The Place

Natalie Aldridge-Dickmann - Ballet Teacher
Natalie trained at Arts Educational School. Graduating in 1994 Natalie began her career touring with London Contemporary Dance School Performance Group. She has danced for Scottish Dance Theatre, under directorship of Neville Campbell and Retina Dance Company. Natalie also works as a rehearsal director and worked with Neville Campbell at Dance City in Newcastle in 2006 for the Great North Run Dance Project. She teaches ballet and contemporary at First Dance Studios in Woking, and also teaches company ballet classes for Tavaziva Dance Company. Alongside teaching for CAT, Natalie will be and will be Tavaziva's Rehearsal Director this autumn.

Denzil Bailey - Ballet Teacher
Denzil trained as a professional ballet dancer at the West Street Ballet School in London. After a successful career dancing with London Festival Ballet and English National Ballet he expanded on his classical foundations dancing in contemporary companies including Mark Baldwin Dance Company and Souls In Motion, as well as working in television, musical theatre and opera. He is a founder member of Ballet Black and Sheron Wrey's Jazz Xchange and is now a well-respected dance teacher throughout the UK and Europe.

Raymond Chai - Ballet Teacher
Born in Malaysia, Raymond has worked in television, musical theatre and classical ballet. He danced with the National Ballet of Portugal and in musical theatre productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company; the London Palladium; Royal National Theatre and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, as well as in Stuttgart, Hamburg and Zurich. His credits for German television include Tatort and Zorc and he choreographed for the UK television show, Auf Wiedersehen Pet for the BBC.  Raymond's other choreographic commissions include working for Ballet Black (Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House), the National Ballet of Portugal; Hong Kong Ballet; Sommer Tanz Fest (Switzerland); Staatstheater Karlsruhe, East London Dance(Stratford Circus), Artelier at the Music Room and The BrideWell Theatre and the King's Head Theatre in London. Raymond has been guest teacher for Matthew Bourne's New Adventures; Richard Alston Dance Company; Hong Kong Ballet; Akram Khan and The National Ballet of China; Ballett de Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe; Ballett de Niedersachsische Staatstheater Hanover; National Ballet of Portugal; Singapore Dance Theatre; English National Ballet; Rambert Dance Company and Random Dance. He teaches Professional Ballet at DanceWorks in London and is the Chief Ballet Master for Ballet Black. He is also currently a Ballet Lecturer at the London Contemporary Dance School.

Vicky Evans - CAT coordinator
Vicky trained at London Contemporary Dance School where she gained a BA (Hons).  Vicky was a dancer with Matthew Bourne's AMP/New Adventures from 1995-2008, creating roles and performing in Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Car Man, Nutcracker! and Edward Scissorhands.  She also performed in the film versions of Swan Lake, The Car Man and Nutcracker!  Vicky was Resident Artistic Director for Swan Lake from 2005 to 2007.  Vicky has also performed with many other small scale companies: Richard Lord, (Duets for Small Spaces) English National Opera, Carlson Dance Company, Blow and Three, by Isabel Mortimer, Phoenix Dance Company, Dance City (Toutes Femmes).  Vicky has also been teaching professionally for over 15 years for LCDS, Laban, Central School of Ballet, ENBS, The Place, GDA, and was a founder member and workshop leader for Re:Bourne. 

Alison Gee - CAT Programme Manager
Alison began her training at a young age with Barbara Johnston's Stage School in Birkenhead, competing at champions level in many dance competitions across the North West.  Alison was presented the award for Most Promising Young Choreographer at just 17, before moving to London to begin her professional training.  After graduating with a BA (Hons) in Dance Theatre from Laban in 2000, Alison worked professionally as a dancer and freelance teacher.  She was a principal teacher of performing arts and assistant manager at Tramshed Performing Arts Centre (2002-06) were she founded youth dance company TYDC.  Alison's interest in youth dance developed as she initiated Signature Youth Dance Platform at the Bob Hope Theatre in Eltham (2004).  Alison most recently graduated top of her class when she gained her PGCE Dance Teacher at the Royal Academy of Dance (2008).  She has balanced her artistic roles with a number of executive level administrative engagements including contracts at Central St Martins and BP.

Nicky Ellis - Contemporary Teacher & Osteopath
Nicky trained at the Arts Educational School, Tring and London Contemporary Dance School. She has worked as a dancer with many contemporary choreographers including Aletta Collins, Laurie Booth, Charles Linehan, Jasmin Vardimon and in BBC2's Dance for Camera series for choreographer Carol Brown. In addition to being the Osteopath and anatomy lecturer at London Contemporary Dance School, she collaborates with C.A.T schemes around the U.K and has her own private practice. Nicky also teaches contemporary dance at English National Ballet School, The Royal Ballet School and Central Scool of Ballet.

Lucy Field
Lucy began her dance training at a young age in Stratford-upon-Avon which won her a Dance and Drama Award to attend Laban's Dance Theatre course. On graduating with a BA (Hons) in 2002 she began her career in teaching with Wise Moves Dance Company with whom she taught nationally. In 2004, Lucy became Dance Artist in Residence at DanceXchange, Birmingham Hippodrome, where she was awarded Arts Council funding for her own dance company, TurbulanceDance. While Lucy manages and teaches on the CAT programme, she also directs her own company.

Phil Hill - Contemporary Teacher
Phil trained at Northern School of Contemporary Dance and has danced for a wide variety of companies including: Protein (Big Sale), Richard Lord (Duets For Small Spaces), Adventures in Motion Pictures (Cinderella, Swan Lake, Highland Fling and Nutcracker), Lloyd Newson (Mazzeppa and Ariodante), Aletta Collins (Carmen), Alistair Fish, V-tol (32 Feet per Second per Second and Dansproduktie on Space, Colour & Stamina). He has worked as choreographer on the operas Fantastic Mr Fox in, Los Angeles and A Beggars Opera in Strasbourg.  He has taught classes, workshops and run projects for over twenty years, working with ages 5-80 and on all levels. His teaching work has taken him to Belgium, Germany, Italy, France and Sweden. He has choreographed on many youth groups, and worked choreographically with A-level and degree students. Phil bases his workshops around the strength-building elements of contact improvisation and builds work within the group, using it as a foundation for building confidence in performance with an emphasis on dynamics and character. Phil bases his classes around the strength-building elements of Graham and Cunningham techniques, using them as a foundation for building confidence in performance with an emphasis on fluidity and dynamics.

Rebecca Jackson - Ballet Teacher
Rebecca Jackson trained at the Susan Robinson School of Ballet and the Royal Ballet School where she gained her teaching qualifications.  She danced with Theater Hof in Germany as a Soloist, performing in various ballets including, Giselle, Death and the Maiden and Midsummer Nights Dream.  On returning back to London, Rebecca then toured Japan with Adam Cooper's On your Toes and Singin' in the Rain at Sadlers Wells.  She has also worked with William Tuckett on The Soldiers Tale and One Touch of Venus.   In 2005 Rebecca performed in Matthew Bournes Swan Lake European and World Tours.  She is currently teaching Ballet at Bird College and also runs her own pre-school dance classes "Ballet Tots". Rebecca is very excited to be part of the CAT team.

Abigail Kessel Massei - Contemporary Teacher
Abi trained at Central School of Ballet touring nationally with Ballet Central during her last year. She then danced with The Isreali National Ballet Company, The Stadtheatre St. Gallen in Switzerland and apprenticed with Grupo Corpo in Brazil. She lived in Argentina performing with Contact Images in Buenos Aires, and also studied Argentinian Tango. In Spain she devised and performed work with Grupo Botanico and taught Ballet, Contact Improvisation, Choreographic workshops and Yoga. Since returning to London she has performed Tango at The Royal Opera House and other venues. More recently she has been working in various collaborative projects which include performing with Material Sequence in Resolution! 2009, Rohampton, and at The Round House in Camden. She teaches at The Place for the C.A.T programme, for the Adult Classes and Courses, at The Arts Educational School London and also freelances. She has also trained and practices as a Yoga teacher, Shiatsu Therapist and Energy Healer.

Vanessa Lefrançois - Director of Recreational and Prevocational Dance
Vanessa trained at Laine Theatre Arts, and later at London Contemporary Dance School where she was awarded a scholarship to study at the Alvin Ailey School in New York.  She later returned to her studies and received a BA(Hons) Degree in Arts Practice and Cultural Policy from Coventry University. Vanessa has taught a range of dance styles to professionals, amateurs and children and was director of Stage Craft Dance School 1990-1992.  Vanessa went on to work as a professional dancer for contemporary, classical and physical theatre dance companies including: Second Stride, Royal Opera and Compagnia Guarnera Guy. In 1995, she created contemporary dance company Jumpstart and was subsequently appointed a Resident Artist at The Place. She has since worked as a freelance choreographer and director with international companies including: E.N.O, Chichester Festival, Strasbourg, Montpellier, Tel Aviv, Antwerp, Turin, Scottish Opera, W.N.O, and Glyndebourne Festival Opera.  She has directed and choreographed numerous community and youth performance projects working for Bermuda's International Festival, Sheffield Children's Festival, Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Birmingham Conservatoire and youth dance companies in the South East.  For Opera North, Jumpstart dance company and City of Birmingham Touring Opera she has devised and delivered, outreach, education and audience development projects.

Sarah Miller - Contemporary Teacher
Sarah began dancing at The Young Place at the age of 4, and went on to work with Youth (now Shift). Sarah trained at London Contemporary Dance School, graduating in 2003 with a First Class Honours Degree. She is currently teaching on the Young Dancers Saturday Programme at The Place, and at primary schools in Camden and Hackney. Sarah has worked with Russell Maliphant, Jan de Schynkel and Martin Lawrance and Marguerite Caruana Galizia. She is currently participating in research work with Sarah Blanc and Moxie Brawl

Etta Murfitt - Contemporary Teacher
Etta had danced with Matthew Bourne's companies AMP and New Adventures for over 18 years .She has created many roles in Bourne;s work including Clara In"Nutcracker",Rita in"The Car  Man" and Peg Boggs In Edward Scissorhands. She  currently also serves as Artistic Associate and Associate Director for all the companies productions.Her class draws on elements of Limón and Cunningham techniques  with a particular emphasis on developing a strong sense of performance within dynamic movement sequences.

Pari Naderi - Choreographer
Pari Naderi completed a BA Hons degree at Roehampton University followed by a two year course in contemporary dance and choreography at London Contemporary Dance School graduating in 1996. Since then she has danced with Charles Linehan, Javier De Frutos, Gary Lambert and Richard Alston. Most recently she has been working with Snag. Pari is a professional freelance photographer. Pari joined Siobhan Davies Dance in June 2003.

Anh Ngoc Nguyen - Contemporary Teacher
Anh Ngoc Nguyen was born in Hanoi, Vietnam, where he trained in classical ballet at the Vietnamese Dance College before graduating with an honours distinction in 1998. Winning a full scholarship at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts, he then went on to work with the Vietnamese Opera Theatre, Hong Kong/New York Dance Company, Les Ballets Persans, Wayne McGregor | Random Dance and Phoenix Dance Theatre, returning to Wayne McGregor| Random Dance in 2008. He has won third prize in the Vietnamese National Dance Competition in 2002 and the New British Choreography Bonnie Bird Award in 2005 as well as the Spotlight Award of the Critics' Circle dance Awards, in 2008. Anh has choreographed Nocturne, Site Specific, Forgotten Child, Harvest, (The Rite of Spring), (ZO), Two bye Two and Shadow (commissioned By The Arts Council England and ROH2). His work reached the semi-final at The Place Prize in 2006 and has been presented at The British Creative Exchange Exhibition, Union Dance, Doreen Bird College, CAT (Center Advance Training). He was one of the assistants for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Fina 13th World Championship ROME09  and collaborated with LIU QI of QuangDong Modern Dance for DANCE NOW at Sadler's Wells in 2008. In addition, Anh is a qualified fitness instructor and teaches widely in the UK and internationally. Anh is delighted to be part of CAT team from Sept 2009.