Teacher Biographies
Abigail Cova RAD Registered Teacher
Classical Ballet(Dip. Classical Ballet & Related Subjects, RAD Teaching Cert)
Abigail started dancing in Glasgow at the age of 7 with Bernadette Sloane, she successfully auditioned for the Scottish Ballet's Junior Associate programme. She went on to full time training at Scotland's premier dance school, The Dance School of Scotland where she performed in many school shows. In 1992 Abigail became one of the first students to attend The Royal Ballet's new senior associate programme in Birmingham.
Abigail furthered her dance training in London from the age of 16 where she attended Central School of Ballet. During her time here Abigail won scholarships to the Vaganova Summer School and Gloucester Seminars and danced in many choreographies by Christopher Gable, Michael Barret Pink and Didi Veldman and perfomed with the touring company British Gas Ballet Central.
Abigail went on to dance with The Ben Love Dance Company, The Scottish Ballet performing La Fille Mal Gardee and in Aida with Harvey Goldsmith at Earls court. Abigail completed her teacher training with the Royal Academy of Dance in 2005 and continues her professional development with the Royal Ballet School and the Royal Academy of Dance teacher training courses.
Vicki Busfield
(BA(Hons) in Contemporary Dance, RAD TC, ISTD Assoc. Modern, Ballet, Tap and National, NBS Dip. in Dance teaching)Vicki Busfield started dancing from a young age and went on to train at the Northern Ballet School where she gained her teaching qualifications and then later a 1st class BA(Hons) degree at London Contemporary Dance School. Vicki’s career has taken her to many places around the world, including New Zealand where she taught for five years at a private dance school and California, US where she worked with choreographers, created live performances and dance films. Vicki's dance films have been shown in international screendance festivals.
Her performance credits include; Daniel Kramer/Frauke Requardt 'Pictures from an Exhibiton' at The Young Vic, Victoria Marks's 'Dancing to Music', Aletta Collins 'This is The Place' a 40th celebration of The Place, as well as working with choreographers including Kerry Nicholls Co-director of creative learning Wayne McGregor|Random Dance, Anna Halprin, Meg Stuart and Marc Brew.
Deborah Swain BA Honours FDI ISTD/CDE ISTD
Modern/Tap/Street DanceDeborah obtained her teaching qualifications at The Centre for Performing Arts and Kingston Teachers Training College and obtained a BA Honours Degree in Dance at Hertfordshire University. Previously Deborah had attended Laine Theatre Arts and London Studio for theatre studies and musical theatre. Deborah has been performing professionally in theatres for many years and has built her career performing in musicals, plays and pantomimes, on cruise ships, television, and even sang in a girl group.
Some of her theatre credits include, As You Like it, Tommy, Forbidden Planet, Musical Memories, Aladdin, The Record Collection, Cinderella, Sleeping beauty. She performed many roles for Disney Cruise Line these include, Beauty and the Beast, Hercules, Disney Dreams. 3 Divine was the name of girl group Deborah sang in and toured west end venues. Television credits include Daziel and Pascoe.
Throughout Deborah’s career she has always taught dance and has worked as a choreographer for various companies. She has worked for large holiday companies choreographing their in house productions and worked as an assistant choreographer for Tommy and Forbidden Planet.
Deborah has worked for various dance schools for the last 4 years Teaching Modern, Tap, Ballet, Hip Hop, Contemporary and Musical Theatre.
Karl Morgan
Modern/Tap/Street DanceKarl trained in Musical Theatre at Birds College of Performing Arts and the Actors Centre in London. Since then Karl has continuously worked in theatre and television; acting, singing and dancing around Europe and the UK.
His west end theatre credits include Billy Elliot and Cats and he has worked with theatre companies the Royal National Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare Company in musicals and plays such as Guys and Dolls and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as entertaining adults he can currently be seen in Captain Mack on Children’s ITV as Grabby Crabby being very naughty indeed!
Karl’s teaching credits include Millenium Dance, The National Youth Theatres Young Offenders, and Central School of Ballet as well as congress meetings for the International Dance Teachers Association.
Agata Zajaczkowska
MA Composition & Theory of Music major: EurhythmicsAggie as she likes to be known, was born in Poland, she started her musical education playing the piano at the age of five. In 2001 she graduated in Eurhythmics and Dance from music school in Łodz, and in 2006 she graduated from the Academy of Music in Łodz with a Masters in Composition and Theory of Music, majoring in eurhythmics.
To perfect her skills, Aggie has attended many conferences around Poland and Europe including Stockholm, Moscow, Manchester as well as the Dlacroze Institute in Hellerau which was founded by Emile-Jacques Dalcroze in 1915.
In June 2009 she co-operated with English Pocket Opera by helping children become a part of G.Rossini’s ‘Cinderella’ which was performed in the Unicorn Theatre in London.
Currently she is a member of the Dalcroze Society UK and teaches Eurhythmics in Active Learning Nursery Schools. Aggie runs her own eurhythmics company, The Musical Rainbow and teaches classes introducing the Dalcroze method to young children.
Aggie also gives private piano tuition.
Robyn Holder
National Diploma in Performing Arts (Dance)Currently completing BA Hons at the London Contemporary Dance School.
Robyn is from Grahamstown in South Africa, it was here where she started dancing at a young age. After moving to London in 2005, Robyn began her training at Marble Hill Dance Studio under Abigail Cova and then went on to complete a National Diploma in Performing Arts (Dance) at Lewisham College. During this time Robyn was part of 'Quick Fix Dance Company' and performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2009.
Robyn is currently in her second year at The London Contemporary Dance School where she is completing a BA (Hons) in Contemporary Dance. She has particular interests in choreography, performing, improvisation, teaching and dance for film. She has been involved in a number of performance projects and worked with dancers and choreographers from various contemporary companies including Sarah Dowling,Dance Physics and James Wilton. Most recent projects include 'Polystyrene Dreams' (film by Jack Exton) and City of London Festival 2012 with choreographer
Mestre Ponciano.
Robyn has taught at Marble Hill Dance Studio since 2009 as an assistant and cover teacher for all ballet grades and nursery classes. She was also a class assistant for Chelsea Ballet Schools before commencing her training at London Contemporary Dance School.
Vanessa Fenton
Vanessa Fenton danced with the Royal ballet Company as a first artist for 13 years. She has danced and choreographed all over the world for numerous companies including the The Paris Opera, La scala Milan, The Bolshoi Ballet, The Kirov Ballet and other companies in the far east. She has won many awards for her dance and choreography and has choreographed for Shirley Bassey, Ronnie Wood, Erin O’Connor, and for The Brit Awards ceremonies. Vanessa has worked in film and with many photographers including, Kubrick, Mario Testino, Bryan Adams and Mary McCartney. Vanessa is currently choreographing on a new documentary for channel four television.
Vanessa currently teaches ballet privately to a number of children and adults. Her work with children extends to choreographing The Royal Ballet School’s end of year show, The London Children’s Ballet, A Chance to Dance for the Royal Opera House and she works closely with the education department at the Royal Opera House.
She teaches at various schools and takes ballet master classes around the country. Vanessa joined Marble Hill Dance Studio in September 2011 and is available for private tuition and hold dance parties for Marble Hill Dance Studio
vanessafenton.co.uk
