Shirley Dance Festival

Bio

Bio

Lynsey began training at the young age of 3 at a local dance school, training across disciplines in ballet, tap, jazz, modern and street then furthering her training professional training in Stage Performance at college in Scotland. Lynsey is a versatile teacher and performer but specialises in Jazz, Commercial, Musical Theatre and Lyrical. She has MBSDTA certification in Modern, Theatre and Street and extensive background teaching BATD and ISTD syllabus work to students. Growing up, Lynsey was lucky to have received multiple scholarship opportunities throughout her training, solidifying that this was the right path for her. She now travels across the UK and abroad educating students, providing workshops, doing various professional contracts and adjudicating.

Lynsey has choreographed and creative directed for theatre, cruise ship, corporate and screen. Notable recent credits include Annie The Musical and the upcoming Frozen The Musical, alongside an upcoming production of Dear Evan Hanson and a special musical show coming to London West End starring the leads from Heathers and Dear Evan Hanson. Lynsey also produces and writes original works, with her most recent original production Kaleidoscope featuring in Edinburgh Fringe Festival which will tour in 2026.

As an educator, Lynsey has been a college dance lecturer at establishments such as The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Dance For All college. She also works closely with the University of Manchester. She has a passion for mentoring the next generation of creatives  and cultivating their artistry and a healthy mindset from an early age. She also has agency experience scouting talent for TV and stage, so believes she has a great eye for finding that something special in every performer.

Lynsey has been and continues to be resident faculty in various studios and establishments across the UK, notably McKechnie, Edinburgh Dance Academy, Stellar Performing Arts, ANDA. JA Academy, Unity Dance Project and more. She travels near and far offering industry seminars, practical lessons, production pieces and dedicated audition preparation sessions, readying artist for their next steps.

Lynsey is the Founder and Creative Director of The Powerhouse Project which is an Artist Development Program and Professional MT and Dance Collective. It is for Prevocational to College level students who are pursuing the arts professionally, providing industry-standard additional training, agency guidance, seminars, portfolio and CV building, creative tools and dance for camera to prepare artists for the industry. The alumni have went on to gain access into some of the best colleges in the world such as Urdang, Italia Conti, Royal Ballet, Boston Conservatory, Addict, GSA and more. And students have went on to achieve West End and TV success.

As a Creative Director, Lynsey has worked with Shelter Charity and Strictly Come Dancing gala, choreographing a special event at Hampden Park Stadium. Currently she is working on a special campaign with The Brain Charity. Lynsey has also choreographed and creative directed various other shows, pantos, musicals and corporate events for companies such as Hilton, Include Me 2 Club, Crowne Plaza and SEC.

Lynsey is experienced adjudicator and frequently travels all over to judge. She has head judged for the Scottish university competition circuit, as well as judging the English university circuit. She has vast experience adjudicating various local events, regional and national competitions and stage festivals and her favourite part of the job is how much inspiring, upcoming talent she gets to discover on her travels and hopes to impart some wisdom and pieces of constructive advice or inspiration to every competitor that they can carry with them on their own journey.

Emily is a highly experienced Teacher who has always demonstrated a passion for dance and performing arts. Growing up as a regular attendee at her local stage school gave her the opportunity to experience tv and theatre work. In addition to this, she also enjoyed regular classes in Ballet, Tap, Modern, National, Disco & Freestyle, Latin & Ballroom and Irish dance.

After years of taking exams, and winning countless medals in various competitions, in her teenage years she was fortunate enough to have some training at the prestigious Central School of Ballet, meaning that she was able to study RAD ballet alongside ISTD ballet. It was at this age that she began assistant teaching and instantly knew that teaching was where her passion lay, so she quickly obtained dance teaching qualifications and continued to expand on these qualifications alongside doing a BA Honours degree in Contemporary Dance and English.

Her teaching qualifications include the DDE in Imperial Ballet and Tap Dance, plus the highly thought of Licentiate qualification in Modern Theatre. As well as entering students for many ISTD Examinations, she provided dancers for two professional pantomime companies. Students of hers have also secured placements at the country’s top performing arts colleges including Laine Theatre Arts and Bird College to name a few, and as well as this she has also had students make their debut in London’s West end.

She has choreographed many routines in a variety of styles and has entered children into various festivals and competitions across the country, including qualifying routines into the prestigious All England Dance Competition and the Dance World Cup. Many of her choreographed dances have won trophies (including an award for choreography). 

Emily now runs the Emily Hancock Dance Academy and has created a specialised dance programme for the under six’s (Dance upon a Star) and has expanded her qualifications further by achieving her Acrobatic Arts qualification.

Kiri is a freelance dance artist and facilitator working in the Hampshire and Wiltshire area for the past 13 years. Kiri has obtained her teaching qualifications with the NATD along with a Contemporary teaching diploma, a first class BA (Hons) degree in Choreography and Dance from the University of Winchester, is an credited Little Acorns Preschool Dance teacher and an Acrobatic Arts Certified teacher (AAC1). Kiri passed the world’s only accredited certificate for teaching Authentic Street Dance with Urban Strides with Distinction. Kiri is a Recognised Teacher with CDMT and has been awarded the certificate of good professional practice.

She runs her own businesses: casting and opportunity agency Magic Castings LTD, Kiri Golding Theatre Arts, RAW Dance Events and Kiri Golding Dance Specialist and is proud to be a female entrepreneur.

Having ran 7 successful theatre schools in Wiltshire with over 350 students, Kiri is no amateur when it comes to providing opportunities to performers having organised numerous full scale productions and Dance and Musical Theatre Examinations with Trinity College and National Association of Teacher of Dancing (NATD) with students achieving 94% Distinctions.

She also teachers regularly as a Dance Lecturer at the University of Winchester and choreographs for local theatre company, Southampton Operatic Society (SOS). Kiri also provides Dance Teaching qualification opportunities which are Ofqual registered and available for dancers from ages 12+.

Emily started dancing at the age of 10 at the Classical Ballet Centre in Wiltshire. By the age of 18 she was a full time student at The Judith Hockaday College of Dance and Drama where she studied Imperial Ballet, Tap, Modern Theatre and National Dance.

Throughout her years studying at Judith Hockaday’s she danced in various performances including Beauty and the Beast and Sweeny Todd to name a few. Emily has a diploma is child lifespan development and health and safety. She is a fully qualified ISTD teacher and has her licentiate qualifications in Modern Theatre and Tap.

She has been teaching from the age of 19 at various schools around Wiltshire and is the ISTD manager at her current dance school that she has taught at for 13 years. Emily loves all genres of dance and has completed her grades and vocational exams in all the above. She is particularly keen on tap dance and runs an associate programme for the Wiltshire area.