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Directors & Creatives
Adrian C. Falconer
Co- Founder, Artistic Director & Fight Choreographer
Adrian is a former WSA (World Sport Arnis) British Champion in Filipino Martial Arts. a close quarter combat system that covers a wide range combat disciplines including, Kali Sticks, Blades, Bankaw (Bo Staff), Katana, Knife Defence, and Basic Firearms Safety. Adrian also trained at stunt school, Campus Univers Cascades and holds 2nd place as the International Student of CUC Alumni 2025.
Adrian now works independently as an Actor, Stunt Performer and Fight Choreographer around the UK, has established himself across many platforms that include Film, TV, Music Videos and Theatre. Most recently in Adrian's rep of work includes Netflix's The Gentleman (Season 2), Sandman (Season 2), Khalifa: The Bloodline. Fight Coordinating in Little Simz's Latest Music Video 'Young' alongside Legendary American Music Video Director Dave Meyers and Movement Director Kloe Dean, as well as Fight Directing with Olivier Award winner Ivan Michael Blackstock in his highly acclaimed production ‘TRAPLORD',
Before stepping in Martial Arts, Adrian also trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) and performed in many theatre productions such as: Original London run of ‘CAGES' at Riverside Studios, London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, Brit Awards, West End Live’s ‘& Juliet’. His work with celebrities also includes Taron Egerton, John Cleese, Leona Lewis, Kath Ryan, Fleur East, Plan B, Alesha Dixon, Steps and Spice Girl Mel C.
As such Adrian also enjoys sharing his knowledge within the industry with others. His Fight Design Company ‘TAKA’, is not just his creative outlet, but it also functions as a way of developing a community where actors, dancers, martial artists and even beginners can each discover more about themselves as performers whilst learning new skills.
Joni-Ann Falconer
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Originally from South Africa, Joni Falconer has enjoyed an internationally based career, which began in Hong Kong as a Drama Teacher and Stage Manager.
Joni gained more experience working as Stage Manager for Cunard Line, working with entertainment industry veterans such as Maria Friedman, Ruthie Henshall, Gregory Porter, and Herbie Hancock.
After 5 years at sea, refining her skills, Joni moved to the UK and began working as a Production Coordinator for Living the Dream where she organised the opening ceremony of WE Day 2020, starring Leona Lewis. She then served as Living the Dream’s Operations and Programme Manager at EXPO 2020 in Dubai.
Joni’s focus has become centred on Production Management for UK based dance works with The Place, BirdGang LTD, Walker Movement Theatre Company, Third Version Creative and Pagrav Dance. She is currently the Company Stage Manager for Trinity Laban.
Joni is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Taka Strike Club. Their most recent project was a collaboration with Ivan Blackstock on the Olivier Award winning ‘Traplord’ for Breakin’ Convention at Sadler’s Wells, integrating action performance with Hip Hop theatre.
Ericson Mitchell
Co-Founder, Senior Coach, Actor, Performer
Ericson Mitchell is an acrobat/gymnast, Circus Artist (specialising in Chinese Pole and hand-to-hand) Stuntman, martial artist, Parkour specialist, Dancer, and performer. Ericson trained at East 15 on their BA(Hons) Acting and Stage Combat course, and has been working in the industry for over 10 years, learning, expanding, growing and gaining new skills and inspiration.
His work has spanned a huge range of styles and he has worked across the globe with such prolific companies as the English National Ballet, La Scala (Italy), Secret Cinema (London and China), the English National Opera, and 20th Century Fox (Malaysia). His stunt work has also taken him to many countries, filming for Netflix's Vikings: Valhalla, Betfair, and webuyanycar.com to name a few. Ericson has doubled on Winx: The Fate Saga, BBC's Waterloo Road, and Sky Sports 'the greatest showman' campaign.
Ericson has a passion for movement and has spent years expanding his physical knowledge, learning new skills and training consistently. Ericson has been passionate about martial arts, fighting and weaponry from a young age, and has been consistent in his training and discipline. Most recently he took part in the Cascade University Campus (CUC) stunt intensive, honing existing skills such as high falls, stair falls and car hits, as well as continuing his training in weapons, combat, martial arts and fight choreography.
Gavin L Vincent
Rigger Technician, Show Climber, Movement Director, Stunt Performer
Gavin is a multi-disciplinary movement artist, director, and creative rigging technician with over 20 years’ experience in the performing arts industry. With a strong foundation in Breaking, he is a veteran member of The Soul Mavericks, representing the UK internationally as five-time UK champions, three-time Central European BOTY champions, and world championship finalists.
He has collaborated extensively with Wired Aerial Theatre, as part of their specialist stunt team at the Bregenz International Opera Festival on productions of Rigoletto and Der Freischütz. He has also played key roles in Wired’s aerial theatre shows Me vs Me and As the World Tipped as a climber, rigger, and performer.
Additional performing and technical rigging credits include roles for Autin Dance Theatre’s Up In The Sky, Southpaw’s Speakeasy, Avant Garde’s The Black Album, and stunt work for Studio City Macau’s Elekron and Netflix’s The Crown. His commercial work includes collaborations with GQ, Sony, Adidas, and the MOBO Awards.
As a movement director, Gavin has also worked with companies including Theatre Témoin, 2 Gents Theatre, and Cirque Bijou, while also developing his own movement and dance theatre projects. Originally trained as a physiotherapist, he is also an experienced educator, working with ZooNation Youth Company and Academy, Urdang, Project Breakalign, the Royal Academy of Dance, and Breakin’ Convention as a teacher, coach, and mentor.
His artistic credits include lead roles in Gorilla Circus’ A.I.Thentic, ZooNation’s critically acclaimed stage production and feature film Message in a Bottle, and Apologue 2047 at the Beijing Opera House, directed by Zhang Yimou. Combining technical and artistic expertise, Gavin has also worked as a movement director and rigging technician for Gorilla Circus, creating bespoke theatrical circus productions.
Kofi Mingo
Co-Founder, Creative Consultant, Performer
Kofi's vast experience in the performing arts industry ranges between a multitude of levels including, competitive and dance performance, as well as mass choreographic from local (grass roots) all the way up to international arena such as, Olympic & Paralympic Games, International dance competition stages (Red Bull Dance your style 2019 uk champion & world top 8), Circus work (Upswing Circus) and museums spaces (British Museum, Montresso Art Space, Marrakech), and most recently the Film Wicked 2024.
As a dance specialists, he teaches free movement with his UN1VERSE (you in 1 verse) freestyle dance program to all ages demographics, as well as adapting this program for both dance competition and performance environments.
His skills include: Capoeira, Shaolin, Taekwondo, HipHop (Bboy, Hiphop freestyle, Popping), UN1VERSE (fusion artform), Circus (Single/Double harness, Chinese Pole).
Kofi is also self taught in STREET STICK (fusion of Acro-Stick, B-Boy, HipHop), Rope Dart, POI (single/double, with/without Freestyle with above skills).
Kofi applies all his experience that challenges the actors embodiment of movement, and how they navigate and perform in a given environment or set scene.
Jaih Betote
Fight Choreographer, Movement Director, Stunt Performer
Jaih Betote is a multidisciplinary performer, fight choreographer and movement artist with nearly two decades of professional experience across film, television, theatre, live performance and music.
Born in Brazil, Jaih began his martial arts journey through Capoeira at the age of five before relocating to the UK, where he continued his training whilst studying at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. Alongside his formal training in ballet, jazz, contemporary and tap, he joined Kate Prince’s acclaimed ZooNation company at just twelve years old, laying the foundation for a career that would span multiple disciplines and industries.
Since then, Jaih has performed around the world as a dancer, actor, stunt performer, singer and choreographer. His credits include major feature films and productions such as Cats, Aladdin, Cinderella, Matilda, The Marvels, Snow White, Wicked, A Christmas Carol and The Sandman, working across both performance and stunt departments. Most notably, he portrayed Dopey in Snow White whilst continuing to build an extensive portfolio across film, television and live entertainment.
Beyond performance, Jaih has developed an exceptional range of physical and creative skills including aerial straps, tricking, wire work and stage combat, alongside musical proficiency in piano, guitar, saxophone and harmonica. His passion for continual growth and exploration has led him to work across a wide variety of creative platforms, from West End productions and international live events to action design and movement direction.
His choreographic work includes serving as Co-Choreographer on a Grammy-nominated music video for the Jonas Brothers, alongside numerous creative collaborations across theatre, music and screen. Through his ongoing work with TAKA, Jaih has become an integral member of the creative team, contributing to action sequences, fight design and movement storytelling for film and live performance projects.
Today, Jaih serves as one of TAKA’s Core Fight Choreographers, combining his extensive background in martial arts, dance, acting and stunt performance to create dynamic, authentic and emotionally driven action. With a unique understanding of both performance and movement, he continues to push the boundaries of storytelling across stage and screen while inspiring others through his dedication to craft, collaboration and lifelong learning.
Ivan Michael Blackstock
Creative Consultant & Movement Director
Ivan Michael Blackstock is an Olivier Award-winning artist, creative director, choreographer and cultural innovator whose work has become one of the defining voices within contemporary British performance.
Born and raised in South London, Ivan has spent over two decades developing a multidisciplinary practice that bridges dance, theatre, film, music, visual art and social commentary. His work is recognised for its bold artistic vision, cultural relevance and ability to challenge, inspire and connect audiences across disciplines.
As co-founder of the influential BirdGang Dance Company, Ivan helped shape a generation of artists and movement practitioners, creating pathways for young creatives whilst contributing to the evolution of UK dance and performance culture. His work has been presented at internationally renowned venues and institutions including Sadler’s Wells, 180 Studios, La Villette (Paris) and numerous festivals and platforms throughout the UK and Europe.
His creative achievements include choreography for Beyoncé’s acclaimed visual album Black Is King and the Grammy Award-winning music video Brown Skin Girl, alongside recognition through the Nowness Awards, the Dazed 100 shortlist and his work as a contributing editor for Fact Magazine.
Ivan is also the founder of ALTRUVIOLET, a multidisciplinary creative studio dedicated to producing innovative work across live performance, film and media. Through ALTRUVIOLET he created TRAPLORD, a groundbreaking production exploring identity, masculinity, race and contemporary culture. Following years of development, TRAPLORD received widespread critical acclaim and was awarded Best New Dance Production at the 2023 Olivier Awards, becoming one of the most celebrated works in contemporary British dance theatre.
In recent years Ivan’s artistic curiosity has led him deeper into the worlds of action performance, martial arts and cinematic storytelling. Through ongoing collaboration with TAKA Strike Club, he and members of the TRAPLORD company have been exploring how martial arts, fight choreography and physical action can become additional tools for creative expression and narrative development.
As a core member of TAKA, Ivan serves as Creative Consultant and Movement Director, helping to shape the organisation’s artistic vision while contributing his extensive experience in performance creation, cultural storytelling and interdisciplinary collaboration. His work with TAKA continues to explore the intersection of movement, theatre, martial arts and film, creating new opportunities for artists to develop versatile and innovative approaches to performance.
Driven by a commitment to artistic excellence, cultural impact and community development, Ivan continues to push boundaries as a creator, mentor and leader within the UK’s creative industries.
Sophelia Joan
Operations Manager, Stunt Performer
Sophelia Joan is a professional stunt performer, actor, dancer, choreographer, and all round creative. She has been a professional dancer and choreographer for over 15 years, and has transitioned into dedicating her time to develop her skills in martial arts, hand to hand combat, weapons and firearms for stage, film & TV.
Sophelia is a passionate performer and gives 100% to her crafts whilst using her creative skills to promote authenticity and individuality. Throughout Sophelia's career she has accomplished many accolades such as worked as a stunt performer on productions such as ‘The Witcher’, ‘Sandman’ and ‘Ghosts in the system’ to name afew. She has also performed at the 2012 Olympics, MOBO awards, competing internationally, and she was a semifinalist for Sky One’s Got to Dance.
Olivier Sublet
Firearms Instructor, Assistant Fight Choreographer & Stunt Performer
Olivier has trained in multiple martial arts disciplines since the age of six, including Shotokan Karate, Kung Fu, Systema, Kickboxing, and MMA. He is a certified Level 2 Self-Defense Instructor, specialising in hand-to-hand combat, tactical weapons, and close protection under the Kalah System.
Originally from Switzerland, Olivier trained as an actor at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and has since worked professionally across the US and UK. He is best known for his long-running role in the critically acclaimed immersive production Trainspotting Live, with over 500 performances across Off-Broadway, Off-West End, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and international tours.
Now based in London, Olivier continues his work as an actor and theatre maker while joining TAKA as our Firearms Safety Instructor and Stunt Performer, bringing a wealth of experience in both performance and martial artistry.
Casey Gonsalves
VFX Artist & Action Filmmaker
Casey specialises in VFX and video editing, bringing cinematic moments to life through dynamic post-production techniques. His influences derive a love for anime and action driven camera choreography. These artistic mediums help to fuel his creativity and inspire him to blend high-energy sequences, expressive motion, and stunning effects to recreate the intensity of anime-style combat in live action.
Casey have a deep passion for storytelling through artistic references, so ultimately most of his work has been designed with notions of recreating the visual sensations that feel straight out of an anime or graphic novel. 'I like to give audiences an opportunity that enables them to immerse themselves in a high-octane and climatic experience through my work. I’m committed to pushing the boundaries of action filmmaking with creativity and passion'.
Casey also trains in dance and martial arts. These disciplines play a major part in his creative development particularly when adapting visual effects technology to various forms of movement on screen, which is present throughout most of his work. Most notably Casey is on the creative team working with Action Design Company ‘TAKA S.C.’. who specialise specifically in cinematic action and combine martial arts and stunts. 'My role as their VFX editor has been to consult and edit on moments that make them visually more striking.'
