Phillomena School of Dance Teachers
THE PRINCIPAL - LYNDA BLYTH-PHILLIPS
FIDTA (MF) MIDTA (MF, CW) AIDTA (BT, T, TC) MNATD (MS. MF) ANATD (T. BT) BAGS (Dip) AQA/NSAP. BCA EXAMINER
Lynda's professional career started at the tender age of thirteen, when she appeared in three consecutive pantomimes at the Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon. During those early years she worked with such stars as Barbara Windsor, Lesley Crowther and John Pertwee.
After further training at The Guildford School of Acting and Dance and successfully graduating in 1984, her career has taken her to many countries including Japan, Israel and Greece. As well as dancing in the shows, Lynda supplied the choreography and costumes for the "Minstrel Stars" (formally the Black& White Minstrels) She has also successfully choreographed many musicals for local theatre groups.
Lynda opened the Phillomena School of Dance in 1993 and has seen her school grow from 25 to over 300 students.
Lynda is also co-author of "Cheer Technique" (CT) the first ever syllabus and qualification for the coaching and training of young cheerleaders. Examinations are administered by the IDTA and the British Cheerleading Association (BCA) endorses the syllabus. Lynda, together with her CT partner Jean Eve, strive to ensure cheerleading is coached in a safe, structured and universal way.
As well as teaching the children from her own school Lynda also teaches dance at GCSE level at Rosebery School, Epsom and BTEC Dance at the Priory School in Dorking.
Lynda is Mum to "Adorable Adam" aged 5 and Maisie-May aged 3.
Contact Lynda: lynda@phillomenadanceschool.co.uk
VICE PRINCIPAL - ELAINE WALKER
MIDTA (MF, CW) AIDTA (BT, TC) ANATD (MS, MF) AQA/NSAP. BCA EXAMINER
Elaine started dancing at the age of 8 years old at the Gina Van Dyke Stage School in Tolworth, Surrey. She started her professional dance career at the age of 17 with the Black & White Minstrel Stars touring all over England, Scotland and Ireland and even on a North Sea cruise! Elaine also travelled with various dance troupes all over the Greek mainland and islands. In 1995 Lynda invited Elaine to be a teacher at the Phillomena. For over 14 years now Elaine has been teaching at the school as well as furthering her teaching qualifications.
Elaine also teaches dance classes at the Malden Centre in New Malden and for Mrs Loraine Hastings, an I.D.T.A. examiner, at her school in Walton-on-Thames. Elaine has also begun teaching BTEC dance at the Priory School in Dorking and at Rosebery Girls’ School as part of their P.E. options. She has also choreographed for amateur productions and danced as a Tupelo Dancer in an Elvis tribute show alongside Lynda and Sarah!
Elaine is Mum to "Gorgeous George" aged 7.
Contact Elaine: elaine@phillomenadanceschool.co.uk
ASSISTANT VICE PRINCIPAL - SARAH HASTINGS-HOLLAND
FIDTA (MF) MIDTA (CHL) AIDTA (T, TC, CW) IDTA GRADUATE 1 (BT) IDTA CT STUNT DIP. AQA/NSAP. BCA EXAMINER
AKA Miss "Mad" Sarah! has been teaching at the Phillomena School of Dance since 1998 and has been training with Lynda since she was 4! She now has over 25 years dance experience.
She has toured with the Tupelo dance troupe and has choreographed numerous shows at the Harlequin Theatre, Redhill, for touring dance companies. Sarah has been training the Pink Ladies Elite squad for Cheer for the past 7 years and last season began training the Peewee Dance Squad. During this time they have won many trophies at British and International level and hopefully they will win many more!
Sarah opened her own Dance School in September 2005, The Amareece School of Dance situated in Caterham.
Sarah is also a qualified Clinical Personal Fitness Trainer and qualified Sports Masseur and Injuries Therapist. Sarah has done extensive work over the last 7 years with adults with learning difficulties, choreographing and staging shows as well as helping them to gain qualifications in dance that would otherwise not be possible.
Sarah is Mum to "Awesome Oliver" aged 2.
Contact Sarah: sarah@phillomenadanceschool.co.uk
ASSISTANT TEACHER - WENDY JOHNSON
ANATD (MS) AIDTA (MF)
Wendy started dancing at the Grove School of Dance when she was 4 years old. Here Lynda, who was a student at the time, taught her. She continued to take lessons in Ballet, Tap and Modern dance until the age of seventeen when Wendy took her Associate teaching qualification in Modern Dance.
Following her A levels she moved to Lancaster to study for a BSc (Hons) in Operations Management & Computer Science and still found time to take ballet lessons at a local school.
After university Wendy returned to Epsom and started dancing again with Lynda & Elaine at the Phillomena School of Dance where she has been ever since.
When not disappearing off on adventurous holidays to all corners of the world and falling off elephants, Wendy works in Human Resources and has just started a new job at Mayday Hospital as a HR Manager.
Wendy is Mum to Alex aged 4 & Phillipa 2 months .
ASSISTANT TEACHER - LAURA ELSTER
AIDTA (MF)
Laura began dancing at the age of 3 and joined The Grove School of Dance where she met Miss Lynda and Miss Sarah. She then followed Miss Lynda to the Phillomena School of Dance and has been there ever since!
During her teenage years Laura has enjoyed performing in many of The Phillomena shows, Songtime Theatre Arts and Stepping Out Young Stagers, as well as appearing in numerous pantomimes. Since leaving school Laura has worked for Disney World, Florida and then went on to complete a degree in Drama at Loughborough University.She has just qualified as a secondary school drama teacher and is now teaching drama at Langley Park School for Boys.
Contact Laura: laura@phillomenadanceschool.co.uk
ASSISTANT TEACHER - HOLLY BOWEN
AIDTA (MF, CHL)
Holly started dancing when she was 6 years old at The Grove School of Dance and when the school closed she was left wondering where she could continue her dance training. Luckily, Holly was told of The Phillomena School of Dance and quickly got in touch with Lynda. After going through a "taster" session of one of Lynda's cheerleading classes, Holly was hooked. She was then introduced to the world of Cheerleading and Dance Competitions and soon became an active member of the "Pink Ladies" competition squads and hasn't looked back since.
Gradually, Holly began taking up other dance disciplines and through being with The Phillomena she has been able to fulfil career goals that she never thought she could. Holly is a qualified IDTA Freestyle Teacher and Cheerleading Coach and she hopes to continue to broaden her dance knowledge and become qualified in other disciplines of dance and to pass everything she has learnt onto others the way it has been passed onto her. Holly also teaches at the Amareece School of Dance with Sarah.
When Holly is not dancing, her usual day job is at a pensions company in Leatherhead where she is a senior in the Office Services Department.
ASSISTANT TEACHER - FREYA SANDS
ISTD (FDI-MT, T)
Freya began dancing at the age of 12 studying at "Laines Theatre Arts" and "The Phillomena". She now attends "The Centre of Performing Arts" in London where she is about to enter her third year. Freya has gained her FDI teaching qualifications in Modern Theatre and Tap and is currently working towards reaching the next level of her qualification.
STUDENT TEACHERS & CLASS ASSISTANTS
Emma Bullock, Holly Carpenter, Vicky Harper, Bryony Kershaw & Mia Morcillo.
