The Snow Queen cast and production team 2023:

Dancer

“The Snow Queen “ Production.

Kat Ball (she/they) is a freelance disabled dance artist, using standing and wheelchair movement modalities. She has eight years’ experience with different projects across contemporary and inclusive settings. Kat has most recently performed “Look Mum, No Hands”, an all age show co-produced by Mimbre and Daryl&Co. Kat has also completed an apprenticeship with Stopgap Dance Company (2018-21) which included teacher training, live and digital performances.

Dancer

“The Snow Queen” Production

Originally from Mid-Wales, Joe Powell-Main started ballet at the age of five alongside his older sister, Holly, before training at the Royal Ballet School, White Lodge between 2009 and 2013. He was a Junior associate in Birmingham with the Royal Ballet School for three years and did one year on the pre-vocational programme with Elmurst School for Dance.

Whilst a junior associate in Birmingham, Joe performed with Birmingham Royal Ballet in The Nutcracker and a UK Tour of David Bintley's Sylvia. As a student at White Lodge, he performed with the Royal Ballet in The Nutcracker in 2009 and 2011. He also performed at the Royal Opera House in Matthew Hart's Peter and the Wolf and in the Royal Ballet School summer shows between 2010 and 2012, during which time he had the opportunity to work with choreographers, Antonio Castilla, and Liam Scarlett. He met and performed for HRH Princess Alexandra at a Diamond Jubilee event during the summer of 2012 at White Lodge.

Due to injuries that led to Joe acquiring a disability, he stopped dancing for around three years. He returned to dance using a wheelchair through Latin and Ballroom classes in Manchester. Powell-Main has competed in wheelchair Latin and Ballroom competitions in Manchester and Stevenage. Joe was the UK National Para Dance Champion three consecutive years between 2017 and 2019, in the combi category with his sister Holly and the solo freestyle category. During his competition career in the Latin, Ballroom and Freestyle genres, Joe won a total of fifteen gold medals.

Powell-Main furthered his training through a degree course in Dance and Performance at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester, which he graduated from in 2020 with a BA (Hons) First Class Degree. He also undertook an apprenticeship with Ballet Cymru through the Pre-professional Programme alongside his final year of study at the Arden. During the 2020 lockdown Joe taught inclusive ballet classes via the Capezio Live Instagram platform with his sister Holly.

Powell-Main worked as the first wheelchair and crutch using company dancer for Ballet Cymru between 2020 and

2021. During his time with the company, he choreographed and was a guest teacher on the Wales summer dance and mid associate programmes. Joe was also a leading practitioner on an inclusive course with the company that took place on zoom in February of 2021.

Joe is also the first wheelchair using dancer to perform as a featured guest artist with the Royal Ballet company.

Since 2022 he has been working as a freelance dance artist and during the last year alongside performing, he had the opportunity to develop choreography and lead workshops for primary school children. Joe was a practitioner for the National Youth Ballet Applied Ballet All In workshops last December. For more information about Joe visit www.joepowellmain.com

Professional Stage Credits Include: Fusion Stepchange Studios (2018), Performer at Move It (2019), Ballet Cymru Romeo and Juliet (2019), UK Tour of Giselle with Ballet Cymru (2021), Guest Dancer with the Royal Ballet in Collaboration with Birdy for Channel 4 Paralympic GB Homecoming Ceremony (2021), Poems and Tiger Eggs Narrated by Cerys Matthews with Ballet Cymru (2021), Murmurations Choreographed by Liam Riddick for Ballet Cymru (2021), Guest artist with Royal Ballet performing a leading role in Sleepwalker by Alexander Campbell and Kristen McNally for Royal Ballet Spring Draft Works Programme (2022), Dance Artist with Sweetshop Revolution for I am 8 Research and Development (2022), Dancer for the One Young World 2022 Summit Manchester and a Lead Role in Power of Performance: This Is Us for the Rugby League World Cup Festival (2022).

Choreographic Credits Include: La La Land and Fusion for Stepchange Studios (2018), La Samba for Wales Summer Dance (2021) and Undone for One Young World Manchester Summit 2022 Opening Ceremony.

Film and TV credits Include: Appearances on ITV Wales, BBC Wales News and BBC Newsbeat, Dancer in Pas De Deux for Channel 4 Random Acts, Performer and Director of O'r Lludw created for National Dance Company of Wales Plethu/Weave Commission, Performer and Director of Y Ddraig for HARP and Arts Council of Wales and a Leading role in the Sleepwalker Promotional Film for Alexander Campbell Productions.

Until the age of 15, Ayuna lived an active and happy life in Russia in faraway Siberia (republic of Buryatia). Ayuna then had an inflammation of the spinal cord in the thoracic spine and as a result she stopped walking and lost sensation in half of her body. Since becoming a wheelchair user, Ayuna continues to develop herself in all possible directions.

Ayuna is now 22 years old and during these seven ‘wheely’ years she has met incredible and amazing people around the world. She has taken up more than ten sports, plays the piano and guitar, and recently Ayuna started taking part in triathlons. She plans to take part in ‘IronMan’ in the future.

In spring 2021, Ayuna and a professional team from Khan-Tengri Mountaineering Club climbed the mountain Munku-Sardyk (3491m), which is located on the border between Mongolia and Russia. The whole team consisted of about 60 people and the expedition lasted twelve days. A documentary is currently being made about this project. It changed Ayuna’s life; she fell in love with the mountains and is ready for new adventures that await her in the near future.

Before Ayuna’s injury, she used to take part in ballroom dancing. For the last few years, she has dreamed of returning to the dance floor, and now, finally, she has succeeded.

In November 2022, Ayuna won the Dance Westminster project hosted by Step Change Studios, a dance competition for people with disabilities. She has taken part in a number of training workshops with inclusive dance companies including Leicester ProDance Initiative and People Dancing. She has worked as an assistant with Louise Katerega in Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, where students were introduced to dance involving physically disabled dancers. Ayuna is currently taking part in the Young Creatives Programme by One Dance UK.

Ayuna is in love with dance, and she has dreamed of being in this kind of show all her life. She still can’t believe that she is lucky enough to be part of this incredible project.

Lauren danced throughout her childhood and, as a hobby, into her early 20s. As her health began to decline, she stopped dancing. When Lauren heard about SideKick Dance in Leicester she started dancing again - learning what she could do in (and out of!) her chair. Lauren found dancing again liberating and began volunteering with Sidekick’s youth company, supporting others to develop their dance skills. Lauren went on to co-lead both children’s and adult’s weekly sessions with Sidekick.

Lauren met We Are Epic in 2018 and was frustrated by the lack of connections, support and progression opportunities for disabled dancers in Leicester. With the aim of bringing more quality, inclusive dance and development opportunities to Leicester, Lauren became an advisor to the WAE board. As part of We Are Epic’s talent development programme, ID Dance brings together dancers with different bodies and minds. Weekly technique classes and regular masterclasses with established choreographers gave Lauren the skills and confidence to begin undertaking professional dance work. As well as performing with ID Dance, Lauren has worked with Stopgap and Step Change Studios.

Outside of the dance world, Lauren is a primary school teacher who is passionate about inclusion and supporting pupils with SEND.

I have been involved in inclusive dance since 2017 when I joined FreeWheelin Dance. I have taken part in two Para Dance UK National Championships, competing in solo, duo, combi and group categories becoming National Champion in both Freestyle and Ballroom & Latin. I was also part of Team England ParaCheer Hip Hop and won the World Championships with the team in April 2018.

I have also taken part in several group performances with FreeWheelin Dance, including the Birmingham International Dance Festival. In 2022 I was part of Wondrous Stories, dancing with Motionhouse and Critical Mass as part of the opening of the cultural festival for the Commonweatlh Games. I also had a lead dance role in the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games. 

I am passionate about promoting the message of inclusive dance and was part of the ‘We are Undefeatable’ campaign to promote the benefits of keeping active with a long-term health condition. 

Company Stage Manager

I have been a Stage Manager for 7 years now for a variety of productions/events from Ballet, to Musicals, to Scare Events, to Ceremonies working throughout the Midlands and the UK. Since graduating from the University of Birmingham, I've worked for multiple Midlands-based companies and am excited to work with Propel Dance on their latest production as I feel the work they are creating is very important and I can't wait to get started.

Artistic Mentor

Kimberley Harvey is a freelance disabled dance artist who has worked in the dance sector for over 12 years. Kimberley works as a performer, choreographer and teacher. Her work also involves being an advocate for a more inclusive dance sector that embraces difference and values each individual for who they are and what they bring to the art form.

As performer, Kimberley works mainly in contemporary dance across a variety of settings and contexts, but she also has experience in physical theatre with companies such as ThisEgg.

Kimberley has her own dance company, Subtle Kraft Co. Their work centres around relationships in their various forms with connection, communication and curiosity at the heart of everything they do.

In addition, she is the Director of the Youth Dance Programme for Candoco Dance Company

Access Officer/Access Consultant

Rick has been a wheelchair user for just over 14 years. As an expert by experience Rick works as an access consultant and disability advocate, and as Inclusion Officer (Disability) for British Fencing. Rick has had many roles in his life, previously a professional dancer touring with Candoco Dance company, he later founded Disability inclusive cheerleading (ParaCheer/Adaptive Abilities Cheer) which is now an international sport under the Olympic recognised International Cheer Union. Participating in ParaCheer Rick has a number of national and international titles. Rick is also an acrobat and circus performer, having lit two Paralympic torches, carrying one in 2012 for his contributions to Disability inclusion in sport, performed as an aerialist at the Paralympic Games 2012 Opening ceremony and more recently as an acrobat for the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. Rick is also a Wheelchair Rugby League athlete on the Irish National team and Dartford Argonauts.

Find Rick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-rodgers-2aa02149/

Music Composer and Performer

Kris Halpin aka Dyskinetic is a Disabled artist and educator, and a leading figure in the drive for musical inclusion. Known internationally for his pioneering work repurposing Imogen Heap's groundbreaking MiMu Glove technology, Kris has performed live to tens of thousands of people throughout the UK, Europe the US and Japan. In 2017 his highly praised live show, The Gloves Are On, was a finalist in The National Lottery Awards for Best Arts Project.

Apart from his artistic work as Dyskinetic, Kris also leads theDyskinetic: Inclusion Strategy - a wider strategic drive to improve representation of Disabled people in the music industry. Dyskinetic IS has partnered with high profile clients such as Apple, Ableton and Spotify to improve Disability Representation. As part of the education strand of Dyskinetic IS, Kris works closely with music services at both national and international level to help educators empower the next generation of Disabled musicians.