Emily Hepworth

Principal

ISTD DDE
Emily trained at The Centre Performing Arts College in London under the direction of Karen King, graduating with the ISTD Diploma in Dance Education (DDE) teaching qualifications in Ballet, Tap and Modern. Following graduation, she taught extensively at dance schools across Surrey and Kent, achieving a 100% examination pass rate for all students entered for ISTD examinations.

Emily was also a valued member of the Dance First teaching faculty for over seven years, teaching Modern, Tap and Jazz, before proudly taking over as Principal. She has now led Dance First for the past 10 years, continuing to develop the school with a strong focus on high-quality teaching, nurturing every student's potential, and creating a welcoming environment where dancers can thrive.

In addition to her dance qualifications, Emily is a fully qualified Pilates instructor and holds an Alixa Flexibility certification, enabling her to support dancers in developing strength, flexibility, and safe dance practice.

Alexandra Gravett

School Administrator

Alexandra is our first point of contact at the school and a vital member of the team. Dealing with enquiries regarding classes, timetables, class trials, uniform and invoicing, Alexandra is there to help. 

Annabelle Mannix

Head of Ballet

RAD RTS
Annabelle trained at Doreen Bird College and graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in dance and theatre performance. Whilst at college, she toured with Bird Theatre Company, gaining experience both on-stage, as a performer and dance captain, and off-stage as a stage manager. After graduation, Annabelle worked with a number of emerging contemporary choreographers on new performance pieces in a variety of genres. Annabelle has taught dance for the past 20 years and was previously deputy head and acting head of an established dance school based in Surrey. Throughout this time, Annabelle has taught ballet, tap, modern, jazz and contemporary to students at both local dance schools and vocational schools. More recently Annabelle was invited to be on the Board of Trustees for the ISTD, a position she held for three years, and is now a registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance.

Michelle Bigland

Head of Early Years

BBO Level 4
Michelle began dancing as a young child at her local dance school, alongside additional training at Arts Umbrella Dance. By the age of fourteen, her dedication and talent had earned her an offer of a place with the National Ballet of Canada in Toronto.

Missing the West Coast, Michelle eventually returned to Vancouver to continue developing her professional career. During this time, she had the opportunity to work alongside and learn from renowned professional dancers and choreographers including Joe Laughlin, Suzanne Ouellette, Reid Anderson, Earl Kraul and Beverley Bagg.

In 2007, Michelle moved to London, where she was given the opportunity to work with West London School of Dance. This experience inspired her to focus her career on dance education, leading her to gain her teaching certification through the British Ballet Organization.

Alongside teaching, Michelle volunteered with The Du Boisson Dance Foundation, the charitable partner of West London School of Dance, where she enjoyed working with and supporting young children through dance.

After leaving London and moving to Surrey, Michelle continued to teach dance while also pursuing a career in Early Years education. She completed her Early Years Educator qualification with Distinction, combining her passion for dance with her enthusiasm for supporting young children in their development and learning.

Chloe Roberts

Festival Co-Ordinator

ISTD DDE
Chloe trained at the Institute of Contemporary Theatre, gaining a BA(Hons) in Performing Arts, before completing her DDE (Diploma in Dance Education) under Cathy Stevens at DanceTeachersinc. She is now a fully qualified ISTD Modern and Tap teacher.

Chloe discovered her passion for teaching at a young age and has taught and choreographed across Essex and Surrey. She currently teaches at a musical theatre school, where she co-directs, choreographs and co-produces shows and events. She also teaches Tap at BN1 Arts, a vocational college in Brighton for students aged 16–18 hoping to enter the industry.

Alongside teaching, Chloe enjoys performing in local theatre and has worked on stage and creatively, choreographing productions including Parade, Guys and Dolls and Frozen for ESPA Productions and Epsom Players.

Chloe is proud to have seen the Dance First Festival team grow from the beginning to All England Finals. She can't wait to see how much further the team can go and continue choreographing for such wonderful students.

Orla Gledhill

Ballet Teacher

BA (Hons) RAD LRAD RTS
Orla trained at the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) in London. She graduated in 2023 with a BA (Hons) in Ballet Education. Alongside this she also completed her Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance (LRAD). She is now a fully qualified and registered teacher with the RAD.  

Before beginning her degree in teaching she grew up training and completing exams in multiple genres of dance including ballet, tap, modern, jazz, contemporary and musical theatre. As well as performing in many shows with her dance school she was lucky enough to perform in professional pantomime for 5 Christmas seasons.

Orla is excited to be teaching the students at Dance First and sharing with the pupils her love of dance and performing!

Victoria Gray

Ballet Teacher

Victoria has been dancing since the age of 3 and has a lifelong love and passion for ballet. Having grown up training and studying the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus, ballet has always been a central part of her journey, and she is delighted to now share this passion with her own students.

Victoria is currently undertaking her Certificate in Dance Teaching Studies (CDTS) with the Royal Academy of Dance to further develop her knowledge and teaching practice, and to ensure she can provide her students with the highest standard of RAD training while continuing to grow as a teacher herself. Alongside her teaching, she has enjoyed competing in dance competitions across the country, achieving National Champion in Advanced Ballet in 2023 and Runner-Up in 2024.

Victoria is passionate about helping every dancer develop their confidence, technique and individuality, whilst nurturing a genuine love and appreciation for ballet. She believes that dance should be both challenging and inspiring, and loves creating a positive and encouraging environment where students can flourish.

Kessia Hadfield-Walker

Acro Teacher

Biog coming soon…

FISTD, ARAD, BA (Hons.), QTS, Adjudicator BIFF & AED

Jodie teaches full time at the BRIT School and also manages a vibrant freelance portfolio teaching young dancers, students and coaching aspiring professionals. Jodie mentors teachers and delights in being a small part of their journey to enhancing their skills. Jodie offers a breadth of knowledge and experience in the Dance sector. Trained at Bird College under the leadership of Doreen Bird she travelled the world with a diverse performing career. Benefiting from the Dance Teacher mentoring programme from One Dance UK in 2014 she has continued her exploration into the art of dance teaching and continually strives to develop her practice. Jodie has proven success in technical advancement and artistic development teaching at a variety of vocational schools. Jodie is enthusiastic about partnerships and has experience in curriculum design and implementation. With vision for future growth and encouragement for others, she is passionate about developing the whole person and exploring motivation.