ALCHEMY DANCE COMPANY, founded and directed by Marchant Birch, has brought together dancers from a diverse range of cultural, musical and dance backgrounds. All members of the company have creative input in the groups' work. The fusion of this range of experience with Marchant’s renowned smooth style has brought about an exciting and fresh concept in salsa training and choreography. Influenced predominantly by New York Mambo, ballroom, and Jazz dance, the focus of Alchemy is strong technical training, the PROCESS of creating dance, and ultimately transforming individually and collectively as dancers.
After a year of training, Alchemy was launched at a the Salsa Spectacular, Derby in April 2006, performing alongside Alex Wilson and his RnB Latino band. They performed at many events around the UK during 2006 & 2007, including the Mambo City 5* Congress in both years. The company is currently represented by the partnership between Marchant & Davina, who continue to perform and teach in the UK and internationally.

MARCHANT BIRCH, Director/Choreographer
Marchant was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. He has been living in England since 2000. Trained from an early age in Ballroom and Latin American, he is a much sought after performer and teacher both in the UK and internationally. Marchant has acheive success with a number of different dance partners over the years. He was winner of the Best UK Dance Act award at the UK Salsa Congress 2006 with his then partner Miriam Oppel. His ‘Take Five’ show also received high acclaim from the mambo king himself, Eddie Torres. At the UK Congress 2007 he received an award of recognition for his contribution to salsa and for raising the standard of teaching in the UK.

As well as founding the dance company, Marchant also started Alchemy Dance Academy in 2006 which provides the opportunity for the general salsa public to improve their dancing by way of the Alchemy method of dance training. It is pioneering the Alchemy Way that is now Marchant's main focus with his partner Davina. In 2007 they released their first instructional DVD 'Alchemy Way Partnerwork'. Their most recent project has been the opening of Alchemy Dance Academy at its permanent base in Hampshire.
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DAVINA is Marchant's dance partner for solo couple shows, and is project coordinator for Alchemy. She is the female exponent of the Alchemy Way of dancing mambo & salsa, teaching the style and grace of this method at the Alchemy Dance Academy and as the featured lady on Marchant's instructional DVD.

From a trained background in Ballet, Tap, Modern and Jazz, Davina is a qualified ISTD teacher of Modern and Tap. She has a degree in Drama & Theatre Studies and a range of fitness teaching qualifications. For 10 years she has taught in a variety of capacities, mainly as freelance teacher/choreographer at dance schools and colleges around London. In 2003 she took up salsa, attending classes with Marchant who soon spotted her potential and undertook her training. It was from this that Alchemy Dance Company was formed, Davina's jazz dance experience being part of the core technique training for the company. She also co-choreographed, with Marchant, Alchemy's debut show 'Timbalito'.

STEVEN ABBIW was first introduced to salsa in 1998 while at university. After graduating, he took it up 'seriously' trying several different classes in central London and eventually settling for a while with Cheryl and Julian 'The Duke' of Salsoteca, and Leon Rose. Over the course of the next two years, he participated in two salsa competitions (Tropicana Salsa [amateur category] - 3rd Place, Bar Cuba salsa competition [professional category] - 2nd Place). Steven enjoyed a brief yet productive time with Laith Sami's first salsa dance troupe in 2003 and performed at the UK Salsa Congress the same year. Steven is also the percussionist in a London based rock band.

SIMONE MOWEN has a background in singing, ballet and street dance. Raised in a home heavily influenced by music, she began singing to congregations in church at the age of four. Singing broadened her appreciation for a vast range of music, and is her inspiration to dance. Performing continued in varying degrees with modelling at the age of thirteen and as an extra in music videos. She was trained in salsa by Leon Rose, and regularly assisted him in central London, teaching ladies technique and styling. Her first performance in Salsa was in Paris at the ‘Inaugural Festival of salsa Dance and DJ’ in 2000. Since then she has continued to perform and feature in workshops throughout the UK and Europe as part of the Leon Rose Project and London Allstar Latin Dancers. Simone's creative talents are also put to great use as costume designer for Alchemy.

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JON MELMOTH teaches at Alchemy Dance Academy. He has been a student of Marchant for several years, who has been impressed with the growth and dedication Jon has shown with his dance development. Jon's understanding of the Alchemy Way combined with his background in sports instruction made him ideal to teach at the Academy, and was invited by Marchant & Davina to joln the team at Basingstoke.