Every year, Dance Base offers a group of dancers and physical performers a place on our Dancers Emerging Bursary Scheme (DEBS). The scheme includes mentoring from experienced dance artists, free professional classes and workshops at Dance Base, free selected community classes, up to two week-long group residencies at Dance Base and free studio space.
Our 2025/26 group are mentored by Marc Brew.
Marc is an acclaimed international disabled dancer and choreographer who trained as a professional dancer at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and The Australian Ballet School. He has been working Internationally for over 25 years as a director, choreographer, dancer, teacher and speaker.
This year, Scottish Dance Theatre are also providing support by giving access to their work, inviting the DEBS over to Dundee for a day in the venue to join class and chat to SDT Artistic Director Joan Cleville and engagement artist Bridie Gane.
The 2025/26 DEBS programme is supported by the Turtleton Trust.
How Marc will work with DEBS
Collaboration is at the heart of Marc’s artistic practise, and he enjoys bringing people together to explore the possibilities of the creative process. Drawing on his unique perspective, methodology and skill of inclusive dance practice, Marc encourages and supports dance artists to take risks and be curious.
Marc will share his experience of making work that has toured nationally and internationally from outdoor work, site specific, rural touring, medium staged black box theatres to large scale work such as an Accident / a Life, his most recent collaboration with world renowned choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.
He creates an accessible, trusting and brave space for artists to explore their own creative interests through dance; exploring performance styles, choreographic tools, improvisation and how to ensure movement concepts and ideas are inclusive to everybody in performance.
Marc will provide opportunities for conversation, questions, exploration and reflection based on the artists needs and interests. It will be a creative journey that develops and challenges our movement choices and brings us together as a community, building confidence, trust and openness to explore the possibilities of dance.
Meet the artists
Elena Harrington (she/her)
Elena is a Contemporary Dance Artist from Germany and Scotland who draws inspiration from nature and folk stories and uses dance as a medium to process and address the current socio-political climate.
Elena trained in Tanztheater at Tanzwerkstatt Ulla Weltike and furthered her contemporary training at the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance. She has performed in Small Town Boys by Thomas Small as part of a community cast and in various pieces by Royston Maldoom. She regularly practices other techniques and styles, going out of her comfort zone to broaden her movement knowledge and to discover what feels instinctive and meaningful to her body.
This varied exploration has introduced her to a rich range of communities and practices. Elena has made it her aim to foster community alongside the development of her dance practice, with focus on learning from one another, sharing knowledge, and supporting.
Elena is also interested in the histories of dance and aims to keep these alive by passing them on. She combines this with an interest in science and holds a degree in Biology (BSc) as well as in Cancer Research (MRes). She combined these interests by exploring how dance and health sciences can work together.
Mickey Jenkins (he/him)
Mickey Jenkins is a contemporary dance artist based in Perthshire, recently receiving his HND from The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance. His practice uses a mix of contemporary dance, ballet and floor work to story-tell, taking stimuli from a range of different topics all the way from nature to gaming. He is interested in community, teaching and sharing dance. As a dance artist, Mickey hopes to use this opportunity to diversify and refine his choreographic practice, set up connections with other dance artists, and to research future works with other dance artists and Marc Brew.
Neve Renwick (she/her)
Neve is a partially deaf contemporary dance artist from Crieff, Scotland. After graduating with a first class degree from the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance (The Space), Neve delved into various realms of the dance world, ranging from coaching individuals with disabilities to engaging in dance modelling and showcasing her own skills in New York City with the Scottish Ballet’s Youth Exchange Company. She recently launched her own dance business in her hometown, offering classes for all ages and abilities whilst still pursuing her personal dance career.
As a performer, Neve’s focus is to captivate and connect with the audience by weaving expression and emotion into her storytelling.
In her artistic process when choreographing, Neve immerses herself in the music to memorise every single note. This detailed method synchronises her mind, ears, and body, nurturing a deep connection that enables her to choreograph sufficiently. Her creative spark is ignited by observing the remarkable artistry of dancers with disabilities and the unique narratives they craft through movement.
Neve expresses herself through fashion. Her upcoming personal projects will aim to bring her passion for dance and fashion together to create visually striking pieces.
Shoan Powell McKay (they/them)
Shoan (also known as Shona) is an emerging transgender artist. They trained in contemporary dance through local community classes at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance for ten years before moving to Glasgow. Graduating in Contemporary Performance Practice in 2023, they spent the following year working in community organising and assisting people with specific support needs. Community and access continue to be driving forces in their work as an artist.
They are building their artistry using choreography, dance, facilitation and video art as their primary creative mediums. Their own neurodivergence and desire to be part of a culture that is accessible to disabled people is a major influence on their work, particularly their current project of expanding their choreographic language. Shoan is exploring how they translate movement for themself and the performers they work with; wanting to offer ways of teaching choreography that is accessible to each performer so individuals can find their expression in the movement and make it their own.
Supported by
