Bakani Pick-Up

Bakani Pick-Up is a Zimbabwean born UK based Choreographer, Director, Producer, Facilitator, Researcher, Lecturer, Curator, Performance Artist and Occasional Dancer. They operate predominantly as an Improvisational Practitioner and have made work for stage and screen.

Their research and work has crossed multiple mediums such as choreographing for London Fashion Week with Grace Wales Bonner & Qasimi, gallery work with Anthea Hamilton, Assistant Movement Director for Macbeth at the Leeds Playhouse and research topics exploring Decolonisation of practice, augmented reality and studio based research.

As a teacher Bakani has taught at NSCD, Phoenix Dance theatre, Freefall Company, Verve, Curve Leicester, Dance4 (CAT), De Monfort University, Falmouth University, Edge Hill University & Trinity Laban.

They have worked with organisations such as Dance4 and Yorkshire Dance, working across youth and community projects. For the latter they have worked as a panel member and co-curator for festivals such as Encounters (LGBTQIA+), Ageless and ‘How to Tune into Sensation’ (The Place & Chisenhale Dance Space).

Bakani currently works at the Leeds Playhouse as their Dance Programmer supported by the Leeds Dance Partnership, as well as working with Yorkshire Dance and National Dance Company Wales on their respective Artist Advisory Boards.