Meet the Teachers

KATIE ROBERTS ~ Joint Principal And Teacher.

I started taking dancing lessons at the age of 2 and have never looked back. My passion for dance grew and grew over time and from a very young age I had decided my dream was to be a dance teacher and one day have my own school. At the age of 16 I decided to follow this dream fully, I auditioned for Pattison’s Theatre Arts 3 year musical theatre course where I not only got a place but a scholarship too. Here, as well as performing in lots of shows, cabarets, events and pantomines I took and passed lots of dance, singing and acting exams and also gained lots of teaching experience, I had started teaching by the age of 16. By the time I had completed my course i had gained associate teaching qualifications in 5 dance subjects, and acting and singing qualifications too , i was teaching part time and had also had my first child. I have now been teaching and choereographing for 18 years and have 4 children.

Over the years teaching, my passion has never slipped, I love it as much if not more today than ever, aswell as Dance and Performing Arts I have a passion for encouraging positive Mental Health in children and young adults, I have qualified in Adolescent Mental Health and will always and forever strive to help with this any way we can.

I love running The Just Dance Company alongside Jeanette.

JEANETTE BROWN ~ Joint Principal And Teacher.

I started Ballet classes at a young age, finding my love of dance then later started Tap, Modern and Disco. At the age of 16 i auditioned for a 3 year musical theatre course at Pattison Theatre Arts and gained a scholarship. Whilst here i not only took performance exams but gained teaching qualifications from the 6 day a week schedule and I was teaching from the age of 16. After leaving Pattisons i auditioned for Euro Disney : Paris and spent 10 months as a dancer/performer in various shows and the main parades, including the roles of ‘Belle’ from Beauty & the Beast and ‘Ariel’ from The Little Mermaid, I was living every girls dream of being a princess. I then spent 2 months in a travelling show in Ireland and a season in Scotland in a variety show dancing in a troupe. Also i have spent time in Malta choreographing and performing in seasonal shows over Christmas & Easter and a summer season in Greece. Using all of my previous performing experience and my teaching qualifications i put all of my passion into The Just Dance Company and have spent the last 11 years teaching and building our school up alongside Katie and our wonderful team as well as raising my 2 daughters and growing my family too.

EMMA JAMES ~ Teacher and Head of Gymnastics.

I started Ballet at the age of 3, later starting lessons in Tap, Disco and Theatre Craft. After gaining a love and passion for dance, aged 16 i successfully auditioned for Pattison Theatre Arts gaining a scholarship for their three year musical theatre course. Performing in Pantomimes, Cabarets and fashion shows i also gained high results and qualifications in both performance and teaching exams and was nominated for IDTA scholarship awards in both Ballet and Tap. During my time at Pattisons I studied Dance, Drama and Singing, i also gained valuable teaching experience assisting in lessons in subjects such as Musical Theatre, Jazz, Gymnastics and core subjects such as Ballet, Tap and Modern for all age groups.

Since starting my teaching career I have expanded my skills and qualified with Acrobatic Arts and enjoy teaching these classes at all 3 branches. I have qualified to Level 3 in British Sign Language and have also completed a course in Mental Health Awareness for Sports and Physical Activity which we regard highly at JDC. I am proud to have been teaching classes for 10 years now and I have loved watching the pupils and the school grow and working alongside such an amazing team.

Holly Beard - Teacher.

I started taking dance lessons at the age of 7 when JDC had just opened back in 2010 and my love for Dance has only grown over the last 11 years. I am currently still taking part in lessons at JDC training for my Intermediate Performers Exams in Modern, Tap and Ballet aswell as Street Dance classes too. Miss Katie and Miss Jeanette have given me some amazing opportunities during my time at Just Dance such as dancing at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Disneyland Paris, Chance2Dance and I’ve been in every JDC show at The Royal Spa Centre too. I started assisting in lessons 6 years ago when I was 13 years old and this is what sparked my passion and interest in pursuing a career in dance teaching. I have been teaching part time at JDC for a while and hosting parties on a regular basis for JPC as well too.

I have completed A levels in PE and English as well as a Level 3 Diploma in Children’s Play, Learning and Development. I recieved a distinction in my IDTA Associate Freestyle teaching qualification and I am currently training for my IDTA Level 4 Diploma in Dance Teaching.

I have gained so many important skills and experiences throughout my time at JDC and I have made friends that are now my family. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work for The Just Dance Company and fulfil my dream of not just becoming a qualified dance teacher but also a positive role model for all the girls and boys likes Miss Katie and Miss Jeanette have been for me.