Dance Nexus community: People
Raquel Nevado Ramos - Founder
Raquel Nevado Ramos comes from Granada (ES). Studied at the Conservatiorio profesional de danza ‘Reina Sofia’, Granada, as well as BA ‘Contemporary Dance and Pedagogy’ in Linz (AT). She has worked with Daniel Morales, Ángel Rodríguez, Theater Pforzheim, Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern, Hui Tran, Nadia Beugré, Ester Ambrosino, Johannes Schropp, Tomas Bünger, a.o.
She is currently based in Wiesbaden as a dance freelancer. She started choreographing recently, creating “Warm up” in 2024 and upcoming “Plié” and “Tendu” in 2025.
Johannes Schropp - Founder
His artistic work is installative, cinematic, sonic and performative; it constructs immersive spacetimes that almost meditatively search for realities that are hidden beyond what is concretely audible, visible, tangible and semantic. He studied BA Composition and MA Choreography & Performance and frequently collaborates with choreographers as a composer, dramaturge and video artist. Performances at HELLERAU Dresden, Tanzhaus NRW, Radialsystem Berlin, Tanzplattform Rhein-Main, Staatstheater Darmstadt and others.
Simon Van Heddegem - Founder
Simon Van Heddegem is an artist, dancer, choreographer and dance organiser. He graduated from the Royal Ballet school Antwerp (2008).
He danced in: Royal Ballet of Antwerp (2008-2010), Staatstheater Nürnberg (2010-2015), Oper Graz (2015-2018), Zfinmalta (2018-2020). His teaching has been inspired by classical and neoclassical ballet to contemporary technics, improvisation and somatic practises. Finished the MACoDE program in 2023
Juan Camilo Rojas Arevalo - Founding member
Juan Camilo Rojas Arévalo was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and holds a postgraduate degree in Performing Arts with a specialization in dance. After completing his studies, he participated in various stage projects both in Colombia and abroad while dedicating himself to dance pedagogy. In 2023, he moved to Germany and has since been working as a freelancer on multiple projects, including collaborations with the Frankfurt Oper, Koln Oper, Tanzmainz, and other artistic spaces.
Matthew Tusa - Founding member
Born in Melbourne, Matthew graduated from the Australian Ballet School with an Advanced Diploma of Dance. He enjoyed a successful 14-year career as a professional dancer with companies such as the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, The Royal Swedish Ballet, and Ballet Madrid, and was a soloist with HBS. After retiring, he transitioned to teaching and choreography, collaborating with dance companies, such as the Milwaukee Ballet and Landestheater Linz as well as staging his own dance projects. Drawing on his extensive knowledge he teaches students of all ages, emphasizing authenticity, precision and musicality to foster self-expression and confidence.
Jeremy Curnier - Founding member
Born in the UK, Jeremy began ballet at 4, before graduating from the Royal Ballet School in 2009. He earned his first contract with Northern Ballet, performing lead roles in productions such as Swan Lake, 1984, and The Nutcracker. In 2017, Jeremy continued his career with Ballett Kiel before moving to Tanzcompagnie Gießen, where he transitioned to contemporary repertoire. Alongside his dance career, Jeremy is a certified Mental Performance Coach and is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Psychology. Jeremy continues to be a freelance artist, movement director, coach, and ballet teacher.
Laura Ahumada Garcia - Founding member
South American performer, improviser, and educator completing her Master’s (MACoDE) in Frankfurt. A 2019 London Contemporary Dance School graduate, Laura has worked with Divadlo Studio Tanca, Ultima Vez, and others. In 2021, she trained in Flying Low & Passing Through with David Zambrano.
Her work blends silliness, spontaneity, and Latin fire, fostering togetherness in dance. Teaching since 2019, she has led classes at Ponderosa, Urbanraum, Tanz Fabrik, Dock 11, LCDS, TanzPlattform Rhein-Main, and more. She currently teaches Capoeira at HfMDK, Frankfurt.
Mareike Buchmann - Founding member
Mareike is a freelance dance and performance artist as well as a movement researcher. Her work interweaves artistic practice with philosophical inquiry. For over ten years, she has been developing her own productions. In 2022, she founded the IDA FLUX Ensemble and SYMSOMA, a movement philosophy focusing on dance and somatic exploration. She holds a PhD from the Paris Lodron University Salzburg / Mozarteum of science and art, on the topic “Körper/Spuren/Spüren – find your way around movement.” Alongside, she has been teaching for many years with a focus on somatic and performative practices.
Verena Wilhelm - Founding member
Verena Wilhelm is a contemporary dancer and dance teacher. She completed her dance studies in Berlin and has since worked with various choreographers in the independent theatre scene, as well as making guest appearances at Schauspiel Stuttgart and NTM Mannheim. She is a prizewinner of the Stuttgart Solo Dance Theatre Festival. For some years now, her focus has increasingly been on dance education, and in 2024 she completed her master's degree in dance education at the Palucca University of Dance to deepen this new direction.
Yi-Lun Chen-Czajor - Founding member
I am a freelance dance educator, DanceAbility teacher, movement facilitator and performer with a background in theater studies, dance pedagogy, and social work. My work focuses on inclusive and socially engaged dance, creating spaces where movement fosters connection and transformation.
As an active member of Dance Nexus, I explore contemporary dance as a tool for empowerment, expression, and inclusion.
Lena Kunz - Founding member
I am a performance artist interested in spaces where performance, poetics and politics intertwine. My transdisciplinary practice combines performance, dance, writing, (non-linear) storytelling, sound, installation and theory.
Currently I am researching on bodies and their (hi)stories that are intertwined with the threads of their heritage, kinships and environment(s). I also perform with the IDA FLUX Ensemble, work as a dramaturge for contemporary dance and teach movement improvisation and creative writing.
Danique de Bont - Member
Danique is a freelance dancer from the Netherlands who graduated from HfMDK Frankfurt and is currently based in Mainz. She has been in various Opera and freelance productions in Germany and has been a dancer for Hennermannshorde since 2021. She has worked with choreographers and performers such as Cyril Baldy, Regina van Berkel, Dieter Heitkamp, Toula Limnaois, Charlotte Simon, Neel Verdoorn, and Célestine Hennermann. She is also fully certified in Sportsmassage, Medical Taping and Pilates.
