Dance Makers Collective
DMC Members are the core of DMC. They are the Artistic Directorate of the company. They collectively make decisions about the strategic direction, artistic and public program and are the primary deliverers of the program.
DMC Members are foremost dance makers and commit to collectivism wholeheartedly.
A DMC Member lives the values of DMC, is an ambassador for DMC and, by extension, the independent dance community.
A DMC Member is flexible and adaptable. DMC Members contribute their diverse and complementary skills to DMC. They are more than makers and movers. They produce, direct, compose, teach, program manage, design, mentor, rehearsal direct and advocate for DMC.
DMC was formed in 2012 by Founding Members Matt Cornell, Jenni Large, Anya McKee, Sophia Ndaba, Katina Olsen, Marnie Palomares, Melanie Palomares, Carl Sciberras, Miranda Wheen and Rosslyn Wythes.
DMC Members are part of the family, former members often continue to work with DMC on projects and programs. DMC Members become so by invitation from current members.
Current Members
Jana Castillo
DMC Member
Jana grew up in Wodonga, and completed her schooling at the Victoria College of Arts Secondary School. She then went on to study at the New Zealand School of Dance, graduating in 2009. Jana has worked with leading artists and companies across dance, theatre, opera and film, touring nationally and internationally. In 2018 Jana was awarded the Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer for her role in construct by Tanja Liedtke.
Read more »Eliza Cooper
DMC Member
Eliza graduated from Newtown High School of the Performing Arts (2015) and received a Certificate IV (2016) and Advanced Diploma (2021) in Dance through Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year program. She continued her studies with Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in the MASA Program (2017).
Read more »Mitchell Christie
DMC Member
Mitchell Christie is a freelance dancer, creator and educator. Growing up on Dharawal Country (NSW South Coast) he graduated from Newtown High School of the Performing Arts in 2012. In 2013 Mitchell moved to New York to continue his dance education at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, receiving his BFA in 2017.
Read more »Ella Watson-Heath
DMC Member
Ella is a dance artist born and raised on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar (Borloo, Perth) currently living on Gadigal land (Sydney), working across performance, choreography and improvisation. Ella is a graduate of the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), BA Dance Course, and was a member of STEPS Youth Dance Company from 2013 to 2015.
Read more »Emma Harrison
DMC Member, Board Member and Engagement Officer
Emma Harrison (she/her) is a dance performer, choreographer, movement director and educator, based on Gadigal Country in Warrane/Sydney. Emma’s multidisciplinary practice encompasses contemporary dance, sung and spoken voice, film and theatre. Emma works with independent choreographers and theatre directors across Australia including DMC, Marrugeku and Empress Theatre. Her solo work Wolverine, was commissioned for the 2024 Sydney Festival.
Read more »Miranda Wheen
DMC Founding Member and Deputy Chair
Miranda is an independent dancer based in Sydney. She has collaborated with companies and choreographers throughout Australia and internationally, including; Marrugeku, Martin Del Amo, Stalker Theatre, Shaun Parker and Company, Mirramu Dance Company, Dance Makers Collective and Restless Dance Theatre, among others.
Read more »Melanie Palomares
DMC Founding Member
Melanie is a Sydney-based independent dancer/performer and teacher. She has toured nationally and internationally with Shaun Parker & Company and worked for Australian companies and artists such as Branch Nebula, Ghenoa Gela, Force Majeure, Taikoz & Digital Shamans, Martin del Amo, Liz Lea, Kristina Chan, Jason Pitt, Bernadette Walong-Sene and Narelle Benjamin.
Read more »Anya McKee
DMC Founding Member
Anya is a contemporary dancer who has had the pleasure to work for Kate Champion’s dance-theatre company Force Majeure, aerial dance company Strings Attached, Sam Chester, Dean Walsh, Sara Black, Simone O’Brien, Ross Ganf, Sue Healey, Kohzensha Butoh Company’s Artistic Director Yukio Waguri and Marrugeku. She also makes dance film and works as a designer on the side. www.anyamckee.com.au
Read more »Carl Sciberras
DMC Founding Member, Board Member and General Manager
Carl is a dance maker, performer, producer, business advisor and teacher from Western Sydney. His works have been presented around Australia in theatres, galleries, museums and site-specific festivals, and in international festivals and biennales. Carl was a participant in the Australia Council’s Future Leaders Program (2017), was the City of Parramatta’s Creative Fellow (2016) and currently sits on the Create NSW Dance & Physical Theatre Artform Board.
Read more »Marnie Palomares
DMC Founding Member
Marnie is an independent dancer and has performed extensively nationally and internationally. She has worked for Branch Nebula, Shaun Parker & Company, Chunky Move (Gideon Obarzanek), Force Majeure, Marrugeku, Antony Hamilton, Narelle Benjamin, Martin Del Amo, Sydney Theatre Company, Kristina Chan, Nigel Jamison, Garry Stewart, Jason Pitt, Bernadette Walong, Dean Walsh and Liz Lea. Marnie’s most recent choreographic works include Catapult’s Propel Residency solo Tissue Girl in collaboration with High Tea with Mrs Woo designers and dance film Home for Blacktown Arts Centre’s Balik Bayan Philippine art project.
Read more »Katina Olsen
DMC Founding Member
Katina is a Wakka Wakka Kombumerri choreographer / performer and also has Norwegian, German and English Ancestry. She has worked throughout Australia, Canada, UK, USA and Europe and was one of Sydney Dance Company’s New Breed Choreographers for 2018.
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Former Members
Jenni Large
DMC Founding Member
Born and raised in Naarm/Melbourne, Jenni is a contemporary dance artist collaborating, performing, choreographing, teaching and rehearsal directing across the unceded lands of so-called Australia. Currently based on palawa country in lutruwita/Tasmania. Jenni’s choreographic practice is a cross-section of dancing, performance/endurance art and visual art. Often integrating objects such as foam, plaster and netting to explore current and historical socio-political themes in relation to the body. Jenni was a formative ensemble member and rehearsal director with Kyle Page & Amber Haines at Dancenorth from 2015-2020.
Read more »Sophia Ndaba
DMC Founding Member
Sophia works across a broad spectrum of contemporary dance styles and practices, from bodyweather, dance theatre, site specific, community outreach, object and installation, commercial, dance films and multidisciplinary art collaborations. She has worked with Shaun Parker & Company, La Fura Del Baus (Barcelona), Opera Australia, Ministry of Sound, Force Majeure and more.
Read more »Matt Cornell
DMC Founding Member
M@ is a multi-award winning choreographer and composer working across UTC +8 through +10. He is also the curator for digital at Critical Path choreographic research centre, founder of Wombat Radio, a founding member of Style Impressions Krew, Dance Makers Collective and The Pump, as well as associate artist at Legs On The Wall and a friend of The Farm.
M@ is chronically busy with the question “What is what we’re doing, doing?”. He collaborates with inspiring artists, in diverse contexts, to interrogate how we embody systems – social, cultural, political, or technological – and in turn how these systems embody us by forming communities and informing identities. That we may get better at living together.
Read more »Rosslyn Wythes
DMC Founding Member
Rosslyn’s artistic practice encompasses performance, choreography, improvisation and water colouring. She has worked with Australian and European choreographers Jos Baker, La Fura Dels Baus, Rob McCredie, Carlee Mellow, Matthew Morris, Sue Peacock, Rakesh Sukesh, Dean Walsh, Tanya Voges, Flatline, DirtyFeet and Anything Is Valid Dance Theatre.
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