Meet Our
Current Company Members
Photo: Beth MacInnes
JANAYA JACKSON-WILLIAMS
Education and Outreach Team
Janaya, is a London-based dance artist, beginning her dance journey at Glenlyn Dance Academy before immersing herself in street dance at the Inspired Youth Dance Company (IYDC).
Now in her third year of training in diverse dance forms with a special interest in African and Caribbean traditional dance at IRIE dance theatre, she seeks to fuse these traditional practices with her street dance style. Her ambition is to join a professional dance company, allowing her to refine her skills and explore performance further, while sharing her unique blend of dance forms.
Janaya's path demonstrates her dedication to exploring her cultural heritage through movement, an interest that she has striving to develop through her Independent Project.
Photo: Beth MacInnes
KAIA CHINA SEWYER
Education and Outreach Team
Kaia is a movement artist, teacher and choreographer, whose practice involves exchange within culture and dance. Specialising in ballet and contemporary, Kaia is incredibly passionate about dance as an art form. As well as performance and choreography, Kaia strives to share her knowledge and devotion to the arts with aspiring young artists through her teaching.
Originally from Devon, Kaia moved to London in 2016 where she began her professional training at Bird College, gaining a Professional National Diploma in Musical Theatre. In 2022 Kaia was keen to continue her education and expand her knowledge within dance, joining IRIE! Dance theatre and gaining a BA(Hons) Diverse Dance Styles (1st Class).
Developing her skill set and studying African and Caribbean dance styles was where she discovered her artistic identity and is thrilled to be welcomed back to
IRIE! as part of the alumni group to continue growing as an artist in dance and performance.
Photo: Beth MacInnes
Esther Olufunmi
Born and raised in Nigeria, Esther grew up immersed in Yoruba culture and arts, which sparked her first encounter with dance. Upon moving to the UK, she pursued her passion by studying GCSE Dance, followed by A-levels in Dance, Childcare, and Sociology. After completing her studies, Esther decided to take a gap year before university, during which she undertook a Leadership Internship at Equippers Church Surrey.
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This experience highlighted the struggles faced by the next generation (ages 11–18), who often struggle with crises and a lack of inner peace. Deeply moved by this, Esther embarked on a journey to make a positive impact on her community through dance.
Currently, she is pursuing a BA (Hons) in Diverse Dance Styles at IRIE! Dance Theatre, where she wants to combine her cultural roots, academic knowledge, and leadership skills to inspire and support others.
Photo: Beth MacInnes
Yovanna Skoufalou
Yovanna was introduced to dance at the age of 17, when she started ballet and contemporary in Greece. In 2020 she began her studies in psychology at the University of Edinburgh graduating in July 2024. While in Edinburgh she was a dancer with Lothian Youth Dance Company (Dance Base, National Centre for Dance Scotland) performing in Scotland and for the Edinburgh Fringe.
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She published her first poetry collection ("Nonsense") in Athens in 2022 and her second poetry collection ("Punctuation Points") in 2024. In September 2024 she began her studies at IRIE! dance theatre.
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Yovanna wants to be a performer and choreographer, producing work that combines spoken word. She also wants to pursue a career in dance therapy, this way she can combine her studies to build a community where dance and mental health are embraced as one.
