The DSL Studio

Andrei Malaev-Babel is currently a Professor of Theatre at Florida State University (FSU) and of New College of Florida, Head of Acting for the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Amongst his many achievements, he is also the author and editor of books and journal articles on the masters of Russian Theatre: Nikolai Demidov, Yevgeny Vakhtangov, Michael Chekhov and Alexandra Remizova. Professor Malaev-Babel is the founding master-teacher of the Demidov Summer School, Russia. His reputation as one of the leading experts on Russian theatre and acting techniques has brought him special engagements and commissions from many institutions world wide such as Stanford University, The World Bank, Russian State Institute of Performing Arts (St Petersburg), the Young Vic Theatre,The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (UK), and the Shanghai Theatre Academy (China) just to name a few.

Andrei is an acting teacher and director who spent 20 years working predominantly in Poland, the UK, the US and Australia. In Poland he worked with companies in the post-Grotowski lineage, including Gardzienice, Song of the Goat Theatre, and was an actor touring internationally with Theatre ZAR, resident company at the Grotowski Institute in Wroclaw. In Poland he also trained with Zygmunt Molik, one of Jerzy Grotowski's main actors from the Laboratory Theatre. He has taught acting and directed at numerous drama schools in the UK and internationally, including RADA, East 15, ArtsEd, Guildford School of Acting, Drama Studio London, Fourth Monkey Acting Training Company, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Bristol School of Acting and he has been teaching on the BA and MA courses at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London for more than eight years. Andrei was introduced to the Demidov Organic Acting Technique by Professor Malaev-Babel and has been for the past seven years, working intensively with the technique under his guidance - in London, Moscow and Florida. As a result of this relationship, Andrei founded Demidov Studio London, the UK chapter of the International Demidov Association, with Professor Malaev-Babel's support as curator. In Australia, Andrei was artistic director of Vis a Vis Theatre in Sydney, and in London, artistic director of Waving Not Drowning Theatre, Wrestling the Angel polyphonic singing group, and is currently director of the Tribe Theatre Collective, whose first production, Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment - created entirely with the Demidov Technique - was performed at The Cockpit Theatre in 2019. Apart from conducting all the classes at Demidov Studio London, Andrei is also Director of the DSL LAB, a research space that works with select actors committed to exploring the technique more deeply.

Kelsey is an ex-pat actor, baker, poet, painter from Upstate New York. She moved to London after finishing her Music Theatre B.F.A. at The University at Buffalo and studied at the East 15 Acting School to discover global collaboration and enrich her creative process through the M.F.A. Acting International degree. Her mission is to spread light and wholehearted connection through sharing her creations and telling complex stories. Kelsey is beyond grateful for the generosity, faith, and family that the Demidov Studio London has given her, in addition to the artistic and personal liberation which the Demidov Technique cultivates. Check out her poetry, bakes, performance, and visual art on her Instagram accounts: @kelsey_m_j & @kmj_bakes.

Yanouchka is an actress and director based in Brighton, UK. Trained in Geneva, Paris (Cours Florent) and London (R.A.D.A), she works in the UK, France and Switzerland in English and in French. In recent years she has directed the UK first performance of Laurent Gaudé’s Médée Kali at the Cockpit Theatre in London and was guest director at the Brighton Scratch Night. She is also an art historian and a yoga teacher.