Yskynna
Vertical Dance Company
ABOUT us
David Greeves
Founder and Artistic Director
David has worked with aerial wire performance for over 23 years.
Having extensive international experience in movement direction, aerial training and rigging for worldwide productions, working with actors, dancers, martial artists and active people with an interest in flying work.
Founding Yskynna to offer training for local professionals in dance and performance, and developing and pioneering vertical dance in Cornwall for the community, with an emphasis on great creative and physical experiences accessible for all.
David has worked extensively and tirelessly throughout his career: with movement direction, aerial and fight choreography for Opera productions at the Royal Opera House, fight direction & flying choreographer for productions such as Jaan e Jigar for Raj Mahal Theatre in Dubai, rigging for Glastonbury Festival's Big Top, and as the lead puppeteer for Golden Tree's Man Engine, to name a few.
Instilling confidence through rigorous work method for safety and creative endeavour, David leads the creative drive for the company.
For a more extensive biography, please visit: www.djgreeves.com
Company members
Rachel Fox
Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts in Circus and has trained under great tutors such as: Bim Mason, Mike Wright and Paul Claydon. As well as spending 1 year abroad working solely in Hand to Hand Acrobatic technique with Russian teacher Slava.
Rachel’s innovative work within Circus is award winning, including a £10,000 funding award to create a show, received from Deutsche Bank in 2012. She performs circus all over the globe from Europe to China, and has done many red carpet events. As acro teachers Richard and Rachel offer extensive knowledge within their discipline. They understand intricate techniques and have the ability to translate it to beginners. Richard and Rachel will set you up with solid technical foundations in which you can build your skills safely and progressively. Personal and fun, DuoSu will be an integral part to your perfect acro filled weekend! Rachel now resides back in Cornwall and started working with Yskynna in 2018 on Ghostships at NMMC.
James Arscott
Rigger
James is an Industrial Rope Access Technician, and has been working in this industry professionally since 2011.
Born in Cornwall and finishing his education in Marine Engineering at Falmouth marine School in 2005, he worked in civil engineering. He left Cornwall in search for different work in 2011, and has been working across the country on various rope access projects, including the 2012 Olympics.
He discovered his love for Theatre and Circus after being asked to cover a rigging spot at Glastonbury Festival in 2013, since then he has been actively involved in many exciting projects for performing arts companies as a rigger, and once a performer to his bemusement! He has his roots set with Yskynna.
Ishita Raina
Ishita is a dancer and an aerialist. She has trained in Dance , aerial apparatus and harness work under Tino Sanchez for 7 years(2013-2020) at Omaggio performing company based in Goa, India .
She started dancing with The Danceworx in Delhi (2009-2013) and performed for over 100 shows at KOD (Kingdom of Dreams , Gurgaon) in the musical Jhumroo. She did a summer intensive with SEAD (Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance) in 2011. She was invited by the NDCW (National dance company of Wales) after their collaboration with The Danceworx, Delhi (Cascade) in 2013 for a dance project - Alternative Routes 2013 . There she worked with the choreographers : Mathieu Geffré and Matteo Marfoglia.
She has learnt her skill set over a period of time from various teachers - Tino Sanchez (Dance and aerial) , David Greeves (bridge and harness), Asa Kubaik (silk), Celia Amade (contemporary dance), Alicia Cabrero (contemporary ballet and contemporary dance) , Manon (ballet), Larissa (ballet) to name a few .
Oliver Lambourne
Since 2014 Oliver has avidly trained in circus and dance art practices. He has honed his aerial skills and specialised in dance trapeze whilst maintaining a portfolio of confidence on a multitude aerial apparatus.
He performs locally and nationally at various festivals and events, working closely with Swamp Circus, Airfish Circus, Vagabond Circus and more recently Yskynna.Coming from an extensive musical background, he combines strength, skill and song in his performance.
He is looking forward to working more with Yskynna in the future and expanding his skills to vertical and aerial dance.
Georgie Barnett
Georgie has been training and performing with Yskynna since 2017 being involved in 'If you go down to the Woods', Bligh Spirit, WOW, Boomtown and Ghost Ships at NMMC.
Georgie has an extensive dance training background and took to the air with ease and grace.
Currently based in Falmouth she teaches local dance and yoga classes and is a mentor rider for sponsored International cycle charity events.
Ollie McFarlane
Ollie is an Actor, Director, and Wall runner based in Cornwall. Despite having no background in Aerial or dance, Ollie started training with and volunteering for Yskynna in 2016.
Ollie became Yskynna’s intern in 2018 and helped to set up and lead the SU Aeriel Fitness Society at Falmouth University, where he still coaches.
Ollie’s other work includes performance with Kneehigh, Wildworks, Barbican Theatre, and The Hall for Cornwall.
Tony King
Tony has enjoyed a wide portfolio career over 37 years, including tv, screen, stage and music related projects.
Tony is an award winning actor/ narrator/ musician and composer. He has composed music for many different projects and is currently enjoying the process of composing for devised theatre and voice-acting for audiobooks.
Isobel Bloomfield
Isobel Bloomfield is an rhythmic dancer and creative producer based in Cornwall, working on collaborative dance projects and events with communities at the heart.
She has a first-class BA Honours in Dance from the University of Surrey, and is a recent graduate of the Choreomundus- Masters in Dance Knowledge, Practice and Heritage Erasmus Mundus Scholarship programme.She is a dancer with Shindig Cloggers and founding member of rhythmic dance duo Skuffuffle.
Isobel has experience in Arts Administration and Producing at South East Dance, is a qualified Arts Award Adviser and is currently developing herself as a freelance dance artist and producer in Cornwall.
International Artists
Pere Vilarrubla
After finishing his degree in Translation and Interpreting, he started taking contemporary dance classes in many different schools in Barcelona, and little by little performing arts gained more importance in his life. He developed an interest in aerial dance with silks and rope, which led him to finally discovering vertical dance, bringing a new dimension on to how he envisages dance and performance.
Having a diverse background, his interest in culture management and performance has led him to also taking production and project management responsibilities.
He has taken part in two vertical dance productions in Andorra, both choreographed by Sheila Ferrer (Grupo Puja and Delrevés): Aquells and Llum, and the short version on the second, Lumen, presented in Lisbon. He is also a member of Líquid Dansa, an Andorran theater and dance company, and the most recent production he is currently working on is De quin color és un petó?, an adaptation of a kids illustrated book by Catalan author Rocio Bonilla.
Mataine Sarralde Ussia
In 2014, she studied dance and movement in the Masters degree program in Dance of the FMH, Lisbon.
Between 2011-2015, she began studying circus techniques, specializing in acrobatics.
In 2014-2015 she was awarded with a scholarship in the circus arts residency Haztegia Zirkozaurre'15. In 2016, she returned to Lisbon to take part in the Integral FOR Dance Theater course with Olga Roriz company. Attending Vertical Dance workshops with Magalie Lanriot, Kate Lawrence, and Lindsey Butcher. She also took part in the VDF´18 in Croatia.
Currently training in the Basque Vertical Dance Company, most recently performing the show “Sacred.”
At this moment she is finishing movement research and creation at “La Faktoria Choreographic Center,” an intensive formation in Pamplona. The most recent production she is taking part in is called “IKIMILIKILIKLIK” with Marie de Jongh Theatre company.
Associate Artists
Teresa Callan
Aerial Artist, Teresa Callan, worked as a professional dancer performing internationally and in the UK before training in Tokyo as an aerialist. Born in Australia to one Canadian and one Irish parent, the family lived equally between Canada and Australia, where she trained as a dancer from childhood. At age 19 she moved to Dublin, Ireland, and later to London, where she now works and lives in the UK on her heritage Irish passport.
After training in Tokyo on a dance contract to become an aerialist in 2007, she then performed for the 2010 and 2012 Olympic Ceremonies in Canada and the UK, the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, the MTV European Music Awards 2012 in Frankfurt, and World Skills at the O2 arena. Television credits include Will Young’s Music Video “Jealousy”, and Sky Arts and Entertainment promotion.
She has worked as an aerialist and actor for The English National Opera's production of Pearl Fishers at London Coliseum in 2016, and other West End credits include dance cast for household name Paul O'Grady at Victoria Palace Theatre.She is a professional member of Londons Aircraft Circus Company, engaging audiences of every kind for nearly a decade in circus theatre.
...”a fast moving performance with passion for movement”, World Skills, UK 2011.
Kerri jackson
Kerri first focused on dance and aerial work, whilst completing an extensive vertical dance project in Cape Town, South Africa for advertising company Fly On The Wall, under the direction of Gilead Stein.
She works from her base and home in Plymouth where her performance work includes Helen Parlor, Christopher Reynolds & Spindrift Collective. Choreographic work includes Solitude, an aerial dance theatre piece and One Small Step, directed by Barbican Theatre. Kerri is a dance practitioner at Barbican Theatre, Plymouth and runs the contemporary program for Italia Conti Performing Arts.
Kerri has been training, teaching and performing as a company member of Yskynna since 2016.
adele sargent
Adele is now a freelance performing arts practitioner and performer based in Cornwall, having qualified from Falmouth University with a BA(Hons) Contemporary Dance Degree.
Teaching children from the ages of 2-16 a variety of performance skills within dance and theatre disciplines.
Her work within Yskynna, and training in Aerial and Vertical Dance began in 2017 with the production: ‘If You Go Down To The Woods Today’, in which she embodied a wolf and prowled the gardens of Trebah to find Little Red Riding Hood.
She has since continued to be involved, and build her aerial portfolio with Yskynna, acquiring and developing new skills and techniques with Vertical Wall dance, as well as experiencing other forms such as silks and bungee.
Rebecca moss
Becca is a graduate from Falmouth University and Amata. She has a BA(Hons) Dance and Performance degree, her first encounter with Yskynna was back in 2016 on an aerial taster session- since then she has worked as part of the production team on several shows
She has been an integral part of the production team on 'Bligh Spirit', 'If You Go Down To The Woods Today...' and 'Ghost Ships', whilst also training in wall running.
Her other work includes a range of teaching, performing and production work with companies such as Spindrift Dance Collective, Rosemary Lee, Hall for Cornwall, O-reigon, Gaggle Haus, Trebah Garden and Dance Republic 2.
Tanisha Doig
Tanisha became passionate about vertical dance after completing a workshop with Yskynna, where she found a freedom within the movement. She is a Cornwall based dancer and graduated from Falmouth University with a BA(Hons) in Dance Performance in 2016.
During her time here she developed a deeper understanding of contemporary dance and its technique. She is now going on to learn how to transport her technique from the ground into the air.
Rebecca Rennison
Rebecca is a highly skilled aerial artist, coming from a professional dance background and has performed all over the world.
She combines acrobatic skill in the air with her natural movement fluidity.
She recently appeared in 'Katherine Jenkins Christmas Eve Special' on ITV at the Royal Albert Hall. In other work she has performed with - Mimbre Acrobats - The Exploded Circus, Elekron; Studio City Macau, SOHO; Stufish Productions at The Peacock Theatre London, Dracula: Upswing & The New Vic Theatre, Pokya Entertainment, The London Cabaret Club, Casino Lisboa, Circus Krone (Germany); Chivaree Circus and Glastonbury Festival.
Interns
Grace Newman
Grace is a recent Dance and Choreography Graduate from Falmouth University.
Kiera Sanderson
Kiera Sanderson is a movement artist and recent graduate from Falmouth University.
Her practice is influenced by innate human desire, and animistic tendencies that can be explored through embodied movement.
Maddie Miller
Coming from a family background of theatre and art Maddie has been surrounded by the performance world since a young age.
After a brief spell in the dance world she has now been training in circus arts since 2017 specializing in trapeze.
Performing around the uk with air fish circus, swamp circus and vagabond circus.
She is looking forward to working with Yskynna to not only enrich her knowledge of aerial arts but also to explore dance in a new way.