Gavin Rees
Artistic Director and Choreographer
Gavin underwent his professional training at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, earning his degree in 1999. Originally trained in music as a classical singer, Gavin discovered his passion for dance while pursuing a BTEC in Performing Arts at Gorseinon College in South Wales. Since then, Gavin has experienced an extensive career as a professional dancer, performer, and rehearsal director across the UK and Europe. He has collaborated and performed with numerous ballet, contemporary, and physical theatre companies, including The European Ballet, Maxine Doyle’s First Person Dance Company (now Punchdrunk) in London, DaThe Dance Company in Belgium, and Welsh Independent Dance in Cardiff, working closely with acclaimed choreographers like Javier de Frutos, Darshan Singh-Bhuller, and Sean Tuan John. As a founder member of the Jasmin Vardimon Company, Gavin contributed to and performed in Jasmin Vardimon’s works for three years.
In recent years, Gavin has transitioned into freelance work as a guest teacher and choreographer. In 2014, he took on the role of Course Leader for the Higher Education and BTEC level 3 Dance courses at Calderdale College, Halifax. Gavin also provides support to fellow artists and dancers during their creative Research and Development process.
Drawing from his training and experience in various dance, voice, and performance disciplines, Gavin’s artistic work embodies a fusion of physical theatre, contemporary techniques, and elements of other performance art forms like voice and speech.
In 2015, Gavin founded Rees Dance Company and assumed the role of Artistic Director, collaborating with both experienced and emerging postgraduate dancers based in the North of England. Recently recognised by the Northern Consortium of Rural Touring Schemes, Gavin was selected as the sole Dance sector artist for their HANDS programme, aimed at developing performances tailored for touring to rural traditional venues and community halls. Gavin faces unique challenges as a choreographer with a Disability. Diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and severe Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) in 2017 after years of unexplained health issues. Gavin’s conditions have significant physical and rheumatological effects on his nervous and cardiac system. Despite ongoing medical care and symptom management through medication, with support, Gavin is determined to lead Rees Dance Company into its next phase of development.
Caroline Rees
Company & Project Co-Ordinator, and Rehearsal Director
Caroline underwent her professional training at both the Royal Ballet and the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, earning her degree in 1998. Throughout her career as a performer, she explored various genres including contemporary, ballet, jazz dance, and physical theatre, collaborating and performing for esteemed British and European companies and choreographers.
In 2015, Caroline became a co-founder of physical theatre company ‘Rees Dance Company’, where she took on roles as a performer, outreach coordinator, and postgraduate mentor. She retired from dance performance in 2019.
Since 2019, Caroline has been sharing her expertise in dance and movement across the UK. Notably, she spent six years as a lecturer and Programme Leader at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance’s Centre of Advanced Training (CAT) in
Leeds. She holds a PGCE from the University of Huddersfield. Presently, Caroline is Programme Manager at University Centre Leeds (Performing Arts), where she develops and delivers lectures on dance for the acting degree programme. Additionally, she plays a pivotal role in developing their Higher Education (HE) Performing Arts course, enriching the curriculum with her vast experience and insights.
Caroline’s research focus revolves around the emergence of technical dance with other performance styles, exploring the integration of moving images and the creation of pieces tailored for unconventional performance spaces. She remains committed to honing her performance skills, most recently enriching her repertoire through an acting course at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
Caroline is exited for the development of Rees Dance Company and is looking forward to creating and developing her own choreographic work.
Collaborators.
Rees Dance Company has been very fortunate to work and collaborate with some incredible artists and organisations.
We are passionate about creating work that challenges the norm and pushes creative boundaries beyond the obvious. We like to be challenged, especially in creating thought provoking work for audiences.
Dancers
Our company dancers are carefully selected for their strong technical foundation, physical capability, and the maturity they bring both in and out of the studio. Each performer is chosen not only for their skill, but for their experience and ability to communicate through movement with clarity and intention. We value artists who are curious, adaptable, and bring a genuine willingness to learn.
As part of the company, dancers are encouraged to explore a wide range of themes and ideas, pushing creative boundaries while developing their own unique voice. We expect our dancers to approach their work with openness, professionalism, and a commitment to both personal and collective growth.