Welcome to attik dance

Vibrant, highly experienced and well trusted, attik dance is a company with a great sense of fun.

We believe dance is for everyone – whether it’s watching or taking part – and we aim to free the imagination and empower others with the confidence and skills to enjoy dance at any level.

We create fresh ways of bringing dance into the community, including the education sector, and offer vocational training for dancers.

attik dance supports the emerging dance infrastructure in the South West through classes, workshops and employment for dance professionals.
We are a registered charity and company limited by guarantee and gratefully acknowledge support from the following organisations:

The artistic process

I love to dance, it is simple and fundamental to my survival in this business. To feel my body moving with energy, quality, rhythm, to see other bodies, moving in the space and to share that experience with them.

I don’t see myself as a choreographer, although choreography happens as a result of fulfilling a new idea. I think ‘creative facilitator’ sums it up better.

The sparks, chemistry and unpredictable reactions that happen between people, ideas and spaces are exciting and something I strive to blend into the creative process.

There is no line between our education and performance work – or the development of the company. They come from the same source and are fuelled by the same passion. They simply take different paths towards the same shared goal.

Lois Taylor, Artistic Director

Meet the team

Lois Taylor, Artistic Director
I founded attik dance in 1989 and am its artistic director and choreographer. I worked as a nurse and a cook before training as a dancer at the Laban Centre.  I worked as a dancer and teachers with Ludus Dance and Footloose Dance Company.  As artistic director my role is to develop an activity plan for both professional artists and members of the community, that provides inspiring opportunities  for creativity and learning through dance

As a performer, I’ve recently worked with choreographer/director Angus Balbernie and toured in The Bedroom Tour and The Bed, with choreographer/director Angela Praed.

Nell Harrison, Business Manager
After spending many years living in Australia and Canada working variously in the cattle industry, diamond mining and music festivals, I returned to Devon in 2003 to complete a BA Hons degree in Arts and Cultural Management at Dartington College of Arts.    The Dartington experience spurred me on to co-found Devon’s first rural arts-based community radio station called SounDArt Radio which I am still heavily involved with.  A desire to break from the Dartington ‘bubble’ and to gain experience with a mature and dynamic arts organisation lead me to Attik’s door in March 08.

Sally Robbins, Education Specialist
As a member of the Cornwall Youth Dance Company I attended evening classes with attik and, after gaining a national diploma in dance at Cornwall College St Austell, I trained at Roehampton University, where I gained an honours degree in dance studies. I had a work placement with Motionhouse Dance Theatre after completing my degree gaining valuable professional development.

Having returned to Cornwall in 2005, I worked with the Cornwall Youth Dance Company before joining attik in January 2006.

Jenny Plant, Community Specialist
I trained at Breton Hall, University of Leeds, gaining an honours degree in dance, before undertaking postgraduate study in dance in the community at the Laban Centre. Training and work opportunities over the past four years have enabled me to experience a broad spectrum of creative dance activities for all ages.

Performers
Due to the varied nature of our work, attik does not retain a permanent company of performers. We do, however, have ongoing relationships with several performers – we also audition nationally for each new performance.

When creating and touring work, our core staff expands to include dancers, actors, musicians, composers, film-makers, designers, production staff and publicists.

attik board

attik began life in 1989, when Lois Taylor and Dougie Bruce worked from the Sterts Centre on the edge of Bodmin Moor. Gradually, the partnership expanded to include other artists and bring in choreographers to devise work.

In 1998, we moved to Plymouth, becoming a charity and a company limited by guarantee. Our early work involved touring nationally to small scale theatre. More recently we have been exploring where else the work can happen from beaches to town centres. Our artistic activity is a vehicle to deliver professional development and a dynamic education & community programme.