Company: MotionManual

Founded by Yorkshire based choreographer Manuela Berndt, MotionManual produce live dance performances that explore physicality, diverse body concepts and contemporary movement approaches.

We are an international collective of artists from different backgrounds who create small to mid scale touring productions at Yorkshire Dance in Leeds as well as at a range of regional venues and diverse residencies in Europe and overseas.

Our work is based on research and experimentation and reflects influences of different art forms, ideas, sounds and images. Reflecting on the world that surrounds us we challenge social conventions, aesthetics and creative processes.

We are committed to collective practice and devise work as an ensemble, placing particular emphasis on individual contribution, movement language and cultural background of all collaborators involved. Alongside the artistic core we invite artists from diverse disciplines who contribute fresh ideas and influences to enrich our interdisciplinary performance work.

Our extensive artistic exchange and international collaboration projects have created a truly evolving creative venture.

Current Collaborators:

Daliah Touré (Dancer and Performer)

Daliah is from Austria/Guinea and trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds. She has been working as a dancer and core collaborator with MotionManual since 2006. Previous to this she also gained a photography degree from Nottingham Trent University. Additionally Daliah has worked with choreographers such as Hofesh Schechter, Rachel Dean and Kathinka Walter and received a number of scholarships to pursue her own research into interdisciplinary movement approaches and improvisation.

Dan Watson (Dancer and Performer)

Dan graduated in 2001 from Roehampton University. He was a core artist with StopGAP Dance Company for 7 years, working with choreographers such as Hofesh Schechter, Rob Tannion, Filip Van Huffel and Maxine Doyle amongst others. In that time Dan also danced for Protein Dance, Retina Dance, Green Candle Dance Company and Seven Sisters Group. Since leaving he has performed with Stan Wont Dance (Babel), Evolving Motion (Vanishing Point), 5 Men Dancing (UK and Germany tour) and Slung Low (They only come at night, Resurrection and Visions). His first solo performance Semi Detached premiered in 2009 with support from The BAC, London. Dan first worked with MotionManual on Body of Work 2008/09.

Amy Butler (Dancer and Performer)

After accomplishing a first class honours degree in contemporary dance at London Metropolitan University, Amy studied at London Contemporary Dance School completing a Higher Certificate in Contemporary Dance in 2006. Since graduating she has worked for The Balbir Singh Dance Company as both rehearsal director and dancer as well as with Sharon Watson, Jonathan Poole, Arcane Dance Company and Highly Sprung. More recently Amy has been involved in a site specific piece with Ascendance and extensive touring with State of Emergency. With MotionManual she collaborated on Body of Work 2008/09 as a dancer and co-creator.

Bobak Walker (Dancer and Performer)

Bobak graduated from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2004. Specialising in hip-hop and break dance he has assisted Benji Reed for Dansopolis and worked as a performer with Tom Roden, Gary Clarke, Beth Cassani and Lucy Suggate. In 2009 he choreographed and co-directed Time Gentlemen Please in collaboration with critically acclaimed folk music and dance company The Demon Barbers. Bobak worked as a performer and collaborator with MotionManual on Body of Work 2008/09.

Kathinka Walter (Dramaturge)

Kathinka is a German choreographer/performer. Based in Leeds she works in collaboration with various artists of different backgrounds, presenting her work in England and abroad. She works as a lecturer for choreography, improvisation and yoga at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and has started her practice-led PhD at the University of Leeds, School of Performance and Culture Industries in 2009. Kathinka has been working as a dramaturge with MotionManual since 2007.

Lucy Barker (Designer and Visual collaborator)

Lucy obtained a first class honours degree from Leeds College of Art and Design in 2005. She has worked for visual arts organisation Lumen on Evolution, Leeds International Film Festival and on several occasions for Instant Dissidence Dance Company as a film maker and graphic artist. Lucy has collaborated with MotionManual as a film maker and designer for HYB 2010, DanceMakers 2009/10, Body of Work 2008/09, Corpus Impromptu in 2008 and Corpus in Tone 2007.

Stefanie Berndt (International Tour Co-ordinator)

Stefanie is an independent dance artist and producer based in Berlin. After graduating from Fontys Dance Academy in the Netherlands she has collaborated with MotionManual on a series of projects and productions and is currently co-ordinating and booking the collective's international activities as well as Manuela Berndt's Movement Generation Systems residencies in Europe and overseas.