Melissa Jones

Melissa Jones
Melissa trained in Classical Ballet before completing a Bachelor of Dance, Honours from The Victorian College of the Arts. Receiving The Philip Law Travel Scholarship upon graduation, she danced with Rosalind Crisp in Paris and The Forsythe Company in Frankfurt. As a dance artist Melissa focuses on Improvisation as a performance medium, continually deconstructing known movement pathways and layered thought patterns, whilst continuing to collaborate on highly structured dance performance works. Currently Melissa is a collaborative performer for Shian Law's cinematic contemporary performance works. Dancing in his upcoming work Psycho, having performed in both of his award winning Melbourne Fringe Festival shows, Body Obscure Object (2012) and Proximate Ediface (2011). In July/August, Melissa performed in Nat Cursio Co.'s sell out season of Blizzard at The Substation, Melbourne. Two collaborations with film artists have been screened this year. Sandra Parker's installation 3 Angles, with video artist Rhian Hinkley went to Critical Path in Sydney, while Shadow in Blue by Zoe Scoglio, with Jess Devereux was screened at Private Dances in Melbourne (Toured Reeldance Festival, 2010). The end of 2013 sees Melissa performing with Opera Australia on their production of The Ring Cycle choreographed by Kate Champion.
In 2012, through The Australia Council Arts Board, Melissa was a recipient of an Artstart Grant, gaining mentorships with choreographers Sandra Parker and Nicole Peisl (Frankfurt) and with Dance Producer Kath Papas. In 2011/2012 Melissa co-choreographed the first stage developments of a new work with Alice Dixon and Caroline Meaden. Funded by The City of Melbourne, Besen Foundation, Maximized by ChunkyMove and a studio resident at Lucy Guerin Inc.
Melissa has danced for numerous choreographers and dance artists: Shian Law, Nat Cursio, Sandra Parker, Kim Vinc, Carlee Mellow, Anne O'Keeffe, Robert McCredie, Jess Devereux with Zoe Scoglio, Karen Berger with Director Kate Neal, Juliett Shelley with Andrew Marcus, Heidi Barrett, Claudia Garbe, Daniel Newell, Luke Hockley, Tracie Mitchell, and collectives Punkt and Panther. Along with Improvisational works and roving performances for Studio's, Galleries and Fashion designers, including The National Gallery of Victoria and L'Oreal Fashion Festival. Performing in Improvisation Performance evenings run by: The Little Con, Al Wander- Dance Marathon, Anne O'Keeffe, Rosalind Crisp and Andrew Morrish.

Chimene Steele-Prior
Chimene is a Melbourne based performer, choreographer and teacher. She graduated from the New Zealand School of Dance with a Diploma in Dance Performance in 2005 and attained a Bachelor of Performing Arts (Dance) in 2007 as a member of LINK Dance Company (WAAPA). Since graduating Chimene has performed works by Tim Harvey, Bec Reid, Luke George, Sheridan Lang, Shaun McLeod, Brian Lucas and Amy MacPherson. She has also performed as a dancer and actor in Opera Australia's productions of Turandot and Macbeth at the Melbourne State Theatre.
Chimene has created several short dance works including Among Blue Poles and Archway (The National Gallery of Australia, Mentor – Brian Lucas), Filling Up Empty (Melbourne Fringe Festival/Short and Sweet Dance) and in formation (‘Your Way’ season Dancehouse)
In 2009 Chimene was the recipient of the Melbourne City Council Young Artists grant to create dance film A Busy Lonely Mind with the assistance of a space grant through Dancehouse. In 2012, installation physical theatre work Kristys World was supported by the Banyule City Council and was performed as part of the Winter In Banyule Festival. Chimene has also been awarded a space residency at Window 99 to collaborate with Choreographer/Dancer Elanor Webber and choreographic residency through Dirty Feet (NSW).
In 2013 Chimene was the Inaugural Choreographic Secondment Recipient at Chunky Move Dance Company during the creation of Anouk Van Dijk’s most recent work 247 Days. Chimene was awarded a Fresh Solution Space Residency at Liquid Skin Studio for the development of solo work in formation, which will be presented in its full realization in 2014. This year Chimene has also worked with Shian Law on the development of his new work Psycho and with Opera Australia on their newest production of The Ring Cycle choreographed by Kate Champion.

James Andrews
James Andrews is an emerging Australian dancer and dance maker with a broader practice spanning sound, costume and visual designs. Raised in Sydney, James moved to Melbourne to complete his Bachelor of Dance at VCA (2009) where he was the inaugural recipient of the Lionel GellFoundation scholarship. Since graduating he has worked with a number artists including Lee Serle (“P.O.V.”), Jo Lloyd (“NOISE”), Shian Law (“Body Obscure Object”), Supple Fox, Stephanie Lake, Antony Hamilton, Adam Wheeler for Chunky Move (“It Sounds Silly”) and yGlam Queer Youth Theatre Project to name a few. James is an Artistic Associate of 2ndToe Dance Collective presenting collaborative work, as well as his own solo work, in various forms around Australia. James is passionate about the lineage of contemporary dance in this country and maintains a rigorous teaching practice, passing on his knowledge at a number of schools in and around Melbourne. Sound composition credits include designs for his own work, "An Other" for 2ndToes "FAMILY", his online "status update series" and his current work in development "Nerv".

Matthew Adey
Matthew Adey studied set and light design at the Victorian College of the Arts graduating in 2011 with a Bachelor of Production. Adey is a true believer in traditional theatre methodologies, the magic of live performance and the experimentation of illusionary formations. He also works with installations of light, sculpture, film, painting, graphic design and the use of sustainable and recyclable sourced materials.Adey has worked with New York’s Phantom Limb Company on their premiere of 69ºS at the Grand Theatre in Groningen, Netherlands. He also seconded to Ben Cisterne on Chunky Move’s new work Connected and associate designed with Cisterne on varied works including Byron Perry’s Double Think and Phillip Adams BalletLab’s Aviary. Other works he has designed include Shian Law’s BODY.OBSCURE.OBJECT, No Show’s Shotgun Wedding (Next Wave Festival), Preaching To The Perverted’s She Throws Dirt, Everynight Everynight and Silent Partner by FTC, Restore by Stompin Dance Company.