Teachers

Miss Young trained at The Royal Ballet School, joining The Royal Ballet Company in 1968 and was promoted to soloist in 1974. She performed many prominent roles in both the classical repertoire and “heritage” ballets of Sir Frederick Ashton. On leaving the company, Anita was offered the position of Ballet Mistress with Northern Ballet Theatre, before taking over responsibility for the Junior Associates of The Royal Ballet School based at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. Miss Young decided to build a career as a freelance Teacher, Choreographer, Coach and Mentor, specialising in the Cecchetti Major Exam work.

Anita has been a guest teacher for the Michael Clark Company, and for schools, colleges and companies in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malta, South Africa and the USA. teaching positions at West Street Studios, The London Studio Centre, and The Central School of Ballet, as well as teacher to the Senior Associates of The Royal Ballet School.Anita has also coached Professional Footballers, for the ‘FA’ at their ‘National School of Excellence’ in Lillieshall, as well as an American Football team and worked closely with United States Marine Corps, Sergeant, Harvey Walden IV, who is famous for the “Fat Club” UK television series, in which Anita also appeared, in 2002. Anita has also choreographed, and has given her own time, in support of Charities; Appearing in many television commercials and promotional videos.Miss Young was on the faculty of The Royal Ballet School’s ‘Lower School’ at White Lodge and the Artistic faculty of The Royal Ballet School’s ‘Upper School’. In 2016, Anita was a guest teacher at the ‘Paris Opera Ballet School’. In February 2019 Anita was awarded the MBE by the Princess Royal.

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Jamie trained at London Studio Centre, touring with Images of Dance (now Images Ballet Company) and gaining a BA Hons degree in Theatre Dance. Upon graduation, he performed with Scottish Ballet before joining Sarasota Ballet in Florida where he remained for 13 years as a Soloist. His repertoire included lead roles in works by renowned choreographers such as Ashton, Balanchine, MacMillan, Tudor and Graham. Jamie has guested with The Suzzanne Farrell Ballet and danced in tours to New York City (The Joyce Theatre and New York City Centre), The Kennedy Centre, Jacobs Pillow and Salt Lake City. During his time in the USA, he worked closely with Margaret Barbieri the original Director of Images of Dance and the Assistant Director of Sarasota Ballet, where he developed his career as a choreographer, creating over 10 works for Sarasota Ballet restaging one of these works for the Images tour 2012.

Since returning to the UK in 2019 he has taught for all the major vocational conservatoires in London as well as Pineapple Dance Studios, Dance Works and Dance House. He has most recently been a Lecturer in Dance at Southwark College, Leeds Conservatoire, and Lincoln University.In 2020, Jamie founded Capital Ballet, an innovative program dedicated to creating and showcasing new ballets. Capital Ballet offered a unique Performance Intensive program for students and graduates, furthering Jamie’s commitment to dance education.

Jamie is now the Artistic Director of Images Ballet Company at London Studio Centre. The company is the third year of the ballet course, providing students with the opportunity to be part of a touring company presenting a triple bill of established repertoire and new creations by leading choreographers.

Liesl is a graduate of the Royal Ballet School. Whilst training she performed with the Royal Ballet Company in The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella and Don Quixote at the Royal Opera House.

Liesl danced professionally for twenty years appearing in musicals such as the Phantom of the Opera, On Your Toes and Finian’s Rainbow performing in the West End and on UK and International tours. Liesl was a featured dancer in the 2004 Phantom of  the Opera Film and also performed in the 25th Anniversary performance of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall.

In 2015 Liesl graduated from the Royal Academy of Dance with the Professional Dancers’ Teaching Diploma. She currently teaches at the Central School of Ballet Junior’s, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, the Guildford School of Acting and the Associate students at the Roshe School.

Tierney started dancing from a very young age, studying ballet primarily. At the age of 16, she joined the CAT scheme at The Place and after two years of training there, she was accepted onto the degree course at Rambert School. During her time at the school, Tierney choreographed and performed in many student pieces and worked with choreographers Monique Jonas, Julie Cunningham and Connor Scott. She was also the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama student governor during her final year.

Tierney graduated from the Royal Ballet School’s

Diploma in Dance Teaching this year and now works as a freelance ballet and contemporary teacher. She has taught at The Place, Arts Ed, English National Ballet Youth programmes, Performers College, Millennium Performing Arts and Ballet Boost. As a choreographer, she has worked closely with National Youth Ballet, most recently choreographing for their Junior Company where her work was performed at a run of shows at The Crescent in Birmingham and Sadlers Wells, London.

Oliver is a dance artist based in London. Since graduating from Bodywork Company he has toured nationally and internationally, performing with companies such as National Dance Company Wales, Humanoove, Compagnie Amala Dianor, Marcat Dance, and Rendez-vous Dance to name a few. Not only has Oliver worked in theatre but has also worked commercially for film, television, and with artists - such as Miel de Botton, Take That, Sam Smith and also the Barbie Movie. Alongside his performing career Oliver has assisted Didy Veldman with her creation of Carmen on Natalia Osipova, he is the rehearsal director for Ekleido Company's work SPLICE and, is a teacher at the Royal Ballet School and White Lodge

Tania trained at the Arts Educational School, Tring and the prestigious Royal Ballet School Teacher Training Course directed by Valerie Adams. She holds a BPhil (Hons) in Dance and Contextual Studies and from Durham University.

Tania danced with the Scottish Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre and Alexander Roy’s London Ballet Theatre before moving to London’s West End musicals where she performed in productions of “The Phantom of the Opera”, “42nd St” and “On Your Toes”.

A renowned international ballet teacher, Tania continues to cultivate her passion for dance pedagogy through her caring and educational approach.

Tania taught ballet and character dance for many years at the Royal Ballet School and was a tutor for their teacher training department. Tania’s choreographic work has received considerable recognition, particularly for her character dances which have been performed at various venues including The Royal Opera House, Opera Holland Park and The Linbury Theatre.

Prior to the Royal Ballet School, Tania taught at the Central School of Ballet for 15 years as Head of the Junior School and choreographed the character dances for the dancers in Christopher Gable’s Swan Lake for Northern Ballet Theatre. Whilst at the Central School of Ballet, Tania created the ‘Recovery from Injury’ course, working with the school’s physiotherapist on injury prevention and rehabilitation.

Tania’s freelance work includes teaching for Ballet Boost, City Academy, the British Ballet Organisation, Cecchetti Society and the Royal Academy of Dance.

At an international level, Tania's teaching includes regular visits to AED Danza in Livorno, guest Ballet Master for the Delattre Dance Company, Mainz, regular guest teacher for the Elite Professional Training course at Ateneo Danza in Forlì,, Danza Scuola Ghezzi in Pisa, Stage Centro Danza in Palermo and Casa del Balet , Bucharest and Talent scout for ITA on Tour.

After winning a scholarship to train with Leoni Urdang at the age of 11 Becky-Ann went on to train at Laine Theatre Arts. After enjoying a successful career as a professional dancer performing on TV shows, concerts, pantomimes up and down the UK she then went on to enjoy many years performing around the world on cruise ships where she became ‘dance captain’. Since transitioning from performing Becky-Ann’s teaching career has gone from strength to strength. Moving to Plymouth she started teaching at many dance schools to learn her skills where she became the Principal and Ballet teacher with Italia Conti Plymouth where she has had many pupils who have gone on to The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and many West End shows. She is also a teacher for the Royal Academy of Dance as part of the international Summer School faculty and has been for 13 years teaching in the UK and around the world as far as Singapore. Recently she joined the teaching faculty with Birmingham Royal Ballet working on their ‘Dreams’ project auditioning young dancers across the UK to perform a full length Ballet with company members.

Becky-Ann is very excited to be a part of the Ballet Boost team and looks forward to working with young dancers and helping them with their training and reaching their dreams.

Caroline began dancing in her home town of Yeovil before going on to train at Central School of Ballet and London Studio Centre, Images of Dance(2010). After graduating, she performed with Vienna Festival Ballet as the Queen in their production of Sleeping Beauty 2011. She then went on to join European Ballet's UK and Ireland spring/summer tour 2011 and was promoted to soloist for the autumn/winter UK and Ireland tour 2011/2012 for their productions of Coppelia, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. She was the swing for Raymond Gubbay's Strauss Gala 2012-2015 and in 2012 danced alongside Darcey Bussell in the London Olympic closing ceremony. She then joined Let's All Dance's UK tour as a principal in The Nutcracker dancing as the Sugar Plum Fairy. In 2016 she became a member of JSLN Dance Company for their UK tour, dancing classical and neo-classical works by Soren Niewelt. In 2017 she was promoted to Coryphee for their second UK tour and performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Caroline performed in the UK, Germany and Italy with the company in theatres, schools and care homes as part of their outreach program. She then went on to dance for two years at the Moravske Divadlo Olomouc in the Czech Republic where she danced as corps de ballet and demi soloist in many classical and contemporary shows such as La Bayadere(Pas de Quatre, Temple Dancer) Swan Lake(Swan and Neapolitan), The Nutcracker(Russian, Flower), The Beatles Celebration(Cynthia Lenon) and Taming of the Shrew(Bridesmaid) as well as operas and children’s productions. Most recently she has danced for Peter Schaufuss as the Mother and Sugar Plum in the Nutrcracker Denmark tour(2021 & 2022) and as Queen Gertrude alongside Sir Ian Mckellen in Hamlet at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival(2022). Along side her performing career Caroline has taught at top ballet schools in London and abroad teaching ballet, pointe, repertoire and competition coaching. Her past students have gone onto take places at internationally renowned ballet schools and win at top competitions. Most recently she was principal of Edinburgh Festival Ballet School where she successfully helped all her students gain associate and full time places to vocational dance schools around the country. Taking her own experience into account she strives to encourage students to be their very best and prides herself in bringing fun, imaginative ways to help students learn and understand the challenges of ballet.

Niamh began dancing in Dublin before continuing her training at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. While in the U.K. she toured with Encore Dance Company and National Youth Ballet of Great Britain, dancing works by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Cathy Marston, and Drew McOnie.

Upon graduation, Niamh joined Ballet Ireland and since then has performed works by Morgann Runacre-Temple, Ohad Naharin, Filipe Portugal, and Johan Inger.

Additionally, Niamh has worked throughout Europe with Bregenzer Festspiele, Chrysalis London, Irish National Opera, Laura Macken Dance, Sophie Adams Ballet Company, and Róisín Whelan Dance. She has danced for TV and film with Netflix, RTÉ, Merlin Productions, Trinity College Dublin, and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.

Alongside performing, Niamh has always had a passion for teaching. She delivers ballet and pilates workshops to dance schools around Ireland, and she was the teacher of BBA in Belfast for 2021 and 2022. Niamh is also a STOTT Pilates and Progressing Ballet Technique certified instructor.

Training

Megan trained with Scottish Ballet Junior Associates and then full-time at the Dance School of Scotland from the age of eleven. At fifteen she participated in an international exchange trip, training at the Victorian College of the Arts in Australia.

Megan continued her studies on the BA Honours Ballet Education and Licentiate Programmes at the Royal Academy of Dance in London. The Licentiate Programme provides degree students with the highest knowledge and understanding of RAD syllabi and its use in teaching. It was on this course that Megan developed critical appreciation of current issues in ballet education and training. Megan was awarded the Iris Truscott Scholarship for the Licentiate Course at RAD, which acknowledged her dedication for continuing professional development throughout her studies at the Academy.

Teaching experience 

Whilst in training, Megan worked as a teaching assistant and cover teacher at the RAD Dance School at it's London Headquarters. She then returned to Scotland to establish a portfolio of weekly ballet classes for young people and adults at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, which she delivered and administrated. 

In September 2013 Megan moved to Ireland to take up a teaching post with the Goode School of Dance, Coastal Ballet and Aisling Doherty School of Ballet.  Shortly after she was approached by Stephanie Murphy and asked to take over as principal at Wicklow School of Dance. 

Alongside the management and teaching at Wicklow School of Dance, Megan is on the faculty for the Scottish Ballet Junior Associate Programme. This involves teaching ballet, conditioning, pointe work and repertoire to talented students selected from across the UK and Ireland. Megan has recently been involved with developing a scheme of work and assessment classes for the programme. 

Megan is Deputy Education Officer for the Irish Ballet Teachers Association, and has been an active committee member developing and delivering Course Material and Teacher Training courses for the Junior Certificate Short Course in Creative Dance and Movement. 

Megan has recently been appointed as a tutor for the Faculty of Education, at the Royal Academy of Dance on the Certificate in Dance Teaching Programme. She will be working with trainee teachers focussing on the Teaching Placement Module. 

Megan also delivers workshops and masterclasses for various schools across Ireland, and enjoys mentoring trainee teachers on the RAD Certificate In Dance Teaching course.

Victoria is from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. She was a Junior, Mid and Senior associate with The Royal Ballet School before training professionally at Central School of Ballet, London where she graduated with a First Class BA Hons in Professional Dance and Performance. Here she was awarded the prestigious Classical Ballet Award and toured the UK with Ballet Central.

During her graduating year, Victoria joined The Phantom of the Opera World Tour. After touring with this company for three years, she then joined the Swedish and Danish productions and performed in Scandinavia for a further two years.  Victoria has also performed at The Thursford Christmas Spectacular.

Victoria has been the Junior and Mid Associate teacher at Ballet Boost in Hull since 2021.  She is a frequent guest teacher at various associate programs across England and provides 1-1 coaching in Grimsby @victoriapaineballet. 

Sophie became a Royal Ballet JA at age 8 and a York scholar age 9 taught by the renowned  Louise Browne. At age 11, She successfully auditioned and went on to become a student at the Royal Ballet School, White Lodge , working with teachers such as Patricia Linton, Violet Verdy (Paris opera) and Linda Goss.

During her time at the Royal ballet school Sophie performed with them many times in ballets such as  Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Peter and the wolf, sharing the stage with names such as Darcy Bussell, Viviana Duante  Sylvia Guillem and many more. After 5 years training at White Lodge, Sophie went on to train at Central Ballet School under Christopher and Carol Gable. After deciding to take a different path Sophie took a job on her first cruise ship so she could combine her love of dance and desire to see more of the world.

She  has travelled all over the world  performing in places such as South Africa, South America, Caribbean and Northern Europe. During this time, she became Dance Captain and Company Manager. After retiring from performing, Sophie was asked to return to the MSC ships to become the Director’s assistant and assistant Choreographer to the shows.

Sophie also teaches Ballet at LWHS including private coaching and has recently become a fully qualified acrobatic arts instructor. AACI

Suzie began her professional training with Northern Ballet Associates, Yorkshire Scholars, and Royal Ballet Senior Associates. At 16 she then joined Elmhurst Ballet School where she performed numerous repertoire alongside Birmingham Royal Ballet. Due to an injury on graduating, Suzie performed on an ad-hoc basis, whilst moving into teaching and choreography both in the private and public sector. After teaching and performing in Shanghai for numerous years,  Suzie returned to the UK to focus teaching qualifications, and has since completed the Professional Dancers Post Graduate Teaching Certificate with the RAD, as well as the Diploma in Dance Education with the ISTD. She currently teaches and choreographs in various schools including  Northern Ballet School and ICTheatre, as well as running pro classes for dancers and recent graduates in the North West.

Martin Dutton lives in the United Kingdom with his little daughter. He started dancing at the age of 4 at a local dance school. He was bullied at his school for taking ballet but this did not deter him from becoming a professional dancer. He trained at The Hammond in Chester before going down to London to continue at the RoyalBallet Upper School and Central School of Ballet.

Martin joined Northern Ballet Theatre in Halifax and then Leeds in 1993 where he performed both Corps de Ballet roles and Soloist roles. He then worked with Peter Schaufuss in Denmark and danced both soloist and principal roles.

He joined The Hammond in 2007 and during that time has choreographed and was also DSM for lots of the dance shows. He became Head of Boys in 2019 and is so passionate about bringing boys into the school, trying to educate about bullying and also to get them interested in dance.

He teaches on various associate programs and also teaches on various summer schools both in the UK and abroad.

Martin has now left the Hammond and now works with Nazene Danielle in Liverpool and CentrePointe in Manchester. He also teaches for Ballet Boost and adjudicates for UKDCC and JR Classical as well as other associate programs.

Biography to follow

Born in Hull, Jenny Murphy trained at the Royal Ballet School, for eight years, before joining The Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2001. She has performed a broad repertory, nationally and internationally, including the classics, 20^th century works and new pieces by leading 21^st Century choreographers.

In 2007, Jenny retired from full time dancing and joined Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Learning Department, now known as the LEAP team. Throughout her time with the department Jenny project managed and delivered on many creative, technique and repertoire workshops/ projects in education and community contexts throughout the UK and touring venues nationally and internationally.

In 2006 Jenny achieved the Professional Dancer’s Teaching Diploma through the Royal Academy of Dance, whilst still dancing in the company. In 2007, at the University of Birmingham, she graduated with a MA degree, and continued studying for an MPhil Research degree in Dance, inspired by her passion for Freefall Dance Company, which was completed in 2013. She has also completed the ‘Progressing Ballet Technique’ course (2016) and is also qualified as a Postural Stability Instructor (2017) to deliver falls prevention classes to those who may be vulnerable to falls.

In 2013 Jenny became a freelance dance artist alongside bringing up her two children. She continues to work with all ages and abilities to make ballet and its repertoire accessible often with a strong emphasis on teacher training and development. Jenny’s work takes her nationally and internationally. Her work includes or has included; Birmingham Royal Ballet, the Royal Ballet School as an Associate teacher, an Inspire Tutor and ATAP Teacher Training Tutor, Royal Opera House (Create and Dance and Chance to Dance), Royal Academy of Dance, BBO, English National Ballet, Fabric (Formerly Dance Xchange), Centre for Advance Training and Aesop’s Dance to Health Initiative.

DDTAL (Dist), RBS DDT, ARAD (Solo Seal), AISTD

Glasgow born Paul trained at The Dance School of Scotland and Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts, graduating with distinction and attaining the RAD Solo Seal.

He danced with Scottish Ballet from 1998 to 2003 performing many leading roles including, Romeo in Romeo & Juliet, the title role in Aladdin and in works by Kenneth MacMillan, Frederick Ashton, Peter Darrell, Hans Van Manen and Robert North. During this time he was profiled as Dancer of the month in the Dancing Times. He subsequently performed in West End and touring musicals including Cats, Mary Poppins, Top Hat, Love Never Dies and Oliver.

Paul gained the Diploma in Dance Teaching and Learning (Level 6) from Trinity College London with distinction and the Diploma of Dance Teaching (Vocational) from the Royal Ballet School. He is an Ambassador and Tutor for the Royal Ballet School’s Affiliate Training & Assessment Programme (ATAP), Inspire Tutor and has previously been a Guest Classical Teacher at White Lodge, Upper School, Summer Intensive and Associate Programmes.

For Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, he was the Head of Classical Ballet Academy (CBA), Ballet Teacher for the full-time students on the Dance Course and Kickstart Programme for Boys. Other teaching work has included English National Ballet School, London Studio Centre, The Urdang Academy, City Academy and Pineapple Dance Studios.

Paul is an External Examiner for the BA in Modern Ballet at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in association with Scottish Ballet and a member of The Royal Ballet School's Teacher Training Fellowship.

Liliana trained at Trinty Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where she gained a BA (Hons) in Contemporary Dance and went on to study the Specialist Diploma in Choreological Studies.

During this time, she developed her practice in Laban's movement analysis theories and dance notation, using symbology and Choreological explorations to inform her personal contemporary practice and development into dance teaching.

Whilst teaching across several London dance schools and as a Contemporary tutor for the Cecchetti Scholars programme, Liliana became a member of the Language of Dance Centre UK, affiliated with the schooling of Ann Hutchinson Guest and her approach of using dance literacy as an outreach to young dancers.

Liliana has contributed to independent magazines including The Road Rat Magazine and Unknown Quantities, sharing her application of motif notation to wider audiences outside of dance. Liliana continues her project-based work alongside her dance teaching and lead administrative role for Ballet Boost.