See also The story of Dance Blast.

Sally Carlson

Company Director

Born in Risca in the Gwent Valleys, Sally started dancing at the age of five and as a teenager was a member of Jumpers Youth Dance Company. She studied dance at the Laban Centre For Movement & Dance and theatre design at Central St Martins School of Art both in London. She was based in Berlin for four years where she worked as a theatre designer/ artist before returning to Wales to set up and run Carlson Dance Company with Co-Artistic Director Emma Carlson before the sisters set up Dance Blast in 1998 in partnership with the Borough Theatre, Abergavenny.

Sally has worked in the arts for the past twenty years and has wide experience across many disciplines. She is currently in her final year at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, studying for an MA in Arts Management. She has one daughter in primary school, and a son in secondary school.

Emma Carlson

Senior Tutor/Director, Monmouthshire Youth Dance Company

Also born in Risca (Sally and Emma are twins), Emma started dancing at the age of five and was a member of Jumpers Youth Dance Company. She trained at London Contemporary Dance School and subsequently took an M.A in choreography with Performing Arts at Middlesex University. She has been working professionally in Wales as a performer, choreographer, teacher, mentor and arts manger since 1990. Through Carlson Dance Company she created 14 dance theatre productions that toured to 74 venues throughout Wales, the rest of the UK and Europe, ranging from the Royal Opera House in Kiev Ukraine, to Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff to a residential care home in Caernarfon North Wales. The tours included education programmes for a broad range of ages and abilities.

Emma is co-founder and now senior tutor for Dance Blast and Artistic Director of Monmouthshire Youth Dance Company (set up in 2007) and recently set up Dance Shorts! a new commissioning initiative for dance in Wales, working in partnership with key professional venues in Wales. She has a daughter in primary school.

Sophie Hutchings

Dance Co-ordinator

Sophie started dancing at the age of three at Debbie Chapmans School of Dance in Cardiff. Sophie trained at the school in commercial jazz dance and has performed in various shows, concerts and competitions around the UK. At the age of 18, began studying for a BA (Hons) Dance degree at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff. The degree focused on teaching dance in the community and studying various contemporary dance techniques.

Teaching has always been a passion of Sophie’s and she enjoys delivering dance classes to all ages. All of Sophie’s classes focus on street dance with a blend of creative dance. The focus of the class is for every individual to enjoy themselves while learning new dance moves.

Sophie teaches: Creative// Street/ Zumba// Dancercise

Emily Pritchard

Tutor

Emily started dancing at the age of four at Geraldine Harris’ School of Dance, in her home town of Abergavenny. Emily trained at the school in classical ballet and tap, taking several IDTA examinations and working as a teaching assistant with the younger pupils. Emily joined Monmouthshire Youth Dance Company with Emma Carlson in 2007 and has been with the company ever since. Emily has completed workshops and intensives with companies including Earthfall, National Dance Company Wales, National English Ballet, National Youth Dance Wales and was a member of the Beyond Repair Dance Associate Company. She recently graduated from University of Wales Institute Cardiff with a First Class BA (Hons) Dance degree. Emily has also worked as a dance teaching assistant for Rhondda Cynon Taff Community Arts and enjoys working with and teaching classes to a wide range of ages.

Emily teaches: Creative// Parent & toddler

 

Hayley Feehan

Tutor  

 

Hayly started dancing at the age of five learning tap, jazz and modern in Dot & Margaret Watts stage school and progressed onto Catherines School of Dance  in Cardiff.  Hayley studyied Ba (Hons) Degree in Dance at UWIC focusing on contemporary dance and choreography. Hayley  won the Dilys Price award for most improved student in dance.Hayley stareted teaching dance while at university, teaching street, jazz and tap classes in Cardiff  these classes are still running at present. Since leaving university Hayley has beena  freelance tutor working with a variety of community and educational organisations  working with many different age groups and abilities.

Teaching has always been a pasion of Hayley’s seeing participants enjoy themselves while engaging, developing and improving their dance and performance skills.

Hayley teaches: Street// Creative

Gemma Brannigan

Born in Cardiff. Gemma was a Junior Associate at the Royal Ballet School, London and studied at the Royal Ballet Lower School bewteen 1998-2002. After leaving in 2002 she joined the English Youth Ballet, performing the Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty. Gemma has danced in works by The Birmingham Royal Ballet and Wayne Sleep. Gemma’s choreographic work started at Rubicon, Cardiff as a dance teaching assistant, where she continues to teach choreographic sessions and interpretation to music to ages 7-9 years and produces annual workshops.

Gemma has been involved in dance for over 23years, and now teaches classical ballet , tap and modern dance as well as other disciplines including contemporary , street styles and Salsa. Gemma is a member of Red Wave Dance UK and Principal Teacher and owner of The Ballet Academy Wales.

Gemma teaches: Tap// Salsa//Ballet

Patricia Vallis

Patricia trained at the Rotterdam Dance Academy and Joffrey Ballet School in New York. She danced in companies in Germany, in Zurich Ballet, and was Ballet Mistress in Darmstadt State Theatre. She has been a guest teacher for the dance companies in St Gallen, Augsburg and also for National Dance Company Wales and Ballet Cymru.

Patricia has recently completed her PGCE/Cert Ed at the University of Wales, Newport, and received an Arts Council of Wales training grant in 2010 to attend The National Arts Fundraising School in November. She became Ballet Cymru’s Development Officer in 2008 and her responsibilities include managing the ‘Friends’ and ‘Partnerships’ of Ballet Cymru.

Patricia is principal teacher on the MBA programme