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The Team
Annalise Cowan
Associate Producer / Project Manager
Originally from Birmingham, Annalise graduated from Coventry University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours First Class in Dance with Professional Enhancement. She was a member of Man Made Youth Company in 2015 to 2016 and since then, has performed for Birmingham Opera Company, Gaby Agis, Mercurial Dance and sirenscrossing as well as curate and choreograph a solo ‘Ecstasy’ for the Follow Me Out Festival 2018 in Coventry. In addition, for a short term in October 2018, Annalise taught and performed at the Ryan International Children’s Festival in Bangalore, India.
From early on in her career, Annalise has worked with Autin Dance Theatre on several of their national and international tours, starting as a Creative Intern in 2016 to now working with the company as Associate Producer, as well as supporting projects and programmes for DanceXchange, Man Made Youth Company and Ascension Dance Company. These have included young people’s programmes, community projects, outreach workshops and platform events. More recently, Annalise produced a digital event called ‘2 Metres Closer’ in July 2020 as part of Beatfreeks Southside Producers.
Lexy Garner
Associate Artist
Lexy is on the teaching team for Ascension Youth.
Lexy graduated from Coventry University and Tartu University’s Viljandi Cultural Academy in 2020 with a first-class BA (hons) in Dance with an International Enhancement Year and the Cecilia McFarlane Tutor Prize. Starting as Company Intern in 2019, Lexy is now an Associate Artist for Ascension where her roles cover workshop delivery, management of Ascension Youth and dance performer. Since graduating, Lexy bases herself in the Midlands and has worked closely with FABRIC (DanceXchange and Dance4) as a dance artist and workshop leader including for the inclusive mass-community project Critical Mass as well as the Centre for Advanced Training scheme. More recently, she was elected to be a part of PDSW’s Young Choreographer’s 2022-2023 cohort mentored by Joseph Toonga. Lexy is particularly interested in interdisciplinary collaboration utilising movement as a universal language and is keen to explore this with dynamic movement in professional and community based inclusive settings.
Image taken by : Alicia Fretter / @aliciafretterphotography
Francesca Goodinson
Social Media Assistant
Originally from Bedfordshire, Frankie studied at Trinity Laban and graduated in 2021, with a First-Class Degree in Contemporary Dance. Prior to her vocational training, Frankie attended University of Warwick, studying German and Linguistics. Situated in Coventry, she spent free time taking class at the DanceXchange and with Rutherford Dance Company youth company, RDC. Her background in language is something that has influenced her work as a dance artist. During her training, she collaborated with Alleyne Dance, Lea Anderson and Rahel Vonmoos. Alongside her degree, she was a member of the BalletBoyz Dancers Course working closely with the company dancers and associate artists: Anna Watkins, Feet off the Ground, Sarah Golding and Jose Agudo. Frankie is looking forward to returning to the dance scene in the Midlands and growing exciting opportunities for young people to professionals!
Melissa Jordan
General Manager
Having worked for the last 9 years at Warwick Arts Centre, Melissa joins Ascension Dance as General Manager on a part time basis. Coventry-born she has had an interest in the Arts from a young age, starting dance lessons at the age of 4. She later joined Belgrade Youth Theatre where she learnt more about performance and the creative industries. Melissa started her career in retail, progressing to management before doing an apprenticeship in Cultural and Heritage Venue Operations at Belgrade Theatre. Following this Melissa moved to Warwick Arts Centre as Assistant Sales and Box Office Manager. During this time she has maintained a keen interest in the Arts, interning with local companies. In 2019 she produced Holding the Centre, a hard hitting play staged in the Belgrade Theatre’s studio space.
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Melissa has watched Ascension Dance grow over the last few years and is excited to be a part of their journey going forward.
