OUR FACULTY
Meet The Team
JESSICA MULCAHY – BA (Hons)
BALLET EDUCATION RAD RTS
Miss Jessica grew up and trained in Ireland.
In 2013, she came to London to study at the Royal Academy of Dance gaining a BA (Hons) in Ballet Education in 2016. Jessica is qualified as an RAD Registered Teacher with a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance.
Miss Jessica is very interested in fostering children’s creativity through each of her ballet lessons along with instilling technique, musicality and performance quality to each of her students.
BELINDA ROY BA (Hons)
ARAD LRAD RAD RTS
Originally from Canterbury, Belinda graduated with a first-class BA (Hons) in Ballet Education from the Royal Academy of Dance in 2019. She also gained a Distinction in becoming a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance and received the Iris Truscott Scholarship in her final year. Whilst assisting and teaching in private sector dance schools in London, covering the Cecchetti, ISTD and RAD methodologies, she gained a holistic view of teaching ballet.
In September 2019, Belinda became a member of Transitions Dance Company whilst working towards her MA in Dance Performance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. As part of her work with Transitions Dance Company, she performed a triple bill of new contemporary works by choreographers Elisa Pagani, Cameron McMillan and H2 Dance, as part of a theatre tour.
Belinda is also a freelance contemporary dancer and has taught contemporary dance at various age and ability levels. She is currently working with a range of choreographers for both live performance and screen dance. Belinda's experience of teaching, choreography and performance culminate in fun, challenging and rewarding dance lessons, where the students will feel supported in a safe and positive environment.
AMY BRODIE – BA (Hons)
ARAD
Amy grew up in North Yorkshire studying Ballet, Tap, Modern and Contemporary. Her passion for dance took her to London in 2017 to begin her BA in Theatre Dance at London Studio Centre. She graduated in the height of the pandemic in 2020 with a First Class degree specialising in Jazz Dance.
During her final year at London Studio Centre, she became the first person in the UK to sit the RAD Associate Teaching exam. This allowed her to train as an RAD teacher alongside doing her degree. This sparked her passion of teaching and once graduated she remained in London to pursue her love of teaching
HOLLY GRACE
Miss Holly grew up and began her dance training at the Scott Stevenson School of Dance in South Yorkshire.
In 2019, after gaining her associate teachers status with the British Association of Teachers of Dancing, Miss Holly moved to London. She is now currently in her third and final year at the Royal Academy of Dance, studying on the BA (Hons) in Ballet Education degree and Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance programme, whilst working towards achieving her RAD Advanced 2.
Miss Holly aims to make her ballet classes a positive and fun environment to inspire creativity and help students reach their full potential.
EMMA MCMAHON RAD, RTS, CBTS
Shareholder
CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND PRINCIPAL TEACHER
Emma founded Bluebirds Ballet in 2010, she is dedicated to helping students learn the love of dance and reach their personal best. She recognises that children have different needs and abilities and ensures all students feel equally valued and engaged in the learning process.
Emma’s classes provide an energised, creative and fun learning environment for children of all ages. Her technical classes are a joy and give the children a strong sense of body intelligence and control.
Emma is a Registered Teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance (R.A.D) and has completed a Certificate of Ballet Teaching Studies with the R.A.D. She has over ten years teaching experience in London. Her students over the years have received excellent exam results and success with admissions into the Royal Ballet School and London Children’s Ballet.
NICOLE E M BECKER
Shareholder
COMMERCIAL & CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP DIRECTOR
Nicole is British, but raised in Switzerland, Nicole came to London in 1995 to study Cultural Studies & Sociology at Goldsmiths College, University of London and has a foundation degree in Psychology from Regents College, London.
Nicole started ballet at the age of 3 and studied at the Ballett Berufsschule Zurich as well as at the Ballettschule fuer das Opernhaus Zurich.
Nicole has extensive experience in setting up businesses and providing customer service – by founding and running her own concierge company in 1998 and opening a healthy fast food restaurant in 2004.
Nicole, now a mother of two young children, joined Bluebirds Ballet School in 2013 and was appointed Commercial Director of the school in August 2017.
Aoife O’Keefe BA (Hons)
Ballet Education RAD RTS
Aoife was born in Dublin, Ireland where she trained from a young age at The Goode School of Dance. After spending a year in full time performance training at the College of Dance in Monkstown, she discovered her passion for teaching. Aoife began her studies at the Royal Academy of Dance Headquarters, London in 2014.
Graduating with an honours degree in Ballet Education, she returned home to Dublin and began her teaching career. In 2018, Aoife moved to Australia where she spent two years working and traveling before returning to London to continue her career inspiring and encouraging a love for dance.
Aoife is a RAD registered teacher and a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance.
Sarah Gornall
BA (Hons) ARAD
Sarah grew up in the North-East of England before moving to London in 2017. She trained in RAD ballet from a very young age completing all grades. She was also a Yorkshire Ballet associate as a teenager before going on to graduate from London Studio Centre with a first class BA (hons) in Theatre Dance in 2020.
Since then she has worked as a freelance dance artist specialising in contemporary dance and Latin American/ ballroom dancing. She began assisting classes from the young age of 13 and progressed to teaching, gaining strong experience in coaching RAD ballet, latin and ballroom (IDTA), contemporary, jazz and musical theatre for children and adults of varying ability. Sarah aims to create fun and focused classes, allowing children to grow as individuals in a creative environment.
Bluebirds Ballet School Information
Directors
EMMA MCMAHON RAD, RTS, CBTS Shareholder CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND PRINCIPAL TEACHER
NICOLE E M BECKER Shareholder COMMERCIAL & CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP DIRECTOR
Administration
Please note there are no administration facilities at the hall, please email Nicole Becker to discuss enrollment, payments, orders etc. In the interest of all the children in the class do not use the lesson time with the teacher to discuss payments, uniform orders or your child’s progress. We request that you email or call during office hours and we will be happy to assist.
Office Hours
Monday to Friday
9am – 3pm
Classes
Melody Movement Preschool Ballet, Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus, Progressing Ballet Technique, Contemporary Dance, Adult Ballet & Silver Swans.
Term
12 Weeks (payable in advance)
Four week written notice to the office is required to withdraw a child from classes
Without written notice, your child will be automatically re-enrolled
Bluebirds Ballet School Rules
Health
Please notify the school of any medical issues or learning difficulties that may affect your child’s learning.
Punctuality
Children should ideally arrive at the venue ten minutes before the start of their class. Parents are asked not to enter the studio prior to the completion of the previous class. There is a ten minute change-over which should be plenty of time to prepare for their class.
Toilet
Please ensure your child has been to the toilet prior to the commencement of class to avoid accidents or disruptions to the lesson.
Supervision
Parents and carers are asked to ensure their children are well behaved at all times whilst getting ready for class and that siblings have an activity to occupy them whilst waiting.
Uniform and Appearance
We ask all students to wear the recommended uniform. The uniforms not only ensure students look elegant but also feel confident. Uniforms can be ordered through the school and we have full range of items in stock. On the penultimate day of every term the dress regulation is relaxed and pre-school children encouraged to wear any costume of their choice including fancy dress outfits. Hair should always be off the face and neckline in a bun or similar. For safety purposes jewellery should not be worn.
Behaviour and Decorum
Whilst watching class parents, are asked to refrain from talking and to turn mobile phones to silent. All calls should be answered outside the hall. The school rules are designed to enhance your children’s learning and enjoyment of the ballet experience and help maximise their full potential.
Baby Ballet Parents
We ask that parents and carer’s assist their child reach their full potential in the baby ballet classes and to refrain from texting, chatting, photographing and feeding their children whilst the class in session.
Nappies
Should your child need a nappy change please take the rubbish with you.
Food
Eating and drinking is not allowed in any of our classes in particular preschool classes.
Parent Watching Days
Once a term parents, family and friends are invited to watch class this is also on the penultimate week of the term. Whilst watching class parents, are asked to refrain from talking and to turn mobile phones to silent. The school rules are designed to enhance your children’s learning and enjoyment of the ballet experience and help maximise their full potential.
Photography
Parents are permitted to take photos on parents watching day unless another parent in the class objects on the day, teachers will always ask everyone’s permission before the demonstration class begins. We ask parents to refrain from videoing the class for child protection and copy right reasons.