VERVE dance company: at Leeds Playhouse on 22 May

Experience a captivating and bold triple bill of dance performances by international artists at Leeds Playhouse this month.

VERVE, the international touring dance company of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSDC), returns to Leeds Playhouse this month with a captivating triple bill. The performance promises to inspire, challenge and engage audiences through bold, thought-provoking choreography that redefines the boundaries of contemporary dance.

Each year, VERVE commissions renowned international choreographers to push the limits of movement and storytelling. For 2025, VERVE is proud to collaborate with three groundbreaking artists: Luca Signoretti, Thanh-Tú ‘Sattva’ Nguyen and Bosmat Nossan, who each bring their unique vision and artistic voice to the stage. 

Let Me In by Luca Signoretti is an introspective and raw exploration of the artistic process, reflecting the struggle to stay true to oneself amidst external pressures. The work challenges the audience to consider the power of authenticity, vulnerability and trust in one’s own creative voice.   

Lotus by Thanh-Tú ‘Sattva’ Nguyen, a renowned interdisciplinary artist celebrated for their work in Ballroom Culture, tells a story of personal growth and self-discovery. Through mystical and geometrical movement, Nguyen invites the audience into a world of curiosity, questioning the journey of becoming and the internal push to evolve.

Ro-Mass by Bosmat Nossan explores the fluid and unpredictable nature of emotions and challenges the conventional understanding of emotions as definable. Bosmat is an international choreographer and dancer whose work originates from an attraction to the unnatural, the exaggerated and the stylised. She is inspired by science fiction, comics, and surrealist art. 

Artistic Director of VERVE Matteo Marfogliasaid: “We’re really excited to bring this new triple bill to audiences. Each choreographer offers a distinct perspective, and we’re looking forward to seeing how these works connect and resonate with people. It’s an opportunity for the dancers to push themselves, and for the audience to experience something new and exciting in contemporary dance.

“This year VERVE brings together dance artists from across the globe, including Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Singapore, USA, and the UK. Based at Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, the dancers have contributed to the creation of works that are highly physical and representative of who they are, as people, talented movers, and influential dance artists of the future.

“I feel extremely privileged to lead a company of such unique dance artists who will share their stories through movement and bring you on three different journeys.”

VERVE is the postgraduate company of NSDC and features 16 exceptionally talented dancers from eight different countries. These young artists, trained at some of the world’s most prestigious conservatoires, are on the cusp of launching their professional careers and their dynamic performances are at the heart of this diverse and boundary-pushing programme.

Main image: Luca Signoretti’s Let Me In.

Northern School of Contemporary Dance presents:
Verve: Triple Bill
Quarry Theatre, Leeds Playhouse
22 May
Age 14+
Box office 0113 213 7700
Book online leedsplayhouse.org.uk