Gebremedhin Dance is made up of North-east based artists who are each outstanding in their fields. We believe in creating better conditions for women in our region and in creating more opportunities for training, rehearsals, creation, teaching and performance.
Michaela Gebremedhin Wate
Founder and Creative DirectorI am the choreographer for Gebremedhin Dance and I decided to start this work having spent my life listening to the stories of women around me and seeing the inequity of it all and then to find that even within dance, with it’s huge female majority, we were still often losing. It seemed to me that we could try and do something about that.
I am from Newcastle and trained at Dance City in Newcastle and at the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance. I have worked with companies across the region and have 15 years experience of working in dance education.
Yilis del Carmen Suriel
Musician, Artist and ProducerDominican-born percussionist, mbira player, visual artist and cultural producer based in Newcastle upon Tyne. She holds a BFA in Fine Art from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and an MFA from Newcastle University, where her research explored how performance art allows Latinx artists to move beyond institutional forms of artmaking and investigate diasporic identity, memory and place.
Yilis works across music, visual art and cultural programming. She performs African and Latin hand percussion and mbira with the duo Ladies of Midnight Blue and the ensemble Hannabiell & Midnight Blue. Alongside her artistic practice, she is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Harambee Pasadia CIC, an organisation that produces festivals, events and creative programmes celebrating the arts and cultures of the African diaspora. She is the Deputy Technical Manager at Newcastle University.
She is passionate about creating spaces where art becomes a tool for connection, learning and social change. Yilis enjoys bringing people together through rhythm, storytelling and shared cultural experiences. She was hired to work with Gebremedhin Dance for technical support and is drawn to the company because of its powerful sense of community, movement and expression- values that resonate deeply with her own multidisciplinary approach to art and collaboration.
Alice Gifford
Dance ArtistI was born and raised in Gateshead and moved to London to train at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, graduating with First Class Honours in Contemporary Dance. I have since returned to the North East and now live by the beautiful coast.
I continually build on my dance training and have expanded my practice into Aerial Arts. Alongside this, I work as an Assistant Producer with Moving Art Management, supporting cultural projects locally and nationally.
Beyond live performance, I’m passionate about film, drawn to cinematic experiences and the full creative architecture of screen work. I’m fascinated by layered narratives and, with a strong interest in history and social concepts, curious about how artistic expression can embody collective memory, societal shifts, and the complexities of human behaviour.
A significant professional development was joining Gebremedhin Dance for Seeking. Beyond the artistic and physical challenges, I value the company’s proactive approach to critical conversations. The work embraces difficult contexts yet remains empowering. It creates space for dialogue and reflection while sustaining lightness and possibility.
What I’m seeking more broadly, is to challenge myself through connection with diverse experiences and perspectives, grounded in a commitment to seeing the best in others. I believe there is strength in maintaining hopeful expectations of one another, and I hope to find validation that optimism is not naivety and that compassion can be both radical and practical in challenging times.
Martha Hill
Composer, Song-writer and PerformerMy name is Martha Hill and I am a composer, song-writer, and performer based in the North East of England. I studied classical trombone throughout school, and attended both the RSAMD juniors and Douglas Music Academy in Scotland, but I am self-taught in all other instruments (vocals, guitar, percussion and piano).
I began my music career as a busker, later joining touring “folk-and-roll” band Holy Moly and the Crackers as a trombone player. I began releasing my own music in 2018 and self-released two EPs before signing with record label The Orchard. Preferring the DIY/grassroots scene I ended my contract with them and returned to self-releasing for my debut album ‘Football Heid’. My music has been reviewed by the likes of Line of Best Fit and Clash etc and I have been played regularl on national radio (BBC radio1/Amazing Radio/BBC6music) including being playlisted on BBC 6music. I have also toured extensively throughout the UK and Europe. I am currently working with Northern Stage and York Theatre Royal on an original Musical Theatre show Dracula.
As a woman, I am seeking basic safety and better representation of women, especially minoritised women, in positions of power. As a queer person I am seeking equal rights in terms of access to fertility treatment through the NHS. As a mother I am seeking better support for parents and more acknowledgement for unpaid labour, such as caring for the young, the elderly, and the home, which is globally disproportionately carried out by women.
Ruth Lyon
Musician, Writer and PerformerI’m from North Yorkshire moors but have lived in Newcastle Upon Tyne for 15 years. I attended ballet school as a kid and have always been extremely moved by dance. I’ve played violin since I could talk - clarinet, piano, percussion, viola and began writing songs to sing at school.
From 13 I went to Leeds college of Music weekend school but went on to do a 4 year fashion degree. I am a recording and touring musician/composer playing stages like Latitude festival, Glastonbury, SXSW (Texas), New York city Hall and have toured Europe/UK. I create my own stage outfits and love creating visually immersive experiences with my music videos. I am a disability advocate for Attitude is Everything and Featured Artist Coalition and have spoken in parliament on accessibility and inclusion in the music industry. I wish to see greater representation of marginalised women in the arts and a greater acknowledgement and celebration of female excellence in what we make.
I have grown in confidence as a writer, performer and collaborator since starting this project and I am honoured to be part of the team. My favourite part is being allowed the freedom to play; involving multi-disciplinary cross over. So far I speak poetry, dance, sing, play lots of instruments, kneed dough! It’s an exciting and refreshingly energetic space to be.
Lila Naruse
Dance ArtistLila is a mixed heritage dance artist who deeply values playfulness, challenge and connection with an ongoing dedication to environmental sustainability within her approach. Since completing her training in contemporary dance, Lila’s artistic journey have been rooted in performance, creation, and collaboration. She has worked with companies and organisations such as; Ockham's Razor, Upswing, Southpaw Dance Company, Hit The Ground Running Dance Theatre, Ella Mesma Company, Jennifer Essex, Let's Circus, Ramped Company etc.
Lila is a full-time mover by nature, and her practice grows from a core of contemporary dance, with an expanding curiosity for circus arts; particularly in working with aerial, set work, acrobatics, object manipulation and fire spinning - she is interested in exploring the merging worlds of dance, circus and theatre.
Lila is seeking for change towards a deeper sense of connections and community in the world and loves how Gebremedi dance supports and builds this from the foundation of their practice.
Saya Naruse
Filmmaker and PhotographerI’m an interdisciplinary artist based in the North East. I work within film, photography, and puppet-making. I am intrigued by shape, movement, light, and texture, which I explore across all my disciplines. I’m currently co-leading a project called Weaving for Wellbeing, a year-long seasonal art-making space for women who have experienced forced displacement. When I’m not working, I enjoy camping, cycling, and experimenting with natural fibres.
I seek to centre my work around social justice, human experience, and environmentalism. I seek deeper human connections, equality, and respect for our natural world. It has been an honour, an inspiration, and a complete joy to work with Gebremedhin Dance, tackling subjects that are so important with a group of incredibly talented women.
Molly Procter
Dance ArtistI came to Newcastle in 2002 to study dance and choreography, and it quickly became the place where my professional journey took shape. Since graduating, I’ve worked with a range of companies across the North East, building a diverse body of experience both as a performer and creative. During my training, I also had the opportunity to study in New York, which broadened my perspective and continues to influence my approach to movement and storytelling.
I’ve developed a strong passion for physical theatre, particularly work that is rooted in narrative. I’m drawn to creating and teaching work that connects emotionally, where movement and story are fully intertwined.
I teach on an advanced training programme, something I care deeply about, supporting dancers as they refine their technique, develop their artistry, and find their individual voice.
I’m really enjoying stepping into a new role as a rehearsal director, working closely with dancers and choreographers to shape, refine, and bring work to life in the studio.
Crissy Reed-Richards
Dance ArtistI grew up in Rowlands Gill in the North East of England and graduated from the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance in 2014. Following my training, I performed with Steven Martin Dance, The D Project, and KaSt.
Pursuing a change of direction, I qualified as a physiotherapist from Sunderland University and currently work with young adults with learning disabilities in Newcastle.
My full-time career is grounded in a commitment to inclusivity, diversity and equality. I believe in the social responsibility to challenge systems that restrict access, representation, and opportunity. I am particularly passionate about advocating for visibility and voice to support and promote meaningful change.
I am returning to dance specifically for this project, to be part of a conversation about women in the current climate, and the challenges that women and girls continue to face on a day to day basis. The process has taken me beyond my own perspective and I feel that the experiences and themes explored are increasingly urgent.
For me, Seeking challenges an acceptance of the daily norm to realise the wider social and global impact. Throughout this project, I have felt valued for my individual expression and creative input. I hope to become more involved in community engagement and research within this project, and I am excited to be part of the development of this work.
Dr. G. Hannabiell Sanders
Musician, Composer, ProducerTrombonist, percussionist, composer and cultural producer whose work sits at the intersection of music, movement and community. Originally from New Jersey, USA, she is now based in the North East of England. Hannabiell holds a BFA in Music Education from Rutgers University and a Masters and PhD in Music Performance from Newcastle University.
A trombonist and African and Latin hand percussionist, her practice explores rhythm as a language for storytelling, cultural memory and social change. She is the co-founder and the Artistic Director of Harambee Pasadia CIC and leads the ensembles Hannabiell & Midnight Blue and Ladies of Midnight Blue. Her work often brings together artists, students and communities through workshops, festivals and collaborative projects. She is the artistic director of Harambee Pasadia Afro Fusion Arts Festival, founded in 2013 and based in County Durham, which brings together intergenerational, multicultural communities through music, dance, and culture.
Beyond performance, Hannabiell is passionate about collective creativity, cultural exchange and building spaces where people feel seen, heard and empowered. The highlights of working with Gebremedhin Dance were many but she is drawn to the company for its spirit of community, rhythm and embodied storytelling - values that resonate deeply with her own artistic journey.
Benedicta Valentina Mamuini
Dance ArtistBenedicta is a mixed-heritage Angolan-Congolese freelance dance artist based in Newcastle.
She trained on a partnership degree course with Dance City, Newcastle College, and Northumbria University, and has since gone on to become an apprentice dancer with balletLORENT, a Resident Artist, and now a freelancer. She has performed in numerous balletLORENT works, including Rapunzel, Parade, After Dark, The Current, and The Lost Happy Endings. In her freelance work, she has performed with companies including Soumik Datta Productions, Paradox Pictures, Ella Mesma Company, and Gratte Ciel through Southpaw Dance Company, and now Gebremedhin Dance.
In her personal life, Benedicta enjoys spending time with her nearly three-year-old son; playing, climbing, dancing, creating art, and reading books. She has discovered a new creative outlet through crocheting and is enjoying creating joy in wool form.
Benedicta is enjoying rediscovering how her body now moves, communicates, and forms after a little break away from the industry. She has been moved by Seeking, a powerful and collaborative woman-led work that challenges the audience to reevaluate themselves and their perceptions of what it means to be a woman in 21st-century society.
Cora Williams
Dance ArtistCora-Jay is a North East–based dance artist who performs, teaches, and choreographs across professional, educational, and community settings. She graduated with a BA in Professional Dance Practice, specialising in contemporary techniques and creative dance. Since graduating, she has performed and toured nationally with a range of contemporary dance theatre companies, including Company of Others, HTGR Dance Theatre, Lo-Guidice Dance, Gebremedhin Dance, Gateway, Southpaw Dance Company, and State of Grace.
Alongside her dance career, Cora-Jay has worked as a visual stylist and built a successful global digital fashion platform ‘Delightfultack’ collaborating with independent designers, stylists, models, and photographers.
She continues to work across the creative industries to stay connected to evolving artistic practices, inspiring and mentoring emerging dance artists and students.
Cora-Jay is passionate about seeing more women leading and shaping the creative industries, ensuring their voices and visions are brought to the forefront.
She was drawn to working with Gebremedhin Dance because of the raw, relatable power of the project Seeking. Its honest exploration of lived realities, combined with the opportunity to share experiences within a multidisciplinary regional collective, made the process deeply meaningful.