Meet the Ensemble
Dora Frankel Ensemble was formed in autumn 2018 to give a platform to Dora’s continuing choreography and filmmaking, creating immersive, touring work highlighting the intersection between personal journeys and environmental collapse. A diverse group of dancers of different ages, gender identification and sexual orientation, from both Italy and England, it includes associate artists from other disciplines. Experience exhilarating opportunities from performances to residencies and more, throughout the year and reaching from Newcastle to Whitstable.
Release the Beast
Watch 23 times award-winning Touch the Beast trailer. Hire the film at any time.
LUCA
BRACCIA
DANCER
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Dancer, teacher and Rehearsal Director for the Ensemble Luca Braccia is a London-based dance artist and academic.
He has performed widely in works by among others Merce Cunningham, Jiri Kylian, Shobana Jeyasingh, Adriana Borriello, Tony Adigun, Mauro Bigonzetti, Allen and Karen Kaeja, Carl Portal and Dora Frankel.
Luca also works as a Lecturer in Reflective Practice for the Imperial Society of Teachers Dancing and Studio Team Member at Studio Wayne McGregor.
Moreover, Luca collaborates with LîLa Dance, Fuora Dance Project and Dora Frankel Ensemble as a performer and facilitator.
In 2015, he founded BARBERDANCE / lucabraccia&Co. and has staged his works in China, Italy, Portugal and the UK.
He is Course Leader for University of Suffolk’s dance degree.
LIVIA
MASSERELLI
DANCER
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Livia Massarelli dancer, teacher and Rehearsal Director for the Ensemble.
She is a multifaceted dance artist and expert in meditation and coaching, dedicates her career to dance and to dancers' well-being, working internationally as a performer, choreographer, teacher, researcher and holistic coach.
Livia has danced in the creations of numerous choreographers, including Emanuel Gat, Shobana Jeyasingh, Tony Adigun, Claudia Castellucci, Dora Frankel and others.
As a choreographer her work has been presented at Festivals across Europe and she collaborates with numerous UK and European companies as a dance teacher, rehearsal director and mentor/coach.
As an educator, Livia has taught workshops, prevocational and professional classes in and for prestigious schools in the UK and abroad, including Dance City, (Newcastle), The Place (London), The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance (Dundee), Gloucester University, Ivarson International School of Contemporary Dance (Munich), The Andover College, The South East College (London) and Teatro Greco (Rome).
ZARA
SANDS
DANCER
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Zara Sands is a London-based dance artist who graduated with a first class Honours from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
She works as a freelance contemporary dance artist in France and England, dancing for choreographers such as Matthew Rawcliffe and Aline Derderian (Consensus Cie.) as well as other collaborative works and operas.
She was awarded 1st Place in Hamburg Dance Competition 2020, receiving the Jules Matberg Dance Award, and was awarded as a finalist in Choreolab – Made in Ulm 2020.
Zara recently received her first Arts council England grant to create Hibernation Dream screendance acting as performer, choreographer and filmmaker.
Other projects include Let Me Elaborate and Bulldogs.
BECKY
HORNE
DANCER
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Becky Horne is a freelance dance artist working across the UK as a dancer, maker, performer and researcher and is a graduate of Laban Trinity Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
She danced with Transitions before embarking on her own practice and is committed to highly collaborative processes, improvisational practices and site-specific work with studio-based research an important part of her work.
Curious about humans and the body, her work often explores togetherness, touch and connections with our environments through sensory experiences.
Current projects include a Jerwood Arts supported collaboration with Anna Dighero, I Will Host a House Party, a series of charcoal and pencil drawings, and Bettering a solo.
PINI
GIACOMO
DANCER
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Giacomo Pini is a freelance dancer originally from Italy, who studied at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance and subsequently joined EDGE, the post-graduate company of London Contemporary Dance School.
He identifies as non-binary and participated in the Ljubliana course Performing Gender. He performed in award-winning, globally screened, dance film Touch the Beast alongside Dora and Livia.
Other freelance work includes projects with North-East-based Eliot Smith Dance, including works Poppy, In Plain Movement and Troy, as well as Froth on the Day Dream by Mathieu Geffre (Artistic Director of Rendez-vous Dance.)
He is a qualified Yoga teacher.
PETER COYTE
COMPOSER
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Peter Coyte is a composer and sound artist producing work in theatre, film and installations.
He began as Shape Navigator on Guerilla Records writing with Coldcut, Seal and David McAlmont.
Long-term collaborations include Dora Frankel, with whom he has worked since 2012, Salena Godden, John-Paul Zaccarini The MixRace MixTape, John Nicholson Peepolykus, director Gemma Bodinetz, filmmakers Joanna Callaghan and Francois Verster and Exeter based Le Navet Bete.
He is a member of Automatic Writing Circle, a group of sound artists who have performed in festivals and venues across the United Kingdom and Europe.
KATE COLLINS
COSTUME DESIGNER, MAKER
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After training at Wimbledon School of Art in Costume, and subsequent positions with, among others Glyndebourne Opera House, Kate moved back to her home county, Northumberland and has developed a successful freelance career including theatre and dance costume design and make and bespoke wedding and other gowns. Current contracts include Head Cutter at North Stage, Cutter/Maker for TV series Vera and Costume Designer/Maker for Fertile Ground and Dora Frankel Ensemble.
Her collaboration with Dora began in 2008 on Different Spaces/Different Sounds and includes Bridging the Gap (One Small Step/One More Step as well as all the JMWTurner trilogy costumes.
Kate continues to work for other regionally-based theatre companies and also takes commissions for large scale productions nationally and internationally.
ROMA YAGNIK
COMPOSER
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Roma Yagnik is an award-winning UK based composer working in film (feature and short form), dance, theatre, events and television. Her diverse client list includes BBC, Sky/ SATV, EMI, Universal Music, Unicef, PLAN International, Tottenham Hotspur, Tate Britain and the British Library as well as some of the brightest independent film & theatre talent around.
Roma's dance, theatre and event work includes, The opening of Edinburgh International Festival 2024, Resurgam a vertical dance piece performed by Bandaloop on the south facade of St Paul's Cathedral as well as sound design for I, Daniel Blake (Tiny Dragon and Northern Stage) and of course Dora Frankel's Touch the Beast.
Images Luke Waddington, Jonathan Deeley, Kate Collins.