Team Biographies

Choreographer/Artistic Director of Silversmith Dance Theatre:

Lorraine Smith is a choreographer and dance artist trained in choreography (MA, TrinityLaban) and contemporary dance (BA Hons, Chichester University), and is a member of Arab dance troupe Al Zaytouna. Lorraine has worked as Choreographer in Residence for Cloud Dance, The Studio and Newington Dance Space, and collaborated on numerous projects as creator and performer. Lorraine teaches dance for various classes and projects, including facilitator for inclusive company Magpie Dance, and runs community dance projects through Instantly Theatrical. Lorraine has also worked as choreographer for The Making Space (Siobhan Davies Dance), completed a choreographic commission for Playgrounds Dance Company; Northampton University’s undergraduate company, and worked as performer and visiting choreographer on the MA Costume for Performance at London College of Fashion.

Project Manager:

Charelle Griffith is an arts management professional specialising in touring companies. Charelle completed her BA Honours in Dance at the University of Chichester. As part of her degree she managed a national tour of 3Fall Dance Company. Afterwards, continuing on the path of arts management, she studied for her MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London. With a passion for touring, her research focused on the issue of touring contemporary dance. Alongside her studies she interned at The Cholmondeleys and Sadler’s Wells. Charelle previously worked for Chisenhale Dance Space and Actors Touring Company, before becoming the Marketing Manager of English National Ballet.

Composer:

Patrick Furness is a sound artist, musician and educator based in London. He is a constant collaborator in many live performance, film, radio, music, fashion and sound art/installation. Trained at Middlesex University he graduated with a degree in Sonic Arts in 2004. Since then he has provided freelance education, sound design, music and art installations for Sonic Arts Network (now Sound & Music), London Sinfonietta, London Philharmonic, Daydream Nation (Hong Kong), Lotos Collective, Animate:Space, Southbank Centre, Resonance 104.4FM. He regularly collaborates with David Cranmer creating interactive sound installations in public spaces and is part of The Typewriters providing sound for dance/live performance. 

Performers:

Georgina Biggs, based in the West Midlands, has worked extensively for Midland Actors Theatre and recently completed her MA Acting with Manchester Metropolitan University: delivered by the Polish physical theatre company Teatr Piesn Kozla (Song of the Goat Theatre) from their base in Wroclaw (Poland). Following this Georgina was awarded the Artist’s International Development Fund by Arts Council England and British Council to return to Poland where she worked as the Lead Artist on My Fatherland. During this period Georgina was also the artist-in-residence at the ArtLOKAL Gallery where she presented her solo performance and exhibition Wolf in the City. Georgina is currently working as a collaborator of the Window Collective to devise Window Dressing: a physical theatre piece presented in empty window spaces, commissioned by Arts Council England through the Holding Space Consortium.

Siobhan Kerry trained at LIPA and graduated in 2009. Since then she has worked with Dance Equation, Indeed Dance Company, Retina and Wayne McGregor | Random Dance. In addition to performing Siobhan teaches for the Royal Academy of Dance, teaching and choreographing in schools around London. Siobhan loves creating and choreographing new work and in 2012 she had her debut piece of choreography performed as part of the Big Dance Festival. Siobhan joined Silversmith Dance Theatre in 2013 with Disco Babies and is really enjoying being part of such an exciting creative process.

Morena De Leonardis studied contemporary dance at Dance Gallery in Perugia (2001-06). In 2006 she graduated in Movement and Sport Sciences (Perugia University) and qualified as a Hip Hop instructor (MC Hip Hop School). At the end of her studies she worked as a dance teacher at Dance Gallery, Fame Star Academy (Arezzo),and as a physical teacher at Perugia University. Since 2008 she has worked as a dancer with different companies and choreographers, including Deja Donnè, Sosta Palmizi and Silvana Brotzu. In 2009 Morena moved to London and qualified as a Mat Pilates Instructor in 2012 ( Body Balanced University). She has also performed at the Spitalsfield Music Festival, Big Dance, and in 2011 became a member of Mazzilli Dance Theatre.

Chris Mead currently works as a performer, dance teacher and choreographer. Having graduated from Northbrook College (Part of Brighton University) with a 1st, Chris then went on to study at TrinityLaban. Since graduating he has performed with many companies and stage productions including touring a piece created by Pretty Good Girl Dance Theatre. Chris has also worked in a variety of educational settings and completed a successful run as the Youth Dance Director at the Theatre Royal in Bath. Chris is trained in many areas of dance and theatre and has used these skills to perform in music video’s and television.

Lauren Okadigbo moved from Nigeria to Finland at the age of 3, and started dancing at the Finnish National Opera’s ballet school at age 11-15yrs. Her contemporary dance studies continued with the young dancers program at Helsingin Tanssi Vintti and Västra Nylands Folkhogskola. Lauren spent several years working as an independent dance artist in Finland, and then furthering her formal studies at London Contemporary Dance School. In the UK Lauren has worked with numerous companies including Bode Lawal’s Sakoba Dance Theatre, State of Emergency, Faith Drama and Spread Expression, as a movement artist for Paramount Pictures, Proffesional cast for the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremonies and works for different commercial assignments. Lauren is also a martial artist and training for the British Stunt register, and is taking on her first contract as a stunt woman for the Bregenz Opera Festival in June 2013.