Ian Woolley – Owner – | Coordinator of Dance/YPG | Artistic Director.
Ian has taught children to adults throughout the U.K, Europe, New York, Canada, ex soviet Georgia and Egypt. His teaching style reflects that of his training and performance experience and draws on a wealth of movement knowledge from Contemporary, Ballet, Street, Musical Theatre, Jazz, Ballet, Release, Contact Improvisation, Somatics and Physical Dance Theatre.
Ian trained at The London Contemporary Dance School and Middlesex University. Upon graduating he became one of the leading members to join the Tammara McLorg Dance Ensemble, a crash dance Physical Theatre Company. The company with its unique fusion of styles, Contemporary, Break-dance, Acrobatics, Ballet and Physical Theatre toured the U.K and Easton Europe to great acclaim.
During a visit to New York Ian partook in dance classes and choreographic studio sessions and was instantly interested on relocating to New York to study further the American Modern Dance scene. During his six years in N.Y Ian continued to refine his dance technique and teaching style whilst studying at The Joffrey Ballet School under scholarship, The Martha Graham School, The Dance Space Centre, The Limon Centre, Alvin Ailey School, Cunningham School and The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.
Applying all he was learning Ian began to experiment with choreography whilst performing and teaching with The Mary Seidman Company, TCT Dance Company, Morales Dance and The Guggino Dance Company. Along with his choreographic work he discovered his first interest in dance for the camera.
Relocating back to the U.K Ian was invited to choreograph and perform for the Welsh physical theatre company ‘Theatre Garagaphie’, for their piece titled ‘The Divine Caligula’.
“The choreography, by Ian Woolley, was gripping, intense and sensitive driving the piece to a beautiful climatic ending.” Theatre Wales, reviews.
Basing himself in Bristol to focus on his teaching, choreography and dance film experimentation Ian created, ‘Ian Your Eyes‘, with Nikki Coco Pullen, concept Patricia Ibanez Rios, for her photography degree program, University of South Wales, Newport, that won overall experimental class project. This short can be viewed on Ian Woolley’s Vimeo page.
Ian, along with other associates, created theschool’s contemporary dance & theatre arts program offering young people a program that could remain open to organic change and growth of its time. A place where young people can feel free to experiment and fail without fear of judgement, a place where success comes from learning how to apply themselves to reach their goals, what ever that may be, under the guidance of the staff of theschool.
In 2019 Ian studied Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP), at Goldsmiths University, focussing on the importance of play for adults and children. (DMP) is a movement-based therapy that supports intellectual, emotional, and motor functions of the body as a form of expressive therapy.
In 2022 he graduated from the University of South Wales, with an M.A in film. ‘Indulgence’, a one shot dance film he created with aluminas Madeline Vaughton, choreographer/dancer, is presently being entered into dance film festivals and is Ian’s first step into the professional dance film world.
Currently Ian is working on a fantasy hybrid, narrative dance film, ‘the Golden Feather’, set to Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’, with the students of theschool, aluminas Madeline Vaughton, featured dancer/choreographer, composer Hana Zacpalkova, MSC Music Engineering & Production, & Billy Jon Stevens, BSc & MSc, Sound Production. Ian, Hana & Billy are setting up a dance film production company, ‘electronicgypsy‘, with its main focus on the creation of dance for the camera.
Their short film ‘Blood Moon’, danced by students of theschool played at the BFI as part of the U.Dance on Screen Festival in the summer of 2023.
