Ashley Affolter

Ashley Affolter was born in the Netherlands in 2001 and completed her teaching diploma at the Academy of Theatre and Dance in Amsterdam. Alongside this, she completed a foundation course in Creative Business.

In her third year of study, she took part in an exchange programme at the École des Sables in Senegal. There, she received comprehensive training in contemporary dance as well as street and club styles.

Alongside her studies, she undertook an internship as a dancer with Ivgi & Greben.

There, she danced in ‘Wasted Skin’, ‘Nice To Meet You’, ‘Landscape with Figures’ and ‘My 24 Hours’. She also undertook a teaching placement at RediscoverMe and led social projects for people with physical or mental disabilities.

After graduating, Ashley worked for KORZO with the choreographers Tu Hoang and Faizah Grootens and danced in “Bluebeard”, a rock opera by the Holland Opera.

In 2024, she won Avant Garde’s “Artistry in Motion Battle”.

She has also worked as a teacher with various groups, including people with muscular disorders, young people and older adults. During her studies, she focused on inclusion, pedagogy, movement concepts and improvisation, and developed an artistic practice that prioritises accessibility, creativity and interpersonal relationships. In 2025, Ashley joined the MiR Dance Company under the direction of Giuseppe Spota, where she collaborated with Anton Lachky, Club Guy and Roni, Andrea Costanzo Martini, Korsia, Ivar van Woenzel and Akira Yoshida. For the 26/27 season, she remains with the Gelsenkirchen-based company, now known as TanzGelsenkirchen, led by Muhammed Kaltuk.