Mike Williams

11949146 10153128926492852 8978257515305714314 nMike began his dance training at 16, having previously trained as a gymnast. At college he joined both the County Youth Dance Company and National Youth Dance Company where he worked alongside professional choreographer Henri Oguike for several seasons. It was this amazing opportunity that fuelled his passion to pursue a career as a professional dancer.

Mike undertook his professional training in London at Roehampton University, graduating in 2006. After several small freelance contracts, Mike’s first company role was with Cardiff based company, Earthfall. Here he remained a company dancer from 2008-2010 touring nationally in ‘Gravitas’ and ‘GIG’. He remains as one of the lead tutors with the company’s education team to this day.

Mike second longstanding company position came under the direction of Sue Lewis with the small repertory company FFIN DANCE, based in the Welsh Valleys of Abertillery. Here he performed works both nationally and internationally by Sue Lewis, Catrin Lewis and award-winning choreographer, Gary Lambert. Mike toured with the company from 2010-2014.

Mike's most recent company role has been with the newly-formed Inclusive based company, Exim Dance, based within the heart of Plymouth. Joining the company in 2012, Mike has toured a variety of work, most recently by Olivia Lockwood and Adam Benjamin, cofounder of Candoco Dance Company. Currently on a break, Mike shall return to the company in 2016.

Amongst his company roles, Mike has worked as a freelance dancer for a variety of artists including Anna Melander, Chisato Minamimura, Isaac Blake, Kylie Ann-Smith and Candoco Dance Company as part of their moving bodies programme.

2015 marks Mike's first creative steps as an emerging independent artist and choreographer, debuting his first professional solo, ‘4.33’ at several performance platforms, most recently the Wales Dance Platform in Cardiff and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.


4.33

4.33 explores the ‘silent’ score by John Cage in an abstract physical setting that will ask the audience to listen closely and to think about what they are witnessing. A challenging and clever piece that explores the physicality and anatomical structure of the human spine, itself having 33 separate bones, through sectional, dynamic and articulate choreography. What will you see? What will you hear?

Choreographed & performed by Mike Williams
Photo copyright: Garry Platt