Company Dancers announced as Youth Summer Intensive Faculty Members

During these Intensives, dancers refine ballet and contemporary technique, build strength, explore a range of dance styles, delve into creative choreography, get insights into a ballet company, and much more!  

We’re excited to have incredible teachers working on our Intensives – including dancers of English National Ballet. The fantastic artists on this year’s faculty will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the studio.

Read on to find out more about some of the artists working with youth dancers this summer across the Intermediate and Advanced courses.

What is the Intermediate Level Summer Intensive? 

Age: 12 – 16 years 

Level: Intermediate level, which means it’s not quite right for absolute beginners, but you don’t need to be training at a vocational level to join in.  

Dates: A three-day intensive from Wed 29 – Fri 31 Jul 

Read more about the Intermediate Summer Youth Intensive here.

Faculty Members and their classes

Q&A with Georgia Bould

Want to know what goes on behind-the-scenes and what it’s like to be a professional dancer? Company Soloist Georgia Bould will be hosting a Q&A session!

Having been with the company over 10 years, Georgia was the winner the Emerging Dancer People’s Choice award in 2017 and the Corps de Ballet award in 2018. She recently debuted as Clara in Aaron S. Watkin and Arielle Smith’s Nutcracker and has danced an incredible range of styles and repertoire across her career so far. You can find out more about Georgia here.

Ballet class and BalletFit with Vanessa Abreu

Vanessa Abreu is a Portuguese/Mozambican dance artist, choreographer, yoga teacher and nutritional therapist based in London.

She has trained in ballet, contemporary dance and choreography, and is also qualified in yoga and meditation and Nutritional Therapy. Vanessa is interested in developing safe and healthy working environments within dance and performance. Care, physical and mental wellbeing form the ethos that she wants to cultivate in the field.

Vanessa has danced professionally with many choreographers including Seke Chimutengwende, Sara Wookey, Annie Hanauer, Alexis Blake, Candoco Dance Company, State of Emergency, Shobana Jeyasingh, Fleur Darkin Ensemble, Rachel Lopez & Ben Ash, Neve Harrington, Gerrard Martin Dance, Tania Bruguera, Pablo Bronstein and Union Dance.

Vanessa is an Associate Artist with Candoco Dance Company and English National Ballet, and a Senior Dance Tutor at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, where she teaches dance technique and choreographs student productions.

Vanessa will be teaching ballet on both Intermediate and BalletFit on the Advanced Intensives. 

What is your teaching style in the studio?

My teaching style is warm, detailed, and encouraging. I care deeply about alignment, musicality, and quality of movement, and I also believe learning should be enjoyable.

I like to create an environment where people feel supported to challenge themselves, ask questions, explore, and be curious.

There is always an attention to detail, and also laughter, curiosity, warmth, and a genuine sense of enjoyment in the process. I believe everyone learns differently, and I aim to create a space where people feel welcome, supported, and able to get the most from their training.

What would you say to someone who is apprehensive and looking to join the Summer Intensive?

I’d say that feeling nervous is completely normal. Everyone arrives with different experiences, strengths, and goals, and there is no expectation that you need to be anything other than where you are right now.

The Summer Intensive is an opportunity to learn, be inspired, challenge yourself, and spend time with people who share a love for dance. It’s about curiosity, growth, and making the most of the experience.

Come with an open mind, a willingness to learn, and trust that you belong in the room.

Contemporary with Salvador Thylmann-Foster

Salvador Thylmann-Foster is a freelance dance artist/teacher residing in London. He began his dance training at The Place, going on to join The Brit School while also being a member of English National Ballet’s Youth Company, ENBYouthCo, from 2017-2021. He graduated from The Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance and has gone on to explore dance projects, teaching and furthering his dance training in London, New York and Paris.

Salvador’s practice is heavily based in modern dance principles, specifically those of the Graham Technique. The work he follows centres around the teachings of Sir Robert Cohan and Dr Ross McKim. Class will honour the legacy of what has come before while pushing dancers in preparation for today’s industry.

Salvador will be teaching contemporary classes on both the Intermediate and Advanced Intensives. 

What kind of atmosphere are you looking to create in the studio?

The space is open to “mistakes”, this work specifically is all about expression so don’t make yourself small, think big. People often think that this style requires extreme concentration and discipline, in truth it does. But we will have a lot of fun exploring it together! The studio is where we grow, help each other and prepare ourselves for when it counts.

Don’t be scared of making mistakes, dance isn’t about shapes but rather feeling.

Advanced Level Intensive 

Age: 14 – 19 years 

Level: Advanced level, designed for those training at pre-vocational or vocational level  

Dates: A five-day programme from Mon 3 – Fri 8 Aug 

Read more about the Advanced Level Summer Youth Intensive here.

Faculty members and their classes

BalletFit and Ballet Class with Julia Conway

Dancers will get to enjoy multiple classes taught by Julia Conway, who has been newly promoted to Principal Dancer with the Company.

Julia joined English National Ballet in 2017 and has danced many notable and leading roles including Sugar Plum Fairy in Aaron S. Watkin and Arielle Smith’s Nutcracker, Myrtha in Mary Skeaping’s Giselle and Henriette in Tamara Rojo’s Raymonda. 

Julia is also a certified Pilates and PBT instructor. Read more about Julia here. 

Ballet Class with James Streeter 

Dancers will be able to start their days with ballet class from First Soloist James Streeter. James has been with the Company since 2004 and has danced a plethora of roles in many ballets, including Albrecht in Akram Khan’s Giselle, Carabosse in the Company’s upcoming production of The Sleeping Beauty, William Forsythe’s In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring and more. Find out more about James here.  

Akram Khan’s Giselle Workshop with Georgia Bould  

Go deep into the characters of Akram Khan’s Giselle with Soloist Georgia Bould.

Having played the role of Bathilde in the production, alongside dancing in the corps de ballet for this work, Georgia will work with dancers to develop creative responses to one of English National Ballet’s most famous works.  

Contemporary class with Hannah Cameron

Hannah is an independent dance artist with over a decade of teaching experience across a range of professional, educational and community contexts. Since 2013, she’s been a member of Trinity Laban’s Dance Faculty, teaching release-based contemporary technique across the undergraduate programmes.

From 2018-21, she was the contemporary dance tutor at English National Ballet School, teaching technique, choreographing student work for the annual showcase and rehearsal directing works by visiting artists. She has taught on the BA programme at Bird College (2016-18) and as a freelance dance artist for English National Ballet, City Academy, Springs Dance Company and University of Portsmouth amongst others.

She also has extensive performance experience working with artists and companies including Nina Kov, Masha Gurina, Nutshell Dance Company, SKADooSH Dance, Daisy Farris Dance Collective and for the 2012 London Olympics.

What is your teaching style in the studio?

My aim is to create an inclusive environment where dancers feel supported and encouraged to challenge themselves.

I invite questions and strive to be clear and specific while ultimately getting everyone moving in a free and full-bodied way.

What would you say to someone who is nervous/apprehensive and looking to join the summer intensive?

This is an opportunity to meet other young dancers and explore different styles and approaches to dance training.

You will leave inspired and energised!

Contemporary class with Charlotte Edmonds

Charlotte Edmonds is a choreographer and filmmaker whose work fuses classical technique with a cinematic, emotionally driven approach to contemporary dance and film. She trained at The Royal Ballet School and Rambert School and holds a Master’s in Choreography from Central School of Ballet.

Breaking ground early in her career, Charlotte became The Royal Ballet’s Inaugural Young Choreographer. Since then, her work has been characterised by a commitment to exploring complex social and emotional perspectives across stage and screen.

She has created classical and contemporary works internationally for leading institutions including The Royal Ballet, Bayerisches Staatsballett, Dutch National Ballet, Northern Ballet, Opera Holland Park, Norwegian National Ballet Ung, Studio Wayne McGregor and Yorke Dance Project, alongside extensive work with major training institutions such as The Place, Rambert Dance Company, Dance Arts Faculty, Rambert School, The Royal Ballet School, Dance East and Birmingham Hippodrome.

Alongside her stage practice, Charlotte works as a director and movement director across film, music, and broadcast, collaborating with artists such as Jehnny Beth, Gretel, Lola Young, and Duran Duran, and with platforms including BBC Arts and Nowness. Her interdisciplinary approach has also led to collaborations with cultural institutions such as Sotheby’s, Gazelli Art House, and Soho House, as well as global brands including Nike x Spotify, Dove, The Beaumont, Budweiser, Burberry, and Belstaff.

Charlotte is a Clore Fellow (2019), part of a distinguished leadership development programme for an exceptional cohort of cultural sector leaders.

What is your teaching style in the studio?

My teaching style introduces a unique classical strength-based approach to movement and choreography, focusing on expanding the body’s potential and increasing awareness through the themes of cohesion and resistance.

My highly creative exercises and repertoire encourage physical exploration and connection, opening new possibilities for movement.

What can you expect from the Summer Intensive?

Some of my most memorable, inspiring, and confidence-boosting experiences have come from summer intensives. They’re a rare opportunity to focus on your development, meet new friends, and work alongside inspiring artists in a supportive environment – all under one roof.

You might be surprised by how much you grow in just a small space of time.