Assis Carreiro
Artist Management
International Arts &
Cultural Projects
photo: Maria Pia Merani
The Press​
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"Then came In The Absence, and quite frankly, it is one of the most exquisite things I have ever seen on a stage. This piece tackles the heavy weight of letting go and that terrifying uncertainty of what comes next. The stage floor is transformed into a vast, mirrored surface that the dancers move across, shifting and disheveling the material as they go. It's a gut-punch of a visual metaphor for the human mind in constant flux, processing the debris of the past."
Neill Kovocic-Clarke, pinkprincetheatre.com
“The contemporary, visceral and symbolic exploration of Clausen-Knight and Pett met perfect complement to the poetic and theatrical style of Fedrick Ashton’s universe. Both pro-peustas, separated by decades and visions of the body, shared the same ambition: to transform the stage into a space of emotion, appealing to the public, of course, in a different way.
The choreographic language of Clausen-Knight and Pett combines extreme physicality with powerful visual aesthetic, and in Bodies of Division they unfold both dimensions with a hypnotic elegance."
- Juan Antonio Munoz H
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“Convergence brought together classical ballet and some modern pieces, such modern pieces, such as Esse by James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight, from the British company Pett Clausen-Knight, which took your breath away."
- elnorte.com
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“This fantastic concert’s programme was concluded with something quite out of the ordinary, when 14 dancers from Bangkok City Ballet and world-renowned choreographers/dancers James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight entered onto a darkened stage for an absolutely riveting treatment of the famous Boléro by Maurice Ravel."
- James Keller
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"There’s also a new piece from hotly tipped choreographic duo Travis Clausen-Knight and James Pett (now known as PCK Dance) although it’s one that in its own way feels strangely retro.The choreography of this stubborn, occasionally comedic, couple, has hints of JiÅ™í Kylián and Mats Ek – greats at their peak a few decades ago – in the starched-straight limbs and mannered gestures, especially in the female role."
- Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian on Small Talk
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​"The last performance before the interval, Small Talk, works with a completely different palette, both physically and atmospherically. Its minimalist domestic setting—lamp, chair, rug—made me think of A Doll’s House, as choreographers James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight explore the repeated actions of domestic annoyance and petty territorial squabbles. This is Next of Kin’s mirror image, in a way: a male-female duet but where the disputes feel more tense and personal, and the choreography more infused with classical motifs."
- Mark Love Smith, British Theatre Guide
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James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight gave us the second world première of the evening with their duet Postscript, danced to Vivaldi. This duo never disappoint, never allowing abstraction to dwindle into nothingness as so often occurs. Postscript is an elegiac work that constantly diverts the eyes with changes of weight, mixed levels and obvious rapport between the dancer/choreographers.
- Charlotte Kasner, seeingdance.com
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Then there was the world premiere of Postscript from the sensational duo James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight - two dancers who featured in my Review of the Year 2025 with their piece Imago. Talk about special, this was created specifically for the 20th anniversary, and was a total sensory experience. It featured the sublime mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Lynch and the incredible Can Arisoy on piano. The way the movement sat alongside the live vocal and keys was pure, unadulterated art.
- Neill Kovocic-Clarke, pinkprincetheatre.com
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“McIntosh and Wagman were not an easy act to follow but Marie-Agnès Guillot, James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight were equally splendid in their new A Stranding, albeit in a very different way. Pett and Clausen-Knight (aka PCK Dance) are some of the most exciting choreographers around. They have a complex understanding of the use of space and partnering that creates a seamless fluidity of motion and much visual interest as well as engaging the emotions.”
- Charlotte Kasner, seeingdance.com
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PCK Dance
PCK Dance's video reel is HERE.
James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight are internationally recognised choreographers whose work spans major ballet companies, opera houses and international festivals across Europe, Asia and the Americas. As the founding artists behind PCK Dance, their choreographic voice is defined by intense physicality and striking visual worlds, creating works that are both emotionally charged and deeply resonant for audiences.
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Their growing catalogue of commissions has established them as sought-after choreographers for companies worldwide. In 2025, their full-length ballet Bodies of Division for Ballet de Santiago received the prestigious Best Dance Work of the Year award from the Chilean Critics’ Circle. Writing for the Círculo de Críticos de Arte de Chile, critic Juan Antonio Muñoz H. described their work as combining “extreme physicality with a powerful visual aesthetic… unfolding with hypnotic elegance.”
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Their commissions include works for Croatian National Ballet, Ballet de Monterrey, Bangkok City Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre in the UK. Their large-scale ballet Bolero, created for Bangkok City Ballet and the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra as part of the official celebrations for the King of Thailand’s birthday, brought together a full orchestra with fourteen dancers in a contemporary interpretation of Ravel’s iconic score. Reviewing the premiere, James Keller described the result as “hypnotic, mesmeric and visually stunning — an ideal fusion of music and dance.”
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Pett and Clausen-Knight are also regularly invited to create works for prestigious international gala stages. Their trio A Stranding, created for Paris Opera Ballet Étoile Marie-Agnès Gillot at the Ballet Icons Gala at the London Coliseum, was met with critical acclaim. Writing in Seeing Dance, critic Charlotte Kasner described the pair as “some of the most exciting choreographers around… with a complex understanding of the use of space and partnering that creates seamless fluidity of motion and powerful emotional engagement.” They later returned to Ballet Icons with the world premiere of Postscript, a duet combining contemporary choreography with live mezzo-soprano and piano on stage with the dancers.
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Their work continues to expand across a wide range of artistic platforms. In 2026 they premiere Blink of an Eye at Grange Park Opera, created for Royal Ballet Principal Melissa Hamilton. The same season also sees a new commission for Ballet de Barcelona in Spain.
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Alongside their work for ballet companies and opera houses, Pett and Clausen-Knight have also been invited to represent the United Kingdom through major international cultural programmes. Their work has been presented in partnership with the British Council across Asia, including performances marking the 75th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Indonesia, as well as cultural exchange initiatives and festival presentations in Malaysia and Thailand.
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Both artists began their careers as performers with some of the most influential contemporary dance companies in Europe, including Company Wayne McGregor, Michael Clarke Company, New Adventures and Richard Alston Dance. As performers they have appeared at leading international venues including Sadler’s Wells, the London Coliseum, Palais Garnier and the Bolshoi Theatre, as well as major international gala platforms such as Roberto Bolle & Friends and Alessandra Ferri Gala.
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Their work has been widely recognised within the dance sector. Pett and Clausen-Knight were named among Bachtrack’s Rising Stars in Dance and Choreography and their company PCK Dance has received consecutive nominations at the National Dance Awards (Critics’ Circle) for Best Independent Company and Best Emerging Choreographers.
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Across a rapidly expanding repertoire, Pett and Clausen-Knight have established themselves as one of the most distinctive choreographic voices emerging from the United Kingdom today, creating works that resonate with audiences and companies across the global dance landscape.
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@pett_clausenknight
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