Faculty

  • sarah dormady - principal

    Sarah trained at London Studio Centre on a full scholarship and then went on to work as a performer in USA & Europe. She has been teaching dance for over 15 years and past students have gained places at Arts Ed, London Studio Centre, London Contemporary Dance, Bodyworks Studios, Mountview & LSMT and have performed in shows including Cats, Rent, Starlight Express, Aspects of Love, Grease, Richard Alston Dance Company, Tap Dogs and Chicago to name a few…

  • Julie ANNE McLaughlin

    Julie graduated from the Arts Educational Schools London and part time at The Royal Ballet School. Her professional career began in the musical Cats aged 16 and to date has spanned more than twenty years. Julie has worked in Ballet Companies, Musical Theatre shows and Operas throughout the world and now hopes to bring that experience to her teaching.

  • Douglas mills - tap

    Douglas is one of Europe's foremost tap dancers. He was the first british dancer to join the cast of Tap Dogs and has been touring the world with the show for the past 9 years. He will be teaching tap at the school whenever his professional commitments allow, Douglas has taught at leading colleges including arts Ed, Performers and Urdang Academy and acts as a consultant for the ISTD, regularly running masterclasses on their behalf. as a choreographer Doug has recently been working on Viva La Diva, teaching Darcey Bussel and Katharine jenkins to tap dance! Doug has just completed a run of Tap Dogs in the west end following his performance in Take That's Circus tour.

  • vanessa barmby - TAP

    Vanessa is one of the UK's best tap dancers and teachers, she has appeared in numerous west end productions including Sister Act, Guys & Dolls, Mary Poppins, The Drowsy Chaperone, Rat Pack, Grease, Viva La Diva and Thoroughly Modern Millie, she was also a featured dancer in Mrs Henderson Presents and teaches at Laine Theatre Arts AND Arts Ed London. Vanessa is now back with us following the birth of her gorgeous daughter Ophelia

     

     


  • rachael archer - tap/jazz

    Rachael Archer trained at Arts Ed and has just completed the London Production of Sweet Charity. Other credits include Imagine This, UK tour of Aspects of Love, Gigi in Regents Park, City of Angels, Germany and Vagina Monologues. She is a regular cover teacher at the school whenever professional engagements permit.
    Rachael will be popping in this term whilst waiting to start in Betty Blue Eyes.

  • stuart dawes - ballet/jazz

    Stuart trained at Arts Ed and teaches Jazz, boys ballet and singing.
    Credits Include:  Passion ( Donmar), Spamalot (London), Grease (UK tour), On the Town(ENO Coliseum), Singin' in the Rain (Sadler's Wells and Leicester Haymarket),We Will Rock You (Dominion), Romeo and Juliet and Robin Hood (both Piccadilly), Goodie in Fame(Cambridge Theatre), Charlie  Bates in Oliver! (London Palladium) and Michael in Peter Pan (West End and UK tour). He played Nicolia in The Nutcracker and Peter Page in Romeo and Juliet for English National Ballet. Film and television include: The Rainbow, Jim Davidson Presents, Night Fever, Inspector Poirot and numerous adverts

    • Heather Urquhart - acting

      Heather started acting from a young age with the National Youth Theatre and she went on to train in Physical Theatre.  Credits include:  'Soutterain' Wildworks Theatre, Stopwatch TIE, Carnival Cruise Lines and 'Kepow' Theatre. Heather specialises in improvised comedy and regularly performs Improvised Musicals at the Komedia and nationally as part of 'The Maydays' comedy troupe who won best comedy show in the Brighton Festival and Fringe and she is a cast member of the award winning Treason Show

  • katie ollerenshaw - junior dance

    Katie started dancing at a very young age at the Janice Blake Dance Studio. She then went on to be trained in Theatre Studies, Drama, Ballet, Tap and Modern at the East Sussex School of Performing Arts. She has appeared in numerous shows, pantomimes and cabaret troops. Katy qualified as an IDTA freestyle teacher in 2006.

  • Alexandre Aragao - acting

    Alex trained at the Escola de Teatro Martins Penna, Rio de Janeiro. He has taught extensively in Brazil, running the Department of Performing Arts for the Colegio Contato de Maceio amongst others, and the UK with Stagecoach & Boden Studios. Alex covers a broad range of stage craft and brings a wealth of experience in physical theatre, mime and clowning to his classes.

  • jon rice - acting

    Jon trained as an actor at The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in London for three years back in the earl 90’s. He further studied at the Guildford School of Acting where he gained a First Class Honours Degree in Theatre.   

    He is currently filming a new fantasy comedy Hacket Hill due for release in 2011 and currently teaches at Arabesque, a full-time Stage school in Chichester.

  • kelly barnes - singing

    Kelly originates from Cheshire. She is trained in all aspects of performing arts, including vocals ranging from classical to musical theatre to a wide variety of modern music. Musical Theatre credits include The Wiz, Yanomamo and Jack & The Beanstalk. Kelly Barnes is a successful solo artist, specialising in R&B and Funk – www.myspace.com/kellybarnesband. She also sings backing vocals for the soul singer Rachel Mosleh.