Kelly Vanneste (Kortrijk, Belgium, 1996) is a freelance dancer with ten years of experience. She has worked with companies such as Particles, IB the Company, and Corpo Maquina, and founded her own company, Alienated, where she works as a choreographer, dancer, and artistic leader. Her background in sports forms the basis of how she views movement and dancers: disciplined, exploratory, and always searching for what is still possible. She brings this perspective into her dual role as both dancer and creator. She understands how a dancer feels and what choices a creator must make. She is someone who recognizes and experiences both perspectives from within. What drives her is a passion that is greater than the struggles that come with the profession. That passion keeps her going, and from that drive and empathy, she is committed to the field to leave something behind for others and the next generation of dancers.
Martijn Schipper (Zwolle, Netherlands, 1999) works as a dancer, business manager, and marketer within the dance sector. He combines a performing practice with roles on the organizational side of the field. As a dancer, he has worked for SALLY Dance Company Maastricht, Isabelle Beernaert, and Andreas Hannes, among others. Additionally, he has been (or is) active in an organizational and marketing capacity for organizations such as DansBrabant, RIDCC, the Dutch Dance Days, and Alienated. This combination gives him a broad perspective on the sector, where he combines his artistic experience on the floor with his knowledge of theater and festival operations and grant conditions. Through his dual role, he shares insights that he has learned by viewing the sector from both the dancer's and the organization's perspective.
Elena Cheldaeva (Novosibirsk, Russia, 2003) is studying International Creative Business at Inholland University and has a background in dance and theater. In her graduation research, she is currently focusing on the daily reality of dancers, looking beyond just the performance to delve into the challenges involved in building and maintaining a dance career. By bringing together insights from artists and the performing arts world, she aims to contribute to an environment that better supports dancers. On May 26, she will share the results of her research with us.
Celine Werkhoven (Leiden, Netherlands, 1990) is a dancer, interdisciplinary artist, and creator with a love for movement, sound, and visual arts. She graduated from the Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts (BA Modern Dance Theatre, 2012) and has since worked with a wide range of companies and choreographers, including Ann van den Broek, Voetvolk/Lisbeth Gruwez (BE), Katja Heitmann, National Opera, and Oper Köln (DE). In recent years, she has increasingly focused on her own artistic language and practice, both independently and within SKYPUNCH COLLECTIVE. She enjoys creating crossovers between movement and other vocabularies, always seeking new forms and ways to engage the senses. In addition to her work as a performer and creator, Celine is an experienced teacher in contemporary dance, floor work, and creation. Celine shares her experience of the past 12 years as a dancer and creator in the ever-changing field.
