
Helen is poet, dance artist, and choreographer. She shares her practice as both an established writer and professional dancer across the U.K. and internationally.
Trained in Cuban rhythms and Contemporary dance, Helen works with specialisms in choreography, direction and performance.
She has enjoyed collaborating with The Birmingham Royal Ballet, Autin Dance Theatre, Sonia Sabri Company, The Place (London) Apple, Midland’s Actors Theatre, Def Motion, ME Dance Company, Vamos Cuba, The Birmingham REP, and The Birmingham Int. Dance Festival.
She was one of six poets selected to perform in the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony 2022, directed by Iqbal Khan and choreographed by Corey Baker.
Helen is Artistic Director of ‘Bodily Writing’, a new interdisciplinary project exploring modes of translation: from poetry, into movement. She was awarded a DYCP from Arts Council England (2021) to expand on this research. Her work continues.
The author of three volumes of poetry, Helen’s debut collection ‘Sudden rainfall’ (Perdika Press) was published when she was just 23 years old. It was a PBS Choice on publication and became Waterstone’s best-selling pamphlet (2016.) Her most recent collection ‘Somehow’ (Verve Press, 2020) was a PBS Winter Bulletin Pamphlet, and Poetry School Book of the Year.
Helen’s writing has been supported by The Society of Authors and Arts Council England. She teaches poetry regularly for The Poetry School, Writing West Midlands, and HAY’s young women writer’s programme.
She also shares her trained passion for dance across the U.K. From early stages movement through to vocational dance study. Professional affiliations include One Dance UK, Autin Dance Theatre, and the DanceXchange.
ELLY WELLS PHOTOHGRAPY 2021 .