UK
FOR ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING GRAHAM(™) TECHNIQUE COURSES OR A PARTICULAR TEACHER, DON’T HESITATE TO CONTACT US AT: CONTACT@GRAHAMFOREUROPE.COM
List of Graham teachers in United Kingdom [ 9 ]
[LOCATION]
USA/UK
Robert Cohan (1925-2021) joined the Martha Graham Dance Company in 1946 and left it 23 years later when he was invited by Robin Howard to become the first Artistic Director of the Contemporary Dance Trust in London and as such was the founder Artistic Director of The Place, London Contemporary Dance School and London Contemporary Dance Theatre, which he directed for over 20 years. No one has had a greater influence on the development of dance in Britain than Cohan. Having pioneered the teaching of contemporary dance technique in Britain, he was instrumental in the development of a vast following, not only for the repertory of LCDT but through his pioneering residencies held throughout the country, for the many other British companies which followed. From 1980 to 1990 he acted as the Artistic Advisor to the Batsheva Dance Company and choreographed several works for them and the Bat Dor Company in Israel.
[LOCATION]
LONDON, UK
Sarah Sulemanji is a multifaceted dance artist and educator with a passion for movement pedagogy and community engagement. As an alumna of The Martha Graham School in NYC, her work across contexts incorporates Graham-based practices, alongside improvisational methods. Sarah is a former Lecturer in Dance at Middlesex University, London (2010-2023), where she nurtured pre-professional artists, teaching dance technique, performance and creative practice. In 2022 Sarah founded Our Moving Stories, a community-focused company in Southall where she is now based. Sarah’s approach welcomes individuals of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to experience the expressive and transformative potential of dance. Sarah is a mum of two daughters, holds an MA in Professional Practice , BA Hons in Dance Performance, a PGCHE, Fellowship of the HEA and is a professional member of the Foundation for Community Dance. With teaching and performance engagements nationally and internationally, Sarah continues to share her passion for movement, creativity and inclusivity.
[LOCATION]
LONDON, UK
Paul was born in Leeds UK and studied at the London School of Contemporary Dance; he was a member of London Contemporary Dance Theatre, Irek Mukhamadov & Dancers, Rambert Dance Company, and Scottish Ballet as a soloist.
On leaving Scottish Ballet Paul was a guest artist Phoenix Dance Theatre, David Hughes Dance Productions & Simon Rice’s Abundance. Paul has danced works by some of the world’s most prominent contemporary-modern choreographers. Amongst those are Bruce, Kylian, Ek, Cunningham, McGregor, Tharp, van Manen, Taylor, Page, Petronio, Forsythe, Alston, Bonachela, Naharin, Tetley, de Frutos, Davis, Cohan, North, Tudor, Armitage, Brown, Balanchine, Robbins, Pastor, Kemp, Clarke, Baldwin. His awards include the Cosmopolitan/Scholl Award in 1985, Representing Great Britain in the Eurovision Young Dancer 1987 BBC Yorkshire Black Achievers Award 1992. Critic’s Circle Award for Outstanding Male Dancer (2004) (Contemporary), Critic’s Circle National Dance Award (2009) (The Dancing Times Award for Best Male Dancer). He was awarded the MBE in Queens Birthday Honours in 2009 for services to dance. After a twenty-four-year career, Paul retired from performing and holds a diploma from the British Ballet Organization (BBO DTLLS).
Paul has taught at various UK dance school and internationally, also guest taught Phoenix Dance Theatre, Michael Clarke Dance Company, Matthew Bourne New Adventures Company, David Hughes Dance, Rambert Dance Company, Rambert 2, Yorke Dance Project. At present Paul is teaching faculty at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance (Graham-based technique Cohan method) & London Studio Centre. Paul is a Trustee of the Dancer Professional Fund & Dame Margot Fonteyn Scholarship Fund also Patron to KS Dance.
[LOCATION]
LONDON, UK
Geneviève Beth Grady (Gigi) is a British-Canadian dance artist based in London. In Toronto she performed extensively both fusion and traditional roles with Menaka Thakkar (Bharatanatyam) and Ritmo Flamenco, and in multiple fringe performances of her own devising. UK work includes touring as a solo dancer with Latin jazz band Azul (a Guardian pick of the week), magician's assistant in a vaudevillian musical (Istanbul), and dancing Channa Horwitz’s Sonakinatography at Raven Row, London. Geneviève performs internationally her adaptation of three solos commissioned from seminal choreographer Deborah Hay (since 2006) and considers this ongoing relationship an integral part of her practice. She has taught Graham Technique extensively in the conservatoire sector, notably Trinity Laban (2003-2021), at HZT (Berlin), for evening classes at The Place (2005-2018), and continues to guest internationally.
Film and TV includes: MuchMusic Video Awards backup dancer (Toronto); singer/contestant Elaha Soroor’s solo backup dancer for Stage ’17; World War Z Movement Specialist/zombie (Paramount); Mandy S3 dream sequence dancer (BBC); Belgravia: The Next Chapter, recurring as Rochester Nanny. She has worked collaboratively with music artists Deirdre Gribbin (NI), Douglas Finch (CAN/UK), Nik Baertsch (CH), and Femi Koleoso (UK). With over a decade of experience as a movement coach, her most recent clients are poet/music artist Joshua Idehen for his headline European tour, and Bharatanatyam dancer/choreographer Neena Jayarajan (Toronto) as an outside eye for TEJAS.
“Somatic approaches, including Feldenkrais, BMC, and yoga, have informed years of enjoying what Graham as a technique can offer us contemporary dancers, and are materially present in the delivery and exploration of traditional sequences as we practice our relationship to breath, visibility, storytelling, and gravity, through the mechanisms of contraction, release, and spiral.”
[LOCATION]
LONDON, UK
Anne had a long career as a dancer with the Graham-based company London Contemporary Dance Theatre. Toward the end of 1990 she started teaching at The Thamesdown School,The Royal Ballet School, Central School of Ballet and Tring Park, Arts Educational School. Anne joined Middlesex University in 1994 to collate her teaching practice where she still teaches Graham Technique . Her research coheres around the health and training methods for contemporary dancers with specific focus on the mastery of Professor Robert Cohan’s method of teaching. Robert Cohan teaching: Body of Knowledge: www.rescen.net. Alongside Professor Chris Bannerman, she is documenting the innovative teaching and choreographic work of this leading figure.
[LOCATION]
LONDON, UK
Siân Hopkins graduated from Rambert School with a BA Hons in 2006 and later an MA in Dance Performance with Specialisation in Ritual with Distinction in 2012. She trained in Graham-based technique with Ross McKim and is principle artist and rehearsal director for his cathedral based research company, Moving Visions Dance Theatre. She had the pleasure of restaging Robert Cohan’s Class (1975) and Stabat Mater (1975) on graduating Rambert students and has worked closely with the ISTD to launch a new contemporary dance syllabus of McKim’s work, leading teacher and examiner training. Since 2012, Siân has taught Graham-based contemporary dance and repertoire at institutions around the UK as well as guest teaching in Japan, Singapore, Vietnam and Canada. She is currently teaching Graham at Middlesex University.
[LOCATION]
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, UK
Eliot Smith is the Founder and Artistic Director of Eliot Smith Dance (ESD), a contemporary dance company based in the North East of England. Eliot graduated in 2012 from The London Contemporary Dance School and studied further for a short time in New York at The Martha Graham School in 2013. Eliot returned to The Martha Graham School in 2017 as part of his project 'Inviting Martha Graham back to the UK', supported by the Arts Council England's Artists' International Development Fund and subsequently self-published a book "Martha & Me" which traces his passion for Martha Graham. As a result, in 2018 Eliot founded and directed 'Graham in UK', a platform for dancers and others passionate about the life and work of the great American choreographer Martha Graham, with the imprimatur of The Martha Graham Dance Company.
[LOCATION]
STOURBRIDGE, UK
Marcia Edwards graduated in 2001 from the Northern School Of Contemporary Dance in Leeds West Yorkshire. She did her dissertation in Dance as Education and gained a Pttls qualification. ME Dance company is based on the contraction and release techniques of Martha Graham. After working in schools, colleges and universities, Marcia created her own training classes and performance company. Her classes are open to youth and professional dancers aged 13-18+.
[LOCATION]
LONDON, UK
Patrice began his Graham journey, learning the Graham technique and repertory in Paris under the guidance of Pasqualina Noël, an alumna of the Graham school and a former member of the Pearl Lang company. He quickly joined her Modern Dance Ensemble, performing the Graham repertory from 2007 to 2009. In 2009, he was honoured with a Fulbright Scholarship, allowing him to deepen his exploration of modern dance at The Ailey School in NYC, where he learned from distinguished master teachers like Mr Kevin Predmore and Mrs Kazuko Hirabayashi. In April 2020, Patrice founded M-Intensive Online Dance Training, an international platform dedicated to the Graham and Horton practices. One year later, he launched M-Intensive University (MIU), an innovative online dance school for teachers. This family-run school offers online and in-studio classes in the Graham and Horton techniques, certification, and workshops, empowering dance educators and enthusiasts with accessible training resources. Patrice is frequently invited by vocational schools and companies worldwide as a Graham & Horton educator and coach, spreading the transformative power of Martha Graham's dance globally.
