Maiya Leeke

Dancer

Maiya is a Contemporary Dancer, Choreographer, and Musician. Her practice is rooted in her musicianship as a Classical Flautist and Jazz Saxophonist combined with her enquiry into the translation and communication of movement.

Maiya is a Northern-born artist from Lancashire, UK. She is a Sadler’s Wells Young Associate 2023/24, was a finalist in BBC Young Dancer 2022, and has an MA from Northern School of Contemporary Dance where she completed an apprenticeship dancing with Candoco (2021-22). Maiya is an alumnus of the National Youth Dance Company – where she now works as a Creative Support Artist. She has supported the company under the Artistic Direction of Sir Wayne McGregor (2022-23); and Oona Doherty (2023-2024).

As a dancer, her credits include Alleyne Dance; Barbie the Movie; Candoco Dance Company (‘I think we should start over’ – by Jamaal Burkmar (Extended Play), and ‘Last Shelter’ – Jeanine Durning); Cathy Waller Company; CoDa Dance Company; Daryl and Co; Eurovision; Ivan Blackstock; Joss Arnott Dance; Mimbre; and Paraorchestra. Maiya was a member of the Equality, Diversity, Inclusion Working Group for Dancers Career Development 2022-2024.

The interweaving exchange between musicality, function, and artistic grace interests Maiya as she researches what her physical language of movement can be as a disabled artist. As a musician, music continues to be the foundation of her world, and she remains curious about how her movement and musical worlds interact with being a wheelchair user. Maiya’s research has been supported by Arts Foundation Future Awards (2023); Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Settlement (2023); Arts Council England DYCP (2021); FABRIC (2022); LEVEL Centre (2024); and a Sadler’s Wells Artist Residency (2021).