The Team
Laura Vanhulle - Artistic Director
Belgian born Laura Vanhulle moved to the UK in 2006, to complete her BA(hons) degree at Northern School of Contemporary Dance and was selected to undertake an apprenticeship with Ace Dance and Music, Shobana Jeyasingh (Counterpoint) and Motionhouse (The Voyage).
She has since maintained a successful career performing for a diverse range of companies and choreographers, including Mickael Marso Riviere, Oliver Robert Russell, Coda Dance Theatre, Keneish Dance Theatre, Sonia Sabri Company, Room2Manoeuvre, Autin Dance Theatre, Ace Dance and Music, Gary Clark, Gustavo Oliveira, Rogue Play, South Paw dance Company and James Wilton, touring nationally and internationally.
Laura has a strong teaching reputation across the UK, on behalf of organisations such as NSCD, The Place, Rambert, Trip Space (London), Swindon Dance, Dance City, Dance East, The Lowry, Freefalldance, DanceXchange, Elmhurst, Wolverhampton University, Coventry University, Edge Hill University. She has taught Internationally in Portugal-Porto (Summer Intensive Portugal), Greece and Belgium (Muda - Passerelle).
In 2013 Laura established Vanhulle Dance Theatre and has choreographed a range of indoor and outdoor works, including Angles in Life, Echo, Infinite Womanhood, Yin and Moo Shim. Dovetail, choreographed by Mickael Marso Riviere, music composed by Domenico Angarano. They are also been commissioned by PerformAct to create Blindspot & Surge. Recently Laura Vanhulle & Oliver Russell created a Family friendly show Olive Branch, which successfully is touring to Outdoor festivals, Schools and Library's. They are recently commissioned by The Place - To create Olive Branch Playground version. To do a 6 week national tour to schools and Festivals.
Both Laura & Oliver are no associate artists at Swindon dance.
In 2023 Laura & Oliver where commissioned to create Between You & Me, a work on Passerelle, a youth organisation in Kortrijk, in Belgium.
Laura studies the Korean martial art Tang Soo Do under Grand Master Khan. In July 2022 she was selected to represent Great Britain at the WTSDA World Championships in Greensborough, North Carolina, USA. She won gold in Hyungs, weapons, and sparring, in the brown belt adult female division. In October 2022 she won the Grand Champion Cup at the Regional Championship in Wales. In May 2023 she won the Grand Cup at the Nationals. She also studies Negaca Capoeira under the instruction of Mestre Chitaozinho. Laura loves yoga and Acro yoga and studies in any free time she has the body and mind connection. She believes in movement for movement and that dance is a gateway for learning - healing and connecting. She is also Dyslexic and believes dance is a way to express and connect in an unconventional way.
Oliver Robert Russell - Artistic director
Oliver studied at London Contemporary Dance School BA(HONS) and was one of two selected to represent the school in the AKX pilot programme (Akram Khan). Following this, Oliver travelled to China (Shandong Province) to study Kung Fu intensively under the instruction of 34th generation Shaolin Warriors.
Upon his return Oliver has continued to perform and tour both nationally and internationally working with choreographers and dance companies such as Vanhulle Dance Theatre, Rosie Kay Dance Company, Victor Fung Dance Company, Polly Hudson, Mercurial Dance, Marie Gabrielle-Rotie, Room2Maneouvre, and Mickael Marso Riviere. Oliver was appointed Co-Artistic Director of Vanhulle Dance Theatre in 2020 and has continued to create new work with fellow Artistic Director, Laura Vanhulle, receiving commissions, from Dance East, The Place, Swindon Dance, Dance City, Performact (Portugal) and Passerelle (Belgium). Most recently Oliver and Laura completed the creation of Vanhulle Dance Theatre’s new show, Olive Branch¸ a family dance show for the outdoors, fusing contemporary dance and Martial Arts. Olive Branch will tour to over 35 schools, Outdoor arts festivals, and libraries across 2024/2025.
Oliver’s journey in Martial Arts walks beside his career in dance. He began his path into martial arts at the age of 7, studying the classical Korean Martial Art Tang Soo Do, under the World Tang Soo Do Association. He has continued to train for the last 24 years, studying an array of styles including Capoeira, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kung Fu and Kickboxing
Oliver is a passionate teacher, he has lead workshops exploring the interflow of contemporary dance and martial arts, for Performact (Portugal), Passerelle (Belgium), The Garde (Avant Garde), WTSDA, Dance East, The Place, Rambert, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Artists for Artists (Joseph Toonga), Manchester Lowry, Swindon Dance, Birmingham DanceXchange, Deda, Edgehill University and Dance City.
Adam Towndrow - Producer
Producer - Outdoor Arts consultant Adam Towndrow has extensive experience in the outdoor touring sector. He will share his knowledge and support ADT on the best ways to research and experiment within our work, strike up conversations and relationships with other artists, collaborators, promoters interested in our project and support us in how best to place ourselves in a competitive market, both nationally and internationally. We will also be guiding us on practical touring tips, from travelling with set/props and towards sustainable activities that are environmentally engaged. Adam has a Degree in
Interdisciplinary Performance from Middlesex University and he founded C-12 Dance Theatre in 2005, the Emerge Festival in 2012 and Ballet For Kids in 2012. Having produced all works created by C-12 from 2005 to present, productions have included Trolleys that performed throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt and won the Argus Award for Artistic Excellence. Other outdoor productions Adam has Produced is The Van Man, Market Stall, Secret Encounters touring to 50+ events and festivals throughout the UK & Holland including The National Theatre, Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and Abbey Road Studios. Adam choreographed One's Enough, which toured the UK and choreographed ONE, which was commissioned by Dance Umbrella which performed at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London.
Dr Sue Buckmaster - Dramaturg
is the Artistic Director of Theatre-Rites, a puppetry expert and the fifth generation of theatre practitioners in her family. She is known for her unique puppet whispering technique and her work is celebrated for its use of Animism.
In 1996 Sue co-directed Theatre-Rites' first production Houseworks, the UK’s first site-specific production created for the under 5’s considered by the Guardian’s Lyn Gardner as one of her desert island theatrical experiences. Since then Sue has created over 30 site-specific and theatre productions for Theatre-Rites including the award-winning Mischief, a co-production with Sadler’s Wells and the Dance Touring Partnership and The Welcoming Party a co-production with Manchester International Festival, z-Arts and the Ruhrtriennale Festival and Something in the Air a co-production with Schauspielhaus Bochum.
In 2026 Sue will direct a new Theatre-Rites' production in collaboration with South African Choreographer Gregory Maqoma and Eshu at the Crossroads, a collaboration with Afro Cuban choreographer Miguel Altunaga (commissioned by Without Walls) will continue to tour.
Sue has many years of experience as a director, puppetry specialist, dramaturg and teacher. She has worked with a wide variety of companies outside of Theatre-Rites including directing both Chotto Desh and Chotto Xenos for the Akram Khan Company, providing dramaturgy for Vanhulle Dance Theatre and Joss Arnott Dance Company, and puppetry direction on The Caucasian Chalk Circle (director Simon McBurney, National Theatre), Pinocchio (director Marcello Magni Lyric Hammersmith) and Peter Pan (director Ben Harrison, Three Sixty Entertainment).
Sue continually offers mentoring to artists with a particular focus on artists interested in including puppetry or object-animation in their work, those who are exploring immersive theatre, or those interested in creating work for children.
Sue has an MA in Contemporary Theatre Practice from the University of Essex, which included a thesis on the Psychoanalytical Study of the Power of the Puppet. In 2018 the University awarded her an honorary doctorate in recognition of her inspiring leadership in theatre direction and puppetry.
In 2021, with Dr Liam Jarvis, she co-authored the book Theatre-Rites Animating Puppets, Objects and Sites.
She is an Advisor for Sadler’s Wells and Polka Theatre.
Guy Hoare – Lighting Designer
Guy designs lighting for dance, theatre, and opera; he has been based in London since 1998 as a freelance designer but works throughout the UK and internationally.
His designs for dance include many works for Mark Bruce Company with whom he has collaborated since 1999. Other works include Chotto Desh and Chotto Xenos for Akram Khan Company, Metamorphosis for Arthur Pita, Overflow for Alexander Whitley, Strange Blooms for Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, And Who Shall Go to the Ball? for Candoco. He has also designed pieces for The Royal Ballet, Sadler’s Wells, Scottish Dance Theatre, NDCWales, Manchester International Festival, Sydney Dance Company, Skånes Dansteater (Malmö), Hessisches Staatsballett (Wiesbaden), and Maqamat (Beirut); he has worked with Christopher Bruce, New Movement Collective, Theo Clinkard, Seeta Patel and Martin Forsberg amongst many others and has designed a number of interdisciplinary works for Theatre Rites and Gandini Juggling.
Designs for theatre include Seawall / A Life on Broadway; The Wife of Willesden and A Doll’s House at BAM, in New York; The Grapes of Wrath, Julie, The Deep Blue Sea and Here We Go for the National Theatre; Jesus Hoped the A Train for the Young Vic; Clarence Darrow for the Old Vic; Roots for the Donmar Warehouse; In Basildon for the Royal Court; and Portia Coughlan for the Almeida.
Designs for opera include Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera, New York; The Firework-Maker’s Daughter at the Royal Opera House, Jakob Lenz for English National Opera, Rigoletto for Welsh National Opera, My Fair Lady for Opera North and American Lulu in Bregenz.
Guy is an Associate Artist at Wilton’s Music Hall.