Principle

Mrs Vivienne Kibble

Vivienne trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dance before coming to the Midlands where she was a freelance teacher and set up her own school.
Having taken a short break when raising her 3 boys she became joint principal of LWAD in 1999 and now runs both LWAD and PTW with her husband Gavin.
She specialises in teaching the senior Ballet, Tap and Teacher Training courses.

“ I am and always will be a creative person, constantly looking for innovative ways to enhance training and to develop students so they reach their full potential. I love the team I work with and seek to create an encouraging and motivating environment for all who come to the school.”

Julia Parra

Teacher

Julia trained at the Arts Educational School in London; one of the best UK vocational schools.

On graduating she worked professionally for ten years both in the UK and later Australia. In 2009, she moved back to the UK with her family and has been with LWAD ever since.

Hannah Hampson

Head of Tap & National

Hannah trained from the age of 2 at The Dance Consortium in Kent. There she achieved her Advanced Level Grades in Ballet, Modern, Tap and National. She also regularly competed and won at the All England Finals.

At age 9 Hannah won the role of Young Cosette in Les Miserables in London’s West End which sparked her live of musicals and she has since appeared in or choreographed many shows including Fame, Singing in the Rain, Legally Blonde, Cats and Oklahoma.

Hannah joined LWAD in 2017, she loves getting to know the children and seeing them develop and progress. Hannah specialises in Tap and National, although she enjoys teaching every genre. She is also a keen choreographer and enjoys creating new dances for shows, competitions and our trips to Disneyland Paris.

Belinda Stephen

School Administrator

As the Academy’s administrator, I am “the email lady” here to help you, keeping you informed on dance activities and responding to any queries you have about LWAD and PTW ballet school.

A long time ago my dance training was at Bush Davies Theatre School and my first job at London Contemporary Dance. For 14 years I taught dance for LWAD and PTW but now only work part time in the office.

No question is a daft one so don’t hesitate to contact me

Sarah Chislett

Teacher

Sarah completed her Dance Teacher training at The Royal Academy of Dance in London and on graduating she taught and performed in Scandinavia for 3 years. When back in the UK Sarah freelanced in London and surrounding areas.
She relocated to Warwickshire where she started her own successful dance school – taking a break when her children were young .
She then joined the LWAD team in 2016 where she teaches Classical ballet and tap at LWAD and PTW.

“In my classes I offer support and encouragement to students so they can realise their full potential and enjoy their learning , wherever they are on their dance journey” “It is rewarding to be on the LWAD and PTW team where we aim for the highest standards and success.”

Taryn Nabi

Teacher

Miss Taryn grew up in Wolverhampton and trained in The Royal Academy of Dance and The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. Throughout her career she’s had the wonderful privilege to dance with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, in Coppélia & The Nutcracker to name a few. Her favourite performance, being Les Noces, performing as one of the bridesmaids, where her passion, for ballet grew. Taryn has been in the wonderful position to work for the last 26 years as a Dance Teacher. She feels very honoured to be part of the LWAD & Point The Way Ballet School Team.

Helena Mitchell

Teacher

As a child Helena did exams in RAD and ISTD and then trained professionally at Trinity Laban studying Ballet and contemporary dance. She is a fully qualified RAD and ISTD teacher and has been a teacher across the Midlands for over a decade.

As well as working at Pointe the way Helena runs her own classes focusing on her love of teaching adults.

“I believe that there are benefits to be found through dance for everyone, whether that’s promoting a healthier lifestyle, meeting new friends or boosting your confidence and mental wellbeing.”

Ruth Dutch

Teacher

Ruth studied dance at Chichester University.

During the course she was able to work alongside Akram Khan Company, StopGAP Dance Company and Motionhouse Dance Theatre. She has since taught ballet and contemporary classes in a variety of settings for all ages. She currently teaches dance at Rugby College for their Performing Arts course. Ruth teaches our 1 year GCSE course. The results from the 2022 class were outstanding with 5 students achieving grade 8 or 9.

Chantell Gardener

Teacher

Sarah Dennis

Teacher

Sarah trained with the RAD in London and has completed a dance teaching qualification with BBO Dance.

Laura Englert

Teacher

Laura has danced all her life. Whilst living and working in London she attended The Urdang Academy and regularly attended Classes at Pineapple Studios & London Contemporary. Her first job was actually in Film, working for Walt Disney & 20th Century Fox. This carried through for many years, before working at The Museum of the Moving Image/National Film Theatre.

After moving to America, Laura became a Dance/Acrobatic Counsellor at Camp America, before returning to the UK where she performed as an Acrobat with two Circuses.
Following this she then performed as an Acrobat in a ‘Charlie Chaplin’ Act in Covent Garden’s Piazza.

Elli Gear

Miss Elli trained at East 15 Acting School, where she studied physical theatre which is a huge passion for hers. Shortly after graduating she went to Italy to teach drama and English. Miss Elli has worked with flabbergast theatre company performing at the Wilton’s music hall in london on Macbeth, She has also worked with imagineer productions on many different projects her favourite being Milesians where she was a aerialist working alongside circolombia. Miss Elli teaches Dance and drama across Warwickshire and loves teaching for LWAD, she loves sharing her love for dance and drama onto the students, she looks forward to seeing the students thrive in this year’s show they have worked so hard.

Jess Parra

Teaching Assistant

Hi my name’s Jess and I assist on a Saturday at Southam. I have been dancing at LWAD since the age of 2. I love dancing and hope to continue into a career as a performer and a dance teacher.

Kate Dorsett

Teaching assistant

Emily Cleverley

Teaching assistant

“Hi, my name is Emily. I’ve been dancing at LWAD since I was 3 years old. I love performing in the shows and competing in competitions. This is my first year assisting and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Sylvie Adams

Teaching assistant

“Hi, my name is Sylvie and I first started dancing with LWAD when I was in pre-school! I love all styles of dance and I’m really happy to be assisting with classes on a Saturday.”

Isobel Galloway

Teaching Assistant

“Hi, I’m Izzy and I have been dancing at LWAD since I was 4. I started assisting around Christmas 2022 and I have already met many amazing young dancers. I enjoy giving students the starting steps they need to move forwards in their dancing.”

Eva Lock

Teaching assistant

Freya Chislett

Teaching assistant

“Hi my name is Freya and I have been dancing with LWAD since I was 5. I’ve recently started helping with Miss Viv’s classes and I’m already loving it. I can’t wait for my future in the dance world!”

Lydia Fox

Teaching assistant