TEACHERS & STAFF

Jacqueline started her early training in her home town St Austell, Cornwall at the Capitol School of Dancing before studying at a full time vocational school at the age of 14 with Mrs Patricia Smith at the Cardigan School of Dancing, South Wales. Jacqueline furthered her training in the heart of London’s West End from the age of 16 at the Urdang Academy, Covent Garden gaining a Diploma in Musical Theatre.

Jacqueline has travelled the world as a professional singer, dancer, examiner and choreographer and has worked extensively for a number of awarding bodies. Jacqueline has taught at many Independent schools teaching many styles of dance and LAMDA Drama grades. 

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Jacqueline has been a Chairman for several volunteer dance groups and causes and most recently Chairs the Gravesham Performing Arts Festival committee in North West Kent. 

Jacqueline recognising that the dance sector was due to become subject to more stringent regulations from the government has worked studiously to gain a wide range of skills and accreditations including her BTDA Level 4 Diploma in Theatre Dance in Classical Ballet & Modern Jazz and the ISTD Certificate in Dance Education in Imperial Ballet, Tap Dance, Modern Theatre and Disco Freestyle. In 2005 Jacqueline became an approved Tutor at Goodman Dance Centre for the FDI & CDE Qualifications with the ISTD and in October 2008 Jacqueline gained her DTLLS through the BBO & Trinity College. Jacqueline holds Fellowships with the ISTD, IDTA & BTDA and is a Registered teacher with the RAD.

Jacqueline has a vast experience in Teacher Training and has tutored and successfully coached many new aspiring teachers on Ofqual accredited courses.

Sophies parents founded one of Europe’s oldest management agencies in the 1960’s and have managed many of the most prominent Opera Singers, Conductors and Producers of the last half a century. Her brother now continues this legacy.

Sophies childhood was spent watching artists in a vast array of locations such as The Royal Opera House Covent Garden, London’s West End Theatres, Abbey Road Recording Studios and Pinewood Film Studio.

Her stage debut was at The Royal Opera House at the age of 9. Sophie has developed her knowledge by being very privileged to have grown up amongst and being surrounded by artists such as her God Parents - Opera Singers Placido Domingo and Martina Arroyo, composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, film directors Franco Zeffirelli and Irvin Kershner and lyricists Sammy Cahn and Alan Jay Lerner who wrote the musical My Fair Lady.  

Sophie studied music at The London College of Music where she gained her professional qualifications LLCM and ALCM before completing her post graduate course in Opera Studies at Trinity College of Music.

Sophies Classical Singing Studies included tutorage and guidance with the renowned English opera singers Margaret Hyde, Pamela Bowden and Wendy Ethorne.

For Performing Arts Sophie was tutored and mentored by Mary Hammond who works with not only cast performers in London’s West End shows such as Les Miserables, Mamma Mia and Billy Elliot but also with contemporary artists such as Coldplay, Dido, Kaiser Chiefs, Katherine Jenkins and The Saturdays.

Sophie is married to a professional musician and has a son who has begun his own musical journey through being a chorister at Rochester Cathedral, gaining a place to study at the Royal Academy of Music and being awarded a place as a trombone player in the National Childrens Orchestra in 2016. Our son was 'crowned' BBC Chorister of the Year in October 2016