Lea Anderson‘s The Cholmondeleys and The Featherstonehaughs: 40 years of Style and Design

2024 marks the 40th anniversary of The Cholmondeleys dance company, founded in 1984 by Lea Anderson, Teresa Barker and Gaynor Coward. When The Cholmondeleys started, they wanted to create something that would interest friends and their friends. They didn’t know how to start a dance company or how to get gigs in theatres, so they made it up, working with friends, designers, musicians and photographers. We called ourselves The Cholmondeleys like it was a band.

There was a lot of fashion and music, cabaret and clubbing going on at that time. It was the aftermath of punk; DIY culture was freshly exciting and there was a lot of it about. Their performances arose from this exhilarating time and ignited collaborations between a range of British artists including costume designers Sandy Powell, Emma Fryer, Pam Downs and Simon Vincenzi, composers Droston Madden and Steve Blake, and lighting designer Simon Corder.

The Colmondeleys and their brother company The Featherstonehaughs (founded in 1987) made over 87 works, both live and on film. They performed throughout the UK and internationally. A vital part of their creative legacy remains in their rich archive of images taken by photographers Chris Nash, Pau Ros, Pete Moss, the DOuglas Brothers, Eddie Monsoon and Matilda Temoperley, among others.

This sumptuous book, edited by Mary Kate Connolly and designed by Pep Sala is a celebration of The Cholmondeleys & The Featherstonehaughs. Of the people that made them.