Faculty

 

Dance Staff

 

Please note that it is MTA policy for all staff to be currently working in the industry, therefore teachers are likely to change subject to professional commitments.

 

 

RICHARD REYNARD

 

Richard trained at Laine Theatre Arts making his stage debut in the 1 st UK tour of Fame The Musical and has just finished playing Eddie in Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre in the West End.

Other West End credits include: Cats (New London); Chicago (Adelphi); the original cast of The Witches Of Eastwick (Drury Lane and Prince of Wales); My Fair Lady (Drury Lane) and Pepper in Mamma Mia! (Prince Edward)

 

With a season at Chichester Festival Theatre in My One And Only, Richard has also appeared at the Open Air Theatre, Regents Park playing Mustarseed in Midsummer Night's Dream , Prince John of Lancaster in Henry IV, part 1 , Lord of Camelot in Camelot and Franklin in The Babysitte r.

More recently Richard played Jimmy Smith in the UK tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie , Cosmo Brown in Singing In The Rain (Courtyard Theatre, Hereford) and Albert Tufnell in the 1950's play Sailor Beware! (Stevenage, Eastbourne, and Worthing.)

 

Last summer Richard returned to Regents Park to play the lead role of Tony in The Boyfriend .

Other theatre credits include: Vocalist in Marti Webbs Magic Of The Musicals (Demark); Eugene in Grease (Scandinavian tour); Billy Shears in Beatlemania (Gothenburg); Jamie in My Fair Lady (Cyprus and Malaysia)

 

Richard has been teaching for over 10 years at various prestigious schools and colleges including Laine Theatre Arts, Arts Educational, Tring Park and Urdang passing on his experience to many students.

For more information on Richard visit his website www.richardreynard.com .

 

Nikki O'Hara

 

Nikki graduated from Bird College with a first class degree in Dance and Theatre Performance. She has since worked with Motionhouse Dance Theatre, devising and touring the shows of Fearless, Volatile and Perfect, and also under the direction of Helen Parlour with Footwerk Productions. Nikki has also worked with Wired Aerial Theatre touring H andmade/ Manmade , using bungee assisted dance, who alongside various corporate events opened The O2 Centre as part of The Greenwich and Docklands Festival. She has performed in several site specific performances, the most recent at Goodrich Castle, commissioned by English Heritage. Nikki has also been funded by The Arts Council to produce some of her own work, collaborating with Vanessa Cook under company name "All Play" , who enjoyed a successful tour of the UK and Europe with Its Rude to Point , and are about to embark on their next tour with PUSH .

 

Nikki also holds a PGCE qualification in further education and has a varied teaching career in secondary and further/ higher education vocational establishments, including Bird College and Performers College, teaching contemporary, jazz and contact improvisation, whilst also freelancing around Europe in both choreographic and teaching contexts.

 

Nikki is also part of the central teaching team for the ISTD where she has devised the boys work for the new Advanced 2 Modern syllabus, has established a boys youth dance company who enjoyed a small scale tour of Hampshire in 2005, an Elite Dance Company at secondary level and has worked with young people at risk in several contexts, including work in HMP Dovegate and Foston Hall. Nikki choreographed and successfully won the Southern Grand final of Global Rock Challenge in 2005, has enjoyed a successful performance for The Queen in the same year, and has been commissioned to work with and choreograph for Youth Companies such as Hed:Strong and Phase One.

 

 

Lucy Banfield

 

Lucy trained at The Royal Ballet School, The English National Ballet School and Laine Theatre Arts .

She is currently appearing as Hunyak and is Assistant Dance Captain in the London company of Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre.

 

Her theatre credits include; Ensemble/Dance Captain in Desperately Seeking Susan (Original London Cast, Novello Theatre), Dirty Dancing (Original London Cast, Aldwych Theatre), Understudy to the Lead role of Brenda in Movin' Out (Original London Cast, Apollo Victoria), Assistant Dance Captain in Chicago (European Tour), On Your Toes (Royal Festival Hall), Susan Stroman's Contact (Original London Cast, Queen's Theatre), Maria & Understudy Connie and Shirley in Saturday Night Fever (West End, UK Tour and Musical Dome, Cologne, Germany), Tiger Lily in Peter Pan (Milton Keynes).

 

Lucy has also toured the UK, Australia and Hong Kong with The English National Ballet Company .

 

Lucy's Television credits include; Featured Dancer in the Dance X TV Promo and Credits (BBC TV), Dancing in the Streets (BBC TV), Strictly Dance Fever (BBC TV), The Royal Variety Performance , Principal Dancer at the Shall We Dance ? Film Premier, Foley Artist in Centre Stage (Feature Film).

Lucy has appeared in numerous music videos and commercials and is a regular guest teacher at many dance schools and colleges.

 

Lisa Donmall

 

Lisa trained at Bridget Espinosa's London Studio Centre, Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey School ,New York.

 

Theatre Credits include : Lisa Donmall's One Woman Show (The Bridewell Theatre and Leicester Square Theatre, London) Christmas With The Rat Pack, Helavetia Burelli ( UK dates); The Opera Show (Kilworth House Theatre); The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas Helavetia Burelli ( UK,US and European Tour); Christmas With The Rat Pack (German Tour); Velma Kelly in Chicago (KLCC, Kuala Lumpur); Velma Kelly in Chicago (Cambridge Theatre, London); Once in a Lifetime playing Phyllis Fontaine (National Theatre); The Producers understudying and playing Ulla (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane); Cats Bombalurina (UK No 1 tour); Velma Kelly in Chicago (UK and International Tour); My Fair Lady understudying and playing Queen of Transylvania (National Theatre and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane); Anything Goes and La Traviata (Grange Park); 'Stars of the Musicals' ( Kuala Lumpur Stadium ); Chicago Swing, understudying and playing Roxie Hart (Adelphi theatre, London); Sweet Charity Elaine, understudying and playing Nicky (Churchill Theatre, Bromley and Victoria Palace, London); Crazy For You understudying and playing Polly Baker (UK No 1 Tour); Crazy for You ( Prince Edward Theatre, London); The Snowman ( Birmingham Rep and The Peacock Theatre, London)

 

Film: The Snowman Stage Production

TV: The Clothes Show; The Big Breakfast; Talking Telephone Numbers; Challenge Anneka; The Big E; The Brit Awards; Channel 4 Titles; Cussons Pearl Commercial. Lisa teaches Matt Mattox and tap at Millennium Performing Arts and Jazz Rep at the London Studio Centre.

 

Lisa is currently rehearsing for the forthcoming production of Crazy For You at Kilworth House Theatre, playing the role of Irene and assisting choreographer.

 

 

Helen Siveter

 

Training:

Linda Butler School of Dance and Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts

 

Theatre Credits:

Swing in We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre), Ali in Mamma Mia! (International Tour), Swing and u/s Miss Bell in Fame (Aldwych Theatre), Ensemble, Dance Captain and u/s Mimi and Joanne in RENT (English Theatre, Frankfurt), Lambchops and u/s Carmen and Mabel in Fame (UK Tour), Rosalie and u/s Shirley and Connie in Saturday Night Fever (UK Tour), Ela Delahay in Charleys Aunt directed by Simon Williams, Ensemble in The Wiz (Hackney Empire), Gloria u/s Brandy in Oh! What a Night (UK Tour) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Bristol Hippodrome), Peter Pan (Reading Hexagon), Mother Goose (Oxford Playhouse), Dance Captain on P&Os Aurora where she performed in a variety of shows including Grease, Elvis, Half a Sixpence and Jolson.

 

Television Credits:

The Buzz (Channel 4), The Fame School Graduates (Meridian).

Choreographic Credits:

RENT (Garrick Theatre)

 

Teaching:

Helen has been teaching for 10 years and is currently part of the Tap faculty at Arts Educational Schools. She has taught for Doreen Bird College, Bodyworks, Stagecoach, Pineapple Performing Arts, The Professionals and many other dance schools and colleges.

 

 

Grace Warner

Grace who hails from Swansea started her professional training with a scholarship at Doreen Bird college of Performing Arts, where she was part of the college touring company and gained her teaching ISTD Associates in Tap and Modern along side a Degree in Dance Theatre in performance.

 

Since graduating, her professional career has been heavily in Musical Theatre where she has toured the world as a singer and dancer on Cruise ships and No 1 UK Tours inc: Crazy for You, Annie, Oliver!   Principal role of Bombalurina in C ats , And most recently assistant children's director, dance captain and understudy Baroness Bomburst in the UK tour Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

 

Whilst nipping around the country Grace has always been an active free lance teacher and choreographer for many schools, colleges and companies across the UK working with children, students and professionals from all back rounds of performing.

 

 

ALEC MANN

 

Alec was born in Canterbury, but grew up in Perth Australia, returning to the UK to further his dance training at Doreen Bird College.

 

In his final year, Alec successfully auditioned for Saturday Night Fever at the London Palladium and then onto Notre Dame De Paris (swing and dance captain) at the Dominion Theatre, London.

 

During Notre Dame he was asked to audition for Kylie Minogues Can't Get You Out Of My Head video. This led to Alec working with Kylie as her dance partner for the entire Fever album promotion including the videos In Your Eyes , Love At First Sight (which he co-choreographed with Rafael Bonachella) and I Believe In You, which culminated in the world tour of KYLIEFEVER2002. Alec worked with Kylie again last year for her UK/Europe promotion of the singles In My Arms and Wow at last years BRIT awards.

Videos include: Maybe and Downtown (Emma Bunton) You Give Me Something (Jamiroquai), Shine (Bootyluv) and Get The Party Started (Shirley Bassey).

 

For Kylie, he choreographed the single Love At First Sight for USA TV promotion and Cybertronica tap section for KYLIEFEVER2002.

 

Alec guest teaches tap, jazz and commercial classes at Bird College and Stella Mann College. He also choreographs for their summer shows and teaches at Easter and Summer schools across the UK.

Earlier this year, Alec worked as assistant choreographer on BBC's Let's Dance For Comic Relief .

Other artists Alec has danced with include: Scissor Sisters, Will Young, Christina Aguilera, Tom Jones, Jamelia and Girls Aloud . He has appeared on TV shows such as Saturday Night Live (New York), MOBO Awards, MTV TRL (Cancun), Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Los Angeles), MTV Awards (Frankfurt),   Madison Square Gardens (New York), Royal Variety Performance, Top Of The Pops and CD:UK.

He has featured in commercials and corporates for T Mobile, Escada, GHD, Versace, WOUND Magazine, Roberto Cavalli, ID magazine (Nick Knight), MAC, Nike and L'Oreal . Plus launches for major companies in USA, Dubai, Australia and Europe.

 

Other credits include: Viva La Diva (with Darcy Bussel), Phantom Of The Opera film (dir:Joel Schumacher); Tap Dogs (Geneva/London); Beyond The Sea film (dir Kevin Spacey); West Side Story (Bregenz Festival, Autria); Bizets Carmen (Royal Albert Hall); Jingle Ball 2002 (USA Tour) and An Audience with Kylie.

 

 

Alan Birkett

 

Alan was born in Canterbury and started his dance training at the Deborah Capon School and went on to graduate from Performers College.

 

Theatre credits include : Shall We Dance (Sadlers Wells) CATS ( Understudy Rum Tum Tugger, German Tour), Viva La Diva (UK Areana Tour and on DVD release), We Will Rock You (The Dominion Theatre) , Movin' Out (The Apollo Victoria, understudy Tony), Crazy For You (UK Tour, understudy Bobby Child), One Touch of Venus (Opera North: UK Tour and Sadlers Wells), The Ha'penny Bridge (The Point, Dublin) playing the role of Joe Maguire, Santa Claus The Musical (Mayflower Theatre,Southampton), Children Will Listen  (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane) and Tap Soloist in Sondheims 75th Birthday Celebration (Hackney Empire/BBC Radio) 

 

Television and commercial credits include: An Audience with Kylie Minogue (ITV), The Laureus Sports awards (Dancer for Lionel Richie) and How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, Dancing In The Streets, Children In Need and Blue Peter (BBC).

 

Alan also performs for both corporate and private events worldwide as part of 'Incognito Artists'.

 

 

Damien Delaney

 

Damien trained at the London Studio Centre.  

 

His West End credits include Cats (New London Theatre), Hard Times (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Tonight's The Night (Victoria Palace Theatre) and the original cast of Billy Elliot The Musical as well as the Children's Dance Captain (Victoria Palace Theatre). Other theatre credits include Jack Tinker In Review (London Palladium), Half A Sixpence (West Yorkshire Playhouse), the National Theatre's production of Singin' In The Rain (West Yorkshire Playhouse and UK Tour); Babes In The Wood (Churchill Theatre); Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (New Victoria Theatre); The Wizard of Oz (Cork opera House); Dance Overture (Sadlers Wells); Sweet Charity (Peacock Theatre).

Television: Hangar 17; The Prince's Trust Gala with Claire Sweeney; Showtime at the Stadium ; The Sound of Musicals (BBC); The Brit Awards; International Indian Film Awards (ITV). TV Commercials include Ericsson, More Magazine and Super Noodles.

Film: Phantom Of The Opera directed by Joel Schumacher and choreographed by Peter Darling; Alexander The Great (as assistant choreographer directed by Oliver Stone); Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham (Bombay, India); Wind In The Willows (directed by Terry Jones & choreographed by Arlene Phillips).

Damien has lectured for the IDTA at the Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House and has taught at Bird College, Mountview, London Studio Centre, LIPA, Reynolds Performing Arts, Midland's Academy of Dance & Drama, Stella Mann, C.P.A. and South East Dance.

 

Damien has just recently finished a 4 year run in Billy Elliot The Musical in the West End. He is now an Associate Lecturer at the University Of Chichester specialising in Musical Theatre, Jazz Technique and Tap.

 

Damien also teaches at Italia Conti in London and Brighton.

 

 

Emily Anderson

 

Emily trained at Central School of Ballet in London and also with Royal Ballet School Associates

 

Theatre credits include: Cats Italian Tour as Swing, Chicago UK Tour- Liz (understudy Roxie Hart), Cats UK Tour- role of Victoria- White Cat, Romeo and Juliet with English National Ballet (Royal Albert Hall), the roles of Cinderella and Fairy Godmother with European Ballet (UK Tour), Swan Lake with English National Ballet (Royal Albert Hall), Ballet Captain and understudy lead dancer in the National Dance Company Of Ireland's Rhythm Of The Dance (World Tour), British Gas Ballet Central (UK Tour).

 

 

Ebony Molina

Ebony trained at Doreen Bird College graduating in 2001. Since leaving college Ebony appeared in the West End worked in the commercial Industry and has worked in London and toured extensively around Europe, USA, Japan and the UK with Matthew Bournes company New Adventures.

Theatre Credits Include: Chess (Denmark), My One and Only (Picadilly Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Picadilly Theatre), Les Demoiselle de Rochefort (Paris), On Your Toes (Japan) Beauty and the Beast (RSC) Chicago (Adelphi theatre) Original west end cast of Sinatra (London Palladium), West Side Story ( Bregenz Festival), On the Town (Paris), Original cast of Shall We Dance (Saddlers Wells)

Ebony has also appeared in Edward Scissorhands, The Carman, Nutcracker and Original Cast of Dorian Gray all for Matthew Bourne New Adventures.

 

Commerically Ebony has appeared on MTV, Brit Awards for Pink and 50 Cent, Top of the Pops , Disney Channel, Live and Kicking, CDUK , With various Artists and has also done corporate work for GHD and Loreal Opel Car Launch and Ocean Village Launch.

Ebony has taken part in the workshops for the Little Mermaid with Steven Mear, The Carman and Desperately Seeking Susan.

 

Ebony has taught classes and workshops for various schools and Courses and teaches workshops on Matthew Bournes work for Re Bourne.

 

 

Richard Peakman

 

Richard trained at the Italia Conti Academy as a scholarship student.

Following a successful performing career, Richard has made the successful transition into choreography and is very much in demand.

 

His most recent work includes; A new pop show "MP3z" and a Winter season for P&O cruises. The world premiere of "From the Hart" at the New End Theatre, London. An all Japanese production of "Grease", Aoyama Theatre Tokyo and transfer to Osaka, Japan for Fuji Television. "Aladdin" at the Wyvern Theatre, Swindon.

 

Richard is pleased to be returning to Swindon later this year, to choreograph "Sleeping Beauty" for QDOS Entertainment. Next Year will see Richard devising and creating new productions for P&O's latest ship, the Azura on her maiden voyage.

 

Theatre Credits include; "Chess", The Royal Albert Hall. "Grease", Piccadilly Theatre, London. "A Night of a Thousand Voices", The Royal Albert Hall. "Billy Elliot the Musical", Workshop.
"Me and My Girl", national Tour. "Movin' Out", Apollo Victoria Theatre, London. "We Will Rock You", Dominion Theatre, London. "Cats", International Tour. "Oh! What a Night", European Tour. "Magic of the Musicals", UK Tour. "Peggy Sue Got Married", Shaftesbury Theatre, London. "Fame", UK Tour. "West Side Story", Prince of Wales Theatre, London.

 

Television credits include; Strictly Dance Fever, Children in Need, Dancing in the Streets, The Wild House, Blue Peter, Grease is the Word.

 

Jolene Kiddle

Jolene trained at Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts, leaving with her teaching qualifications and her Performing Arts Diploma. She was then offered a scholarship to further her classical training at the Manheim School of Classical Ballet in Germany. After graduating, Jolene became a company member of the Nordharzer Städtebundtheater Ballet Company in Halberstadt, Germany. Here she performed as a Soloist and Corps de Ballet in a variety of traditional classical ballets; such as Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, Faust , Chess and Neo Classical pieces of Night Calls (Joe Cocker), Elvis Tribute and Tango . Within the company she also performed Operetta's (La Traviata) and Musicals of Me and My Girl, My Fair Lady and Cabaret. Jolene toured all over Germany and Poland performing in various Theatres, Gala's, The Hertz Mountains in it's Amphitheatre occasionally joining with other German companies for anniversary performances. During her years with Nordharzer Jolene also worked as Assistant Choreographer. Returning to the UK Jolene runs a successful dance school with her sister and has freelanced in a variety of full time and vocational schools and colleges.

 

Sophie Richards

Sophie trained at Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts, graduating with both her teaching qualifications and Performing Arts Diploma. From college her first job was as first cast Meg Giry in Andrew Lloyd Webber's, The Phantom of the Opera which premiered in Antwerp, Belgium. Sophie then continued on further with Phantom by joining the Hamburg cast    again in the role of Meg as well as ballet girl. She then went on to tour Europe and Asia with Spirit of the Dance , and performed in one off performances in the UK.

More recently Sophie was a company member of Chrysalis Dance Company in Ireland. Here she worked in the project phase creating material and collaborating with others to make Chrysalis's first ever piece ' Strings' ; which was performed in Dublin and toured Ireland. Sophie also toured Ireland with Chrysalis's ' Wishes and Waves' . Over the years that she worked as a dancer,   she also became Ballet Mistress, Workshop co-ordinator and promoted to Assistant Director. Sophie currently runs a successful school with her sister and has guested in a variety of full time schools and colleges for workshops and classical ballet.

 

Lucy Anderson

Lucy has recently finished playing 'Mona' in Chicago (Cambridge Theatre London)

Other Theatre credits include Sinatra ( UK tour) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK tour) Understudy to 'Jack' in Jack and the Beanstalk ( Barbican Theatre, London) Playing 'Flossie' in 'On The Town' ( ENO) Cinderella (Hackney Empire) Original cast of Tonight's The Night (Victoria Palace, London) Disney's Beauty and the Beast (UK tour) Hollywood Symphonic ( concerts with Caroline O'Connor) Hey, Mr. Producer (Jean Ann Ryan Productions) Night of 1000 Voices (Royal Albert Hall and Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
Television credits include This Morning, GMTV, Children In Need and dancing for Shania Twain on Strictly Come Dancing . Lucy can be heard on the cast recording of Tonight's The Night.

Nick Crossley

Nick has most recently appeared as 'the Spirit of Fosse' in Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre. Prior to this he toured the UK with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang . Nick's other theatre credits include Starlight Express, Fame, We Will Rock You, West Side Story and Cats .

Nick has also appeared on television in The Bill for ITV and the Period Drama Byron for BBC 2.

Recordings include the original cast recording of We Will Rock You.

Nick continues to teach and give workshops in colleges and schools across the country and is currently studying towards his Masters Degree with the Open University.

 

JODIE READ

Jodie is currently appearing as Ali in the West End production of Mamma Mia, she   trained at Laine Theatre Arts graduating with her teaching qualifications and her musical theatre diploma.

Theatre includes: four years as a lead vocalist and dancer with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, performing with artists such as Ben Vereen, understudied and played Lisa in MAMMA MIA! (original International Tour cast) and understudied and played 'Mama' Morton in Chicago (UK tour).

Jodie is a qualified dance teacher and throughout her career has taught at the Arts Educational School in Tring.

Helen Harper

Helen is currently appearing in Dirty Dancing.

  Training: Helen trained at the Bird College of Performing Arts

Theatre: She made her professional debut appearing in Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She subsequently toured in West Side Story , playing Graziella, before returning to the West End to play Tantomile in the final company of C a ts at the New London Theatre.

After appearing in Anything Goes and La Traviata at Grange Park Opera, she toured in Calamity Jane , playing the role of Susan, before returning to the West End in Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre. She subsequently appeared in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium, and most recently in Sinatra , also at the Palladium.

Emma Dodd

Emma is currently appearing in Hairspray Training: Laine Theatre Arts.

Theatre: Evita (Adelphi Theatre, London); understudying the role of 'Sally' in Me & My Girl (UK Tour); 'Ellie' in Showboat (Royal Albert Hall); High Society (Shaftesbury Theatre, London); 'Ensemble' and understudy for 'Baroness' in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium); 'Adelaide Adams' and understudy for 'Katy Brown' in Calamity Jane (Shaftesbury Theatre & UK Tour); 'Joule' and understudy for 'Buffy' and 'Ashley' in final cast of Starlight Express (Apollo Victoria, London) and A Celebration of West-End Theatre (Palace Theatre, London). Pantomime credits include 'Alice' in Dick Whittington and 'Tinkerbell' in Peter Pan (both at The Grand Opera House, Belfast); Dick Whittington (Lyceum Theatre, Crewe) and Mother Goose (Festival Theatre, Chichester).

Television: The Cherries - Pilot TV show 1999 now titled The All Stars (ITV Carlton); featured artist in television series Wild Frontier and Halifax commercial (RSA Films, ITV) and Ident for Schwartz - Richard & Judy Sponsorship (Channel 4).

 

KEVIN DOODY

Kevin is currently appearing in the West End production of Mamma Mia and trained at the London studio centre.

Theatre includes: The Olivier Awards 2009 and Children in Need 2008 , ensemble in MAMMA MIA! (International Tour), swing and understudy Mary Sunshine in Chicago (UK tour), A Tribute to Dirty Dancing (Kenwood House and Marble Hill), ensemble and appearing as Shane and understudying Dallas, Wolf and Larry in Sex, Chips and Rock and Roll , swing in Kiss Me, Kate (UK tour), Bailiff, Court Clerk and Mary Sunshine in Chicago (European tour), Bishop Hogan in Fat Men in Skirts (Cockpit), Sailors Quartet in Anything Goes (Landor) and understudy Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk (ExtravaganzaProductions).

Other work includes: featured dancer in It's Now or Never (Thames TV), Bill Symons in The Bill - Tour of Duty (Thames TV) and dancer in the video for Paul McCartney's 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man'.