With decades of circus, dance and community programme expertise between them, our team has put in the behind-the-scenes work to develop our programmes and support our growing MOVE community.
Chloë brings over two decades of experience in circus, street theatre, and event production, including managing the Council’s events team from 2012-2017 and working as an independent producer in Europe from 1996-2012, specializing in outdoor performances and multicultural projects. She played a pivotal role in Scotland’s circus scene, co-authoring its first strategy and engaging in European network discussions. Since 2017, she has shifted focus to agriculture, managing a charitable trust that supports farmers in adopting regenerative practices.
Adam initiated the performance movement centre concept in 2012 through Share An Idea and led The Body Festival from its inception in 2002 until 2015. He has directed Dancing Like the Stars, a partner dance program for low-decile primary schools, since 2007. Since 2021, he has served as the General Manager of Arts Integrated, offering performing arts training for disabled individuals.
Jenny is a multidisciplinary artist with 20 years of experience in circus and visual arts. Her work spans contemporary circus, live performance, and film production both internationally and in Aotearoa. She has collaborated with notable entities like Robert Lepage’s ‘Ex Machina’ at the Metropolitan Opera of New York, and the Zurich Contemporary Circus company Rigolo. Currently, she serves as Aerial Director for The World of Wearable Art and works in costume design for film and television. Jenny excels in collaborative environments and intersections of body movement and design.
New to the dance and circus scene, Paige is not a stranger to movement, spending much of her time ascending (or at least trying to) rocks or various shapes and sizes. Paige works behind the scenes to support the programme developers and oversees MOVE’s social media platforms.
Lisa boasts 30 years in physical theatre and circus as a performer, educator, and director. She played a key role in developing Circo Arts’ curriculum, New Zealand’s National Circus School, where she taught until 2009, covering clowning, character work, comic technique, performance development, and business studies. Since 2015, she has been the artistic director and administrator of the Christchurch Circus Trust
Maria is a seasoned public health professional with over 16 years of experience in various capacities at local, regional, and national levels, both in Christchurch and abroad. Currently associated with Healthy Families, her role involves overseeing the prevention system from a broad perspective, focusing on reducing risk factors for significant health loss and enhancing equity.
Philippa serves as a mentor for student dance teachers at the Royal Academy of Dance, in addition to her roles as a dance adjudicator and ballet specialist. Her professional dance career includes performances with the English National Ballet, Deutsche Oper Ballet Berlin, and the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
MOVE is more than a space. It’s a community kaupapa, dedicated to making dance, circus, acrobatics and many more movement practices accessible for all of Ōtautahi to enjoy.