Current Company

Catherine Chappell – Artistic Director 

Catherine is the Artistic Director and founder of Touch Compass. She performed with Limbs Dance Company (1986–1988) in Auckland and with Company Vivienne Newport (1989–1990), performing in Germany/Italy. In 1990, after attending Tanzwochen in Vienna, Catherine began teaching contact improvisation in NZ. She went on to pioneer integrated dance in NZ, after attending the first International DanceAbility teacher-training in Oregon in 1996. Her choreographic works for the Company include: Touch Compass (1997), Outer Limits (1998), Resin8 (1999), 2000 Sydney Paralympic season, collaboration with Director Christian Penny on Lusi's Eden (2001) and Lighthouse (2002), aerial work Grace and dance films Union and Timeless for the Acquisitions season (2003), and Cellular Guide (2006).
Catherine has taught at Te Whaea - NZ School of Dance, Otago University Physical Education Department, Auckland University, Auckland College of Education, Whiteria Polytechnic and  at Unitec School of Performing & Screen Arts Dance degree programme since 1990.

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Jesse Johnstone-Steele – Dancer

Jesse is a founding member of Touch Compass. He has performed with Touch Compass since 1997 in shows Touch Compass 1997, Outer Limits 1998, High Beam Arts Festival in Adelaide 1998, Resin8 1999,    Sydney 2000 Paralympics, Lusi's Eden 2001, Lighthouse 2002, Acquistions 03 & 06, Harmonious Oddity 2008, Art of Difference Festival in Melbourne 2009.  Jesse danced at the opening of Star Jam (disabled young people and stars jamming for a change) in 2002. He performed in the Four Senses concert with the Aotea Youth Symphony in 2004. He has also performed with the Healing Through Arts Trust in their productions of Soul Song, Scrooge, The Bookworm, Brick in the Wall and improvised Gallery performances.

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Daniel King – Dancer

Daniel completed a two-year performing arts and physical theatre course in Nelson in 1999-2000 performing in the pre-show for the Wearable Arts Awards. He joined Touch Compass in 2001 performing in Lusi’s Eden, Lighthouse, Acquisitions 2003 & 2006, and Ten of Hearts 2005, Harmonious Oddity 2008, Art of Difference Festival in Melbourne 2009.   Daniel is from the South and now moved to Auckland in 2007. Daniel has attended a variety of international training opportunities in integrated dance including International DanceAbilty Teacher Training 2003 in Germany and in Eugene Oregon 2005 taught by Alito Alessi, and California based workshops with the Axis Dance Company Summer School in Seattle, Washington. Daniel has also taught dance classes in Oldenburg, Germany.

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Adrian Smith graduated from Unitec B.S.P.A Contemporary Dance course in 2003 he also has a degree in sociology from Victoria University of Manchester completed in 1998.  He dance with Touch Compass in Harmonious Oddity 2008 and Art of Difference Festival in Melbourne 2009. Since 2003 he has collaboratively devised award-winning shows, won Best Male Dancer at Tempo 2006 and worked on numerous artistic projects with choreographers/dancers including Sean Curham, Shona McCullagh, Malia Johnston, Clare Luiten, Willhemeena Gordon, Jack Gray, Matt Gillanders and Matt Gibbons.  He enjoys improvisation, physical theatre and comedy. He has also worked extensively with Vivid Performance Group at corporate functions and festivals both in New Zealand and Europe.  Over the past couple of years he has also been involved in event management, teaching and children’s entertainment.

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Kerryn graduated from Unitec B.S.P.A Contemporary Dance course in 2000. Kerryn has performed her own solo work (Skeletal Precipice) in theatres and galleries for New Zealand’s National Fringe and dance festivals and has also presented video-art works in group shows throughout Auckland. Kerryn currently performs with internationally renowned company MAU (NZ/Europe) and has also worked extensively with emerging and established artists, directors and choreographers in New Zealand for dance performance, cabaret, installation and film; including Florian Habicht, Clare Luiten, Julia Milsom, Min Kyoung-Lee, Te Toki Haruru, Morag Brownlie, Guy Ryan, The Sweet Factory, Green Room Productions (Japan) Curve and Axess Collective. Kerryn is also a Life Model for the AUT Design program and co-ordinates the running of ‘IndependANCE' - professional weekly dance classes. This is Kerryn’s first project with Touch Compass.

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Emilia was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She graduated from the Teatro San Martin Contemporary Dance Workshop in 1990 and entered directly into the Teatro San Martin Contemporary Dance Company where she spent the next 14 years as an integral member, interpreting works from Argentine and international choreographers. She received the Clarin award of the best dancer of the year in 2001. In 2005 Emilia moved to New Zealand with her Kiwi partner. She presented two pieces in Tempo 2006 and 2007 and receiving the Best Female Dancer award in 2006. This is her first time working with Touch Compass and Emilia is enjoying this new exploration of dance. Emilia is Mum to daughter Leda Moana, who is 18 months old.

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Suzanne has worked with Touch Compass since 1999, performing in Resin8 (1999), Ten of Hearts (2005), The Big, The Bad and The Beautiful by Malia Johnston and Acquisitions 2006. She has worked her way around the world as a dancer, working full-time for CandoCo Dance Company based in London from 2000-2003, working with world renowned choreographers Javier de Frutos, Doug Elkins, and Finn Walker who encouraged her to follow her own choreographic career. Since returning to New Zealand Suzanne has worked with Touch Compass as both a dancer and choreographer creating Hephaestus & Ares (2005) and Rite of Passage (2006). She performed an acclaimed duet with Auckland Choreographer, Sean Curham, Bedrock for his February 2007 season and studied choreography at UNITEC. Suzanne is currently doing an M.C.P.A. in dance at Auckland University with Grotteschi being part of her practice-based research.

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 Alisha McLennan - Dancer

Alisha has had a long history with Touch Compass.  Now 22 years old, Alisha first performed with Touch Compass at the launch of the Trust at the Auckland Art Gallery in 1999. She then performed in the youth performance My Room and in the Performing Arts weekend at the Aotea Centre in a piece directed by Linda Parker. She joined the adult company when she was just 14, touring Lusi’s Eden  in 2002 to Taupo and Christchurch and performing Lighthouse later that year at the Aotea Centre. Acquisitions 03 and NIghtswimmers with Splash Dance Company followed, then Flying Tales in 2004. Moving to Christchurch saw her intergrating herself into an able-bodied dance program, and she performed at the 2005 St Margaret’s College Dance Variety Night. She has studied political science at Canterbury University and is a keen skier. She has now moved back to Auckland.

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