Our Faculty
Agnes McIlvenny
Principal
Agnes started dancing at the age of four at Drusilla Duffill Theatre School in ISTD Ballet, Modern and Tap. Agnes then went on to the University of Sussex to study Neuroscience where she also took up competitive cheerleading and competed at both a regional and national level for 6 years. Agnes then trained qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant but soon realised her passions lay elsewhere with teaching instead. Agnes loves nothing more than seeing her students achieve their dreams and love what they do.
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Acrobatic Arts - Module 2 Certified
DDE Ballet, Modern, Tap
Joanne Penner
Ballet, Contemporary & Acro Teacher​
As a young ballet dancer Joanne trained as a Cecchetti Associate and then Cecchetti Scholar, before continuing her training full-time at Ballet West. Her professional experiences allowed her to travel both nationally and globally - notably when she joined the Ballet West International Touring Company and performed in their production of Swan Lake in the Genting Highlands, Malaysia.
Joanne Penner places student care and welfare at the centre of her approach. She is passionate about supporting dancers physical and mental wellbeing - a topic she is pursuing at PhD level with Birmingham Royal Ballet, the Royal Ballet, and English National Ballet. She wants to develop the person, not just the dancer.
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