Our Teachers
We have a small faculty of teachers who are all very well qualified and all wonderful at interacting with our students. We are very grateful to them for all of their hard work.
We are lucky that we have so many parents who do endless jobs to help support the school and its events. We thank Sandra Hopkins who continues to make our beautiful costumes and also the Central Studio Staff for their continuing kindness, support and hard work. NHAD are so lucky that we are supported by so many on so many levels. Our school is what it is because of all of these people.
Kelly Hopkins
Principal
As a younger student Kelly trained under Susanne Amos going on to study at The Royal Ballet School and Elmhurst Ballet School. After spending a summer with The National Ballet of Canada, Kelly then went on to professional performing arts colleges London Studio Centre and Laine Theatre Arts. Kelly performed in many professional productions at some of the country’s largest theatres.
Kelly completed her teaching qualifications at The Royal Academy of Dance and Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and took over at NHAD in 2000. Kelly has taken NHAD from a small local school to an extremely successful academy of over 250 students. Kelly has taught at many professional schools and was Head of Ballet at Sylvia Young Theatre School for five years. Kelly is an adjudicator with the British and International Federation of Festivals and in 2015 became an adjudicator for the All England Dance Competition.
Katy Richards
Vice Principal
Katy trained from a young age, competing and performing in professional productions. On completing her vocational ballet, modern and tap exams at NHAD she went on to study for her Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies at The Royal Academy of Dance and her Diploma in Dance Education with The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing in tap and modern. She has also completed her teaching certification with Acrobatic Arts and Progressing Ballet Technique, and is a licenced Silver Swans teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance.
Katy has been teaching for NHAD since 2008 and has been Vice Principal since 2019.
Ellie Chapman
Teacher
Ellie trained locally until the age of 13 when she began her full time vocational training at Redroofs Theatre School. She then successfully auditioned for the Dance Course at Tring Park where she had the opportunity to be trained by some of the leading members of the ballet and dance world. Her professional training continued at the Urdang Academy where she studied a range of dance styles, singing and acting. From a young age she worked professionally in theatre, TV and film.
Ellie has received her teaching certification with Acrobatic Arts and has recently completed her Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies with the Royal Academy of Dance. She is currently training for her Diploma in Dance Education in tap and modern with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.
Rosie Barnard and Sophia Thorogood
Teachers & Choreographers
Rosie started her dancing training at NHAD when she was 3 years old, working all the way from Pre-Primary to Advanced 2 level. She loved competing in local festivals and was lucky enough to qualify for the AED regional and national finals and to represent England in the Dance World Cup. Rosie also took part in 7 professional pantomimes as a child which was the highlight of her Christmas’!
After NHAD she went on to Performers College where she gained a BA (Hons) Degree in Musical Theatre & Dance. Alongside this, she studied for her ISTD DDE in Modern Theatre & Tap, where she is now fully qualified. Whilst in training, Rosie filmed a scene for the ‘Better Man’ film, due to be released 25th December 2024.
Straight from Performers, Rosie travelled to Disneyland Paris for her first professional contract. She danced in the parades and made friends with lots of our favourite characters! Rosie is going back to Disneyland in June 2024.
Rosie loves teaching at NHAD and is very excited to see the students progress.
Sophia started dancing when she was 3 and completed her childhood training at NHAD achieving all of her advanced 2 qualifications. During this time, Sophia loved to compete in festivals and is a previous two times winner at All England Finals. Her professional training was at Laine Theatre Arts where she attained her Level 6 Diploma in Musical Theatre. Prior to this she gained valuable skills through her training at London Studio Centre on their Saturday Associate Programme for 4 years.
Since graduating, Sophia has worked in many different areas of the industry.
Her credits include; Dancer for The Time Frequency (Braehead Arena – concert), Dancer in Christmas Drillings Music Video (The Sidemen ft. KSI), Performer for The Masked Singer (ITV Productions), Featured Dancer and Swing for many contracts with Merlin Entertainments and she has also performed in numerous pantos, for companies such as Evolution Productions and KD Productions, in shows like Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella and many others! Most recently, as dance captain on The Wizard of Oz.
Alongside performing, and of course teaching, Sophia is an agent at LJT Talent Management successfully representing professional clients and finding them their dream jobs within the industry!
CJ Thorogood
Choreographer
Originally from Essex and trained at the South East Theatre School. Winner of the All England Dance Senior Song and Dance Finals, before embarking on a career within Musical Theatre. Worked in the UK, USA and throughout Europe as Dance Captain, Chorus and Understudy on various musicals including; Barnum, Oklahoma, Annie Get Your Gun, Best of Broadway - (inc, Sweet Charity, Grease, Fame, Singing in the Rain, Jesus Christ Superstar), Scala Theatre, The Musicals of Broadway - (inc, West Side Story, Cats, Chorus Line, 42nd Street, Me & My Girl, Hair). Other productions include Dance Captain and Understudy on various pantomimes (inc, Sleeping Beauty, Mother Goose, Wizard of Oz, Cinderella).
Previous teaching includes: RAD – Baby ballet to Intermediate, ISTD Modern, Primary to Intermediate, ISTD Tap – Primary to Advanced 1, Performance Coaching and Choreography.
Mukeni Nel
Guest Teacher
Mukeni Nel trained at a dance school in Winchester up until the age of 16, during the time training in Winchester he also was part of English Youth Ballet, London Children’s Ballet and went up to Covent Garden every Saturday for the Royal Ballet School Senior Associates. At 16 he went to full time boarding school at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts for two years then trained at The Urdang Academy for three years. During his graduate year he secured a job in the recent International tour of Cats the musical playing Bill Bailey and understudying Mistoffelees. As well as Cats he’s done an array of music videos for artists such as Jasmine Thompson and Oscar Jerome.
Danielle Cato
Guest Teacher
Danielle Cato began her training at The Renton Dance Studio.
She went on to train at The Royal Ballet School age 11 having been a Junior Associate of The Royal Ballet School aged 8-11. She performed with the Royal Ballet Company in Beatrix Potter, The Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet.
At 16 she successfully auditioned for the Royal Ballet Upper School but due to injury had to leave after one year and continued her training at Laine Theatre Arts where she joined in the second year. Upon graduating Danielle got her first West End job at 19 years old playing the leading lady, Iris Kelly in Fame the musical.
Following that she has had a successful 14 year career in shows such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, We Will Rock You, Grease, Vampirette, West Side Story, Cats, Carousel, 42nd Street. Danielle was hand picked by Dame Gillian Lynne to dance as Cassandra from Cats at the re-naming of the New London Theatre.
TV work includes being finalist on BBC1 So You Think You Can Dance, The Olivier Awards, This Morning, Train to Gain advert. Danielle is still very much performing as a professional dancer and loves to teach and coach when she isn’t contracted in a show.
Amélie Cohen
Student Teacher
Amélie has been dancing at NHAD for 12 years. In that time she has seen great success as part of the NHAD competition team taking part in The All England Dance Finals, ISTD Janet Cram Awards and has been selected as a soloist for Team England at the Dance World Cup 2020 in Rome. Amélie is worked to Advanced 1/2 level whilst at NHAD and has received high distinctions for all of her exams. She has been cast in professional pantomimes for the last ten years and in recent years has been given the opportunity to dance as a senior dancer at the Hexagon, Reading. She has trained with Stage Box and in 2020 was chosen to dance at the Move It dance convention. Amélie also trained on the associate course at Performers College. She is currently in her 2nd year at Laine Theatre Arts.
Abi Ford
Class Assistant
Abi has been a student at NHAD from an early age and is currently studying for her intermediate exams in ballet, tap and modern. Abi helps with our pre-school, pre-primary and primary classes in order to provide an example and support our younger students.