CHESS DILLON-REAMS

RESIDENT CONTEMPORARY DANCE TEACHER AND CHOREOGRAPHER

Styles
· Contemporary Dance
· Creative Dance
· Choreography

Teaches
· Adult Contemporary
· SYD:B Performance Company

Training
· Trinity Laban
· Northern School of Contemporary Dance

Chess began her professional training with the Centre for Advanced Training at Laban, where she worked with Lee Smikle, Hofesh Shechter & Henri Oguike Dance Company. After training at Northern School of Contemporary Dance, she furthered her training with Jasmin Vardimon's apprentice company JV2; touring nationally with works by Christine Gouzellies & Paul Blackman, David Llyod & Jasmin Vardimon.

(2014-2020) Chess co-founded multi-award winning, critically-acclaimed, comedic dance-theatre company The Hiccup Project. During this time Chess co-created and performed in three full-length works. Her first creation May-We-Go Round? sold-out a five night run in Brighton Fringe, and won The Pebble Trust Brighton Fringe Award, The South East Dance Award and The Fringe Review Award for Outstanding Theatre. May-We-Go Round? along with other works "It's Okay, I'm Dealing With It." and Lovely Girls have toured the UK extensively; including at The Place (London), Mac (Birmingham) and in 2017's Brighton Festival (curated by K Tempest). Driven by human, social themes and real life experience, Chess is inspired by work that seeks to connect to audiences regardless of their prior experience of contemporary dance or theatre.

"I am fascinated with how we can physicalise emotions and tell stories through movement. Over the years I have developed my own artistic practice that incorporates improvisation tasks and exercises that I explore when leading workshops and creating work. I like to draw out real stories and create work to inspire, move and entertain."
Chess has vast experience in education, leading workshops with people aged 5-85 with varying levels of expertise in dance and theatre, and in a range of schools, colleges, universities and community groups. She is currently working part-time as Programme Leader of Dance BTEC at Varndean College.