Teachers
Lucy Bennett
Lucy originally trained down in Brighton and Worthing, which is how she met Laura Hames. After both graduating from Doreen Bird College of Performing with BA Hons, they founded Brighton Dance Diversion Summer School. After 3 years Laura has moved to New York where she continues to teach dance and Pilates.
Lucy dances with the contemporary dance company StopGAP, she tours around Great Britain and the rest of the World performing and delivering dance education work. Recently Lucy alongside bdd’s contemporary teacher Nikki O’Hara devised their first professional choreographic work “Hear Me In” as part of Resolution held at The Place Robin Howard Dance Theatre in London.
JP Omari
Having graduated from university with a business degree, JP decided that there was only one thing that he wanted to pursue in his life - dance. His passion started from a young age and has continued and expanded until now.
Various musical styles and icons have influenced him in creating his own unique and energetic style of streetdance.
JP started breakdancing 5 years ago and is one of the founding members of the Floor Crusaders, a UK south coast based breakdance crew.
JP is currently very active teaching in his local community and in the south east.
Visit JP's web site: www.jpomari.co.uk
Daz Street
Darren graduated in 2003 from the Poor School Of Acting in London.
He has acted in Neils Simon's "The Odd Couple" and Tenessee Williams' "Small Craft Warnings". Darren was in the original cast of the premiere of Frank Zappa's "Thing Fish" at the Battersea Arts Centre and last Summer he played Oberon in Midsummer Night's Dream as part of the Deptford open air festival.
Recently Darren finished playing the office idiot Stanley in the feature film "Limescale". Darren continues to work as a voice over artist recording vocals for audio movies, awards ceremonies and most recently the audio description for Lunacy Nicked's " Hear Me In".
Annabelle Mannix
Whilst training at Bird College, Annabelle toured with Bird Theatre Company, gaining experience both on-stage, as a performer and dance captain, and off-stage as a stage manager.
Since graduating, Annabelle has returned to college to take her A levels, and is currently teaching a range of dance disciplines to children aged two to nineteen.
Jan Spooner Swabey (B.Mus.,PGCE)
Jan Spooner Swabey professionally trained with Hervey Allen and Margaret Field whilst studying for her degree in music at Sheffield University. With a post-graduate degree in teaching from Leeds University and currently employed by Trinity College, London, Jan has combined a busy performance career (Lady Macbeth, Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, Abigail – Nabucco, Mrs Wickstead – Habeas Corpus, Aldonza – Man of La Mancha) with a commitment to teaching young singers.
In 2000 she was the Musical Director for the National Youth Theatre’s production of Salomon Pavey and through her work with Voicecraft and Vocal Process is involved in the continued development of vocal training and teaching methods.
Jan’s pride is her creation of a locally based choir, the JSS Singers, which under her directorship has received a spate of national competition awards and as well as television appearances, recordings and European tours the choir has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Queen Elizabeth Hall and St Albans and Rochester Cathedrals.
Nikki O'Hara
Nikki was trained at Bird College and graduated with a first class honours degree in Dance and Theatre Performance. She has also recently completed a PGCE in Post Compulsory Education. After graduating she spent two years with Motionhouse Dance Theatre, devising and touring the shows ‘Fearless’ and ‘Volatile’. Nikki has recently returned to Motionhouse to complete the tour of ‘Perfect’, whilst also exploring her own work, with company ‘Lunacy Nicked’. She has also worked with ‘Footwerk Productions’ directed by Helen Parlor, and is due to begin another project with her in the summer.
Nikki also choreographs and teaches, with experience in secondary level including GCSE and A Level dance, further education at Bird College and Margaret Howard Theatre College teaching contact improvisation, jazz and contemporary, and also in festival work. She has worked in various community dance settings around the country and has established two student dance companies which are enjoying successful performances and who also offer workshops for younger children. Other choreographic work includes repertoire for Bird Theatre Company and other major theatre colleges all of which have enjoyed success at various London and international theatres, including a performance for The Queen in July 2005.
Raymond Roa
Originating from the Philippines, Ray began his training with the HND dance course at Newcastle College and completed his degree at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. He went on to gain a Masters Degree at London Contemporary Dance School.
In 2001 he became a member of Edge, touring a repertoire of dance internationally.
Ray has choreographed for Roa-Dans in Denmark, Cumbria College of Art and performed for Athena Vhala, Franke Reignhart, various Royal Opera House productions, Darkin Ensemble, Carol Brown Dances, Jurac Korec, Virtual Motion,
Ray joined balletLORENT in 2002 for its production of The Ball and also performed in The Ice Ball, created especially to celebrate New Year's Eve in 2003 at Newcastle's Greys Monument (commissioned by Amino).
Ray has also performed in la nuit intime and the balletLorent latest production, Angelmoth.
Graeme Spencer
Graeme originally trained commercially and attained teaching qualifications with the IDTA in Latin and Ballroom, Tap and Jazz. He then went on to gain a place at the prestigious Laban Centre where he trained in Contemporary Dance and Ballet on the BA Hons Dance theatre programme. Graeme has since completed a Post Graduate Certificate of Education with Brighton University and currently holds the position of Head of Dance at Hurstpierpoint College, where he teaches all curriculum dance and extra curricular dance across the Prep School and Senior School - working with students from key stage 1 all the way through to A level. He is also the director of two successful youth dance companies at the school and regularly completes choreographic projects on his students culminating in company repertoire which is performed in the annual Hurst dance showcase and at various performance platforms. As both a teacher, choreographer and a dance artist in his own right, Graeme has helped coordinate community dance work with companies such as Union Dance, he has choreographed/directed and produced dance film work which has been screened alongside international artists such as Stan Won’t dance and he has choreographed work for his own dance collective titled 'windowdance' - creating exciting and quirky dance installations and site-specific performances. He continues to indulge his passion for choreography, creating new works for youth dance companies and has even choreographed for channel fours 'High School Dance'.
KATHRYN HURLEY BA (Hons) AISTD
Kathryn began dancing at the age of three at Corraine Collins Dance Studios. She then went onto train at the prestigious Bird College of Performing Arts in Kent, for three years, gaining a BA (Hons) degree in Dance and Theatre Performance. She also gained her teaching qualifications with Honours.
Upon graduation she toured Germany in Sesame Street – The Musical for six months. She has also danced aboard MS Braemar for Fred. Olsen Cruises travelling throughout Europe, Africa and Scandinavia. Kathryn toured the South West with Meridian Dance Theatre, a contemporary company specialising in cross - curricular learning. She regularly choreographs for professional pantomimes and shows in Wales and England.
Kathryn teaches in primary and secondary schools throughout Bristol and South Gloucestershire and is also an educational facilitator for All You Can Eat Dance Company.
Kathryn runs her own dance Academy and Youth Company in South Gloucestershire.
