They have a background in contemporary dance, hip-hop, popping, electro and more. Lloydscompany and the Dansateliers are mentoring emerging artists Dorrit Griffioen, Oumar Jalloh, Bo Jacobs and Anna Raiola over seven weeks to create a new piece. It will premiere in Rotterdam on 5 February.

As part of One Night’s Dance, the annual talent development programme for emerging choreographers, Lloydscompany and Dansateliers always mentor four choreographers through their research and creative process. They also learn from one another in joint feedback sessions, covering choreography, dramaturgy, music, creative production and communication.

The creators

For Dorrit Griffioen, dance is a language that everyone speaks, a way to connect, share stories and communicate beyond words. In her work, she seeks authenticity, connection and the power of intuitive movement. Whilst studying in Paris, Dorrit was introduced to various dance styles and found her home in hip-hop. She immerses herself in hip-hop freestyle and battles, and explores how she can bring that raw energy into the theatre.

Bo Jacobs developed a movement language that combines physical precision with emotional depth following her training at Fontys School of the Arts (Contemporary Urban). She combines her movements with text, music or scenography. She invites the audience to feel, to question and to transform. She has danced with, amongst others, the Nürnberg Ballet (DE), Wayne McGregor (La Biennale Danza Venezia, IT) and IID Company (NL). She also creates choreographies such as LIMP (Amsterdam Fringe Festival 2024), The Great Forgetting (Hannover Ballett 2024), Unveiling Echoes (Nederlandse Dans Dagen 2025) and Huidschrift (Schrittmacher Festival 2025).

Oumar Jalloh began breakdancing at a young age. This is how he took his first steps as a professional artist in the Dutch hip-hop scene. He was introduced to electro and contemporary dance and began to focus his work more on film and theatre. He expands the art forms in his work even further by combining memes, fashion and scenography to create artistic and expressive scenes. To remain authentic, freedom of creative expression is central to his work. He goes beyond what some people consider normal or acceptable; he dares to showcase the unfamiliar.

Anna Raiola is a contemporary dancer, born in the United States to Italian and Mexican parents. At the age of 18, she moved to Rotterdam to study at Codarts University of the Arts, from which she graduated in 2021. All these cultures sparked her interest in themes such as connectedness and identity. She explores the interplay between softness and strength, drawing on everyday gestures. Anna’s work is characterised by theatricality. She works with various choreographers and is now developing her own artistic voice.

Photographs: Michelle Urbiztondo