UEL dance student selected for top choreographic programme

Gary Clarke wasn’t expecting the email. As a BA (Hons) Dance student at the University of East London, he’d applied for the Choreodrome residency on a hopeful whim, unsure if his choreographic voice was ready for that kind of platform. When the confirmation came, it didn’t feel quite real. “It was surreal,” he says. “I’ve never been accepted into a residency of this scale before.”

The residency in question is no small thing. Hosted each summer at The Place - London’s leading centre for dance and performance - Choreodrome is one of the UK’s most respected development programmes for independent choreographers. Just 17 artists from across the country are selected each year, each given two weeks of studio time to explore new ideas without the pressure of immediate outcomes. For Gary, who is still shaping his artistic identity alongside his studies, the timing couldn’t be better.

“I’m still figuring out what kind of artist I am,” he says. 

This is the first time I’ve had the chance to really focus without having to justify or explain everything. Just create.”

His current work-in-progress, BANK, explores the cultural significance of cypher culture in Hip Hop - the freestyle dance circles that often form late at night, sometimes outdoors, and almost always among friends. For Gary, those moments were formative. Growing up in Hackney, he found connection, energy and safety in those circles. 

“They weren’t just about technique,” he says. “They were about being seen, being part of something. That energy exchange - it’s hard to describe, but I’m trying to capture it.”

Rather than assemble a cast of unfamiliar dancers, Gary has chosen to work with family members - people he knows, trusts, and shares a history with. It’s his first time developing group choreography, and while it’s been a steep learning curve, it’s also been deeply personal.
“There’s nowhere to hide when you’re building something this close to home,” he says. “But it feels honest.”

Gary is one of two artists this year receiving focused support through Choreodrome’s Hip Hop Booster Pack, mentored by choreographer and movement director Kloé Dean. A former Choreodrome artist herself, Dean brings years of experience in Funk and Street styles and is known for championing authentic expression. 

“I’m really excited to be supporting the next generation of theatre makers,” she says. “It’s an honour to pass on what I’ve learnt to Gary and help him shape something of his own.”

That kind of tailored support mirrors Gary’s experience at UEL. 

“Before university, I thought of myself as a dancer,” he says. “But the course has helped me think like an artist - someone with something to say.” Modules on freelancing and self-management have shaped him to navigate the industry, while contact with current practitioners has raised his expectations of himself. “It’s showing me the standard I need to reach - and that it’s possible.”

Now, about to graduate, Gary is beginning to picture what comes next. He hopes to develop BANK beyond its initial stage, potentially tour it, and use the experience as a foundation for a sustainable creative career. “This is more than just a project,” he says. “It’s a chance to figure out how I want to work - and how I want to grow.”

And that question - how to grow as an artist - sits at the heart of Choreodrome. Gary says that having UEL’s encouragement alongside the residency has been key: from tutors who champion his ideas, to a course structure that has let him balance study with professional opportunities. 

“It’s rare to be given space like this, where the focus isn’t on having all the answers,” he says. “It’s about asking the right questions - and having people around you who believe in your ability to find them.”

Learn more about our BA (Hons) Dance, Clearing, and other UEL Clearing courses.