Meet the team

Kathy is an original member and award-winning director of RJC Dance. Kathy leads the strategic direction and implementation of RJC Dance’s innovative youth, adult, community and international dance and cultural programmes. As an organisation RJC Dance is committed to developing Black British Dance language as a strategic narrative as opposed to just a style, building legacy and the recognition of cultural ancestry.

As an Olympic gymnast, her life and career are about creating transformative experiences through the arts and culture for young people and communities. RJC Dance is an award-winning organisation delivering exciting programmes, workshops, accredited qualifications, access to employment, national and international youth exchanges and experiences for children, young people, adults & elders. The organisation reaches communities who have limited access to the rich and transformative benefits of the arts and of cultural education.

At RJC Dance we enrich the creative arts landscape offer by reflecting the ethnic and cultural diversity of contemporary England. Operating from a global perspective of contemporary dance, RJCD is one of few UK Black British led dance companies, contributing to the development of a strong infrastructure for Black British Dance culture. Kathy has dedicated her life’s work to the contribution and development of dance of the African Diaspora by changing perceptions and building legacy.

Since 1993, over 20,000+ young people 4yrs-19yrs from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds have engaged with RJC Dance, cultural and pastoral programmes with currently over 250 young people attending weekly sessions. From 2017-2019 RJC Dance has been the winning Leeds West Indian Carnival Youth Troupe. By invitation RJC Dance Youth Provision has performed: locally, nationally and internationally including youth exchanges in Sweden, France & Denmark.

Kathy’s leadership style is open, collaborative and based on the Olympic values of excellence, friendship, respect, determination, courage, equality, inspiration. Kathy is highly skilled and has extensive knowledge and experience in stakeholder engagement; delivering organisational change; leading cultural and heritage programmes; curating large-scale festivals and events. Kathy has a sports performance mindset and is highly motivated and skilled as a creative producer with a lifetimes experience in dance, performance, learning and participation.

Stefanie has worked as the Administrator for RJC Dance since 2012 and is delighted to be part of the staff team of such an exciting participatory community dance organisation.

Stefanie is a graduate of Kent University and has been involved professionally in the Arts for over 30 years both as a practitioner, then as a manager and arts administrator. She has toured nationally with companies such as Pilot Theatre, Red Ladder Theatre and Alison Andrews Co. and spent over 20 years as the Tour Manager for Red Ladder Theatre Company. During this time she contributed and nurtured the development of The Asian Theatre School, supporting Black & Asian diverse artists, from a regional to a national level.

In 2011 she began working as a freelance arts administrator creating UK Independent Arts Administration and her portfolio included professional contracts for Hidden Gems Productions, Huddersfield and Web of Dreams Productions in their business ventures. Joining RJC Dance in 2012, to support the leadership of Kathy Williams, Stefanie is committed to the future development of RJC Dance; recognising it's legacy within the community, raising the organsational profile and works towards providing a high quality base at the Mandela Centre, Leeds, providing cultural , educational and artistic opportunities for current and future generations.

Nillanthie Morton's interest in dance began at the age of 14 when he became a member of RJC Dance Youth Provision. Nillanthie worked his way through the youth provision and became an apprentice with RJC Dance.

Post the apprenticeship Nillanthie auditioned at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and in September 2007 was accepted onto the one year Foundation Course. Nillanthie continued to develop and progressed onto the 3 year degree course and successfully graduated in summer 2011. Nillanthie is an up and coming young contemporary performer and choreographer , who has worked with urban, contemporary and classical dance styles. His first commission was with the Big Dance Event 2012 where he choreographed a new performance piece for Shahck Out Saturday called ' Beat Down' , a combination of urban dance styles using body percussion and vocal expressions, performed in Millennium Square, Leeds July 2012.Nillanthie also directs and performs in an emerging dance group Dee-Koyy which uses Soca, Carribbean and Urban dance styles.

Kiran joined RJC Dance in May 2023 and is delighted to be working alongside the staff team to provide opportunities in the arts and culture sector as their Project Co-ordinator.

Kiran graduated from Dance City in Newcastle in 2017 with a First Class BA (Hons) in Dance Professional Practice. She has trained in contemporary, ballet and commercial dance styles and has extensive experience performing, teaching and co-ordinating youth dance activity within the arts. Kiran previously worked as the Dance City Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) Co-ordinator, supporting young people to access high quality dance training. In 2023, she was selected for and completed the Common Purpose Emerging Leaders programme.

Kiran is dedicated to ensuring that children, young people, adults, elders and communities are able to succeed and champions the impact of dance, movement and exercise to improve physical and mental well-being. She aims to continue to create a positive, encouraging and inspiring environment in which individuals can shine and thrive.

An alumnus of RJC Dance Youth Provision, Anthony James Bartlett (AJ) is a dynamic and versatile dancer with a strong foundation in six dance styles, having trained at Shockout Arts in Manchester.
With a passion for movement and storytelling, AJ further honed their skills in Los Angeles and New York, gaining international experience and exposure to diverse techniques. Their professional career spans across film, television, and theatre, with performances in major films, high-profile commercials and acclaimed musicals.
In addition to an extensive dance portfolio, AJ has also made an impact as a choreographer and Movement Director creating compelling work for television productions

Janetta Maxwell is a dance specialist with over 40 years of experience in the arts and culture industry.
She currently specialises in leading dance sessions with young children and elders. Janetta trained at The London Contemporary Dance School and is committed to making dance accessible and fun for all.
Janetta's advice to everyone is ‘Don’t follow the crowd - figure out what it is YOU want to do with your life and be true to yourself’

I work with a group of amazing young people at RJC Youth Theatre. We work together to devise shows, based on the issues and themes the young people want to explore, whilst also developing performance skills and building confidence.

I love creating theatre with Young People and channelling their voices and creativity into their performances. I love the way devised theatre lets them think outside the box and come up with different ideas for how to share their creativity and views.

When I am not at RJC, I am at Leeds Playhouse where I work as the Learning & Skills Facilitator, delivering on our Youth Theatre as well as working with schools across the city to integrate drama into their curriculums.

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Shahada Nantaba Sekajja ( She / they ) is a non-binary movement artist. They are passionate in empowering young people through the use of movement and mindful practices.

Shahada Trained at Phoenix dance Theatre Saturday School, RJC Dance Youth Provision, Wakefield College and Northern School of Contemporary Dance ( NSCD ). After Graduating with a 1st class BA honors in 2021 at NSCD, Shahada has worked as a Freelance Dance Artist for RJC Dance and Phoenix Dance Education.

Shahada has toured as a performing dance artist with Whispered Tales in their installation pieces ‘Distant Drums’ which was choreographed by one of Phoenix DanceTheatre’s Founding members Donald Edwards and ‘Refuge Island’ choreographed by Lisa Simpson. Shahada also worked as a dance artist on Yewande 103' s Dance film called “ Fountain' ' which toured in picture house cinemas as well as live performances in Germany for the Foramen Theatre Festival 2022.

Shahada is passionate about facilitating inclusive safe spaces for marginalised communities to explore and express themselves through movement.

Tricia first discovered RJC Dance when she was just 12 years old and her mum’s friend took her to an RJC Dance workshop at the Saltaire Day of Dance. Tricia later trained in dance at university and then, in 2018, when the opportunity arose to work with RJC Dance, she jumped at the chance.

Since then, Tricia has taught several groups at RJC Dance, and now teaches 6-8 year olds in Shahck Out Kids. She loves working with this age group because they are full of confidence, energy, enthusiasm and brilliant ideas. Each term Tricia explores a new style of dance with the children, from Hip-Hop to Soca dance, Contemporary to Musical Theatre and more. Everyone looks forward to the end of term sharing, where the children can show their families all that they have learnt.

When Tricia isn’t at RJC Dance, she’s a Dance Producer. She recently ran her own festival – BRAVE (Black Roots and Voices Expressed) – a day of workshops in art forms that have Black origins, covering everything from Tap to Rap and Steel Pan. Tricia teaches dance in local schools, and to those with learning disabilities across West Yorkshire. She also continues to perform, most recently in Balbir Singh Dance Company’s production, ‘Cricket’.

Ramel Bailey has collaborated with Leeds West Indian Carnival for the last three years and in 2024 he joined the creative team behind the production of the RJC Dance Carnival troupe costumes.

As a welder fabricator, there is a high demand for Ramel's skills to create the elaborate frameworks which form the foundation of the troupe's more elaborate costumes. Each piece is a bespoke design, which allows the wearer - often a young person - to move and dance freely while displaying their incredible costumes.

Ramel has caught the eye of other Carnival organisers in cities like London and Manchester, bringing highly specialised creative skills to these communities.

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque faucibus ex sapien vitae pellentesque sem placerat. In id cursus mi pretium tellus duis convallis. Tempus leo eu aenean sed diam urna tempor. Pulvinar vivamus fringilla lacus nec metus bibendum egestas. Iaculis massa nisl malesuada lacinia integer nunc posuere. Ut hendrerit semper vel class aptent taciti sociosqu. Ad litora torquent per conubia nostra inceptos himenaeos.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque faucibus ex sapien vitae pellentesque sem placerat. In id cursus mi pretium tellus duis convallis. Tempus leo eu aenean sed diam urna tempor. Pulvinar vivamus fringilla lacus nec metus bibendum egestas. Iaculis massa nisl malesuada lacinia integer nunc posuere. Ut hendrerit semper vel class aptent taciti sociosqu. Ad litora torquent per conubia nostra inceptos himenaeos.

Tanya has partnered with RJC Dance in recent years on the creation of our award-winning Carnival troupe costumes. Working alongside her long-term collaborator Rhian Kempadoo-Millar (see above), Tanya brings her theatrical background, her creativity and her passion for Carnival into this process.

Hailing originally from Colombia, Tanya is director of Cusan Theatre, which creates immersive visual experiences and performance work. From family shows to enchanting interactive puppetry walkabouts and workshops, the work combines some extraordinary dancing life size puppets, carnivalesque figures, masks, dance theatre, song and sculptural costumes. Tanya brings to life amazing characters/creatures and shows, her inspiration comes from her Latin American and European heritage, her mother’s stories, the stories and myths that abound in the land of her birth Colombia and the place she now lives in Yorkshire.

Shamse has collaborated with RJC Dance over the last 8 years, teaming up with Rhian Kempadoo-Millar, an old friend and partner in design, on the creation of our award-winning Carnival troupe costumes. Shamse trained as a sculptor and painter within a Fine Art setting, at Leeds Metropolitan University (now Leeds Beckett) and took this training into the youth, community and education settings that she worked within over a twenty-year period, using art to support wellbeing and healthy emotional development, and to facilitate learning through communication and expression.
Trained and experienced in working with a diverse range of mediums, Shamse has helped to produce costume pieces from raw and reused material, whilst keeping a focus on colour and aesthetics of the consumes and functionality and comfort for our troupe.
Shamse is also a trained psychotherapist, and brings creativity, movement and play into much of her work with children, adolescents, adults and families.

Ky James is a recent graduate of the University of Sunderland after studying BA (Hons) Animation and Games Art. Ky joined the Mango Arts creative team to support the creation of Carnival costumes for RJC Dance 2025 troupe 'BANYAN'.

I have been working as a designer and visual artist with RJC Dance since 2001. Together with a talented team, we have created nearly 20 different troupes which performed nationally and internationally.

The themes have included environmental, political and physical/ mental wellbeing, with our focus being on using sustainable and recycled materials.

As the lead designer I work closely with the choreographer to create costumes which are light enough for dance, enhance movement, use sustainable materials and will look effective on carnival day and future performances.

I love the creativity of working with RJC Dance - every year is exciting and different. Last year we did Natro-Beat, which was 95% recycled and natural materials. It won Troupe of the Year which was a fantastic way to celebrate 30 years of RJC Dance. This year the theme is Carnavale Azul... watch this space!

I started working with RJC Dance over 16 years ago, when they invited me to be a part of their carnival costume creation team for the Leeds West Indian Carnival. I gladly accepted, and the role allows me to use my degree in Art and Design, together with my postgraduate teaching qualification, to engage with young people, helping them to explore their creativity, and express their uniqueness.

Since then, it’s been a privilege to work with RJC Dance. Sharing knowledge is so vital, so that art in all its forms is for everyone. That’s what underpins the ethos at RJC Dance of inspiring, nurturing, and developing a new generation of creatively fulfilled artists.

The design of our carnival costumes, headpieces, and accessories goes beyond merely making. It's a safe space for young people to ask questions and explore answers, through discussions about everything from sustainability to colonialism, history, Caribbean life, traditions, and belonging. With that in mind, it was one of my proudest moments when RJC Dance scooped the prizes for Prince and Best Troupe, at Leeds West Indian Carnival.

Sandra Whyles is a founding member of Chapeltown Arts and is a practicing artist and maker in Leeds. She lives in Chapeltown, Leeds and believes that everyone should have access to the arts at any age, ability or background.

Amanda's leadership roles in the cultural sector include being the Chair of RJC Dance, the inaugural Changemaker in 2017 and serving as a member of the Senior Management team at Hull Truck Theatre.

Amanda has enjoyed directing for theatre for over 20 years. She most recently trained as an ITV Television Director after supporting the casting of the Baileys the new Black family in Coronation Street.

Through her work she examines collective histories in relation to the social sciences and human behaviours. She has made numerous productions with both professional and community cast members combined. The latest funded by XR Stories with Vanitas Arts research in immersive digital theatre.

Amanda’s training ground consisted of both the University of Manchester, where she studied performing arts, visual arts and creative writing alongside essential time spent with communities, and Manchester Dance School.

Beverley is a local businesswoman from Leeds, operating two successful businesses: retail and business development. She has a wide range of experience across the not for profit and private sector, from project and business development in charities, to grant making, social investment and consultancy. Beverley is passionate about the arts sector and its role to empower local communities.

Junier previously worked as a senior manager in the water and environmental sectors, before leaving the Environment Agency in 2016 to set up his environmental consultancy, JBEL Environmental Services.

Junier is a chair of governors at a Leeds inner city primary school, ambassador for the REACH Society - the award-winning social enterprise that encourages, motivates and inspires young people, member of National Black Governors Network and under 18 West Ridings County referee.

Junier’s passion and core purpose, in his professional and personal life, is to give a voice to the voiceless and make a difference to young people’s lives, in the arts, education, sport and criminal justice system.

Junier was awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to the environment, diversity and community in Leeds.

Ruth has been a Chapeltown resident all her working life, and a solicitor since 1980, privileged to identify closely with the community.

She wholeheartedly supports RJC and its commitment to the development through dance of young people, inspiring them with confidence in their own abilities and their importance in a world in which diversity is central to our existence.

She says 'The organisation has grown in influence and the nurturing of talent and imagination year upon year. It is a joy to be associated with its achievements.'

Teenage Cancer Trust Consultant Nurse at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.

Several leadership roles in the NHS , but currently leads the teenage and young adult cancer service in the Yorkshire region for young people aged 13 – 24 years of age, as well as leading national work in this field. Also on the Senior Management Team at the Paediatric Oncology Centre Leeds Children’s Hospital.

Sue trained in Cardiff as an adult nurse and then as a children’s nurse, then moved to London and then up to Leeds where she has stayed for over 20 years.

She has worked with young people for most of her career. More recently working with those who have been in hospitals for various in Leeds Children’s Hospital and has set up the Youth Forum there. Her workplace has worked extensively with RJC Dance where young people in hospital have learned about how to look after themselves from professionals, and the young people of RJC Dance teaching them how to move and have fun. A true and meaningful collaboration.

Sue has loved RJC Dance since her 8 year old daughter (now 32) attended – it helped her socially and physically – and always holds a place in her heart.

Adam is Chief Executive of Leeds based environmental education charity, Meanwood Valley Urban Farm which works to connect individuals and communities who wouldn't normally get the chance to experience horticulture, agriculture, and conservation. Previously an elected Councillor on Leeds City Council for 19 years including being Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Skills and Chief Whip. He has also managed regeneration programs in West Yorkshire and London with a particular focus on employment, education, health and wellbeing. Adam has considerable experience of being a trustee on third sector boards in West Yorkshire. A keen hill walker and arts and culture enthusiast in his spare time.