Lee Smikle

Lee Smikle is a freelance dancer, teacher and choreographer originally born in Yorkshire and has been a local resident of East London for many years.

He trained at Swindon Dance and the Rambert School and has been a long standing member of Matthew Bourne's Adventures in Motion Pictures and New Adventures companies based at Sadler’s Wells. Touring internationally and performing in shows including Swan Lake, The Car Man, Nutcracker!, Spitfire and Highland Fling. Lee was also a rehearsal assistant for the company and helped devise workshop content when they set up Re: Bourne, the educational arm of the company, and now leads on their workshops and choreographic projects.

Lee has also performed in a variety of other works ranging from opera at Glynedbourne and the Royal Opera House to pop videos with Kylie Minogue, film and DVD recordings.
He has taught for numerous dance organisations, returned to teach at Swindon Dance and the Rambert School as well as teaching at The Place and Trinity Laban. He has currently choreographed a musical working alongside the Young Vic & London charity Only Connect on their production ‘The Realness’. A gritty and funny piece formed of west end professionals and former offenders.

Last year he was awarded the dance Cultural Leadership Placement 2010/11 and spent six months as DanceEast Associate working with Artistic Director/CEO Assis Careiro and shadowing Norwegian National Ballet and its Artistic Director Espen Giljane in Oslo.

Lee’s main expertise and passion, is working with and training young dancers, either as mentor, teacher or choreographer. He is the part-time contemporary and creative dance tutor on the Laban Centre for Advanced training Scheme (CAT).
CAT is a national dance training scheme for talented young dancers, giving them the opportunity to learn, create and move alongside professional dance artists and prepare them for further professional training.

Lee is the Artistic Director of Shoreditch Youth Dance Company (SYD) which he founded in January 2010. Contemporary dance based, creative and performance led, the company are resident here at Rich Mix. With over 12 years experience of teaching dance to young people he aspires to continue this learning and encouraging participation through his youth company and association with Rich Mix.