ANNA WILLIAMS

Lecturer in Dance

BA (Hons) Contemporary Dance and Choreography
PG Dip Dance Performance
MA Teaching and Facilitation

Role and responsibilities:

Anna is Module Leader for BA1 Creative Practice and BA1 Research Project, teaching choreography, improvisation and tutoring students’ independent creative work. She is also a mentor for postgraduate students on the Postgraduate Placement Scheme.

Who am I?

My first experience of dance was with two eccentric old ladies who taught Greek dance – Isadora Duncan style. It was creative, imaginative and quietly feminist. We were encouraged to be anything from water sprites to Trojan warriors and would often dance in the garden in the summer. I think these are worlds I still like to inhabit now, through the work I make and the teaching I do. I enjoy the diverse experience my freelance work and my teaching give me as an artist and a human.

I live in a sleepy Cambridgeshire village with my partner and teenage daughter.”

Career History

Anna Williams graduated from London Contemporary Dance School and has been working as a performer and choreographer in dance, theatre, opera and live art for over twenty years. She was the recipient of the Prix Individuel (ADAMI) Performance Award (International Festival for Choreography Bagnolet, Paris) and her choreography has been nominated for a South Bank Show Award.

She is the co-artistic director of Anatomical – the makers of the hit interactive family shows The Doodle Dance Show and The Buildy-uppy Dance Show which have toured to over 30 venues around the UK.

From 1991 to 2002 Anna was a founding member of the award-winning Ricochet Dance Company creating and performing works by celebrated choreographers Stephen Petronio, Rosemary Lee, Javier de Frutos, Wayne McGregor, Russell Maliphant, and Nigel Charnock. Ricochet was an artist-led commissioning company that toured nationally and internationally, representing British contemporary dance around the world.

She was a soloist with the Russell Maliphant Dance Company from 2002 – 2010 creating and performing new works and repertoire. She continues to work with the company and has recently returned as rehearsal director for the company piece Silent Lines. As well as assisting Russell on his most recent work for Lyon Opera Ballet.

Anna’s extensive dance career also includes work with Random Dance Company, Aletta Collins, Nik Haffner, Carol Brown Dances, New Art Club, Wendy Houstoun and Clod Ensemble, and Rosemary Lee.

In 2000 she began working with the performance artist La Ribot, performing Anna Y Las Más Distinguidas and Paradistinguidas from 2002-2011.

She has worked as rehearsal director for Russell Maliphant, CobosMika, Opera North, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company and Vincent Dance Theatre.

Anna’s extensive teaching experience includes professional training programmes at The Place and Greenwich Dance, as well as graduate courses at London Contemporary Dance School, Trinity Laban, Leeds Beckett University and De Montfort University, Leicester.

Performance and research artefacts

Williams, A & Roden, T (creators) (2021) Midsummerland an audio adventure

Williams, A & Roden, T (chor/director) (2018) The Buildy-uppy Dance Show

Williams, A & Roden, T (chor/director) (2015) The Doodle Dance Show

Williams, A (chor) (2014) This Woman’s Hour Cambridge Junction

Williams, A (chor.) (2009) I Am Falling The Gate Theatre (South Bank Show nominee 2009)

Williams, A (chor.) (2008) Clearing (Finalist in The Place Prize for Choreography 2008)

Williams, A (chor.) (2005) The Thought That Counts Theatre-rites at the Barbican, London

Anna has also created commissions for Lone Twin and Clod Ensemble, NCD, LCDS and Trinity Laban.