Andy Howitt
Artistic Director

Andy first started dancing with Fife Youth Dance Company with Royston Maldoom and Tammy McLorg.  He trained at Laban Centre in   4 years following which he joined Transitions Dance Company.  He then joined Diversions Dance Company (now National Dance Company Wales), working with many illustrious artists including David Dorfman, Krisztina de Châtel and Roy Campbell-Moore.

He returned to Scotland in 1990 and as Dance Director for TAG Theatre Company from 1990-1995 created pieces including A Scots Quair and Lanark for the Edinburgh International Festival, and A Clockwork Orange.

As Dance Development Officer for Citymoves from 1996-1998 Andy created many works, including collaborative pieces with Scottish Dance Theatre and Theatre Cryptic, as well as works for St Magnus Festival.  Andy has also created works for many companies across the UK including Club 1 ate 5 (Perth Youth Theatre), Schwa (Scottish Dance Theatre), Hannah & Hanna and Club Asylum (both for Company of Angels), Dance Machine (Tramway), Rural Image (Celtic Connections), DSCH (Theatre Cryptic), Summer Lighting and Pinocchio (both for Citizens’ Theatre).

He was appointed Artistic Director of YDance (Scottish Youth Dance) in 1999 – a post he held until February 2011 when he returned to Citymoves as Artistic Director.

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Jennifer Phillips
General Manager

Jennifer is an experienced arts producer with programming, project management, fundraising  and arts marketing experience. She has experience working across a range of arts organisations, including The Mead Gallery (Warwick Arts Centre), Chichester Festival Theatre, Abderite Theatre Company and most recently seven years experience delivering the Aberdeen International Youth Festival. Jennifer also produces the DanceLive Festival for Citymoves.

With an academic background in History of Art and Architecture, Jennifer has specialist training in strategic arts marketing and in creative leadership, including CCSkills Future Leaders and received mentoring from Katie Stuart of DanceBase.

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Hayley Durward
Dance Development Officer (Residencies & Professional)

Hayley is a contemporary choreographer, dancer and teacher. She trained at Laban in London gaining a BA Hons in Dance Theatre. Hayley has performed for many established UK contemporary choreographers including Lea Anderson and Angela Woodhouse. In 2010 she performed at Dance Umbrella for Austrian Choreographer Willi Dorner. For four years Hayley taught contemporary technique and choreography full time at the Arts Educational School, London and in 2009 became Artistic Director of their youth dance company, touring her work to the Lillian Baylis Theatre and Royal Festival Hall.

Hayley has made professional works for the Edinburgh Fringe, Resolution and Dancelive Festivals.
She choreographed This Way! a project for 8 professional dancers as part of Big Dance London 2010 that was funded by Siobhan Davies Studios and the Arts Council of England. The same year, she moved to Scotland and joined Citymoves Dance Agency as Dance Development Officer. She continues her professional practice and in the past 18 months has worked with Angus Balbernie and Norman Douglas, created a solo work Degrees of freedom on dancer Tom Pritchard for Dancelive festivals 2011/12, performed Quartet by Errol White, The Performing Book by Janine Harrington at Siobhan Davies Studios, Not Quite by Evangelia Kolyra in Athens and at The Place, Gold by Andy Howitt at The Olympic Torch celebrations in Aberdeen and The Bridge on the Millenium Bridge as part of Big Dance London.

In early 2013 Hayley will continue to teach freelance for SDT and Scottish Ballet, spend 2 weeks in the Woodend Barn developing her next piece of work funded by Creative Scotland and attend the E-Motional Forum and Dance Festival in Romania.

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Ruth Kent
Dance Development Officer (Outreach and Equalities)

Ruth trained at Laban Centre London, graduating in 2000 with Merit in Community Dance Studies. Prior to that she gained an MA Honours in History at Glasgow, her love of dance and theatre leading to a Post-Graduate Diploma in Cultural Policy and Management. Originally from Edinburgh, Ruth moved north to become Administrator of Awarehaus Theatre Company, Aberdeen.
Ruth has taught extensively with all ages and abilities over the past ten years. She specialises in Contemporary Dance, Creative Dance, Collaborative Projects and creative work with young people using Hip Hop. She has been a dancer with Ruby Worth (Hoops, Hats residency), Sara Schena (Site Specific Aberdeen Art Gallery), Ian Spink (26 Solos; 6 Small Piano Pieces) and performing her own work (Kites; Me-As-A-Mama; various collaborations).
Ruth was Cultural Co-ordinator for Dance (Aberdeenshire Council 2004-2006) and Youth Dance Development Officer (Citymoves 2006-2008). In 2008 Ruth was the recipient of a Citymoves Special Development Award, allowing her to create a duet entitled “Fractured” with dancers Tony Mills and Tara Hodgson, with live music by Kathryn Sawers. She created new pieces “This Woman’s Work” for DanceLive in Oct 2010, and “Made to Measure” in 2012.

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Linzi McLagan
Dance Development Officer (Education)

Linzi McLagan was born in Dundee and first gained contemporary dance experience at 12. She performed and participated in creative community projects throughout Dundee before going on to study at the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, where she achieved a Higher National Diploma in contemporary dance performance.

After graduation she joined the community initiatives team at Dundee College, where she received mentorship with Catherine Cassidy. Linzi then went on to work as a Lecturer at Dundee College and for the past four years has taught contemporary technique, choreography and movement science at the Scottish school of Contemporary Dance. Within this time Linzi achieved a Higher Diploma: Exercise Physiology and an Advanced Diploma: Teaching in Further Education.

Linzi has taught extensively throughout Scotland teaching education projects for Smallpetitklein, NHS Scotland, Scottish Ballet, Scottish Dance Theatre and The Space. She is a specialist in delivering Curriculum for Excellence, has completed her 3rd module in Polestar Pilates Matt work and is currently studying MSc Dance Science and Education at Edinburgh University.

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Simon Scott
Studio Administrator

Simon is a highly experienced administrator who has worked in a wide variety of posts within both the arts and the public sector. He joined Citymoves Dance Agency in February 2011 after stints at the Belmont Picturehouse, Aberdeen College, NHS Grampian and various other companies around the UK.

Although not a dancer, Simon has for over a decade performed as the front man for signed bands and continued to hone his photography and writing career. With his academic background firmly based in Journalism, Simon has spent many years in customer-orientated and administrative roles, whilst maintaining a freelance media career, which has seen him travel everywhere from Europe to Siberia.

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Lindsay Bates
Studio Assistant

Lindsay developed a love of dance through childhood lessons with the Stewart School of Dancing near Glasgow and was a member of the Youth Ballet of Scotland for three years. While studying at Aberdeen University, Lindsay performed with Treading the Boards musical society and appeared in four Student Shows at HMT, where in 2008 she was invited back to choreograph Date Expectations.

Lindsay is a founding member of amateur group Wayward Theatre Company. She was the administrator for their debut production A Chorus Line in August 2009 and has sinced choreographed Footloose, Fame and 42nd Street. She also choreographed Weak for DanceLive 2012.