
Parsifal James Hurst (PJ)
The Last Miner
Parsifal James Hurst (known as PJ) started dancing at the age of 13 with community dance in youth dance companies directed by Julia Williams based in the Northwest of England. He went on to study at the Centre for Advance Training Scheme at The Place and The London Contemporary Dance School graduating in 2012 with a first class honours degree.
Parsifal has worked, toured and performed with a number of renowned companies and choreographers including: Luca Silvistrini’s Protein Dance, Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, Garsington Opera, Joel O’Donoghue, Tenfoot Dance Company, Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, Shaper/Caper and ZoieLogic Dance Theatre. PJ joined Gary Clarke Company in 2017 for the award winning production COAL.
His outreach and education work includes: Practitioner for New Adventures delivering across the country including the dementia programme Dance For Life, Widening Participants Officer for LCDS third year touring company LC3, Protein Dance projects in hospitals & PRU’s, Guest teaching on the degree course at LIPA, Guest Lecturer at Chester University, Practitioner for James Cousins Dance Company, Dance Artist for Homegrown Dance Theatre, Online delivery for Stagecoach, Dance Artist at Shaper/Caper delivering their Creative Engagement including their Dance for Parkinsons Programme, workshops, classes & summer schools and Adult classes for Macrobert Arts Centre – Sterling.
His own choreography for dance films commissioned by Scene Stirling, Art Link & Macrobert Arts Centre are ‘History In Movement’ Chapter 1 Battle of Bannockburn.
‘History In Movement’ Chapter 2 Bannockburn House.

Rob Anderson
The Boy / Raver
From and based in Newcastle Upon-Tyne, Rob trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, graduating with the Carolyne Woolridge award for ‘Outstanding Performance’ before touring with the post-graduate company Verve 16. Rob is also a competitive B-boy, operating under the pseudonym of ‘Justice’ and representing the renowned Bad Taste Cru.
Over his career in dance, Rob has worked with numerous artists and companies including; Anton Lachky, Douglas Thorpe, Renaud Wiser, Efrosini Protopapa, Shaper Caper Dance, Room 2 Manoeuvre, Avatara Ayuso and Richard Chapelle Dance. Rob joined Gary Clarke Company in 2017 for the final tour of COAL performing as one of the miners.
In 2020, Rob became an associate artist with Moving Art Management and began to develop his own work. In 2021 he launched his bespoke creative movement workshop series PLAY:IN:MOTION and in early 2022 he began creation of his first full length solo performance: BUCKLE UP. With both projects being funded and supported by Arts Council England and Dance City Newcastle. Rob is also a founding member of BREAK.NE, a collective of North East based B-boys aiming to provide high quality training and opportunities for Breakers in the region. You can find out more about Rob and his work at: Rob Anderson.

Shelley Eva Haden
Raver
Shelley Eva Haden is a Birmingham based dance artist who was nominated in the ’Outstanding Female Performance’ category at The Critics Circle National Dance Awards 2017. She graduated from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2014 with a First Class BA (Hons) in Contemporary Dance Performance, having become the first ever student to achieve 100% on the solo choreography assessment with her solo ‘Silver Shelter’ which is now part of the school’s repertoire.
Shelley’s performance credits include: Aletta Collins, Autin Dance Theatre, Bryony Kimmings, Corey Baker Dance, Frauke Requardt, Gary Clarke Company, Gotts Street Park, Jamaal Burkmar (Extended Play), Maxine Doyle (Brave New World/TV), Neus Gil Cortés (Nua Dance), Opera North, ORIANTHEATRE Dance Company, Rhiannon Faith Company (also Rehearsal Director), Rosie Kay Dance Company, Royal Danish Opera, Scottish Opera, Southpaw Dance Company, StaatsOper Berlin, Tamsin Fitzgerald (2 Faced Dance Company), and Wayne McGregor (ABBA Voyage).
Shelley’s work as a choreographer, educator and movement director is wide-ranging, spanning commissions, independent projects, TV / film and opera. including the BBC Arts viral sensation ‘Swan Lake Bath Ballet’, and Birmingham Opera Company’s award winning Lady Mcbeth of Mtsensk. She most recently worked as part of the choreographic team for The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony and was nominated for ‘One Dance UK’s People’s Choice Award’ 2022.

Emily Thompson-Smith
Raver
Emily trained at London Contemporary Dance School and has worked for companies and choreographers such as: Gary Clarke Company, Luca Silvestrini’s Protein, Shobana Jeyasingh, Aletta Collins, Royal Shakespeare Company and James Cousins Company. Emily has worked extensively in opera performing and creating productions at Glyndebourne, Berlin State Opera, Royal Opera House and Opera North.
Emily’s credits as movement director include: The National Theatre’s production of ‘Hamlet, reimagined for younger audiences’, Directed by Tinuke Craig. As as rehearsal director and choreographic assistant Emily has worked on various productions with Jorge Crecis, Beijing 9 Contemporary Dance, Antler Theatre, Morgann Runacre-Temple and Barnaby Booth for Club Guy and Roni.

Patricia Langa
Raver
Originally from Barcelona, Patricia Langa trained at The Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in London.
As a dancer, Patricia has worked internationally with choreographers, directors and companies including Lea Anderson, Aletta Collins, Rambert Dance Company, Thomas Noone Dance, Dantzaz Konpainia, Impermanence Dance Theatre, Thick & Tight, Blind Summit, LA Philharmonic, Fernando Melo, Nicole Bachmann, Corali Dance Company, Gary Clarke Company, Ridley Scott and many more.
As a queer artist, choreographer and collaborator, her work has been presented at venues including The Royal Opera House, The Vaults Festival, major art galleries in London and Switzerland, European music festivals and a variety of LGBTQI + venues such as The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Duckie and Posh Club.
After being awarded with a DYCP Grant by the Arts Council of England on 2021, Patricia performed, directed and produced a dance film about Flamenco’s queer history called QUEEROLÉ! to be released in 2023.

Jake Evans
Raver
Originally from the Wirral and now based in Manchester, Jake started dancing at a community youth theatre before going on to train at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance where received both his Bachelors and Masters Degree (Verve 16). During this time he performed in the UK, the USA and Europe working with choreographers Angus Balbernie, Rod Dixon, Odette Hughes, Dam van Huyn, Anton Lacky, Efrosini Protopapa and Athena Vahla.
Jake has also worked with companies including Vincent Dance Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Shaper/Caper and Opera North.
In 2021 Jake was a recipient of Kala Sangam’s Back to the Studio Scheme and embarked on the creation of his own solo project ‘Queer New World’, combining his skills in dance, drag and poetry. Further development of the work was funded by Arts Council England, and was subsequently selected to be extended and platformed at Northern Connections in Spring 2022. Jake’s poetry appears in ‘Queer Icons: A Queer Bodies Anthology’ published by Broken Sleep in 2022.
Jake is also a drag artist, performing at events and cabarets throughout the UK and shows including Harry May Bedell’s ’The End is Queer’.”
Previous Cast Members

Tom Dunn
From a small town called Looe in Cornwall, Tom first planted the seed of his dancing career from an after-school club learning hip hop and breakin’ and later discovered an a love and appreciation for contemporary dance through an extended BETC diploma course.
Tom graduated from Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2017 and since graduating has worked with artists such as; Botis Seva Far From The Norm, JamaalBurkmar: extended play, Rosie Kay Dance company, Gianluca Vincentini Mobius, Theo Lowe inside out, and Tomislav English and now Gary Clarke Company in Wasteland.

Reece Calver
Born and raised in Suffolk, Reece randomly found his path into dance when he was 12 years old after being encouraged to audition for DanceEast Centre for Advanced Training (CAT). After 6 years on the CAT scheme Reece became a member of National Youth Dance Company. With the Company he worked with Akram Khan in a new creation called “Rashomon Effect” which did a UK national tour. Reece then went on to study at London Contemporary Dance School where he graduated with a first class honours degree in contemporary Dance. After graduating he became an apprentice dancer with Scottish Dance Theatre where he had the opportunity to work with Anton Latchky, Collette Sadler and Emanuel Gat.
Wasteland will be Reece’s first time working with Gary Clarke Company.

Alistair Goldsmith
Alistair is a London based dance artist having trained at London Contemporary Dance School. During his training he took part in an exchange at State University of New York: Purchase College and once graduated Alistair went on to become an apprentice dancer with National Dance Company Wales.
For Gary Clarke Company: Coal, Wasteland, Two Men and a Michael, The Troth (for Akademi South Asian Dance)
Other credits include: Punchdrunk (The Burnt City, The Third Day: Autumn, The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable), Léa Tirabasso (Starving Dingoes, The Ephemeral Life of an Octopus and TOYS), James Cousins Company (Within Her Eyes), Secret Cinema (Back To The Future), Emma Martin Dance (Dancehall), Lynne Page, Aletta Collins.
Film Credits include Romeo and Juliet dir. Simon Godwin for The National Theatre, The Mummy dir. Alex Kurtzman, Mary Queen of Scots dir. Josie Rourke, The Crown S5, Midwich Cuckoos, The Third Day: Summer,
Music Video Credits: Pet Shop Boys Monkey Business, Olafur Arnalds Zero

Elena Thomas Voilquin
Originally from Nancy, North East France, Elena trained at Ecole Nationale Superieure de Danse de Marseille and the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon. Straight from training she started performing with Jeune Ballet Conservatoire National Superieur de Lyon. In 2007 Elena spent 5 months with Europa Danse before joining Ballet National du Rhin where she performed works by Mathieu Guillaumon, Jo Strømgren and Alexander Ekman amongst others. In 2009 she moved to Spain to work with La Mov’ in Zaragoza where she was introduced to Company Chameleon when they choreographed on the company. Elena joined Company Chameleon in 2012 before moving to National Dance Company Wales in December 2013. In December 2017 Elena returned to France to work on a number of different projects and is now working with Gary Clarke Company in Wasteland.