Since then the theatre, based in Spencer Yard, has taken its productions on world tours and had thousands of people view its work.

And now, as the company prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary on Tuesday, co-founder and artistic director Kevin Finnan has taken the opportunity to reminisce about its first major production A Curious Day.

He said: "It was a fun and exciting time. We taught for months to raise the money and used all our savings to buy a beat-up Volvo estate and hired a little trailer.

"The show was choreographed so one of us could run off at different points and change the lights.

"At the end we had to teach again for months to pay off the expenses.

"It got us a show at the Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre and that was the arrival of Motionhouse."

When Kevin first set up the company with executive director Louise Richards, they had to operate from various venues including North Leamington School and the Spencer Street church.

But the theatre has now grown from this "nomadic" existence - taking to the road with 17 full-scale productions and other one-off performances at street and art festivals in the UK and abroad.

Louise said: "We are now a very established company and there is a lot of respect for us in the industry.

"This is after the company just being something Kevin and I were keen on doing. I have a lot of pride in that achievement.

"It is unusual for a national company like ourselves not to be based in London. We both feel strongly that this kind of work is not just based in the capital."

To mark its 20th anniversary Motionhouse is putting on an invitation-only celebration at its headquarters where guests will see several dance performances while enjoying a buffet and drinks.

The company is currently touring Europe with its two new productions Underground and Chaser while holding dance classes in Leamington which run throughout the summer.

- Visit www.motionhouse.co.uk or call 887052.