• Teachers Biographies •
Greg Arrowsmith: SINGING & MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Equally at home as a conductor, pianist and orchestrator, Greg’s diverse career has taken him all over the world.
Credits have included conducting Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium and the Esplanade Theatre Singapore), Chess (Princess Of Wales Theatre, Toronto; UK tour) and Fame (Grimaldi Forum, Monaco). Closer to home credits include Hairspray and The Far Pavilions (Shaftesbury Theatre), Little Voice (Vaudeville Theatre, starring Diana Vickers), and Mykal Rand’s new production of Smokey Joes Café (Landor Theatre).
Orchestrations include the hugely popular 60s musical “Shout!” (Arts Theatre and UK tour), The Ballad of Benny Junior (Riverside Studios) and the UK tour of Noel and Gertie.
Greg is also the principal conductor of the Melodramatic Productions company and has conducted symphonic recordings of Scheherazade, Swan Lake and Peer Gynt.
Travis Baker: DEPUTY HEAD OF SINGING
A native of Melbourne, Australia, Travis Baker began his music tuition at the age of seven with piano lessons. Having gained a Music Scholarship to Trinity Grammar School, he became a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne, before gaining his BMus. (Performance, with Honours) from the University of Melbourne in 2001.
As a Certified Master Teacher, Estill Voice Teaching Systems, Travis has worked with Estill Vocal workshops in London, Australia, New Zealand and Northern Ireland and the Charles Wood Summer School in Northern Ireland. He has worked with Paul Farrington during the Opera New Zealand Summer School and will be working in New Zealand again in 2014. In late 2011, Travis was fortunate to work with Paul Farrington in training the cast of the feature film, Quartet, including Maggie Smith, Pauline Collins and Billy Connolly.
Travis is Director of Music for The Bromley Boy Singers, a competition-winning group of around 50 - 60 boys based in southeast London. The four choirs (training through to senior), cover a wide range of material and have sung in many prestigious venues such as St-Martin-in–the–Fields, and the Royal Festival Hall along with a touring schedule. In addition to The Bromley Boy Singers, Travis also works with the Boys of Westminster Abbey.
In 2013 Travis will teach singing at the Guildhall School of Acting and Drama.
Susan Bovell: Guest teacher
Susan Bovell has worked as an actress in over 150 professional plays in the West End, throughout Great Britian and internationally. She has also worked extensively in television, radio and film. She has played opposite, amongst others, Gary Oldman, Stockard Channing, Penelope Keith, Christopher Cazenove and Joanne Woodward. She has also worked extensively in television, radio and film.
Susan trained at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama, where she was awarded the Leverhulme Bursary.
She spent her first two years, after graduating, as an actress at the Bristol Old Vic theatre company where she played many leading roles including: Regan in King Lear. Ruth in Norman Conquests and Gwendolyn in Travesties.
Her work in Regional Theatre includes: Benefactors (Alan Ayckbourn Scarborough). The Last of the Red Hot Lovers (West Yorkshire Playhouse). School For Scandal (Derby). Abigail’s Party, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore (Exeter). Duet For One, Vancetti, Sacco and Rosie (Leicester) The Real Thing, Ashes, Terra Nova (Leatherhead). Duchess of Malfi, Birthday Party, The Norman Conquests (Bristol Old Vic). The Innocents, Hard Times (The Theatre Royal, Plymouth). What the Butler Saw (Theatre Royal, Northampton). Oh What a Lovely War, Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, Loot, (The Redgrave Theatre). Northanger Abbey, Mistress of the Inn, (Theatre Royal, York). Wake (Edinburgh and Warsaw) with ‘Organic Carrot’ the company she co-owns. (Nominated best Actress). Les Liaisons Dangereuse, Absurd Person Singular (Germany).
London theatre includes: Myra Arundel in Hayfever (Queens Theatre). The Shakespeare Revue (RSC The Pit). Dream Time (Young Vic). Mrs Sparsit in Hard Times (Kings Head/Lyric Theatre). Something Cloudy Something Clear – Tenessee Williams UK Premiere (Finborough). Measles (Rufus Norris, The Gate). Da (Riverside Studios). Twelfth Night/She Stoops To Conquer (UK Tour).
Television includes: Little Miss Joclyn; The Bill; Doctors; No More Dying Then; Peak Practice; House of Elliot; Gaudy Night; Campion; Hetty Wainthrop Investigates; Madge; Minor Complications; The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.
Radio includes: House in Paris; Wallis; Return of the Native; Black Snow; Book at Bedtime.
Films include: Foreign Affairs; Reflex Action; The Ring; The Blue Poster; Emma Brody for 20th Century Fox Ltd; Milk.
Susan holds an MA in Voice from the CSSD University of London and a teaching diploma from the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama. She has taught voice and acting both at home and abroad, including the Moscow Arts Theatre.
Gabrielle Boyd: Pilates
Gabrielle trained with the Rambert Dance School majoring in contemporary dance.
Trained at the Alan Herdman Pilates Studios (the godfather of Pilates) in Marylebone and Canary Wharf
Joe Bunker: SINGING & VOCAL REHEARSALS
Joe is a freelance Musical Director and Vocal Coach who works extensively in London and the South-East with choirs and theatre companies, specialising in work with young people. He is Assistant Vocal Director for the Royal Opera House Youth Opera Company, and a Musical Director for the National Youth Music Theatre. He is also MD for Second Company Productions, whose recent productions include Assassins and Follies at the Pleasance Theatre, Islington, and Just Another Love Story, their award-winning Sondheim revue. Other recent MD credits include Side by Side by Sondheim, City of Angels, and Hot Mikado.
From 2007 to 2010, Joe studied English at Jesus College, Cambridge. He was a Choral Scholar in the Choir of Sidney Sussex College, and Musical Director for the 2009 ADC/Footlights Pantomime, the University's 800th Anniversary Gala Concert and productions including Parade, The Last Five Years and Baby (Winner of The Stage 'Must-See' Award, Edinburgh Fringe 2009).
At Millennium Performing Arts, Joe teaches singing and runs a lecture series in Musical Theatre History. Beyond these walls, he works as a vocal coach/MD for the Associated Studios, an accompanist for All Sing! Harrow Road Community Choir, and is the director of Barnes Community Choir.
Chrissie Cartwright – MUSICAL THEATRE REPERTOIRE
Chrissie appeared in the West End musicals Billy, Irene, Evita, Barnum and Blondel and in Variety at the London Palladium and Victoria Palace.
Television appearances include The One and Only Phyllis Dixey, There’s Something Wrong in Paradise, The Stanley Baxter Show, The Morecambe and Wise Show, The Good Old Days and three Royal Command Performances.
She appears in The Great Muppet Caper, Lassiter and Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom.
Chrissie staged and choreographed the West End productions of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Sherlock Holmes The Musical and the London premiere of Mack and Mabel. She choreographed Matilda, The Entertainer, Devil’s Virtuoso, Annie, The Card, several pantomimes and – for The Guildhall School of Drama – On The Twentieth Century. She has choreographed for Millennium Performing Arts and for television, Kiss Me Kate, Alas Smith and Jones and Hit Dancing. She did the musical staging for the Showbizpops Orchestra’s concert tour of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Chrissie was assistant director and choreographer on the London, New York and Australian productions of Five Guys Named Moe and was resident director and choreographer of the London production of Cats. She has re-created the direction and choreography of Cats for its UK tours and has mounted productions in Berlin, Madrid, Moscow, Antwerp and Amsterdam as well as assisting on the video of the show. She was associate to Gillian Lynne on The Likes of Us for the Sydmonton Festival, and Brick by Bricusse, was children’s director on Mary Poppins and resident director on Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat both in the West End. She recently finished the run as resident director on Sister Act at the London Palladium.
Victoria Collinson: DEPUTY HEAD of BALLET
Victoria trained at Bush Davies, Hammond School and finally The Royal Ballet School where she graduated from the Teacher's Training Course. After graduating she joined the Bluebell Girls, dancing at the Lido de Paris. Upon her return to London she worked with Ballet Soul as dancer and ballet mistress. With Ballet Soul Victoria also enjoyed working as assistant to the director on collaborative projects with the Almeida Theatre and the Push Festival. Victoria has been teaching ballet in and around London for the last ten years. She spent five years as ballet mistress to London Children's Ballet and developed the company's outreach work in the community. She is still LCB's Tour Director, taking the company's work to thirty venues a year. She has also taught for The Royal Ballet School's Partnership and Access programme and since 2004 has taught as a Junior Associate teacher at the school.
Laka D: MUSICIANSHIP, HARMONY
After playing and recording 3 albums with the jazz group the Guest Stars Laka moved into the world of theatre composition and performance, working with New York’s Split Britches and white face drag clowns Bloolips. Several seasons with Gay Sweatshop included the award-winning musical Stupid Cupid. All the time she carried on writing her own exuberant and imaginative songs, working with many groups including 6 Voices and a Double Bass with Ian Shaw and Carol Grimes, and her own ensemble The Hookline. She was lead singer with the 12 piece 60’s band Emma Peel Fan Club, and currently can be seen and heard out with The Electric Landladies.
As well as performing, Laka directs and writes music for choirs. She works with groups of every description, elders, children and office workers. She spent nine years with ENO Baylis working with young people in The Works, a song writing and performance workshop.
She regularly conducts large groups of children, for Lambeth and Hackney singing festivals, also contributing original songs and arrangements. She has original material on the ‘Sing Up’ song bank.
2008 saw the composition of a piece for 800 singers with SBC poet in residence Lemn Sissay to welcome the Olympic Torch to the terrace of the Festival Hall.
Laka celebrates 2010 with music written for a new quintet, first performance in June as part of Spitalfields Festival.
Jennie Dale: HEAD OF TAP
Jennie was born and raised in Brighton and trained at Glendale Theatre Arts and then Laine Theatre Arts. Jennie has been teaching and choreographing for Millennium Performing Arts since 2002 and is Head Of Tap at the college. Jennie also works with children, students and professionals as a vocal/performing coach, helping to combat nerves and deliver excellent performance quality.
Theatre credits include - UK and West End production of Scrooge, (Raggedy Anne and Dance captain). Summer Holiday UK tour, Oliver UK tour which also played in Toronto Canada (Milkmaid, dance captain). The Witches of Eastwick, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, original cast. Les Miserables, Palace theatre (Understudied and played the role of Madame Thenadier), 25th Anniversary concert at the O2 and the vocals for the Film. Jerry Springer, Cambridge Theatre, original cast (Betsy-Lou Danvers and Dance Captain). Mary Poppins, Prince Edward Theatre (Katie Nanna, understudied and played Mrs Brill, Miss Andrew and Mrs Corry). Carmen - Royal Opera House, BBC and 3D film. Lord of The Rings, Drury Lane, original cast (Hobbit- Esmerelda Rumble). Gigi, Regents Park. Sister Act - London Palladium, original cast (understudied and played Sister Mary Patrick).
Oliver, Larnaca International festival (Widow Corney). Jack and the beanstalk, Hackney Empire (Broad Bean!) Jennie has just returned from the International tour of Mamma Mia! playing Rosie. Jennie was also the ‘dancing on the ceiling’ housewife for the Wink Bingo advert and was Freda in Victoria Woods Midlife Xmas, both choreographed by Stephen Mear.
Jennie’s most recent credits were playing Hattie Jaques in the comedy sketches of Carry on Matron at The Hackney Empires Gay Extravaganza and From The Halls with Barbara Windsor.
Lisa Donmall: Guest teacher
Lisa trained at Bridget Espinosa’s London Studio Centre, Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey School, New York.
Theatre Credits include: The Opera Show, Kilworth House Theatre; Irene Roth in ‘Crazy For You’, Kilworth House Theatre; 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 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 Tour; Crazy for You, Prince Edward Theatre, London; The Snowman, Birmingham Rep Theatre and The Peacock Theatre, London.
Most recently, Lisa produced and performed her own One Woman Show at The Bridewell, and Leicester Square Theatres in London; and at The Delfont Bar, Prince of Wales Theatre.
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.
Creative CV: Assistant Choreographer for Mitch Sebastian on Crazy for You, Kilworth House Theatre.
Assistant Choreographer for Andrew Wright on Cats, Arena performances in Jersey and Guernsey
Karen Edwards: Guest teacher
Karen was an original cast member of the London production of Fosse, playing the lead role at the Prince of Wales theatre on many occasions, and undertaking the role of dance captain. She played Frenchie in Grease (Cambridge Theatre, ast. Res. Dir/Res. Choreographer); for the first UK tour of Grease Karen took on the role of resident choreographer and swing; Isabella in Pickwick (Sadlers Wells, dance captain); was part of an international cast of Fosse that was invited to Tokyo, Japan; tiger lily in Peter Pan (Leicester Haymarket); Jesus Christ Superstar (Barbican Theatre); Funny Money (Adelphi); Carnival (Royal Opera House); as a member of the Wayne Sleep company for three years that toured productions nationally and internationally, the Edinburgh festival with The Jiving Lindy Hoppers and various parts in a variety of pantomimes across the country.
TV credits include commercials for Coca-Cola, Lindt, Tarley Rice, Amstell, Lloyds Bank, Visa and The Daily Mirror; Mary in Head Over Heels; Suzan in Circus Paflof (Dutch TV) ; Selina in Lipstick On Your Collar; Mrs. Tilbury in The Bill; Maria Kaye in Poirot; Suzanne in London's Burning and Ms Smith in Paradise Club; The Paul Daniels Magic Show; The Brian Connelly Show; Royal Variety Performances With Pickwick & Fosse And The Rudy Coby Show.
Film credits: Sisyphus, Mrs Black; Urban Sunbather, Joanne; Payback.Com, Lou; Recordings, Paula Weaver And The Finland Testament, Mrs Vine, along with various corporate films for companies such as BAE, Rapier Group, Renault and Now Watch It Productions.
Most recently Karen has been both directing and choreographing: director/choreographic work includes Songs From The Musicals (UK tour) director, staging, concept and design: choreographer West Side Story Experience working alongside Mary king at the Royal Festival Hall; choreographer Bella Cora Ladies Choir (various UK venues); director Jack & The Beanstalk (Old Market Theatre, Hove); Choreographer/Director For The Wishart Foundation Ball (The Banqueting Hall); associate director/choreographer for the Grease production company; Strictly Come Dancing (asst. Chor. BBC1); two productions of A Slice Of Saturday Night (Novello Theatre, Director; Jack Lyons Theatre, Choreographer and asst. Director); company (Judi Dench Theatre, choreographer); nine (Judi Dench Theatre, Choreographer); Be My Baby (Old Red Lion Theatre, Choreographer); director and musical staging for the production of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Kings Head Theatre, Edinburgh Festival, the Pavillions Theatre Dublin and Andrews Lane Theatre Dublin, Ireland tour, and the Novello Theatre) artistic dir/coordinator Millennium Performing Arts Assessment Showcase `09 & `10 and choreographer/director at MPA for `05, `08 and `09 Summer Showcases; many other original choreographic pieces for both students and professionals.
Karen trained at the Susan Robinson School of Ballet and London Studio Centre. She has been invited to teach at the place, The London School of Musical Theatre, The Royal Academy of Music, Arts Educational London, Mountview Academy and the Midlands Academy Of Dance And Drama. She has taught drama to a variety of ages at Pembroke Hall School, Jigsaw Arts, A.C.T.S., Stagestruck Stage School, Fieldnight, and Redroofs Theatre Schools.
She currently teaches Matt Mattox jazz at Millennium Performing Arts where she is artistic director of The Foundation Course and head of Integrated Professional Studies for the diploma course. She is an examiner for the dance and Drama Awards Scheme working with Trinity College London.
Jaye Elster: MATT MATTOX BASED JAZZ DANCE
Jaye trained at Millennium Performing Arts and graduated with a National Diploma in Musical Theatre.
Theatre credits include: featured dancer/dance captain in Shoes (Peacock Theatre); dance captain & understudy ‘Serena’ in Fame (Irish tour); choreographer & ensemble for The Railway Ball – A Tribute to Musical Theatre (Grosvenor House); dance captain & ensemble in Cinderella for Paul Holman Associates (Broadway Theatre).
Workshops include Hello Dolly! (Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park); Sweet Charity (Menier Chocolate Factory); Shoes (Sadler’s Wells).
Jaye will next appear at Chichester Festival Theatre in Singing in the Rain.
Josephine Holling: BALLET
Josephine trained at White Lodge and the Royal Ballet Upper School and graduated into the Royal Ballet Company at 17. Performing all the major classical ballets in the UK, and abroad, other works performed included Grosse Fugue and Septet Extra by Hans Van Manen and Ballanchine’s Allegro Brilliante. Following her performing career, Josephine retrained to become an examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance and commenced teaching extensively. In 1990 she became Artist-In-Education for Birmingham Royal Ballet and ballet mistress to the Junior and Senior Associates of the Royal Ballet School in Birmingham. Prior to joining Millennium Performing Arts, Josephine was Dance Director for the Dance School of Scotland.
Milla Kauhanen MIfL: DEPUTY HEAD of MODERN CONTEMPORARY DANCE - CUNNINGHAM CONTEMPORARY DANCE
A former pupil of the directors, Milla went on to train at The Cunningham Studios, New York on the Lisa Ullmann and Robin Howard scholarship. She also joined the Merce Cunningham Company’s London residency. Early performing credits include: Fantasy and Hair in Finland. Since then she has worked for such choreographers as Darshan Sing Bhuller, Maggie Morris, Gaynor Coward, David Massingham, Yolande Snaith, Ian Spink, Lea Anderson, David Waring, and Anna Williams. She is a freelance teacher with Certificate in Education in Performing Arts (post Compulsory) and choreographer creating full evenings of performances of contemporary ballet and physical theatre. Milla has founded her own company MILITATEDANCEco. She is also a Method Putkisto and Pilates instructor.
David Kemp: Guest teacher
David is a graduate of Millennium Performing Arts.
Directing/Musical Directing credits include: Songs from the Musicals (UK tour, Resident Director), Children of Eden, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Honk, Bugsy Malone, High School Musical, Hansel and Gretel, Swinging on a Rainbow and The King of Rock (European Tour), a musical celebration of Elvis Presley.
Performing credits: Dancer/vocalist in Songs from the Musicals , Natty in Little Red Riding Hood, Doody in Grease (Italian Tour), Singer/Puppeteer in Jack & Jill 1+2, Ensemble in Babes in the Wood and Cinderella. David currently shares his time producing, directing and teaching. David has been an independent producer since 2010. Productions include; Dick Whittington, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Grease is the Word, Cinderella, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and various corporate events.
Mary King: HEAD OF SINGING
Mary King has had a long career as an opera and concert singer, performing with the world’s leading orchestras and opera companies, and making a specialisation of the contemporary classical repertoire. She has been involved in all kinds of teaching for many years: extensively with English National Opera, where she was Artistic Associate, and also at the Royal Academy of Music (Musical Theatre course). Now she is Head of Singing for Millennium Performing Arts, and Artist in Residence at the Southbank Centre, where she is involved in conducting, training and rehearsing many vocal projects, covering a vast range of repertoire encompassing everything from Beethoven to Bellowhead. She has a busy teaching studio and is the vocal coach on several West End shows, including Wicked, Shrek the Musical, Ghost and Once. She broadcasts regularly on TV (Operatunity and Musicality, Cardiff Singer of the World, Choir of the Year) and radio, and is the author of a series of coaching books for Boosey & Hawkes, and The Singer’s Handbook published by Faber Music.
Recently she has conducted Carmina Burana with mixed choirs in Zimbabwe, and is preparing a choir of Commonwealth singers to perform as part of the Queen's Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames.
Brendan O’Hea: Guest Teacher
Trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
Theatre credits include Henry V and Henry VI, Parts One, Two and Three (Globe Theatre); Waiting For Godot (World tour), All’s Well That Ends Well, Saint Joan, A Little Night Music and Under Milk Wood (National Theatre); The Merry Wives of Windsor and All’s Well That Ends Well (RSC); Hamlet (Barbican); The Syndicate, King Lear, Six Lives of Lee Miller, 5/11 (Chichester); Hedda Gabler (Plymouth and tour); The Wedding Story (Soho Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Sheffield Crucible); Fiddler On The Roof (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Only A Matter Of Time (Watermill, Newbury); Becket (West End); The Recruiting Officer (Lichfield); The Corn Is Green (Greenwich and tour); Ghosts (Sherman, Cardiff); Trojan Women and Tis Pity She’s A Whore (Liverpool Everyman).
Television includes Law and Order – UK, Lead Balloon, Gil Mayo, North Square, Inspector Morse, Selected Exits, Cadfael, Casualty and Impact. Films include: Quantum of Solace, Death At A Funeral, Gladiatress, My Last Five Girlfriends and Mrs Brown.
Annette McLaughlin: HEAD OF ACTING, TAP DANCE
Theatre credits include: for the RSC Measure For Measure, and Musicals Celebration, and Written on the Heart (both Duchess Theatre - W/E); Kneehigh's Brief Encounter (UK/ Broadway/ San Francisco/ Minneapolis); Love's Labour's Lost, Singin' in the Rain, Anything Goes (National Theatre); Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry IV, High Society (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre); Chicago, Lenny, Damn Yankees, Beauty and the Beast, Crazy for You (West End); She Loves Me, 5/11, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Chichester); Noises Off (Birmingham); The Vagina Monologues (tour); Into the Woods (Derby); Horse and Carriage, Stepping Out (West Yorkshire Playhouse); BBC Proms Sondheim Concert, A Tribute to Trevor Nunn, A Tribute to Kander and Ebb (Royal Albert Hall).
Television credits include: Heartbeat, Legionnaire, Lunar 1V, Law and Order -UK.
Melanie Lewis: SINGING (POP)
Melanie Lewis is an experienced session singer and vocal coach having trained first in classical ballet as a scholarship student at the Royal Academy of Dance in London and then at Elmhurst Ballet School where she became a graduate of the Musical Theatre Course. She began her performance career in theatre for 4 years including roles in Gypsy and The Girlfriend, then began working in the music industry as a session singer; recording, touring and in television. She has recorded and performed live as lead vocalist on two UK hit dance singles and sung backing vocals for many artists, including Take That, Robbie Williams, Annie Lennox, Leona Lewis, Lily Allen, Dizzee Rascal, Cheryl Cole, Paulo Nutini, Mika, Daniel Merriweather, Gabrielle, D:Ream, Lisa Stansfield, Pauline Henry, Kim Wilde and rock artist Eikichi Yazawa (Japan). She has also sung on many radio and tv adverts including Radio One, Dublin 98 and Virgin Radio logo jingles, played the part of Frida in Bjorn Again and performs as lead vocalist for corporate band work internationally.
For the past six years, whilst still working as a singer, Mel has also been enjoying passing her training and experience on through her work as a vocal coach. By drawing from her extensive groundwork in studio and live performance, she is able to encourage the best possible results from students in every aspect.
Jo Morris: MATT MATTOX BASED JAZZ DANCE
Jo trained at Millennium Performing Arts on The Doris Sonne Scholarship.
Theatre credits include: Assistant Choreographer/Dance Captain in Crazy For You (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); Assistant Rehearsal Director on Shoes (Peacock Theatre); Assistant Choreographer/Dance Captain in Me & My Girl (Sheffield Crucible); Dance Captain/Onstage Swing in Shoes (Sadlers Wells); Assistant choreographer for Sweet Charity (Theatre Royal Haymarket & Menier Chocolate Factory); Assistant choreographer/Dance captain in the Olivier Award-winning Hello, Dolly! (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Assistant choreographer for Oklahoma! (Chichester Festival Theatre); Dance captain in On The Town (English National Opera/Coliseum, London & Chatelet Theatre, Paris); Assistant choreographer/Dance captain in Gigi (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Assistant choreographer for The Music Man (Chichester Festival Theatre); Wicked (Victoria Apollo); Sinatra (London Palladium); Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre); Tonight’s The Tonight (Victoria Palace); Fame (UK Tour).
Zak Nemorin: DEPUTY HEAD of JAZZ DANCE (repertoire) - MATT MATTOX BASED JAZZ DANCE
Zak trained at Millennium Performing Arts, London Studio Centre and The BRIT School.
Theatre credits: Angél & Lance understudy in Viva Forever! (Piccadilly Theatre); Nikos/Padamadam in Legally Blonde (Original UK National Tour); On Stage Swing and understudy Head Waiter in She Loves Me (Minerva Theatre, Chichester); Understudy Daddy Brubeck in Sweet Charity (Menier Chocolate Factory & Theatre Royal Haymarket); Carousel (UK Tour & Savoy Theatre); Mungojerrie, Skimbleshanks and understudy The Rum Tum Tugger in Cats (UK, Portuguese & Italian National Tour); Understudy Aladdin in Aladdin (Old Vic); Understudy Robertson Ay in the original cast of Mary Poppins (Bristol Hippodrome & Prince Edward Theatre); Double J and understudy/alternate Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever (UK Tour); Aaron in Chicago (Adelphi Theatre) and the original cast of We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre).
Television Credits: Parkinson; Party at the Palace; Children in Need; Blue Peter; All Time Greatest Love Songs; Party in the Park; So Graham Norton; Showtime at the Stadium (Millennium Stadium Cardiff); Backed Michael Bublé; Emma Bunton’s Video Maybe (also for Top of The Pops and Des & Mel) and an episode of Absolutely Fabulous.
Other Credits: Workshop for Daddy Cool – The Musical; Children’s Rehearsal Director for The Wizard of Oz (Really Useful Group) and choreographed Freshwave Expression, Last Minute Tango and Heat of the Night (All for MPA). Cast recordings include We Will Rock You and Mary Poppins.
Zak is part of the Millennium Performing Arts faculty. He has also taught at Pineapple Performing Arts; The Euphoric Dance Company; Chichester University; Southwell Dance School; Collin’s Performing Arts; The BRIT school; Arts Ed (London); The American Musical Theatre Academy (London); Elmhurst Ballet School (Birmingham); Oure Performing Arts; and The Royal Danish Ballet School (Denmark).
Matthew Paluch MA, PDTD (Dist.): Ballet
WORK EXPERIENCE: RAD International Summer Schools: Singapore/Tokyo, Freelance Journalist/Critic (Dance Europe), Technique classes for London based private school, Advance National and Primary Steps for the RBS, Permanent teaching position acquired at Lewisham College: Ballet Technique Sessions, Chance to Dance for the ROH, Advance National and Primary Steps for the RBS, Ballet tutor for DanceEast CAT scheme, Royal Academy of Dance summer schools in Singapore, Italy and London,
Boys Only! Course in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Dance and Hampshire Dance, Technique classes for Easter Dynamics course at the Place, Technique classes for Musigym student exchange at Laban, Ballet taster sessions for the Partnership and Access department at the Royal Ballet School,
Syllabus/Private coaching classes at the Royal Academy of Dance, Technique classes for Junior, Middle and Senior Associates at the Royal Ballet School, Representative of English National Ballet at “Sample it” weekend at Sadler’s Wells, Technique classes for Youth group and CAT scheme at Laban, Technique classes for Dance Foundation/Access courses at Lewisham College, Advanced technique classes at Dance Works London, Freelance Dance Education Officer for the Royal Ballet School/English National Ballet/Royal Opera House. 2002 – 2006 Artist of English National Ballet Performed as part of an international touring ballet company, Member of Dancers’ Committee. 1997 – 2002 Freelance Ballet Dancer London City Ballet, European Ballet, K Ballet, Scottish Ballet
1990 – 1997 Education: Student of the Royal Ballet Lower and Upper School
EDUCATION: Graduate of distinction from the PDTD course of the Royal Academy Dance. Completion of written portfolio for Course in Ballet Education (ROH/RBS)
MA in Ballet Studies-Theoretical (Roehampton University)
Lucie Pankhurst: CONTEMPORARY DANCE & COMMERCIAL DANCE
Lucie Trained at the Arts Educational School and the London School of Contemporary Dance.
For theatre Lucie preformed most recently in Betwixt at the Kings Head, directed by Kate Gollage. Other work includes Peter Pan and Mort for the YMT, Troilus and Cressida at the National Theatre, directed by Trevor Nunn, assistant choreographer to Arlene Philips, We Will Rock You; The Fast Show Live tour, directed by Roxanna Silbert; Drowning Point, BlueGreen Productions, Edinburgh Festival and Regents Park Open Air Theatre.
Television credits include series choreographer, My Almost Famous Family, Hit Me Baby One More Time, Viva Blackpool for the BBC, Wedding Belles by Irvin Welsh for Channel 4, X-Factor, Dead Ringers, Bonkers and the Omid Djalili Show.
Lucie has also choreographed and directed movement for commercials for companies including RSA and Homecorps and live events in the U.K and internationally. Her own work has been seen at the South Bank, Lilian Baylis Theatre and at the Place Theatre as part of the Spring Loaded season.
Amy Ellen Richardson: TAP DANCE
Amy started performing from the age of four, winning a number of singing and dancing competitions including the accolade of the All England Tap Champion. At the age of ten, she played the role of Young Jenny in the West End production Aspects Of Love directed by Trevor Nunn, and was also lucky enough to be a part of the National Youth Theatre between the years of 1993-95 in their original production of Whistle Down The Wind (Edinburgh Fringe Festival/Lilian Baylis Theatre, London), which Andrew Lloyd Webber was so bowled over by; he bought the rights!
Following her training at Laine Theatre Arts, Amy went straight into the original national tour of Chicago, playing the role of ‘Go To Hell Kitty’ and understudying the lead role of ‘Velma Kelly’. Afterwards, she went on to work consistently in many regional and London productions including: Cats (National Tour); Singin In The Rain (Sadler’s Wells/ Leicester Haymarket); On The Town (ENO/London Coliseum) and even performed in Japan with Adam Cooper in On Your Toes.
She has played the roles of Liane De Exelmans in Gigi (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); Mimsey in Funny Girl and Gertie Cummings in Oklahoma! (Chichester Festival Theatre); Eugenie Loyer in the award winning Nicholas Hytner play Vincent in Brixton (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford); and has understudied and played the roles of: Cosette in Les Miserables (Queens Theatre, West End) and The Lady of the Lake in the original production of Monty Python’s Spamalot (Palace Theatre, West End), all of which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Most recently she performed in Cardiff at the prestigious Sherman Cymru Theatre in A Christmas Carol, playing the roles of Scrooge’s Mother, Belle and Mrs Cratchit, directed by Amy Hodge (Assistant Director at the Orange Tree Theatre/ Royal Court Theatre, London).
This summer Amy is delighted to be back at Regents Park again, performing in the highly anticipated production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods, playing the role of Florinda.
Her teaching experience includes working with students at Laine Theatre Arts, Dance Academy, Hurtwood House and Kew Academy of Performing Arts. She worked on the Birmingham Arts Council project ‘Leaps and Bounds’ for under privileged young people, which resulted in an original musical production involving other West End artists being performed at the Birmingham Hippodrome.
John Rigby: MUSICAL DIRECTOR, MUSICAL THEATRE HISTORY & PERFORMANCE SKILLS
A graduate in orchestral and choral conducting from the University of Huddersfield and the Royal Northern College of Music, John has worked with many of the country’s leading orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Halle, CBSO, London Concert Orchestra, Manchester Concert Orchestra, The Orchestra Of Welsh National Opera, Scottish Concert Orchestra and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra across a diverse repertoire and can regularly be seen at many of the country’s top venues.
He is a much respected conductor and musical director in the world of musical theatre and his West End credits include Marguerite (Theatre Royal, Haymarket), Carmen Jones (Royal Festival Hall), The Drowsy Chaperone (Novello), The Producers (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), Sinatra At The Palladium (Palladium), The Phantom Of The Opera (Her Majesty’s), Beautiful And Damned (Lyric), The Pirates Of Penzance (Savoy), Peter Pan (Savoy), The King And I (Palladium), Les Misérables (Palace), Napoleon (Shaftesbury), The Last Empress (Apollo, Hammersmith), By Jeeves (Lyric), Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Apollo, Hammersmith), The King And I (UK Tour) as well as the German productions of Starlight Express (Bochum) and Miss Saigon (Stuttgart). As musical supervisor his credits include Terry Pratchett’s Only You Can Save Mankind (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), The King And I (UK Tour) and The Producers (UK Tour).
Other conducting work has included the 1999 Gala Re-Opening Of Potsdammer Platz, Berlin (which was televised throughout Europe and released on CD) and the Judith Weir opera The Black Spider for the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. His commercial recordings include the Original London Cast Album of Marguerite, featuring Ruthie Henshall and Julian Ovenden with music by Michel Legrand, the DVD of Beautiful And Damned and the compilation album Millennium Musical Highlights.
As a composer/arranger/orchestrator he has produced music for the Centenary Celebrations For The City Of Bradford (performed in the presence of Her Majesty, The Queen) and The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice (Theatre Royal, Bury-St-Edmonds and Northcott Theatre, Exeter), Peter Pan (Savoy), The Pirates Of Penzance (Savoy) The King And I (UK Tour and Denmark) and Dick Whittington (Palace Theatre, Watford) as well as for a variety of soloists and orchestras.
Recently John has just returned from India where he has been supervising and co-orchestrating a new Bollywood version of “Wuthering Heights” which will tour the UK later in 2010.
Darshan Singh Bhuller: CONTEMPORARY DANCE CONSULTANT
As lead dancer, rehearsal director, choreographer and teacher, his career with London Contemporary Dance Theatre spanned from 1979 to 1994. He became Assistant Director to Richard Alston Dance Company from 1994 to 1996. He was a member of the Siobhan Davies Dance Company. He has created and directed works for London Contemporary Dance Theatre; Phoenix Dance Theatre; Millennium Dome Opening Ceremony; Shaolin Wheel of Life; CandoCo and Nordic Dance Theatre in Bergen, Norway. Work for schools includes Northern School of Contemporary Dance, London School of Contemporary Dance, Danshogskolan (Sweden) and English National Ballet School. Collaborations with other artists, choreographers, musicians and film-makers include Graham Dean, Robert Cohan, Micha Bergese, Barry Guy, Barrington Pheloung, John Martyn and Jocelyn Pook. Darshan was artistic director of Phoenix Dance Theatre between 2002 and 2006 and has also directed numerous films through his own company Singh Productions since 1985. He works continuously as a freelance teacher and choreographer for film and theatre.
Michael Small: GRAHAM BASED CONTEMPORARY DANCE
Michael’s career has spanned across contemporary dance and musical theatre. Initially, he danced in the works of Robert Cohan, Robert North and Siobhan Davies whilst performing with London Contemporary Dance Theatre (LCDT). Subsequent to his LCDT years he performed in West End musicals such as Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Song and Dance, Jesus Christ Superstar and Chicago. He also performed in a number of European musical tours choreographed/ directed by Anthony Van Laast including Carmen Jones and Shall We Dance. His teaching experience commenced during LCDT’s company residencies at various schools and colleges. Within musicals he often took on the additional position of dance captain; helping to maintain the quality of the dance numbers in the shows as well as giving warm ups. With regards to dance and drama colleges, such as The London School of Contemporary Dance, Arts Educational, Mountview, London Studio Centre and Millennium Arts, Michael has been engaged in teaching Graham based technique classes as well as workshops based upon West End shows and LCDT repertory. Currently, besides teaching at Millennium Performing Arts and London Studio Centre, Michael creates portfolio websites for all types of performers.
Mark Smith: TAP DANCE
Mark is a freelance dancer, teacher, actor and choreographer. He trained at the Royal Ballet School and Bridget Espinosa’s London Studio Centre (taught by Jackie Mitchell and Donald McLennan). He had performed in dance companies - Firefly, LaRibot & Arron Williamson Dance Company.
He had performed and choreographed his own signature work called Signdance (a combination of sign-language and movements together) at the Royal Festival Hall, Jackson’s Lane, ICA, Albany Theatre and The Place. He presented his first signdance work with a group of dancers called ‘The Lift’ at Stratford Circus in 2005. Since then, he has created Brand New Day, Introducing Warhol’s Superstar…. & Elvis!.
As an actor, he played Tony in Channel 4’s Rush, Horst & Rudy in Graeae Theatre Company’s Bent and Rob in BBC/HBO’s Stuart a Life Backward, directed by David Attwood.
As a teacher, he taught Colin’s Performing Arts College, London Studio Centre, London School of Musical Theatre, Stella Mann College, Sadler’s Wells/Green Candle’s Deaf Dance Summer School, Big Dance/BBC’s Blast!, Urdang Academy, Bodywork Dance Studio, Billy Elliot School and Millennium Performing Arts.
Giles Taylor: Guest teacher
Giles is an actor and singer with a wide range of experience spanning the last twenty years. He has worked for the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and extensively for the New Shakespeare Company at the Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, as well as at numerous repertory theatres around the country, including Birmingham Rep, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Salisbury Playhouse, the Watermill Theatre, Newbury, and with Sir Alan Ayckbourn at Scarborough.
His most recent theatre credits include The Way of the World at Chichester Festival Theatre, Travesties, The Importance of Being Earnest at Birmingham Rep, After The Dance at the NT, The Secret Garden and The Wizard of Oz at both Birmingham Rep and the West Yorkshire Playhouse.
On television he has been seen in the last series of Foyle’s War on ITV, the acclaimed Stuart: a Life Backwards and Stephen Poliakoff’s Friends and Crocodiles, both for the BBC.
As a teacher Giles works as a Shakespeare Consultant both for drama schools and individual productions – most recently for the West Yorkshire Playhouse’s production of As You Like It, the Manchester Royal Exchange’s production of The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare’s Globe on their 2008 tour of Romeo and Juliet, and for the Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park’s recent productions of Pericles, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet. He also teaches regularly at The Actors’ Centre, is an Associate Artiste of the National Youth Theatre, and is regularly involved as an actor, director, writer and dramaturg with Scene and Heard, a mentoring project for inner-city kids, which won the Queen’s Award in 2011.
Richard Teverson: Guest teacher
Richard works as an actor, voiceover artist, teacher and skills coach in business. As an actor he will soon be seen in the new BBC production of Upstairs Downstairs as Esmond Harmsworth with further television credits including Poirot, The Project, Dogtown, The Roman Mysteries and Balderdash & Piffle. On film he played Cousin Jasper in the Miramax film of Brideshead Revisited. On stage Richard has recently appeared at the National Theatre in Thea Sharrock’s acclaimed production of Terence Rattigan’s After The Dance and has also worked in the West End in The 39 Steps as Richard Hannay, The Lion King as Scar, A Woman Of No Importance and When Harry Met Sally. Other theatre credits are Private Lives, Tons Of Money, Hobsons’ Choice (all at Southwold), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Creation Theatre), The Singing Group (Chelsea Theatre) and Kenneth Williams in Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick (New Vic).
Harriet Thorpe: Acting (through song)
Harriet has been a very well know actress for many years performing with TV shows like: ‘Absolutely Fabulous’, Victoria Wood Christmas Special, ‘Doctors’, ‘Midsummer Murders’ to name but a few. Her stage credits, amongst many, have included: ‘Wicked’ in West End’, ‘Mama Mia’ in West End and ‘Sweeney Todd’ and her film credits are numerous including ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Calendar Girls’ and ‘City Slicker’.
Nikki Woollaston: ASSISTANT TO HEAD OF JAZZ
Nikki is Assistant to the Head of Jazz at Millennium Performing Arts.
Choreographic and Musical Staging credits include Madam Butterfly and Tosca (Grange Park Opera) Backbeat (Citizens Theatre Glasgow) Oklahoma! (Chichester Festival Theatre) Wuthering Heights for Tamasha Theatre Company (Lyric Hammersmith) Marguerite (Haymarket Theatre, London and Japan), Kismet (English National Opera) The King And I (UK Tour), Nymph Errant (Minerva Theatre, Chichester), The Vivien Ellis Awards (Her Majesty’s Theatre London), and Dick Whittington, Cinderella, Alladin and Jack and The Beanstalk (Watford Palace)
As Associate and Resident Choreographer her credits include Oliver (London Palladium), Cats (New London Theatre). Anything Goes (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and Royal National Theatre) On The Town (English National Opera and Chatelet Paris) Sinatra (London Palladium and UK Tour). Nikki also worked as part of the choreographic team on the Commonwealth Games, Manchester 2002 for both the opening and closing ceremonies.