Our People

We are proud to be a world class centre of excellence for the training and education of classical ballet dancers where graduating students are prepared to secure contracts with national and international ballet companies. Teachers come from successful professional dance backgrounds and teach with passion and commitment.

Jessica Ward

Principal

Jessica trained as a contemporary dancer and choreographer at Trinity Laban and went on to perform with their resident company, Transitions, among other freelance projects. Having sustained an injury during her dance career, she took the opportunity to pursue her other passion – teaching. She taught dance in a number of schools and colleges as well as holding senior appointments in London Secondary Schools before joining Elmhurst Ballet School as Principal in 2010.

Jessica has always had a passion and interest in choreography and has enjoyed creating work for a number of youth companies including the award winning team at The Grange Opera.

In her role as Principal, Jessica is the Chair of the national Music and Dance Scheme school’s head teachers group and is involved in a number of other networks to support the development of Elmhurst, including being a committee member of the Society of Heads. Jessica is a Team Inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate. Ofsted have described her as a ‘highly effective leader’. In 2021, Jessica also joined the New Adventures' Board of Trustees. 

Please click the above arrow to choose the team you would like to view.

Prof John Bryson

Governor- Finance, Facilities and General Purpose

Kirsty Cartwright

Governor- Finance, Facilities and General Purpose

Sarah Evans OBE

Vice Chair- Education

Jenny Hardy

Governor- Finance, Facilities and General Purpose

James Harris

Chairman

Brandon Lawrence

Governor- Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Alison Matthews

Governor

Prof Matt Wyon

Governor- Health & Wellbeing

Michele Lawrence

Governor- Safeguarding

Ian Lowe

Governor- SEND, Health & Wellbeing, Boarding

Carlos Acosta CBE

Vice President

Sir David Bintley CBE

Artistic Advisor

Maina Gielgud

Vice President

Desmond Kelly

Artistic Advisor

Wayne McGregor CBE

President

Dame Merle Park

Vice President

Sir Peter Wright

Vice President

Lucy Caddick

Director of Finance and Operations

Judith Coe

Head of Health and Wellbeing

Robert Parker

Artistic Director

Erica Reeves

Vice Principal- Student Support

Manpreet Sambhi

Vice Principal- Academics

Sabina Storrod

Director of Business Development

Denise Whiteman

Director of Dance Training

Sarah-Jayne Blackwell

Dance Project Co-Ordinator and KS4 Leader

Tracy Cowper

Head of Upper School Boarding and DSL

Kieran Grinnell

Facilities Manager

Liz Innis

HR Officer

Nico Kolokythas

Head of Research and Performance

Michelle Lester

Teacher in charge of English and KS5 Progress Leader

Jennifer MacNamara

Head of Contemporary, Jazz and Related Dance Styles

Jeanette Mould

Cleaning Supervisor

Helen Pollard

Head of Learning Support

Dudley Ray

Director of Music

Joe Roberts

Teacher in charge of Languages and Staff Induction Lead

William Rowsley

Houseparent - Mortimer House, Progress Leader (Key Stage 3) and DSL

Joshua Barwick

Ballet Teacher

Sarah-Jayne Blackwell

Jazz Teacher

Rachel English

Dance Rehabilitation Coach

Sonia Fajardo

Ballet Teacher

Gloria Grigolato

Ballet Teacher

Alex Harrison

Ballet Teacher

Nicky Linzie

Ballet Teacher

Jennifer MacNamara

Head of Contemporary, Jazz and related dance styles

Sandrine Monin

Contemporary Teacher

Robert Parker

Artistic Director

Cris Penfold

Jazz Teacher

Michael Raynaud

Ballet Teacher

Indra Reinholde

Choreography Teacher

Lee Robinson

Ballet Teacher

Andrea Tredinnick

Ballet Teacher

Mary Walsh

Ballet Teacher

Denise Whiteman

Director of Dance Training

Lei Zhao (casual)

Ballet Teacher

Thomas Crumpton

Teacher of Maths (part-time)

Elizabeth Hutt

EAL/EFL Teacher 

Nadine Elliman

Teacher of Maths (casual)

Danielle Grieve-Carter

Teacher of English

Claire Hardeman 

Teacher of Science 

Katharine Perl

Teacher in charge of Drama

Rozalyn McComish

Teacher in charge of History and RE, Health and Wellbeing Teacher

Joseph Roberts

Teacher in charge of Languages and Staff Induction Project Lead

Michelle Lester

Teacher in charge of English and Progress Leader

Manpreet Sambhi

Assistant Principal- Academics 

Vikesh Vadukar 

Teacher in charge of Science 

Lucy Wensley 

Teacher in charge of Geography 

Helen Pollard

Head of Learning Support

Liz Woehrling 

Laboratory Technician

Asty Allen 

Pianist 

Peter Allsopp

Accompanist for the Sunderland Young Dancers Programme 

Andrew Bland 

Pianist (casual)

Jiayi Chen 

Pianist (casual)

Stephen Crewes

Pianist and Accompanist for the Birmingham Young Dancers Programme

Martina Cuevas Cuevas 

Pianist (casual)

Felicity Davies

Singing Teacher

Rachel Davies 

Self-employed Peripatetic Teacher (Singing) 

Yijiao Feng 

Pianist (casual)

Peter Flower

Pianist - Music Resources Co-ordinator

Margaret Green 

Accompanist for the Plymouth Young Dancers Programme

Roman Kosyakov 

Pianist (casual)

Yen Lee

Pianist 

Elaine Li

Pianist

Dominic Mason

Pianist

Zhijun Ni

Pianist (casual)

Mikael Pettersson

Head of Accompanying and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Pianist Placement Scheme Coordinator

Dudley Ray 

Director of Music 

Miriam Taylor 

Cello Teacher

Bogdan Suciu 

Pianist (casual) 

Ana Wheeler 

Pianist (Part-Time)

Yin Yu

Pianist (Casual)

Ruby Abbas

Houseparent (Bank)

Claire Allen 

Houseparent-Hetherington 

Gemma Amphlett

Deputy Houseparent-Casual

Dr Sue Barbour 

Houseparent-Park

Tracy Cowper 

Head of Upper School Boarding and Houseparent- The Elms 

Emily Davenport 

Deputy Houseparent- Hetherington 

Diane Fox 

Deputy Houseparent- Casual 

Sean Graham 

Deputy Houseparent- The Elms 

Naomi Maze

Deputy Houseparent- Park 

Raluca-Ioana Mihaila 

Deputy Houseparent (across all houses)

Charlotte Pitts 

Deputy Houseparent- Fischer 

Will Rowsley

Houseparent- Mortimer and Progress Leader (Key Stage 3) 

Debra Smith 

Deputy Houseparent- Mortimer 

Lesley-Anne Tulley 

Houseparent- Fischer

Huda Abdirizak

Healthcare Assistant (part-time)

Dr Parveen Bangher 

GP

Judith Coe

Head of Health and Wellbeing 

Rachel English 

Dance Rehabilitation Coach 

Samantha Gavrovski 

Physiotherapist 

Izzy Greaves 

Soft Tissue Therapist (self-employed)

Victoria Hawkes

Physiotherapy Assistant (part-time)

Janet Hinds 

Healthcare Assistant

Hayley James 

Registered Mental Health Nurse 

Dr Wakeel Jamil

GP

Anya Bailey 

Independent Student Advocate

Matthew Potter

Self Employed Senior Mental Health Nurse (Eating Disorders)

Hannah Windows 

Registered School Counsellor (self-employed)

Rhian Bertie

Development Events Assistant

Katie Butcher 

Social Media Executive

Louise Gale

Graphic Design Consultant (Self-Employed)

Claire Lishman

PR Consultant (Self-Employed)

Sabina Storrod 

Director of Business Development 

Awais Ali

Finance Officer 

Susan Bailey 

Cleaner 

Sarah Bastock 

Purchase Ledger and Accounts Officer

Ella Dennehy

Volunteer Graduate Placement Student 

Jacqueline Ellis 

Cleaner 

Adam Harris 

Catering Manager 

Charlotte Hooper 

School Receptionist/Administrator (Mornings)

Liz Innis 

HR Officer 

Grzegorz Kwiatkowski

Facilities Assistant (casual)

Sian Martin 

Laundry Assistant (part-time)

Patricia McDermaid 

Cleaner 

Nathan McLaren 

IT Technician 

Moubarack Mougamadou

Cleaner

Shabina Nawaz

Cleaner 

Claire Newland 

Funding and Finance Administrator 

Halimo Omar 

Cleaner 

Renata Ratajova 

Executive Assistant 

Daniel Stevenson

Weekend Locking-up Attendant 

Paul Stevenson 

Residential Caretaker 

Beata Strizikova 

Administrator (casual) 

Natalie Timbrell 

SIMS & School Administrator 

Rachal Torrance 

Registrar

Lina Valiukaite

Cleaner 

Francesca Wareing 

Cleaner 

                                                                      

Trudy Bayliss

Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach (Placement)

Nico Kolokythas 

Head of Research and Performance 

Raluca-Ioana Mihaila

Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach (Placement)

Bogdan Suciu 

Strength and Conditioning Coach 

 

Ann Atkinson

Ballet Teacher - Sunderland

Sarah-Jayne Blackwell

Jazz Teacher - Birmingham

Alexandra Howarth

Ballet Teacher - Birmingham

Marion Lindsay

Ballet Teacher - Plymouth

Nicky Linzie

Ballet Teacher - Birmingham

Alexandra Sherman 

Ballet Teacher- Birmingham 

Andrea Tredinnick

Danielle Kane

Rosie Price

Ballet Teacher - Birmingham

Ballet Teacher- Manchester

Ballet Teacher- Birmingham

Laura Green 

RAD Syllabus Tutor, Ballet Teacher- Birmingham

Sandrine Monin 

Contemporary Teacher

Victoria Thornton

Ballet Teacher- Birmingham 

Mary Walsh

Ballet Teacher- Birmingham 

Denise Whiteman 

Ballet Teacher- Birmingham 

Join our mailing list for our latest news and events

Dancer Newsletter