Theo Clinkard

Theo Clinkard is based in Devon and his practice spans choreography, design, movement direction, performance, mentoring and teaching. 

 

Born and raised in East Cornwall, Theo trained at Elmhurst and Rambert School. At 17, he joined Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! before performing in Swan Lake (West End, Los Angeles, Broadway) Highland Fling, Spitfire, Cinderella and Play Without Words (National Theatre and Tokyo). He joined Wayne McGregor’s Random Dance in 2000, creating original roles in 6 productions, with multiple international tours and performed with Siobhan Davies, Fin Walker, Rafael Bonachela, The Featherstonehaughs, Charles Linehan, Volcano, Seke Chimutengwende, Fevered Sleep and James Batchelor & Collaborators among others. From 2003-2008, Theo co-directed the dancer run project, Probe with Antonia Grove commissioning 7 new works alongside existing work by Yasmeen Godder and Trisha Brown’s iconic solo, Accumulation (1971). Theo also worked as assistant choreographer for Kylie Minogue on 2 world tours and in 2016, participated in Jonathan Burrows and Matteo Fargion's 52 Portraits.

 

In 2012, Theo launched his company with the Ordinary Courage. Across 2 years, the work toured across the UK and Chile. Chalk and Of Land & Tongue, conceived for non-theatre settings, toured across the UK, Switzerland, Ireland and to Tanzmesse, Düsseldorf. His middle-scale creation, This Bright Field, created for a cast of 12, premiered at Brighton Festival before touring. In 2019, Theo co-created The Elsewhen Series, with Leah Marojević which premiered at V&A Museum.

 

Choreographic commissions include Somewhat still, when seen from above for Tanztheatre Wuppertal Pina Bausch one of the first new works for the company since Pina died, The Listening Room for Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, Hot Mess, a collaboration with Joe Newman/AltJ for Candoco, Helm a work created with 9 dancers with autism and/or learning disabilities, commissioned by The Talent Hub and The Days, a duet for Finnish dancers, Ville Oinonen and Maria Nurmela, which has been touring internationally for 7 years.

 

Costume design includes Sydney Dance Company, Skånes Dansteater, Scottish Dance Theatre and Manchester International Festival; his collaborations with Stewart Laing has entailed designs for Scottish Opera, Opera La Scala, Malmo Opera, and Untitled Productions’ The Salon Project. 

 

Movement direction includes films; Good Luck to you Leo Grande starring Emma Thompson and Jimpa starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, AIDA at København Opera House, The Faggots and their Friends between Revolutions for Manchester International Festival, The Sewing Group at The Royal Court, The Complete Deaths of Shakespeare by Spy Monkey and Ten Plagues starring Marc Almond. 

 

Theo’s leads workshops internationally for professional dance artists and training institutions and in 2021, he acted as a mentor, dramaturg and workshop leader for BBC Young Dancer.

 

In response to the effect of lockdown on graduating dance students, Theo co-conceived the website www.understory.com together with Grace Nicol. They invited 120 people working in dance to share their unique career pathways as a show of support and a resource for graduating dance artists.

 

Theo is currently an Associate Artist at Brighton Dome & Festival and an Honorary Fellow at Plymouth University.