Gavin Coward

photo by Luke Waddington

Born in Leeds, I started disco dancing at Lewisham Park community centre which was my local youth club before going to study Performing Arts at Thornes Park College. I then went on to train at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance where I graduated in 2001 with the ‘NSCD Outstanding Performance Award’. I have since been contributing to the UK dance scene for the last 20 years as a dance artist, performer, choreographer, mentor and teacher.

I have a long standing relationship with Liv Lorent’s balletLORENT spanning over 20 years and I have performed and toured in some of the companies most notable adult and family works including ‘La Nuit Intime’ ‘The Ball’ ‘Angel Moth’ and the companies Grimme fairytale trilogy pieces, ‘Rapunzel’, ‘Snow White’ and ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ I am currently a balletLORENT Creative Partner and I devise, deliver and direct on the children’s community cast participation and performance programmes for the companies national tours, which bring dance and art experiences to children and families in low socioeconomic areas.

I have also performed, toured and collaborated with leading dance companies and choreographers both in the UK and internationally including Mathew Bourne’s New Adventures, Hofesh Schechter Company, FUEL Theatre and Gary Clarke Company. I have worked as a physical actor and movement specialist on major motion picture films including World War Z and The Mummy.

In 2019, I performed alongside The Pet Shop Boys on BBC’S The One Show and at The National Television Awards and also featured in their music video ‘Monkey Business’.

In addition to performing, I have choreographed and taught for a number of institutions, companies and youth groups including Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Scottish National Youth and both the CAT programme and the degree at Dance City. I have also acted as Movement Director for productions with Northern Stage and Grey Scale Theatre Company. In 2014, I was selected to take part in the SKETCH programme hosted by Yorkshire Dance: an 8 month initiative to help nurture and develop new choreographic voices in dramaturgy facilitated by the great Peggy Olislaegers. SKETCH began the initial stages of ‘Symphony Of Fears’ the first work for Paradox Pictures.