ASHLEY JACK
Edinburgh-based hip hop dancer and choreographer
Trained at Edinburgh's Telford college (now PASS), where she completed an HND in Professional Stage Dance, as well as by hip hop and house dance pioneers in New York, Paris and Holland, Ashley has a decade of experience in both performing and teaching.
Ashley is a popular teacher in the Edinburgh community, teaching adults and children in studios, dance colleges and schools as well as at House of Jack. She has a love of hip hop culture, imparting its history and foundations to her students. Ashley has a passion for outreach and is keen to work on projects working with youth and community groups, and to engage and involve young people.
Ashley recently won Creative Edinburgh's 2018 Independent Award, and was named in The List's Hot 100 of 2019.
Ashley has a strong interest in hip hop theatre, founding youth dance companies Jackin' the Box in 2010 and the Mini Jackers in 2014, now covering 12-18 and 14-22 year olds. In her theatre works, she often explores the dark or difficult elements of the human psyche, including sociopathy, social anxiety, OCD, insomnia, and effects of modern technology on young people, producing thought-provoking and gripping pieces.
Ashley was the only female to be picked as one of five choreographers to take part in Breakin' Convention's inaugural 'Back to the Lab' project in 2012, travelling to London to be mentored by Jasmin Vardimon and Jonzi D to choreograph a piece shown at renowned venue Sadler's Wells.
In 2019, Ashley Jack choreographed a curtain-raiser piece for Rosie Kay Dance Company, performed by House of Jack youth of all abilities at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh. Also in 2019, House of Jack provided the 'Sugar Army' dancers for Oona Doherty's 'Hard to be Soft: A Belfast Prayer', performed at The Lyceum to hugely positive reviews and named as The Guardian's top dance show of 2019 in the UK.
As well as teaching regular public classes, Ashley is available for private group workshops or one-to-one sessions in dance, teaching, choreography and the creation of theatre work - contact via email or facebook.
Find Ashley on Facebook and YouTube to keep up to date with her latest work!
facebook.com/AshleyJackDance
youtube.com/ashleyjackdance
