Avant Garde Dance Company is at the forefront of London’s innovative Hip hop/ Contemporary Dance scene. The company was founded in 2001 and is led by Artistic Director Tony Adigun.
Having gained extensive experience in the world of commercial dance, Tony set out to transform a group of hip hop dancers into a unique company that could also explore contemporary influences and create a more unusual, abstract and artistic practice. The company’s dynamic performances explore a myriad of styles, themes and media, whilst embracing different genres and forms of music, dance, literature, circus and digital work.
The mantra ‘Innovate Never Replicate’ is evident throughout the work as the company embraces a sense of difference, individuality and uniqueness.
Avant Garde Dance has performed in the UK and internationally at venues and festivals including: The Place, Breakin’ Convention, Sadler’s Wells, Pavilion Dance, Southbank Centre, The Barbican, DanceXchange, Greenwich Dance, Latitude Festival, British Dance Edition, Greenwich & Docklands International Festival, Brighton Dome, East London Dance at Stratford Circus, Barcelona Festival and Madison Square Gardens New York.
Since 2015, Avant Garde Dance Company has reached over 170,000 audiences and engaged over 2000 young people in learning opportunities.
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Tony is a choreographer, director, curator, dancer, educator and mentor with a razor sharp eye for dance composition, musicality and form. His unique dance vocabulary has gained respect from the highest echelons of the dance industry.
His iconic choreography and style has resulted in commissions to choreograph work for Cirque de Soleil in Andorra, Fontys in Tilburg, and for festivals in Vietnam, America, Poland, Russia and Portugal, as well as in the UK with Breakin Convention, The Place/Alston Takes Over and Greenwich and Docklands International Festival.
Tony was a semi-finalist in The Place Prize 2012 and was also commissioned by The Place to remake Richard Alston’s ‘Wildlife’ as part of Dance Umbrella 2011, which subsequently went on tour with graduate company Edge. In 2012 he was invited by Breakin’ Convention to research and develop a new work in conjunction with Parc de la Villette in Paris. He was co-choreographer on the Royal Opera House Education and East London Dance production of The Last Genie. He was guest choreographer for The Exhibitionists, an international ensemble of acrobats and dancers brought together for the Road Show festival on Exhibition Road.
Commercially he has performed with internationally recognised artists including Janet Jackson, Usher, Ashanti, Mel B, JoJo, Cheryl Cole and Whitney Houston and was the Creative Director for Sky 1’s ‘Got To Dance’.
The TEAM
Tony Adigun
Founder | Artistic Director | Choreographer
Tony Adigun is a man of many hats: Creative director, curator, choreographer, dancer, educator and mentor all worn with the same signature passion and style.
He is the founder and Artistic Director of the cutting edge hip-hop company Avant Garde Dance and continues to steer his ship into uncharted creative territory. Tony has a razor sharp eye for composition, musicality and form, which has allowed him to develop a unique dance vocabulary unique that has gained respect and admiration from the highest echelons of the dance industry. Music is Adigun’s first passion and major influence, and dance is the way he show’s his appreciation.
Tony’s iconic choreography and style is renowned around the world as he has performed and delivered workshops in Vietnam, America, Poland, Russia, Portugal, Zimbabwe and many other countries. He has received commissions from numerous organisations including Hextable Theatre, Breakin Convention, The Place/Alston Takes Over, Hoxton Hall, Big Chair Dance, Dance Umbrella and Dream Productions. Commercially he has choreographed and performed with top artists from the UK and America including Janet Jackson, Usher, Ashanti, Mel B, JoJo, Cheryl Cole and Whitney Houston.
From work in schools to community dance projects with older people, commercial tours to artistic endeavours, Adigun is consistently able to get the best out of people. Tony delivers powerful transformative education work, challenging the young people he works with to ‘go against the grain’ and channel their unique identities. Tony is resolute in his belief that young people from any background can achieve at the highest level.
Sam Reeves
AG2 Course Lead
Sam is a professional contemporary dancer, physical theatre performer and choreographer who trained with Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in Israel, as well as Jasmin Vardimon’s JV2.
Sam has since gone on to work with companies including Jasmin Vardimon Company, Avant Garde Dance, Corey Baker Dance and many more, featuring in international theatre productions, site-specific and immersive performances, as well as live and pre-recorded television.
James Tilston
General Manager
James has worked in the arts for 17 years, predominantly in performing arts venues, including as General Manager at Chelsea Theatre on the King’s Road and Chief Executive of Jacksons Lane in Highgate. During this time he has been lucky enough to work across varied art forms including theatre, dance, live art, music and contemporary circus.
CREATIVE COLLABORATORS
Lisa Hood
Lisa trained at London Contemporary Dance School and has a BA Hons in Contemporary dance. She has performed internationally with companies including: Rosie Kay Dance Company, The Generating Company, Ffin Dance, Ijad Dance Company, Arthur Pita, Sheron Wrey, Smallpetitklein, Rachel Lopez De La Nieta and Ben Ash.
More recently Lisa was Assistant Choreographer for The Generating Company and Ffin Dance. Lisa has worked with Avant Garde Dance Company as a lead performer (Nancy in Fagin’s Twist), and works as the company’s associate director and choreographer.
Sara Gordon
Sara Gordon trained at the Theatre School of Dance and Drama in Edinburgh and has worked in many different dance scenes from contemporary to commercial work, musical theatre to cruise liners. Sara has performed with artists such as Robbie Williams, Sophie Ellis Bexter, Cheryl Cole, Diana Ross and in adverts for the BBC and Hits TV.
Sara has worked as an Assistant Director at Avant Garde Dance Company for 7 years and has also worked with choreographers: Freddie Opoku -Addaie (Jagged Antics), Saju Hari, Mikaela Polly (Rambert Dance Company) and Teddy Forance.
Emma Stansall
Emma started her AG journey as a student in training, she used this time to gain a refined skill set to put to practice as she worked her way up the ranks of the company and agency: training student to professional dancer to choreographer to creative assistant. Her close working relationship with the agency allows her choreography to coincide with the creative vision telepathically.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Avant Garde Dance is a not-for-profit arts company limited by guarantee, governed by a Board of Directors:
AG also works with a range of freelance producers, managers and artists to deliver its exciting programme of work.
If you would like to work with Avant Garde Dance please send us with a proposal of how you would like to move the company forwards to: info@avantgardedance.com
Avant Garde Dance
Innovate Never Replicate
Avant Garde Dance Company Ltd.
Registered in England
Company No. 06774393 | VAT No. 303 3772 29
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