AG is proud of our illustrious Alumni, the product of over 20 years of commitment and investment into creative individuals and the dance community. For many, dancing provided a starting point for what has blossomed into incredible and awe-inspiring journeys, including careers in arts, entertainment, business, and social transformation spanning across cultures, sectors, and timezones. We’re proud to celebrate these and many other alumni, whose individual journeys and stories are a living and enduring embodiment of the AG mantra ‘Innovate, never replicate’.
I joined AG as a working professional, which allowed me to share my talents and experience with company members.
Everyone was from different walks of life but together we were a family. Hard work and dedication was instilled in us and we were pushed to be the best we could.
Company training encouraged our creative juices to flow and I will never forget the iconic stick or twist Freestyle at the end of classes. I’m grateful for my time in AG because I was able to help build the next generation of youth dancers coming up. They saw the work ethic, company spirit and polished productions that we delivered. And it’s because of these things that makes Avant Garde stand out from the rest.
Avant Garde Dance is more than a Dance Company it is a vision, a movement and a purpose that has always been a part of my journey from the tender age of 16.
The combination of raw HipHop Street style which I was used too and the grace of contemporary dance technique which I was already doing in college at the time.
Having stepped back from being a full time dancer I continued to grow as a Creative outside of the dance space and gained new skills. Branching into film, photography and editing which helped me find my new niche within Avant Garde many years later.
I.N.R Innovate Never Replicate
Avant Garde Dance opened my eyes to what ‘thinking out of the box’ means. One might say I developed my third eye at the company, which benefited me for the rest of my career.
Tony and AG gave me more than just better dance skills. I was thought how to be a better individual, how to show grit in times of adversity and I was given hammer and nails to build up anything I could dream of.
Ever since I left the company I participated in the television show So You Think You Can Dance; I established my own theatre company, which I toured for six years; I established a film production company and as of 2020 I established a public broadcasting network.
AG was the very 1st training facility I started with on my London training journey from Manchester to London.
3hours worth of training every Sunday was the highlight of my week, even though I dreaded freestyle I still went because I loved the energy and support in the studio, AG was all about doing you & interpretating the musicality to the best you could within your style.
AG has and will always be a huge part of my training, it has taught me self discipline within freestyle & individuality.
Avant Garde dance was my first journey into immersive theatre and a truly collaborative creative experience. As a group of like-minded dancers, lead by Tony Adigun, we were able to explore the full extents of our motion, to make happy mistakes and produce pieces which were true to the company name.
At the time I was working towards applying to study architecture, theatre has always provided a great foundation for that, and Avant Garde helped me to understand how bodies could move through space.
Now, as an Architect, I can utilise the skills that I have learnt from my time in the company and apply them to the way that I approach design and collaborating with others.
Avant Garde Dance opened my eyes to what ‘innovate never replicate’ means. I learnt a lot about the foundations of hip hop and how important it is to be myself on and off stage.
Tony and AG gave me tools to be more then just a better dancer but to believe in my own craft and trust the process for the rest of my career.
Since completing The Garde training program I have worked with I’ve worked with numerous of choreographers and companies; I established my own professional tap fusion company in 2016, which toured throughout the UK and internationally.
Working with Avant Garde was one of the best experiences I’ve had and it helped nurture me into the artist I am today! I learnt so much throughout my time with the company and had some amazing performance opportunities along the way! AG provided me with a tool box of skills that are priceless when approaching movement and creativity- their intricacy with musicality is next to none and the discipline and ethos of the company is of superhero standard!
Working for AG’s participation team during their tour of Fagin’s Twist is an opportunity that I’m extremely grateful for, working alongside the company and young performers from so many different artistic journeys helped develop my own creative journey in such a challenging and rewarding way.
Getting to work alongside extremely passionate choreographers and performers was an absolute inspiration and I loved every second!
Avant Garde Dance Company Ltd.
Registered in England
Company No. 06774393 | VAT No. 303 3772 29
Registered Office: The Silver Building
60 Dock Rd, London, E16 1YZ
Email: info@avantgardedance.com