JUNIOR DANCE ACADEMY
JUNIOR DANCE ACADEMY
TIMETABLE
TEACHING STAFF
Principal | Samantha Bell, LISTD
Sam started dancing at a young age at the Nancy Bates School Of Dancing in her home town of Nuneaton. At 17, Sam was accepted into Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts in London where she completed a 3 year Musical Theatre course. Upon graduating, Sam gained a job as Dance Captain with Princess Cruises and began an 8 year period performing on cruise ships across the world.
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In 2004, Sam returned to the UK and began teaching at colleges and schools across the country. ElliTe Studios was established in 2007 and as it grew Sam concentrated on advancing her teaching qualifications in order to offer a Dance Teacher Training course at the school. Sam gained her Licentiate Modern qualification in 2009 and ElliTe Studios subsequently became an ISTD Approved Dance Centre offering full ISTD teacher training qualifications in Ballet, Tap and Modern.
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Sam currently teaches Ballet, Tap, Modern, Jazz, Acro, Musical Theatre, DDI & DDE Modern and Tap, and Tutors all of the DDI and DDE written-work units. She is the Managing Director of ElliTe Productions Ltd and the Principal of the dance school and college.
Head of Ballet | Madeleine Jacques, FISTD
Miss Jacques trained at the Angela Reynolds School of Dance, Wakefield, till age 16 when she went to train at Northern Ballet School (92-95). At the age of 16 she took part in and got a special mention in the RAD Phillis Bedells Bursary. She passed her Advanced 2 RAD Ballet with Highly Commended at the age of 16 and Advanced 2 ISTD with Highly Commended at age 17.
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At the end of 3 years training at NBS she had her associate Ballet, Modern, Tap and National and RAD Teaching diploma all with distinction and was also awarded Teacher of the Year.
She has since achieved her Licentiate in Tap and Licentiate and Fellowship in Imperial Ballet. Her first teaching job was in Hereford where she ran a dancing school of approximately 400 students for 8 years, many of which went on to full time training at colleges in London. After leaving Hereford she returned to Leeds where she taught at Dorothy Stevens School, SLP and Centre Pointe.
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In 2015, Miss Jacques qualified as an ISTD Ballet Examiner, which is a role she undertakes alongside her teaching. At ElliTe Studios Miss Jacques teaches the ISTD Major Vocational Ballet qualifications, as well as DDI & DDE Ballet and Tap. Miss Jacques also tutors the written-work units of the DDI and DDE qualifications.
Fiona Forfar, DDI
Fiona trained at Northern Ballet School on a 3 year course, gaining a Trinity National Diploma in Musical Theatre. Upon graduation Fiona commenced working for Princess Cruises as a Dancer and Dancer / Singer. In 2012, Fiona returned to Yorkshire, where she commenced her teaching qualifications. Since then Fiona has gained her full DDI qualifications in Imperial Classical Ballet, Tap and Modern and her DDE Unit 4 qualifications in Imperial Classical Ballet, Tap and Modern. Fiona teaches all genres at ElliTe Studios, really nurturing the pupils to reach their full potential. Fiona also choreographs a lot of our festival dances via way of private lessons and has enjoyed taking on this new level of responsibility.
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Natalie Meachin, DDE
Natalie started dancing at an early age at the Headingley Dance Centre, Leeds. At 18, Natalie commenced on the ElliTe Studios Professional Dancers and Teachers of Dance course, where she has gained her full DDI dance teaching qualification in Imperial Classical Ballet, Tap and Modern. Natalie has also completed her DDE Unit 3 qualification (Lifespan and Child Development) and her DDE unit 4 exams in Ballet, Tap and Modern. Additionally Natalie has her Advanced 2 Tap and Modern qualifications, both with Distinction. As a professional dancer Natalie has performed in many shows and corporate entertainment events across the region. Natalie teaches all genres at ElliTe Studios and is particularly well-known for her exceptional tap dance skills and choreography.
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Stacey Young, DDE
Stacey danced from a young age in her home town of Wakefield, taking part in shows and pantomimes whilst worknig through the ISTD examinations, gaining Advanced 12 in both Tap and Modern and Intermediate in Ballet. She has also participated in theatre shows with the York Stage Musicals Company and has competed in the Northern Janet Cram Awards. In 2015, Stacey joined our Performing Arts College and trained for 3 years to gain her Diploma in Dance Instruction and Diploma in Dance Education in Modern, Tap and Imperial Classical Ballet. Stacey hopes to one day take her ISTD Licentiate and Fellowship exxaminations to further her teaching career and is keen to share her interest in dance with her students. Stacey has also undergone the Arts Award training allowing her to deliver the Explore & Discover Arts Award Qualification.
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Emily Humphreys, DDI
Emily is a dancer, teacher and choreographer from York, currently teaching at the Academy of Northern Ballet, York Scholars and the Rebecca Davies School of Dance. Having started dancing at the age of 5, Emily completed her training as a scholarship student and Dance Captain at Northern Ballet School. Emily's performing career saw her dancing for both Costa International Cruise Lines and latterly Princess Cruises, where she worked with internationally renowned choreographers Danny Teeson and Wendy Johnson as well as in venues across Europe. Emily believes in a strong classical background and brings to her classes a fusion of technical jazz and musical theatre. She aims to inspire the dancers of the future and provide them with the knowledge, technique and outlook they need to progress.
