Rosie Kay (BA Hons) FRSA, MCR St Cross College, Oxford, born in Scotland, danced from a very early age, then trained at London Contemporary Dance School, graduating in 1998, before a career as a dancer in Poland, France, Germany and the USA. Kay returned to the UK in 2003, founded Rosie Kay Dance Company 2004-21 and is now setting up a new venture for her future works.
Kay’s works up to date include a contemporary set adaptation of Romeo + Juliet (2021), and returned to performing on stage with the Absolute Solo II tour in 2021 with three personal solos danced by Kay, with Adult Female Dancer celebrated as the ‘Top 5 Dance Works of 2021’ by The Observer and Kay was nominated for a National Dance Award 2022 for Outstanding Female Performance (Modern) for Absolute Solo II. Kay is well known for the multi- award-winning work 5 SOLDIERS (2010- present) based on intense research with the British Army and large-scale development of this work, 10 SOLDIERS (2019). Kay’s works tour to Sadlers Wells, Birmingham REP, Norwich Theatre Royal, Salisbury Playhouse and regularly tour Europe and the USA.
Rosie Kay’s Fantasia, a pure-dance work about beauty was included in The Guardian’s ‘Top 10 Dance of 2019’. MK ULTRA was created in 2017 a work about conspiracy theory and pop made with BBC film-maker Adam Curtis. Other works include Motel (2016), a collaboration with visual artists Huntley Muir, Sluts of Possession (2013) created with rare archive material from the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, There is Hope (2012) exploring religion, Double Points: K (2008) a collaboration with Emio Greco| PC and Asylum (2005) based on research with asylum seekers. Kay choreographed the live Commonwealth Games Handover Ceremony (2018), watched by over 1 billion people worldwide and has worked in film as the choreographer to Sunshine on Leith (2013).
Kay was the first choreographer appointed Leverhulme Artist in Residence at the School of Anthropology, University of Oxford (2013). Awards for her work include Best Independent Company (2015) and nominated for Best Choreography for 5 Soldiers (2015), National Dance Awards and nominated for Best Independent Company 2012 and 2017, a Royal Society for Public Health Award for support to military communities, and the Bonnie Bird New Choreography Award. Kay was awarded by the Queen as a ‘Young Achiever of Scotland’ and won the Bonnie Bird New Choreography Award from Laban. 5 SOLDIERS Community Engagement work was Highly Commended by the Royal Society of Public Health. Kay has published several academic works and themes include conflict and choreography, kinaesthetic empathy, neuroscience and disordered eating.
In July 2022 Rosie Kay set up K2CO Ltd and has received funding from Arts Council England, Birmingham City University, and Army Benevolent Fund as well as support from Norwich Theatre Royal, Ministry of Defence, The Royal Air Force, Bath Theatre Royal and Blackpool Grand.
K2CO will tour 5 SOLDIERS in April- May 2023 and a new work for 5 women is in development in an international co-production between the UK, Poland and Sweden.
K2CO and Rosie Kay has been featured in The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, Unherd, Spiked, The Spectator and will soon be on the acclaimed podcast Triggernometry.
Kay is a Trustee and Director of Dance Consortium and A Moments Peace.
