Dance School since 2003 and joined Richard Alston Dance Company as rehearsal director in August 2005 - 2008. Darren began choreographing in 2007 and made two pieces, ROMEO ERROR (for Evolution at The Place) and TEMPT MY BETTER ANGEL (SPNM project for RADC); Darren made a second piece NO MORE GHOSTS (2008) for the Richard Alston Dance Company. Following that Darren has also created a piece on the Centre for Advance Training at The Place for the EXCELLENT Gala which was staged at Sadler’s Wells. In 2008 Darren was a part of the international research program CHOREOROAM at The Place where he created a solo on himself, STICKS AND BONES which has led to two further solo pieces for himself FROM THE WAIST UP and AFTER EFFECTS.
Martin Collins Executive Director
Martin Collins MA, MSc began dancing with the Splinters dance company before training in theatre at Lancaster University, Dance Theatre & Dance Science at Trinity Laban. He has worked as a performer with some of the most innovative dance and theatre companies in the UK including Levantes Dance Theatre, Darren Ellis Dance, Ballet Boyz, Dukes theatre Company, Marlow Theatre, The Grange Park Opera, English National Opera, Tate Modern and the Nigel Charnock Company. He has also performed in a number of different feature films for the UK and Japan, TV and site-specific works commissioned by the BBC, RM Europe, and Independent British Film.
Martin has produced work for a number of prestigious national and international platforms including British Dance Edition, Sadler’s Wells, South Bank, the Royal Festival Hall, Roubaix and Burgos festivals. This has been done in collaboration with companies such as Lost Dog, Random Dance, Company of Elders, Royal Ballet School, Shobana Jeyasing, Henri Oguike Dance Company, Darren Ellis Dance, Pina Bausch Company, and Sarah Linstra.
Martin is currently the Company Director for Darren Ellis Dance, Artstrust (Production Company), and managing the Centre for Advanced Training at Trinity Laban.