Rachel Canavan
copperdot founder/owner & artistic director
Rachel graduated with a first-class degree from Brighton University in Dance & Visual Art, after a scholarship in Dance at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts where she graduated with distinction. It was in Liverpool where she realised her love for contemporary dance and it was a natural transition from competitive gymnastics.
She studied at Leeds College of Art and Design and embarked on her journey through contemporary dance, taking classes at Northern Contemporary and Yorkshire Dance. She later worked with RJC Dance Company on Tour and realised her passion for dance. She left Leeds for Brighton, the only institution at the time fusing Dance with Visual Art and she began to discover contemporary dance, interdisciplinary collaboration, site specific performance, installation and screen-based dance.
Rachel was lucky enough to be taught by Liz Aggiss, Laurie Booth, Carol Brown, Annie Pui Ling Lok and Charlie Morrisey each artist heavily influencing her practice. Following her degree she won the Burt, Brill and Carden’s Award for outstanding achievement and excellence and was commissioned as an Elevator Dance Artist by the National Review of Live Art in Glasgow. She was a finalist in the Dazed and Confused D&AD New Blood & Topshop, Re-Creation Awards and following her first commission she then worked as part of the team with internationally acclaimed dance artist Liz Aggiss on the screen dance commissions for Capture, ‘Anarchic Variations’ and the ‘Men in The Wall’. Rachel was later taught by Franz von Habsburg FBKS at the Brighton Film School on a year, long Graduate Diploma in film direction, production and photography which enabled her to work professionally in London.
Refraction Choreographed and Directed by Rachel Canavan and Performed by Ireen Kurvers (2003)
Image by Rachel Canavan for Timeless Stories, Autumn Arts Festival Norfolk 2024. Rachel works from Copperdot as a Dance Artist and Physiotherapist. She works with acute, chronic and elite musculoskeletal conditions, working with functional training principles, she collaborates with sports scientists and uses her dance medicine practice to form the basis of many rehabilitation methods that supplement her company development and the dancers involved. She is now beginning working at company level on specific choreographic practice to support a creation and performance of choreographic process. Ensuring that dancers can meet the choreographic requirement of the company and reduce injury for performances.
Recent work has also included youth work and with older participants. Other aspects involve working with women dancers, pre and post natally, pre and post menopause, considering the musculoskeletal demands on the body and the changes that present over a dancers career.
Rachel also works at Dance East Centre of Advanced Training, optimising fitness, pre-habilitation and rehabilitation supporting dancers in training programs. Rachel is a Certified Level 3 APPI Clinical Pilates instructor with over 13 years of clinical Pilates experience, she has a special interest in dance. She uses her gymnasics training to supplement her work. She is qualified in, Pilates for dancers, Barre, Standing Pilates and Therapeutic Yoga and creates programs that vary in intensity and purpose. As a physiotherapist Rachel works with injury prevention and rehabilitation, her clients include those with acute injuries or longstanding musculoskeletal pain as well as dancers.
Rachel has been supported by StartEast and Arts Council England to develop her individual choreographic practice, some of this work has extended to her Dance And Parkinson’s group, which she established in 2011. Currently the company is rehearsing for the 2024 Autum Arts Festival in Norfolk which celebrates movement, connection, Joy and Dance into the Fall
The Autumn Festival of Norfolk and Total Ensemble Arts Initiative once again give dance a bespoke platform in the county’s arts festival scene.
SALT (2019) Choreographed and Directed by Rachel Canavan, model Florence Eade At present Rachel is developing a number of strands of her practice. These include Artistic Direction and Leadership through a project called ‘Invitations’. Rachel is inviting professional dance artists and creators at particular stages in their career to begin to explore their journeys together. Some of this recent work will be presented this year at the Autum Arts Festival of Norfolk, new collaborations have been ignited and are almost ready to share !
SALT (2019) Choreographed and Directed by Rachel Canavan, model Florence Eade 
'Violet' 2023 Choreographed and Directed by Rachel Canavan Autumn Arts Festival 2023.
'Violet' 2023 Choreographed and Directed by Rachel Canavan
Rachel and No3 returning to practice, or at least trying! (2021)'Landings' is a new investigation drawing on past practice. This work will be part of a piece being made this year.