People.
LAURA BRUCE
The Principal
Laura trained as a professional dancer at the London Studio Centre where she completed her Ba(hons) in Theatre Dance as well as gaining her ISTD teaching qualifications. Since graduating from college Laura has worked worldwide as a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer. She has taught at many local dance schools as well as professional establishments such as the Pineapple Dance Studios and the London Studio Centre. She is also a fully qualified aerobics instructor.
Laura was part of a jazz company and performed in many professional shows, pantomimes and trade shows before spending 8 months touring the Caribbean as a cruise ship dancer. On Laura’s return, she decided to go back to her teaching roots and started LBDA with only 2 children. The school grew from strength to strength and now has over 300 pupils.
Laura is an enthusiastic and passionate teacher and it is always her aim to inspire pupils with her love of dance and to encourage pupil’s creativity and imagination and above all for her pupils to gain confidence and have fun.
Miss Laura is now a licentiate teacher for the ISTD and is constantly on courses to keep up to date with all the new grades and styles. Miss Laura teaches lyrical jazz, Musical Production and ISTD Modern and Tap classes within the school and loves every minute of it!
KATIE BONNIFACE
Junior Jazz & ISTD Modern/Tap and Junior Musical Theatre
Miss Katie has been dancing since the tender age of 2 and has studied many disciplines of dance including Modern, Tap, Ballet, Latin American, Ballroom and Disco Formation. She was formerly a pupil at LBDA and is now a qualified aerobic’s instructor and dance teacher and takes many of the junior street jazz classes and ISTD modern classes. She also assists Miss Laura in many of her classes.
Miss Katie has an enthusiam and love of dance and has a great rapport with the pupils. She has appeared in many amateur productions including ‘Oliver’, ‘Guys and Dolls’ and ‘ The Wizard of Oz’. Miss Katie was the choreographer and head dancer at the Hemsby Beach Holiday Village in Great Yarmouth.
Miss Katie trained at the Liz Burville Performing Arts Centre School and she holds her ISTD teacher’s qualification’s in Modern Dance.
KIM THURSFIELD
Singing Teacher
Kim trained at Italia Conti Academy Of Theatre Arts from the age of 12 all the way through until the age of 18. During her time there she was able to perform at The Brit Awards and wrote the music for the graduation song.
She went on to perform in Pantomimes playing The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella and Alice in Dick Whittington and also Performing in UK tours. She then went on to perform in 5 star hotels abroad in Portugal and Spain where she performed her own cabaret show and played Sophie in Mamma Mia. She also performed alongside James & Ola Jordan from Strictly Come Dancing.
Kim loves teaching singing at LBDA and is particularly keen on building children’s confidence and creativity.
ALEXANDRA TYNDALL
ISTD Ballet & Lyrical Teacher
Alexandra is a professional dancer and dance teacher, graduating from the Centre Performing Arts College with a diploma in Performing Arts as well as earning her ISTD qualifications in Ballet, tap and modern. Alex also holds her Licentiate in Modern Dance.
Alexandra’s professional credits include, Ballet dancer in ‘The Classical Spectacular’ at the Royal Albert Hall, Ensemble and Understudy Princess Jasmine in ‘Aladdin’ at the New Wimbledon Theatre, Ensemble and Understudy Tiger Lily in ‘Peter Pan’ at the Churchill Theatre, Dancer in various shows such as Cinemagique, Radio and Magic Moments on board the cruise ship Costa Magica, a featured dancer on ‘The Proposals’ for Sky TV and a lead dancer at The ‘Dance Proms’ at the Royal Albert Hall.
As a young performer Alexandra also performed at Sadlers Wells, The Royal Albert Hall, Portsmouth Guildhall and Hackney Empire in various shows and productions.
Alexandra has been teaching from a very young age, starting with assisting baby ballet at the age of 13. From the age of 20 she began teaching her own classes and has taught ballet, tap and modern to children from 2-18 however ballet has always been a speciality and her true passion.
CHARLEY DESBOROUGH
LAMDA Drama
Charley started performing professionally when she was just 5 years old and hasn’t stopped since! As a child she trained at the Patricia Hammond School of Dramatic Art with Miss Laura taking classes in acting, tap, ballet, modern and jazz until she was 18. She took all her LAMDA and ISTD exams here and made appearances on stage and TV. She appeared in professional pantomimes, TV presenting for QVC and had a long run in the West End with ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’.
Charley continued her training at LIPA (the Liverpool Institue of Performing Arts) for 3 years studying Acting. She then continued her training in America as she was accepted on the professional actor’s course at TVi Studios in LA.
Charley has appeared in numerous plays and productions including ‘Macbeth’, ‘6 Women with Brain Death’ and ‘Sister Josephine Kicks the Habit’, to name but a few.
Charley finds teaching extremely rewarding and loves her classes at LBDA. She is also embarking on an exciting career in the music industry with her band, ‘Fate Sister’ of which she is the lead singer and songwriter. They have been nominated for a newcomers award and have supported Chakka Khan and Amy Winehouse.
TAYLOR YATES
Commercial Jazz and Technical Jazz
Taylor teaches commercial and technical jazz at LBDA. He is a professional commercial dancer and choreographer, credits include, Xfactor, Britain’s Got Talent, Change Your Tune, Micheal McIntyre, Alan Carr, The Bi Life, Chloe Rose and many more.
Taylor has recently entered our Senior Street Crew into the Summer Slam Street Competition where we were placed 3rd.
CHARLEY DONNELLY
ISTD Ballet and Lyrical Teacher
Charlie trained at Bird College, gaining a degree in Dance and Musical Theatre. Prior to attending Bird, Charlie trained at Chichester on the dance course, whilst attending the Centre for Advanced Training Scheme at Trinity Laban and gaining her DDI in Ballet and Modern for the ISTD.
After graduating, Charlie performed in Contemporary fringe work in London as well as freelance teaching at a number of schools, before joining the cast of ‘Mary Poppins’ as Swing in Hamburg. On her return, before the pandemic, she topped up her teaching qualifications and her attained her ISTD DDE qualification, whilst working towards her Licentiate Training.
Charley joined the West End cast of Mary Poppins as Swing in 2021.
CHRIS HUNTLEY
Private Singing Teacher
Chris is a graduate of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance with career expertise spanning the opera, musical theatre, classical and contemporary music genres.
He works in London as a musical director, vocal coach, pianist, and arranger and is an IPATH singing teacher, utilising Estill voice training where he constantly keeps up to date with the latest vocal science and safe singing guidance.
Chris has MD’d and vocal coached on musicals and operas both internationally and regionally’ including in the USA, The Middle East, South East Asia and all around the UK in addition to working on the high seas as a Musical Director for ‘P&O Cruises.
He has taught at many prestigious arts London institutions including, The Urdang Academy, Rose Bruford College, Arts Ed and London School of Musical Theatre.
He is also currently a musical theatre practitioner at The Guildhall School Of Music and Drama, Be.Training Programme at Northfleet School For Girls, David Stinson Theatre School and is musical director to the Claremont Project Gospel Choir giving recent performances at the Tate Modern and Old Vic Theatre respectively.
Chris is passionate about making music fun for all and improving wellbeing and confidence through singing and voice work.
JESSE HUNT
Assistant Musical Production Teacher
Jessie attended The Laura Bruce Dance Academy as a student from the age of 11 participating in multiple dance and singing classes. She was a student at The BRIT School for 2 years where she studied Musical Theatre and received a UAL, Level 3, extended diploma in Musical Theatre. She is currently in her third and final year at BIMM Institute London studying Popular Music Performance Vocals.
Jessie has been assisting in Musical Production classes for 4 years now and thoroughly enjoys seeing talented and creative children doing what they love.