We sat down with DanceEast Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) alumni Meghan Stevens to talk about her incredible dance journey, from her early days at DanceEast to performing iconic works on international stages.
I’m currently working as an ensemble dancer with Ireland’s National Dance Company, Luail, based in Dublin, who I began working with in late 2024. We’ve just finished touring DanceHall by Emma Martin and are currently in R&D with Junior Mustaf for work in 2026. There are some exciting things on the horizon – creating, exploring, performing and touring.
Performing The Rite of Spring with Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch was a totally surreal moment.
I saw the email inviting me to perform as a guest dancer for Rite of Spring (or Sacre as it’s called in the company) and couldn’t believe it, I was shaking and had sweat running down my arms! One email can change so much in your life. I had auditioned with the company earlier in the year and had got through to the final cut. I almost didn’t apply to audition as I thought it so unattainable, so to have this invitation was a dream come true. I’m so appreciative to Luail for supporting me in taking this opportunity, as I got to perform in 10 shows in Wuppertal’s Opera House.
2025 is the 50th anniversary of the first performance of Sacre, it felt so special to know I would be part of keeping Pina Bausch’s work alive. I knew working with the company would be challenging physically, mentally and emotionally. I was prepared for that, but I also knew it would be a totally transformative experience…which it was. To experience that very particular way of moving my body was amazing, it became a deep investigation for me. It was profoundly moving to experience the emotion of the work, how the movement evoked so many sensations and feelings coupled with the deep-rooted connection of women together.
Sacre is performed on an earth-covered stage which was another transformative experience for me as an artist,
connecting us dancers to the ritualistic quality of the work and its natural environment. We would start the piece clean and fresh in pale flowing dresses by the end my hair had come loose, earth and sweat clinging to my skin, really signifying the experience we had just gone through.
My favourite insight into the pre-show preparation was that we had to sew our hair using a needle and thread instead of using bobby pins, in case they fell out into the earth on stage and injured someone. We would often help each other out sewing where we couldn’t see, which became a sort of ritual for the women.
Each performance took its own journey, I would forget I was being watched, I was truly immersed in the world, in the experience my body was going through, the other people around me, the smell and feel of the earth beneath my feet. It felt like every fibre of my being was being used.
It was a privilege to learn my role that has been passed down from Barbara Kaufmann and Azusa Seyama-Prioville who both worked with Pina Bausch. They passed on her words to me as well as their lived experience of the role. To learn from these amazing women is the highlight of my career so far. I will cherish those shared moments forever.
My experience in the DanceEast CAT was truly transformative and is the reason I pursued a career in contemporary dance.
Before joining, I had never encountered contemporary dance, in fact, I remember initially thinking that contemporary dance wasn’t really for me. I first learnt of DanceEast from my ballet teacher, Michelle Rasdall, at Samara Ballet School. After hearing from her, my mum took me to DanceEast open day held locally in Ely, and I ended up being blown away by their studios and facilities. The exposure to such a wide range of styles and the encouragement to explore and grow sparked something in me that has never left. The training was rigorous and holistic. I still carry lessons from body conditioning, physiotherapy, nutritional talks, and the CAT Toolkit sessions, which gave me the confidence to take the next step in my training post-graduation, ultimately studying at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.
Following their 3-year degree course, I worked with Verve21; a semi-professional dance company offering an MA in contemporary dance. During this time, I did what felt like endless auditions before I was offered a contract with Russell Maliphant Dance Company as an apprentice dancer. I soon became a company member, touring nationally and internationally. A personal highlight was performing at Sadler’s Wells, one of my ambitions! Amongst others I have worked with choreographers such as Balletboyz, Thick & Tight, Jack Philp, Shelly Maxwell and Holly Blakey.
One of the most defining aspects of CAT was the chance to work with incredible teachers and choreographers. Wayne Parsons stands out, thanks to his Sunday contemporary technique class, where he explained an exercise in a way that just clicked for me. I watched him demonstrate a floor phrase and started to understand the chain sequencing of movements, how the ‘connecting’ motions are equally as important as the bigger gestures. It changed the way I understood movement and deepened my connection to dance in a way I hadn’t experienced before.
Another moment that really stayed with me came from Tom Hobden, who said “we could always become tractor drivers if we wanted to” which still makes me smile to this day. Tom always reminded us that we are people first, that to be a dancer you also need to live a life and that, in turn, life will inform dance. I would also like to mention Kate Durrant and her amazing work ethic: to keep pushing and never underestimate yourself and to know there is always a little bit more you can get out of your work.
Having the opportunity to perform works in a theatre setting taught me the discipline and focus required to be part of a show and just how rewarding the process could be.
The programme also took us to see a wide variety of live performances, which was incredibly insightful and inspiring. One of the first contemporary shows I saw was BalletBoyz, and I still remember how eye-opening it was. Then, having the opportunity to work and perform with BalletBoyz professionally, was a full-circle moment that reminded me just how far the DanceEast CAT has carried me.
A powerful part of the CAT was being surrounded by such a diverse community of young dancers from across the UK. It was so different from my local ballet school and opened my eyes to a broader dance landscape. It’s always a joy to meet and work with fellow CAT alumni across the freelance world, as we share a foundation that feels both familiar and inspiring. I’ve really enjoyed the recent opportunities to come back and teach, as well as speak to the talented students during career days. Answering their questions and providing insights into professional life has been a rewarding way to maintain the intergenerational connection between dancers.
Financially, I was able to access the programme for free due to my parents’ income, thanks to the CAT outreach scheme, which made all the difference. Without that support, this level of training would have been out of reach for me. CAT didn’t just offer access to dance, it opened doors to a future I hadn’t even imagined.
My mum wrote in support of the CAT outreach scheme:
“As a parent of a DanceEast CAT alumni I am writing firstly to say that the unique and richly thought through CAT scheme deserves huge recognition for the instrumental place it holds in the development of and opportunities offered to the many skilled and talented young people it has helped. Helping to achieve their potential, aspirations and dreams. However I should also like to voice my deep concerns over the cuts to the extraordinarily valuable service the associated CAT outreach programme offers.
Our daughter Meghan was made aware of the CAT scheme by her dance teacher but it was through attending an outreach DanceEast workshop in nearby Ely we both (her and myself) began to realise the depth of training and support that was on offer. Meghan auditioned and was offered a bursary without which who knows what path her life would have taken. We certainly would not have been able to financially support Meghan in training at DanceEast without the grant.
Creativity is underpinned by diversity, diversity in ideas, people, processes, thinking and perhaps most importantly; opportunity. Meghan was given the opportunity.
The outreach programme by reaching into the community celebrates and fosters this….To me it’s like cutting off most of the vital supporting roots of a plant and then expecting it to develop, flourish and grow”
From everything I’ve learnt, from classroom to theatre, my advice is
that as long as you’re not afraid to get things wrong, you throw yourself into the work and allow things to evolve, then you’ll often be surprised with the results! Don’t put yourself in a box, dream big and persevere. The main thing is to keep going. It is very tough at times, but believe in yourself and things will always work out in the way it was meant to be.
