Denise Armstead is the guiding spirit and choreographer of DAdance, which she formed in 2007. The mission of DAdance is to combine high level choreography with familiar imagery, theatrical storytelling, and well known music, in order to create performances that are stimulating, engaging, and accessible to both novice and experienced arts audiences.
Denise was a founding member and premier dancer in the Zenon Dance company from 1982-2003, performing the repertory of numerous renowned contemporary choreographers. She toured extensively with the Zenon company performing and teaching nationally and internationally.
Her approach to dance threads a story line of human emotions and experiences through jazzy, rhythmic complexity mixed with contemporary nuance, creating multi-layered works of art with a theatrical edge that draws from a large palette of styles, including hip-hop, jazz, lyrical and postmodern movements.
In her words: “I choreograph and dance passionately with an overarching view of a journey and story. My approach is organic and emotional, technically strong yet spontaneous. I want my creation to fill the stage and the hearts of the audience with a flood of movement, music, video images and spoken words. My work is an honest expression of myself and my life experiences which come from following my own passions.”