From Apprentice Dancer to Rehearsal Director, Alice steps up
26 January 2026We’re excited to announce Company Dancer, Alice Bonazzi, has stepped into a new role as Rehearsal Director at Company Chameleon.
Alice’s dance journey with Company Chameleon began in 2017, when she worked as an Apprentice Dancer with the company, as part of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance Apprenticeship Scheme.
Following on Alice continued her relationship with Chameleon working as a Freelance Dancer and Associate Artist, before becoming a full-time member of the creative team as a Company Dancer in 2021.
Driven by her love for the studio, movement curiosity and collaboration with others, Alice has always aimed to develop into a leadership role, and this move into Rehearsal Director, sees her do just that.
In this Q&A, Alice talks to us about her progression, what the role of Rehearsal Director involves, and how she will balance her new responsibilities whilst continuing as a Company Dancer.
Q1) Hey Alice, congratulations on your new role as Rehearsal Director, we’d love to hear more about it!
Thank you, I’m really excited to step into the role of Rehearsal Director. There are many layers and responsibilities to the role, starting from the more “obvious’ which are organising the day-by-day work flow of the creative team in the studio, overseeing and adapting the training, making sure the rehearsals run smoothly, the performances are ready and up to standard, liaising with the other members of the team, etc.
There’s also part of the role which has more to do with ‘building the team’, so building trust, establishing a shared vision and set of values and more importantly creating the conditions in which each dancer is aware of their worth, so that they feel empowered to thrive, express themselves the best they can and continually grow as individual artists as well as members of the company.
We are a relatively small team and with the work we do being so both physically and mentally demanding for me this is extremely important.
Q2) What does a day as both Rehearsal Director and Company Dancer look like?
Very busy! We’re in the studio at 9.30am to prep / do conditioning / warm up before class which then starts at 10am. Before then I try to make sure that all the admin bits are done. After class we have a quick chat with the creative team to talk through the plan for the day and get started with rehearsals. At the moment we’re busy preparing for the premiere of our double bill Obscura so the heat is on.
Q3) Why did you want to take on the additional opportunity, and how does it help you grow within the dance industry or as a person?
While I still strongly consider myself a performer I was excited by the challenge and I felt ready to take on the additional responsibility, especially within an organisation I know so well and during such a crucial time for the company. I’m the first Rehearsal Director of Company Chameleon and while I’m very proud of this, I’m also aware I need to create a path and a role for the future.
Q4) What do you think the biggest challenges will be and what are you excited to learn?
Personally the role is already teaching me how to work on my communication skills and to reflect on the meaning of leadership. It’s also teaching me how to look at the bigger picture and how to work so that the organisational and individual needs align as much as possible.
To anyone aspiring to be a Rehearsal Director, or work in a leadership role within dance I’d always say push to grow more, to inspire, be inspired and make the dance industry a more sustainable place.
Thank you for talking to us Alice, good luck in your new role.
Follow Company Chameleon on instagram here to follow Alice’s journey and for behind the scenes pics and vids of Alice and our creative team working in the studio and performing on tour.
Photo credits
No.1: Yue Ying Ho | No.2: Stad de Gevleugelde, City of Wings, Ypres | No.3 & no.5: Cameron Brown – on instagram here | No. 4 & no.6: Joel Chester Fildes