Image credit: Lauren McWilliams, For You Photography

Martin began dancing at the age of 9 and joined the Harehills Youth Dance group under the direction of Nadine Senior MBE. He successfully auditioned for the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 1987, and in 1998 won the C&A Cosmopolitan Young Dancer of the Year award.  After graduating from NSCD he joined the Nye Carte Blanche company in Bergen, Norway.  This was the beginning of a special relationship with Scandinavia as Martin went on to work and perform with companies such as Skanes Dance Theatre, Malmo, Sweden under the direction of Patrick King from Culberg Balleten and Mari Brolin-Tani in Aarhus, Denmark.  Martin has also worked and performed with various companies in the UK, including Phoenix Dance Theatre, and has seen him build strong connections within the industry.

Martin has taught contemporary dance throughout his career all over the world in professional, educational, custodial and community settings.

He became the Youth Dance Academy Director for the Tees Valley based in Holmwood School, Middlesbrough, and in 2008 Martin joined the Centre for Advanced Training team based at Dance City as the Dance Development Manager and CAT teacher/choreographer.

Martin is now a high profile leader in the dance community. He holds a Master’s Degree in Arts, Business and Creativity from Newcastle University and is a Clore Leadership Fellow. Through the Clore Leadership program and his passion for dance, Martin realised his vision to create Gateway Studio Project in 2012.