Core team
Kevin Edward Turner MBE (he / him)
Artistic Director and Co-Founder
Kevin started dancing at the age of eight with Trafford Youth Dance Theatre. His formal studies were at the Northern school of Contemporary Dance where he gained a first class degree.
Kevin’s professional engagements include working with Rambert Dance Company, Scottish Dance Theatre, Phoenix Dance Theatre, CassaniDance, Rubberbandancegroup (Canada), Henri Oguike Dance Company, Company Decalage, Mad Dogs Dance Theatre, Finn Walker and Roda. He has worked as an independent artist in collaboration with Gansango in Seattle, Crossfade in Budapest and Navala Chaudhari in London. He has taught in most major British contemporary dance institutions, as well as in Canada, USA, Hungary, Trinidad and Tobago, South Korea, South Africa and all-over continental Europe.
Kevin co-founded Company Chameleon in 2007 and has since created, performed, led, directed, produced and facilitated performances, masterclasses, workshops, residences, interventions and participatory projects nationally and internationally.
In 2025, Kevin was appointed MBE and recognised in the New Year Honours list, for his services to dance and mental health.
Alice Bonazzi (she / her)
Rehearsal Director | Company Dancer
Originally from Italy, Alice formally trained in dance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance graduating with a First-Class Honours degree. During her time at Laban, Alice worked with industry acclaimed professionals such as Alison Curtis-Jones, Zoi Dimitriou, Fernanda Prata, Maciej Kuzminski amongst others and she performed in works by Maxine Doyle and Sir Matthew Bourne. In 2017, she joined Company Chameleon as an apprentice dancer and kept collaborating with them as an Associate Artist.
Since 2018, Alice performed and toured works by Company Chameleon, MOTUS, Mercurial Dance and Kapow- Dance Circus Theatre amongst others. The same year she also co-founded DAMAEDANCE, a collaboration with dance artist Sara Marques and the two have been creating and touring ever since. In 2019 DAMAE were accepted as part of the Without Walls programme and were co-commissioned by the Hat Fair and Stockton Riverside International Festival to produce and tour their debut work IRMÃ-sister, which premiered at GDIF in September 2020 and toured nationally and internationally over spring/summer 2021.
The duet are currently working on developing a new ambitious outdoor show (After)Party, set on a rotating set. Alice is thrilled to have joined Chameleon as a Company Dancer in December 2021 and to have stepped into the role of Rehearsal Director in 2026.
Sam Broadbent (she / her)
Learning & Participation Manager
Sam graduated from York St John University with a first class degree in Performance: Dance and then went onto to train professionally at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Sam has performed for 12 Degrees North, working with Alesandra Seutin (Vocab Dance) and Gary Clarke and in several productions by Balbir Singh Dance Company. As a Freelance Dance Artist Sam has worked for a number of organisations including The Lowry (Centre for Advanced Training, The Lowry Youth Dance Company), Rosie Kay Dance Company, Dance Manchester, Edge Hill University and University of Salford. She was Community Dance Artist for New Adventures and Re:Bourne’s production of Lord of the Flies at both The Lowry and Bradford Alhambra, and in 2015 became Access & Education Officer at Phoenix Dance Theatre where she delivered a wide range of community and education programmes. Sam joined Company Chameleon in 2017 in the role of Learning & Participation Manager.
Clare Brennan (she / her)
Company Co-Ordinator
When you meet Clare one of the first things you will notice is her sunny disposition, smiley welcome and enthusiasm for making dance happen. Graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University in the early 90’s with a Creative Arts degree, she joined Dance Manchester in 1995 as Company Administrator whilst also working as a freelance teacher in contemporary dance. Changing roles in 2008 to project co-ordinator, Clare has worked in the dance sector now for 30 years, working with and alongside Greater Manchester communities, schools, professional and emerging artists and cultural organisations.
Daisy Dalton (she / her)
Digital Marketing Assistant
Daisy graduated from Edge Hill University with a first-class degree in Dance in 2022, where her highlights included working with Bettina Carpi, Beth Payton and Stealing Sheep. She then continued her studies at The University of Manchester, studying MA Arts Management and Cultural Policy, during which she specialised in Creative Producing and Digital Marketing. Her dissertation explores how the arts industry is adapting to social media advances, which is an area of personal interest. Daisy completed a placement with Company Chameleon in the Spring of 2023, and is delighted to be continuing on working with the company.
Leanne Feeley (she / her)
Executive Director
Leanne worked in arts and cultural management in local government for over 15 years including at Tameside, Salford and Stockport Councils. With a background in contemporary dance and a founder member of Third Estate Music & Dance, she previously lectured in dance and worked with Dance Manchester (formerly DiGM). Leanne is on the Board of Directors at Brighter Sound in Manchester.
Jess Howell (she / her)
Marketing Manager
Jess has over 12 years’ experience in marketing, communications and publishing. She currently leads on marketing for clients including Company Chameleon, Good Yard Studio, and Simply Singing CIC, and has broad consultancy experience across sectors, working on brand projects, marketing campaigns and content strategy for a range of organisations. Her client and project history includes the British Red Cross, Thomson Reuters, Slater and Gordon, and she co-founded NRTH LASS, an independent print magazine celebrating women across the North of England.
When she’s not supporting arts and culture organisations to raise their profile, Jess helps small business owners and creatives get their work in front of the right audience. She set up her own business, Jess Howell Photography, in September 2024, combining candid photography with marketing strategy to help clients build a distinctive brand and voice.
Kadafi Mulula (he / him)
Company Dancer
Kadafi was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and moved to England when he was five years old. He grew up in Leeds, where his high school teachers supported and encouraged him to dance as they saw his potential. Following an early self-taught dance background in hip hop and acrobatics, he trained professionally at De Montfort University and as part of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance Apprenticeship Scheme.
In 2022, he joined Company Chameleon as an Apprentice Company Dancer and stepped up into the role of a Company Dancer in 2024. Kadafi has performed nationally and internationally with Company Chameleon in productions including Umbra, Refuse, Of Man And Beast, Witness This, Push, Hands and The Ultimate Player’s Handbook.
In Summer 2024, Kadafi worked with East Midlands disability dance company, We Are Epic. The collaborative project involved working with Kitapoleng in Bali to make a culture film titled Convergence of Grace.
Beth Payton
Co-Learning & Participation Manager (Maternity Cover)
Beth trained at Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music and Dance and has spent 15 years as a Freelance Dance Artist based in Manchester. She has performed works by Gary Clarke, Alesandra Seutin, Balbir Singh and TC Howard. Beth has an extensive teaching practice having worked for organisations such as Rambert, The Lowry Centre for Advanced Training Scheme, LPM Dance, Edgehill University, Dance Manchester and University of Salford.
Beth spent nine years working on The Lowry’s dance programmes. During this time, Beth co-delivered the Lowry’s Youth Dance Company, was CAT Outreach Co-ordinator and Freelance CAT Administrator. Since starting a family, Beth has been involved in the community sector as a Freelance Project Manager for various Community Interest Companies, developing and facilitating community engagement projects centred around wellbeing and mental health.
Erin Pollitt (she / her)
Dance & Health Artist
Erin is a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer. Erin has a first-class degree from NSCD and an MA in dance from the Place as part of their touring company EDGE.
She has performed for About Time Dance Company, Jonathan Poole, Pepa Ubera, Ocean all Over, Night People and was a dancer in ‘Everything I Know About Love’ by Dolly Alderton and choreographed by Anthony Missen. Erin also makes her own work with her company Matter of Fact, making feminist work against the backdrop of popular culture in social settings.
Erin teaches in youth settings across the North West, and as a tutor on the Lowry CAT Scheme. She has a passion for the link between dance and mental health and has recently conducted her own research looking at dancers’ injuries and their psychology, published in the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science and is a volunteer counsellor for the mental health charity Shout.
After freelancing for Company Chameleon on their health and wellbeing strand and Chameleon Youth Juniors, Erin has taken up the role of Dance and Health Artist to continue to explore this work in further depth.
Above all, Erin loves to move and loves to help others find the same joy through moving!
Shameer Rayes (he / him)
Freelance Company Dancer
Shameer is an emerging artist born and raised in Manchester, UK. His dance journey is rooted in freestyle, which was self-taught through online videos from an early age. This led him to perform on platforms such as Britain’s Got Talent (semi-finalist) and the Queen’s Jubilee at the AO Arena, as well as contributing to various short films and creative residencies with Factory International. His experience includes work with prominent brands such as Levi’s, JD Sports and Relentless. He’s also had the honour of working with artists such as FKA twigs and Pip Millett. Alongside this, he pursued formal training at ‘Shockout Arts’, where he recently graduated with a BA Honours in Professional and Commercial Dance (under scholarship). His enthusiasm for dance also extends to other art forms including music production, writing (poetry, music) and film-making.
Lucia Taylor (she / her)
Apprentice Company Dancer
Lucia (she/her) is a dance artist with Kiwi blood, who was born in London and raised in Barcelona. It was there that she began her professional dance training under the mentorship of Laura López Osornio and Williams Castro. She then went on to study her degree at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee in the United States, studying under teachers such as Kurt Douglas and Marissa Parmenter. During her time at the conservatory, Lucia performed in works by renowned choreographers such as Jennifer Archibald, Liam Francis, and Juliano Nunes. She completed her Masters degree at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, where she danced and toured nationally and internationally with the postgraduate dance company, VERVE.
Betty Turner (she / her)
Company Assistant
Betty Graduated from The Scottish School Of Contemporary Dance in 2012 with a First Class Honours Degree. Her professional engagements include facilitating classes for Scottish Dance Theatres Youth company and Smallpetitklein Dance Company, Stride with Company Chameleon and Dance Manchester, and as a dancer for Eliot Smith Dance Company. As well as becoming a fully qualified Zumba instructor and TEFAL instructor. In 2013 Betty changed careers and started working as a manager in the commercial retail sector, and then went onto work for the NHS where she took on the role as a School Health co-ordinator before joining Company Chameleon as a Company Assistant.