Bettina Carpi is an independent dance maker, performer and teacher with over 20 years experience. Having found her love for performance and a deep curiosity and passion for exploring physicality and the body’s possibility for expression during her dance training at Studio BüHNE in Switzerland, she went on to study contemporary dance and choreography at the London Contemporary Dance School from 1996-1999.
After graduation she worked as a dancer for various dance companies and choreographers in London, and was lucky to dance with Candoco Dance Company for 8 years, touring internationally (North and South America, Europe and Asia) as well as performing at the Closing Ceremony for the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics.
Her highlights have been co-creating and performing the award winning dance theatre pieces Metamorphosis and The World’s Greatest Show by choreographer Arthur Pita, including two week long runs at the Royal Opera House in London and the Joyce Theatre in New York, working with English National Opera on their production of Klinghoffer and working closely with choreographers Annie Pui Ling Lok and Marc Brew over many years.
Bettina completed an MA in Dance at the University of Chester in 2015 and in 2017 Bettina and her husband, composer Gary Lloyd founded Company Carpi to give expression to their collaborative projects, coinciding with their first ACE funded project The Mirror of Love based on a work by acclaimed author Alan Moore. As Company Carpi they have also created a piece inaugurating the 100,000 Genomes Project commissioned by NHS Manchester & Centre Point, an ACE funded performance project with and about the Syrian refugee crisis in collaboration with performance artist Claire Henderson Davis, an University of Chester funded R&D with music, dance & drama students based on Knots by revolutionary psychiatrist R.D. Laing and in 2019 they created The Stumbling Block – a quartet for two dancer and two drummers based on the poetry cycle by the celebrated author, poet and sculptor Brian Catling. Works in progress include a new dance piece for gallery spaces ‘When You Light A Candle You Also Cast A Shadow’ and an opera with dance Dotter of Her Fathers Eyes based on Mary & Bryan Talbot’s graphic novel with a libretto by Mary Talbot herself.
Bettina is an Associate Lecturer at several Universities in the North West, a board member of Cheshire Dance and was Dance Artist in Residence at the University of Chester from 2016-2018.
Bettina’s dance practice is inspired by cross fertilisation & interdisciplinary work, seeing how different art forms and modes of expression can enrich each other whilst celebrating the joy, power and poetic nature of dance.
"I am inspired by cross fertilisation & interdisciplinary work, seeing how different art forms and modes of expression can enrich each other whilst celebrating the joy, power and poetic nature of dance."
Bettina Carpi
Dance to Health responds to the issue of older people’s falls. Dance to Health in Cheshire is delivered by professional dance artists from Cheshire Dance at a variety of community venues, including church halls and leisure facilities.
Inquiring Bodies is a full day event by dance artists, for dance artists in a mutually supportive environment for dance exploration and open dialogue.
A Celebration of Dance in Cheshire and the Creative Case for Diversity, which brings together dancers of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to perform and share their passion for the art form.
Cheshire Dance has an established and growing specialism in developing dance opportunities with and for people with learning disabilities and people with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities (PIMD).
At Cheshire Dance, we provide opportunities for older adults to live in the moment and to engage physically, socially and emotionally through movement and dance in community sessions across Cheshire West and Cheshire East.
"Move with Us" is an initiative from Cheshire Dance, Bright Memories and Cheshire & Warrington Carers Trust. This dedicated session gives carers the time and space to move together for a healthier body and mind.
Bringing together over 50s dance groups to share, devise and dance as a celebration of ageing creatively for Storyhouse Elders Festival.
Creative Health Sessions at University of Chester (Nursing & Midwifery), in response to research from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPGAHW).
Dance Consortia North West (DCNW) is a diverse collection of dance artists, companies and venues that come together to generate, collaborate and celebrate dance across the region.
1st Floor, Winsford Library, High Street, Winsford, Cheshire CW7 2AS
ALFA – Artists Led For Artists – advocates for dance artists and their connections to the wider dance sector; to champion diversity and visibility of artists as well as share resources and knowledge to further the development of the art of dance.
Across Cheshire
Cheshire West and Chester Council is committed to celebrating diversity and promoting equality in everything it does, to improve the quality of life for everyone living, working and visiting Cheshire West and Chester.
Customer Service Centres, 1 The Arcade, Northwich
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Cheshire Dance is a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England.
The Hive, 49 Lever St, Manchester M1 1FN
Studying Dance at Chester involves: being led by expert and highly motivated professionals; working in a supportive and nurturing environment that encourages the development of each individual dancer. Cheshire Dance is proud to work in partnership with The University of Chester.
Kingsway, Chester CH2 2LB
Vivo Care Choices provides a range of daytime activities in several day centres and community settings, including Canal Street Day Centre and Water Tower Gardens (both Chester), Firdale Day Centre (Northwich), Meadowbank Lodge (Winsford), Neston Day Centre, and Coronation Centre and Healthy Living Centre (both Ellesmere Port).
Lightfoot Street, Hoole, Chester CH2 3AD
Cheshire East provides a full range of local government services including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, processing planning applications, waste collection and disposal, and it is a local education authority that supports Cheshire Dance and its groups within the Cheshire East area.
Delamere House, Delamere St, Crewe CW1 2JZ
Arts Enterprise with a Social Purpose, Aesop is a bridge-builder between the health and arts sectors helping arts enterprises in health grow.
1st Floor, 3 Welch Way, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX28 6JH
A registered charity, Cheshire & Warrington Carers Trust offers information, advice and support to Carers and those they care for across Cheshire, and deliver a wide range of activities, training and events throughout the year.
146 London Road, Northwich CW9 5HH
Brightlife from Cheshire & Warrington Carers Trust supports older people out of loneliness and social isolation to enjoy more fulfilling, active and connected lives.
146 London Rd, Northwich CW9 5HH
Overseeing the iconic Parr Hall, Warrington Museum & Art Gallery and Pyramid Arts Centre, Culture Warrington is your one-stop shop for art, history and entertainment in the heart of Warrington’s Cultural Quarter.
Warrington
