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.
Rosie Barnard
Teacher, Choreographer & Admin
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.
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 January 2025.
Straight from Performers, Rosie travelled to Disneyland Paris for her first professional contract. Shen then returned the following year for another contract. She still works with Disney on some of their exciting events outside of Paris!
Rosie is now also fully qualified with the RAD and loves teaching at NHAD. She is very excited to see the students progress.
Amélie Cohen
Teacher
Amélie danced at NHAD for 12 years. In that time she saw some 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 worked to Advanced 1/2 level whilst at NHAD and 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.
Orlaith C, Henry A, Ruby G & Maddie W
Class Assistants
Our assistants have all been students at NHAD from an early age and are all currently studying for their Intermediate & Advanced 1 exams in Ballet, Modern and Tap.
We are very lucky to have these senior students provide an amazing example and give endless support in our younger Ballet, Modern, Tap & Acro classes.
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.