Helen Poynor is an independent movement artist whose approach has evolved out of 30 years of professional practice on four continents. She specialises in movement in natural environments, site-specific and autobiographical performance and cross art-form collaborations combining movement with installation, text, film and the visual arts.

An internationally recognised movement teacher, director and performer Helen’s early intensive training with Anna Halprin at the San Francisco Dancers’ Workshop and Suprapto Suryodarmo from Java served as the foundation for the development of her unique approach to non-stylised movement and performance practice. She is a mentor for a number of established and emerging dancers and performers. In collaboration with visual artist Annie Pfingst she established Movers and Makers working with artists and dancers with movement and installation in the natural environment. In 2007 they facilitated Time and Tide a Movers and Makers professional development project on the Jurassic coast, supported by Dance South West, Dorset County Council and the Town Mill Galleries in Lyme Regis.

Helen is co-author with Libby Worth of Anna Halprin (Routledge 2004) and has contributed a chapter to a forthcoming book on community dance. She worked for several years in Australia and co-edited Dancers and Communities, a collection of writings about community dance in Australia (Ausdance NSW 1997). Helen is a visiting professor of performance at Coventry University and taught performance practice at the University of Plymouth for five years. She is a Senior Registered Dance Movement Therapist working with individuals in private practice.