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Image: Robert Cohan in rehearsals in 1991. Photo by Anthony Crickmay supplied by the Sir Robert Cohan Dance Legacy with permission of the V&A Museum and Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Settlement
Faculty
ESD Presents Robert Cohan Intensive brings together a distinguished group of high quality and diverse artists who have either worked directly with Robert Cohan or are recognised leaders in the dance sector. This faculty represents a rich blend of experience, creativity, and expertise, showcasing the lasting impact of Cohan’s work on the dance world. These artists embody the legacy of Cohan's unique approach to dance while pushing boundaries and fostering innovation within the art form.
Kenneth Tharp
Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE, FRSA is a key figure in the UK arts and culture scene with over 40 years professional experience in the sector.
Having completed his professional training at the London Contemporary Dance School, he began his career as a professional dancer. As one of the leading dance artists of his generation, he
performed with the internationally-acclaimed London Contemporary Dance Theatre (1981-1994), with Kim Brandstrup’s Arc Dance Company (1994-2005) and with other leading companies, during
a 25-year career as a performer, choreographer, teacher and director.
He has worked extensively as a choreographer, creating over 45 works, and as a teacher and director, including at The Royal Ballet School, Sadler’s Wells Youth Dance Company (1994-2000)
and the National Youth Dance Company. He was Dancer in Residence at Queens’ College Cambridge from 1998-2006 and was Visiting Professor at the University of Lincoln (2009-2012).
He has since gone on to lead major cultural institutions as Chief Executive of The Place (2007-2016), and as Director of The Africa Centre (2018-2020). His freelance work has seen him as Interim CEO for Eclipse Theatre Company (2021-2022) and Interim Head of Operations for CandoCo Dance Company (2023).
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He is currently working both as a Freelance Arts Consultant and as Joint Director of Culture & Communities for the London Borough of Haringey, which will become London Borough of Culture in 2027.
He is a devoted champion of the arts, cultural learning, creativity and diversity, and presents as a keynote speaker in a variety of contexts, from schools to leadership courses, industry related events and the corporate sector. He has been a regular contributor to Speakers fro Schools. He mentors other arts professionals, and has supported existing and emerging leaders on the Clore Leadership Programme.
He has served on various arts Boards, including The Royal Opera House (2002-2010) and The Royal Opera House Benevolent Fund (2010-2018) and Sir Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures (2017-2024).
He spent seven years as a school Governor (2017-2024) acting as both Vice-Chair and Chair, and served a a member of the British Council’s Arts; Creative Economy Advisory Group (2018-2024). He is currently a Patron of Akademi and The Place and a Founding Patron of the Black British Theatre Awards. He is a Trustee of the Chineke! Foundation, (which runs Europe’s first majority-Back and ethnically diverse classical orchestra), and of the Robert Cohan Dance Legacy.
He is also a member of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Advisory Council and an Ambassador of Wellbeing in the Arts, a charity, providing mental health and well-being support for the arts industry.
He has appeared in eight successive editions of the annual Powerlist of Britain’s most influential people of African and African-Caribbean heritage, as well as in Who’s Who.
In 2003 Kenneth was made an OBE in recognition of his services to dance, and in June 2017 was made a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, also in recognition of his services to dance.
Anne Donnelly
Anne Donnelly is a highly accomplished dancer, teacher, and administrator, Anne was a member of the London Contemporary Dance Theatre (dancing as Anne Went) from 1981-1991. Anne is a founding co-director of RCDL and co-produced On the And: Honouring the Legacy of Sir Robert Cohan CBE at The Place Theatre (London) in March 2023.
In 2014 and 2017, Anne performed at the Sadler's Wells Theatre as part of the Elixir Festivals celebrating life-long creativity. The 2017 performances included Forest Revisited, a reworking of Cohan's classic work Forest for an intergenerational cast of professional dancers and younger dancers still in training. In 2014 Anne was nominated along with the cast of the Elders Project for a Lawrence Olivier Award for outstanding achievement in dance.
Anne specializes in the teaching of Cohan technique and has conducted extensive research into his methodologies and pedagogy. Anne assisted Cohan in teaching masterclasses at numerous educational institutions and conservatories including at Middlesex University, Tring Park and the Beijing Dance Academy. Anne accompanied Cohan to New York for his special honouring at the Martha Graham studios in 2014.
For several decades, Anne has been instrumental in the restaging of Cohan's works. She worked directly with Cohan on choreographic reconstruction as well as costume and lighting design for revival performances. Anne was the lead coach for the Swedish Royal Ballet School's outstanding restaging of Stabat Mater for The Place performances and their prior performances in Sweden. .
Anne's significant experience as a performer and teacher, and her exceptional understanding of Cohan's craft and technique give her a unique ability to coach and support dance companies or educational institutions interested in performing or researching Cohan works.
Anne joined the faculty at Middlesex University (MDX) in 1994, serving as an Associate Professor of Dance. She held the position of Director of Dance Programmes from 2002-2023. As an academic, Anne has presented research papers or participated as a panelist at numerous professional conferences. Anne also served as a director on the Executive Board of DanceUK (1998-2001).
Prior to her appointment at MDX, Anne was the rehearsal director for the National Youth Dance Company, and taught dance extensively at institutions throughout the UK including, Arts Education School (Tring Park), Central School of Ballet, the Royal Ballet School, and Thamesdown Foundation School.
Anne holds a range of degrees and certifications including from the Academy of Sport, International Therapies Examining Council, Raworth College of Alternative Medicine, London School of Contemporary Dance, Arts Educational School, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, and Royal Academy of Dance.
Angela
Reay
Angela Christie Reay ARAD QTLS ATS FSET Cteach CID trained in Classical Ballet, National, and Modern Dance techniques at the Northern Ballet School in Manchester. Upon completing her training at 18, she secured a position as a soloist ballet dancer with the Stadtischen Bühnen Münster in Germany.
Over the next 12 years, Angela had an extensive international career as a professional dance artist, primarily in the State Theatres of Germany. She performed in Classical and Neo-Classical ballets, Contemporary dance works, Musical Theatre productions, Dance Theatre, Operas, Operettas, and also worked in television.
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Angela later trained as a specialist classical ballet teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and worked as a freelance RAD teacher for four years before joining the Performing Arts Academy at Newcastle College. She spent 21 years teaching ballet technique across the dance and musical theatre degree programs. For the past two and a half years, she has taught ballet technique on Dance City's Masters in Advanced Dance Performance program.
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In addition, Angela has delivered Professional Ballet Classes for regional dance artists at Dance City for the past nine years. She completed the Advanced Teacher qualification in July 2019.
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Angela is also a member of the Board for Eliot Smith Dance.
Paul R W Jackson
Paul R W. Jackson was a Reader in Choreography and Dance at The University of Winchester in Hampshire, England, and has worked professionally in the dance and music fields for over 35 years. He is a past Chair of the Standing Conference on Dance in Higher Education (SCODHE), now known as Dance H.E., the umbrella organiSation for British university dance departments. Paul also served as Head of Music at Northumbria University, where he founded and ran both of the university’s dance degree programs. He has also worked at the Arts Educational Schools (ArtsEd), Islington Arts Factory, Central School of Ballet, and the CFPD in Poitiers, France.
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Paul holds a BA Hons in Performing Arts from Middlesex University and a Master of Music with an emphasis in Dance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His dance instructors have included Viola Farber, Erick Hawkins, Lonny Gordon, Kazuko Hirabayashi, Alfredo Corvino, and Walter Nicks. In music, he has studied under John Cage and Sir Malcolm Arnold.
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As a dancer, Paul has performed with companies such as Gordon Dance, Gravity, Nonesuch, and Artlink, and has created roles in works by artists like Rudy Perez, Lonny Gordon, Gus Solomon Jr., and Walter Nicks. He has choreographed over 35 pieces performed in the UK, Europe, and the USA. He was also a member of the education teams for London Contemporary Dance Theatre, Extemporary Dance Theatre, and Ballet Rambert. As a pianist, he worked with the Nevada Symphony Orchestra and as an accompanist for prominent figures in dance, including Martha Graham, Robert Cohan, Merce Cunningham, Siobhan Davies, Viola Farber, and Richard Alston.
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Paul has written extensively on dance and music and was awarded the Chris de Marigny Dance Writers Award in 1997. He was a regular contributor to Dance Now and is the biographer of two major figures in 20th-century art: Oscar-winning composer Sir Malcolm Arnold and Sir Robert Cohan, the founding father of British contemporary dance, with whom he worked closely for the last 10 years.
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He founded the Malcolm Arnold Society and is the leading authority on Arnold’s music. His book, The Life and Music of Sir Malcolm Arnold: The Brilliant and the Dark, formed the basis for Tony Palmer's film Towards the Unknown Region: Sir Malcolm Arnold - A Story of Survival, commissioned by The South Bank Show.
Paul is currently working on a revised edition of his Sir Malcolm Arnold biography and a collected edition of his writings on British ballet music, which his publisher, Dance Books, is eager for him to finish.
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Additionally, Paul serves on the board of BalletLorent, was an Artistic Assessor for Dance and Music for Arts Council England from 2012-2017, alongside being a governor of Northumbria Healthcare Trust. He has also served as a Councillor for Berwick-upon-Tweed District Council (Magdalene Ward), Deputy Mayor of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and Chair of Trustees for the Berwick & District Cancer Support Group.
Roy M Vestrich
Dr. Roy M. Vestrich is a writer, painter, and photographer, and a founding director of the RCDL and founder/director of the Sir Robert Cohan Arts Legacy L3C (RCAL) in the USA. He played a key role in producing On the And: Honouring the Legacy of Sir Robert Cohan CBE at The Place Theatre in London in March 2023.
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As Sir Robert Cohan's nephew, Roy manages Cohan's intellectual property and artistic rights through RCAL. The two shared a deep interest in art, philosophy, and politics, and Roy was frequently consulted on Cohan’s research and creative projects from 2010 onward. His knowledge of Cohan’s work offers a unique perspective for companies and institutions looking to explore or restage Cohan’s pieces.
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Roy has authored two books of poetry, River People and The Lost Sonnets, along with numerous articles and reviews on art, dance, and higher education. His paintings and photography have been exhibited in galleries across New England. Roy has received several awards, including the Warner Brothers Television Writers Workshop Award in 1991, and his plays and short films have been produced at university theatres.
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In 2021, Roy performed with the Yorke Dance Project at the Royal Opera House, reading an original poem to accompany Yolande Yorke's work Tribute. As an academic, Roy presented at numerous international conferences and served in leadership roles in professional labour organizations, including as president of the Vermont State College Faculty Federation.
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Roy holds a BA from Bard College, and an MFA and PhD from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He served as a Professor of Communication and Theatre Arts at Castleton University for over 26 years, and directed several programs including the London Semester Programme. Since 2014, Roy has dedicated his time to developing RCDL and RCAL, focusing his efforts on continuing Cohan’s legacy after his passing in 2021.
Eliot Smith
Eliot Smith FRSA is a critically acclaimed British dancer, choreographer, and founder of Eliot Smith Dance (ESD), a company known for its inclusive and impactful contemporary dance works. Born in 1990 in Newcastle upon Tyne, Eliot's artistic journey blends traditional modern dance techniques, particularly the influence of Martha Graham, with collaborations with award-winning composers, musicians, and designers. His work often addresses pressing social issues and is performed in diverse settings, from traditional stages to unconventional spaces.
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Eliot’s contributions to the UK's dance sector have earned him recognition, including being shortlisted for One Dance UK’s People’s Choice Award in 2018, nominated for Dance Personality of the Year in 2019, and winning the Green Dance Award in 2022 for ESD’s environmental advocacy. His approach to choreography has gained support from UK dance agencies, venues, and funding organisations.
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Eliot trained at The London Contemporary Dance School and the Martha Graham School in New York, later leading the project Inviting Martha Graham Back to the UK in 2017, supported by Arts Council England. He founded Graham in the UK in 2018 to celebrate Graham’s legacy which led the foundations of ESD Presents. Over the years, Eliot has shaped contemporary dance by commissioning international choreographers, serving as Associate Artist at Dance City in 2017, and Artist in Residence at The Bowes Museum in 2018. In 2021, he joined the museum’s Board of Trustees and was named Honorary Friend of the British Federation of Festivals in 2022.
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After taking a break from dancing in 2021, Eliot focused fully on leading ESD and pursuing his choreographic vision, using contemporary dance to inspire, educate, and foster social change, inclusivity, and environmental awareness.