Jazz Artist | Choreographer | Director | Creative | Educator | Author
Dollie has led a respected career of 40 years plus, as a performer, choreographer, director,
creative Jazz artist and educator and is recognised as one of the most formidable exponents of
artistic and creative Jazz theatre dance in the UK. She has shared her passion and philosophy of
creative dance in every continent of the world, with a reputation that is widely revered and
respected.
Dollie started dancing at the age of four and went on to professionally train at Laine Theatre Arts
(UK) receiving her teaching qualifications with ISTD for Ballet, Modern and Tap, her LAMDA
Drama Certificates (Bronze-Gold Medals) and was awarded 'Most Outstanding Student' in performance and
choreography. At 17, she was invited to join The Olivier Briac Dance Company based in France as soloist dancer, later
becoming resident choreographer/assistant director for the Briac Company. Returning to England at 19, Dollie was
invited by director & choreographer Dougie Squires to join his company The Second Generation for TV work in the UK
and Europe, numerous dance/musical productions, leading imminently to her position as Assistant to Mr. Squires over a
further 3 years.
As a Performer & Choreographer credits include:
West End Musicals: Sophisticated Ladies – Geilgud Theatre • King the Musical – Piccadilly Theatre • Stop the World I
want to get off starring Antony Newley – Lyric Theatre • Angels from America – Shaftesbury Theatre • Tribute To Sammy
Davis Jr – Theatre Royal, Drury Lane • The Russ Abbot Madhouse Show – The Palladium and numerous West End
Charity performances.
Provincial Repertory Theatre: includes musicals: Helene in Sweet Charity (UK Tour) • Hold Tight it's 60's Night (UK
Tour) • The Crucible playing the role of Tituba (Royal Theatre – Northampton) and numerous pantomimes nationwide.
Films & TV includes: Supporting cast and dancer in the Feature films – Grandma, in the Netflix Film Jingle Jangles
2020 • Film Finding Your Feet – 2018 • Jo in the David Putnam film Knights & Emeralds (Enigma Films) 1987 • The Girl in
'Memories in Mind’, (BBC Documentary) • The Tales of Anansi (Carlton TV).
Dollie has worked and performed on many dance productions and TV shows such as The Russ Abbott Madhouse (BBC)
• The Leo Sayer Show (BBC) • The Royal Variety/Command Performances • The BAFTA Awards (BBC) and dance
Videos and light entertainment TV shows, both nationally and internationally.
As a Choreographer & Director projects include: Sweet Lorraine – Old Fire Station Theatre, Oxford • Ain't
Misbehavin – The Verin English Theatre, Frankfurt Germany • The Sun City Extravaganza, “Come to the Sun” Sun City,
South Africa • The musical Ragged Child & Aladdin – Theatre Royal, Northampton • Salsa Celestina – Palace Theatre,
Watford • The musical Big Nose and pantomimes Cinderella & Snow White – Belgrade Theatre, Coventry • Up Against
The Wall – Tricycle Theatre, London • The soul musical Blues Brother, Soul Sister – The Bristol Old Vic, Bristol • Tribute
To Sammy Davis Jr. Theatre Royal, Drury Lane • The Russ Abbot Madhouse Show – The Palladium & National Tour •
Sophisticated Ladies – Lyric Theatre (now Guilgud), London. • Godspell (Tour) • Oh What A Lovely War, Cochrane
Theatre, London • Oliver – The Play for Giant Olive Productions • King the Musical Concert – Hackney Empire Theatre.
Other Creative Theatre and Dance works include: The Wiz, Wizard of Oz, Annie, Chorus Line, Blues in the Night,
and Little Shop of Horrors. Dollie also choreographed & directed the European Tour of 'Fire of Dance' for Ulrich Schiller
of Gastpiel – Und Theatre Productions Germany, the 70’s Musical Extravaganza Abbaddabbado at Blackpool Royal
Opera House and the Diamond Jubilee Show at the North Pier Theatre, Blackpool starring Alvin Stardust & the BOP
Dancers and original choreographer & co-director for the hit musical Inner City Jam – Cockpit Theatre, London
Dollie was mentored in USA, by black jazz choreographers and theatre directors including, Charles Augins (American
School of Performing Arts) George Faison (Mentor), Louis Johnson (Mentor), Frank Hatchett (Broadway Dance).
Working with renowned choreographers and directors – George Faison, Dianne McIntyre, Woody King Jr, and
performing opposite film actress Lynn Whitfield in the NYC theatre production Zoraesque, Produced/Directed by
George Faison (Tony Award Winner of the Broadway production ‘The Wiz) performing at his Faison Firehouse Theatre in
New York.
In her role as Co-Artistic Director & Choreographer/Educator, Dance Companies include: The Bill Louther Company
(UK), Jazzxchange Dance Company (UK) and Malmo Dans City (Sweden). EBB Company (France & Madrid)
Dollie has directed & choreographed over 15 National pantomimes for Paul Elliott of E&B Productions Ltd, (latterly
Qdos Productions). She has also choreographed/staged for Opera and Ballet productions including, Cry of Innocence
and Carmen, ‘I Got Rhythm’ with Northern Ballet Theatre – National UK Tour. The Jazz Ballet ‘Voyages’ with Artistic
Director Stephen Jefferies (Hong Kong Ballet & Suzhou Ballet Companies China). As a co-producer, with music producer
& composer Paul Jenkins and lyricist/writer/performer Ray Shell, Dollie co-created, directed and choreographed the orignal RnB musical White Folks – A Musical Fable, with successful productions at Nottingham Playhouse,The
Cochrane Theatre, The Tricycle Theatre and the off West End, Pleasance Theatre (UK).
It was in 1996, when Dollie put her true artistic and creative passion into evidence and founded her own Jazz Theatre
Company Body of People aka BOP Jazz Theatre. In partnership with Composer and Jazz musician Paul Jenkins, the
company, now in it’s 25 th year, have created and produced an array of productions and dance concerts performed both in
the UK and internationally. A selection of BOP productions and theatre works include: I, You, We … Rise, Daughters of
Eve, Touches of Miles, Sacred Space, Trumpet Trilogy, Dizzy Heights, Duke’s Place, A Journey of Jazz, Up Close
and Personal. Miles Ahead – A double-bill program featuring new company works with Footprints in Jazz and their
inaugural Jazz theatre production Touches of Miles, was presented at the off West End, Cochrane Theatre and
subsequent UK tour supported by the Arts Council of England. The company’s most recent production Spirit of Jazz was
filmed with streamed online performances at the Curve Theatre Leicester as part of the the LDIF nternational Dance
Festival (May 2021). Through the company’s international recognition, Dollies’ creative and commissioned works have
been performed at dance and theatre venues worldwide. In 2012 BOP became artistic Company-in-Residence at
Morley College, London.
As part of her ongoing Educational Philosophy, Dollie has initiated The BOP Jazz Dance Education Programs
'Jazz Dance for Life' in the UK, Europe and The Caribbean and over the last 32 years has presented her ever popular
Jazz Dance Residencies, workshops, mentoring programs and masterclasses at dance venues throughout the UK &
Ireland, Africa, The Caribbean, Austria, Croatia, China, Poland, Germany, Israel, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain,
Sweden and USA. Dollie has achieved creative commissions from the State of Lithuania (The Baltic States), as the
first international jazz artist to be invited by the State to present lectures/workshop and devise a jazz program and
performance projects for the Klaipeda Music Theatre, alongside Jazz commissions with the Austrian Youth Ballet –
(Graz Austria), Rytmix Dance – Konin, and Kielce Dance Theatre Company – (Poland), Malmo Dance City (Sweden).
Jazz Arts International Festival 2018 at Wellington College – Shanghai, China. Recent BOP international dance
projects, include collaborations and commission with EBB Contemporay Dance Company (Madrid), Associacoa Nos
da Danca (Portugal.)
Ms Henry is resident Jazz Practitioner and choreographer at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance and
Mountview and Performance Preparation Academy (PPA Guidlford) and continues to be in high demand as guest
Jazz practitioner/mentor at established UK and international dance and performing arts institutions. Dollie is an Associate
Teacher of ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers Dance) and Honorary Member with IDTA (International Dance Teachers
Association). Head judge and creative associate for the dance organizations, Dance World Cup – International and
Dance World Cup – Spain and a sought after and respected judge worldwide in her capacity as a specialist and advisor
in Jazz and Musical Theatre. Dollie is a regular guest Jazz choreographer/teacher at Broadway Dance Center, Dance
Space Inc and Faison Firehouse Theatre (NY) and can still be found teaching her spirited open Jazz dance class
globally.
Dollie is a recognised advocate and voice for Black Dance Arts and jazz theatre dance, working to improve equality,
diversity and inclusivity in UK dance curriculum delivery and is a progressive changemaker for equality within the
performing arts sectors. Dollie is also an Dance advisor for the AOLE Welsh Educatiional Board prosposing for their
new GSCE Dance program and the ISTD, both devising and advicing the curriculum changes and implementation.
Alongside, Dollie is Artistic Guardian and Diversity Advisor for the CGO Institute, working with the next generation of
International Theatre Producers. Creative consultant with Tired Movement (UK) and Audition Circle, supporting and
mentoring dancers and performers to attain and sustain a professional career in the Arts. As an advocate for the Arts,
Dollie is on the panel of the The Black Brithish Theatre Awards, an appointed Patron of The Hammond School,
Cheshire and Ignite Dance Theatre Company UK.
As an experienced dance and theatre practitioner, Ms. Henry is instrumental in mentoring the careers of many dancers
now performing in established dance companies, musical theatre and concert dance shows all over the world and
continues to mentor the next generation of Jazz dancers and professional performers, through the educational and
creative outreach of BOP Company and within performing arts organisations.
Aside of all her comittments, Dollie is the co-author of the dance book The Essential Guide to Jazz Dance, published
by Crowood Press (Oct 2019). This unique book is delivered for Jazz Dance and its inherent partner, Jazz music, and
offers a practical guide and insight to the history, lineage, practice and creative expression and so much more of Jazz
dance art form.
The Essential Guide to Jazz Dance, Dollie Henry & Paul Jenkins
https://www.crowood.com/collections/dance/products/the-essential-guide-to-jazz-dance-by-dollie-henry-paul-jenkins
In January 2022, BOP Company launched a new a new Member Lead Network Jazz Theatre Arts UK (JTAUK),
partnering with One Dance Uk to advocate, advance and align greater visibility and delivery for our UK Jazz Theatre Arts
and Artists and all practices of the form within our British Dance sector.
Dollie has been recently nominated for the AWA Dance Charity – Women in Dance Leadership Award 2022 and was a
nominee for the Black British Theatre Awards 2020 for Best UK Performing Arts Teacher.
In June 2022, Dollie was honoured in the Queens Platinum Jubilee Birthday Honours List, receiving an MBE for
‘Services to Dance’. A great recognition and acknowledgment to her 40 years years of work, dedication, passion as a
catalyst for Black Women in the Arts and tireless energy to uphold the art form of Jazz Dance Theatre, Diverse Dance
Education.
Dollie Henry epitomizes all it is to be a consummate, all-encompassing creative dance theatre artist and educationalist
who continues to work in all aspects of the performing arts industry and crosses between both the artistic and
commercial landscapes. A fusion of immense expertise and genuine expression of creative spirit, allows this Lady to
sustain her position as the catalyst for the Jazz dance art form and its legacy in the UK & Europe, enabling her to share
her passion and creativity not just on her home ground, but all over the world.