VERVE Easter Intensive Lead Artist
George (He/Him) began dancing at the age of 16 with @Zoielogic. He completed his undergraduate training at Northern School of Contemporary Dance achieving a first-class honours in 2022. He was fortunate enough to work with choreographers such as Mathieu Geffre, Akram Khan, and Douglas Thorpe along the way. George then furthered his training by completing a postgraduate degree touring with VERVE at NSCD, in which he performed and toured original works by Faye Tan and Kor’sia under the guidance of artistic director Matteo Marfoglia.
Since graduating George has been expanding his performance portfolio completing works at festivals, and delving more into teaching.
VERVE Easter Intensive Lead Artist
Jorden Brooks (she/her) is a freelance dance artist based in Leeds. Jorden trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, graduating from the BA in 2022, where she worked with choreographers such as Alessandra Seutin, Akram Khan and Eleanor Sikorski. Jorden continued her training with NSCD’s postgraduate company, VERVE, performing internationally and touring works by Extended Play, Faye Tan and Kor’sia. Since graduating, Jorden has worked with National Youth Theatre as an Assistant Movement Director, began an internship with the company ‘Perfectly Serviceable’ and is part of the Young Curators team for the Leeds-based performance Festival, Transform.
Curriculum Lead (VERVE)
Matteo graduated from Codarts in Rotterdam and danced for many years with Introdans in the Netherlands and National Dance Company Wales in the UK, performing works by international choreographers including Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Roy Assaf, Alexander Ekman, William Forsythe, Christopher Bruce, Johan Inger, Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon, Inbal Pinto and Angelin Preljocaj. In 2011 Matteo danced in the multi-disciplinary project Nierka created by Satore Studio in London, directed by Tupac Martir and choreographed by Fernando Hernando Magadan (Netherlands Dance Theater).
In 2017 Matteo founded his own project-based company in Cardiff (Wales, UK). Matteo’s work has been commissioned by organisations in Wales including NDCWales, Wales Millenium Centre and Rubicon Dance, as well as being presented at international festivals such as Altofest (Naples, IT), Vetrina della giovane danza d’autore (Ravenna, IT), Interplay/18 (Turin, IT), Teatro Fontana (Milan, IT), HangartFest (Pesaro, IT), and Valletta 18 European City of Culture (Malta).
In 2018 Matteo worked as Rehearsal Director for National Dance Company Wales and has been an Associate Artist with the company since 2017. He is also a certified Gaga Teacher, having undertaken the Gaga Teachers’ Training in Tel Aviv under the artistic direction of Bosmat Nossan, Saar Harari, and Ohad Naharin. Matteo is the creator of Together We Create//Creu Gyda’n Gilydd a project created in partnership with arts and non-arts organisations, artists and community members that gives voice to the hopes, desires and needs of the Penrhys community in Rhondda Cynon Taff.
In 2020, The Sunset Show was commissioned through The Agency programme run via National Theatre Wales. Matteo supported The Agency participants to create an outdoor show in Grangetown streets, with Grangetown artists, for Grangetown residents.
