Davina Givan
Trained at the Northern Contemporary Dance School, Davina Givan has performed with some of the UK’s best known contemporary dance companies, Richard Alston Dance Company, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Scottish Dance Theatre. Performing internationally alongside several distinguished directors and choreographers, including Richard Alston, Rui Horta, Didy Veldman, Singh Buller, Henri Oguike, Janet Smith and Ashley Page and also as the Creative Director of National Youth Dance Wales (2009-13).
Currently, she is the Creative Co-Director of the Scottish contemporary dance duo White & Givan. Davina continues to perform in her own works alongside Errol White and for other artists.
Davina is a recipient of the Dance Europe Magazine’s Critics Award for Best female Performer, Critics Award by Dance Europe Magazine (Best Female Performer), The Mitchell Dance Award, and highly-prized Outstanding Young Artist category in the Critics Circle Dance Awards.
Davina has over 30 years of experience in the dance sector, including five years as performer & teacher with Scottish Dance Theatre. As a guest lecturer in dance colleges and various educational settings throughout the UK. Davina shares her legacy of practice teaching the next generation of contemporary dancers. Leading residencies and classes for professional dance companies. In 2014 and in collaboration with Errol White, she launched Scotland’s first paid pilot apprenticeship programme, Evolve. In 2016 White & Givan were appointed Artists in Residence & Exchange Fellows at the University of Edinburgh and Associated Artists at the Traverse Theatre Edinburgh. In 2019 White & Givan were invited by Morag Deyes to lead the DEBS programme for Dance Base, Scotland’s National Dance Agency in Edinburgh.
Her most recent choreographic collaborations with Errol White include the successful and critically acclaimed works Three Works (2009), IAM (2012), Breathe (2014) & Worn 2018. In 2015, White & Givan were invited to work with Orla O’Loughlin, Artistic Director and Joint CEO of the Traverse Theatre in the capacity of Movement Directors and Choreographers for the new play Swallow by Stef Smith. Swallow won the Scotsman Fringe First Award and the Scottish Arts Club Theatre Award-First Place when it premiered in the 2015 Fringe Festival at the Traverse. Following on from the success of the initial collaboration, he worked with the Traverse Theatre on their subsequent production’s including Tracks of the Winter Bear, Milk, Grain the Blood, a co-production between Tron Theatre and the Traverse Theatre, Girl in the Machine by Stef Smith in 2017 and Meet Me at Dawn a production by the Traverse Theatre for Edinburgh International Festival in 2017. Most recently, in 2022, White & Givan worked on The Scent of Roses, written & directed by Zinnie Harris, for the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh.
In 2016 White & Givan were invited to work with Francesca Joy, Artistic Director of Imagine if Theatre Company in Leeds, as directors/choreographers for the new play You Forgot the Mince written by Francesca Joy. The play toured theatres & prisons across the north of England from October through to November 2016 and in 2017 received critical acclaim during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017. In 2019 they worked again with Imagine If on Jadek, and in 2021, on the film My Old Man.
In 2021/22, White & Givan were awarded funding from Creative Scotland Touring fund to tour their new production, Worn, throughout Scotland, along with a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival as part of their Edinburgh Festival programme. Finally, in 2022 White & Givan were awarded Creative Scotland Open Funding funding to begin developing two new production’s Grace & Hush.
Currently, she is the Creative Co-Director of the Scottish contemporary dance duo White & Givan. Davina continues to perform in her own works alongside Errol White and for other artists.
Davina is a recipient of the Dance Europe Magazine’s Critics Award for Best female Performer, Critics Award by Dance Europe Magazine (Best Female Performer), The Mitchell Dance Award, and highly-prized Outstanding Young Artist category in the Critics Circle Dance Awards.
Davina has over 30 years of experience in the dance sector, including five years as performer & teacher with Scottish Dance Theatre. As a guest lecturer in dance colleges and various educational settings throughout the UK. Davina shares her legacy of practice teaching the next generation of contemporary dancers. Leading residencies and classes for professional dance companies. In 2014 and in collaboration with Errol White, she launched Scotland’s first paid pilot apprenticeship programme, Evolve. In 2016 White & Givan were appointed Artists in Residence & Exchange Fellows at the University of Edinburgh and Associated Artists at the Traverse Theatre Edinburgh. In 2019 White & Givan were invited by Morag Deyes to lead the DEBS programme for Dance Base, Scotland’s National Dance Agency in Edinburgh.
Her most recent choreographic collaborations with Errol White include the successful and critically acclaimed works Three Works (2009), IAM (2012), Breathe (2014) & Worn 2018. In 2015, White & Givan were invited to work with Orla O’Loughlin, Artistic Director and Joint CEO of the Traverse Theatre in the capacity of Movement Directors and Choreographers for the new play Swallow by Stef Smith. Swallow won the Scotsman Fringe First Award and the Scottish Arts Club Theatre Award-First Place when it premiered in the 2015 Fringe Festival at the Traverse. Following on from the success of the initial collaboration, he worked with the Traverse Theatre on their subsequent production’s including Tracks of the Winter Bear, Milk, Grain the Blood, a co-production between Tron Theatre and the Traverse Theatre, Girl in the Machine by Stef Smith in 2017 and Meet Me at Dawn a production by the Traverse Theatre for Edinburgh International Festival in 2017. Most recently, in 2022, White & Givan worked on The Scent of Roses, written & directed by Zinnie Harris, for the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh.
In 2016 White & Givan were invited to work with Francesca Joy, Artistic Director of Imagine if Theatre Company in Leeds, as directors/choreographers for the new play You Forgot the Mince written by Francesca Joy. The play toured theatres & prisons across the north of England from October through to November 2016 and in 2017 received critical acclaim during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017. In 2019 they worked again with Imagine If on Jadek, and in 2021, on the film My Old Man.
In 2021/22, White & Givan were awarded funding from Creative Scotland Touring fund to tour their new production, Worn, throughout Scotland, along with a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival as part of their Edinburgh Festival programme. Finally, in 2022 White & Givan were awarded Creative Scotland Open Funding funding to begin developing two new production’s Grace & Hush.