Meet the SBSD Team
Come dance with us at Samantha Boyd School of Dance! Our team of teachers are dedicated to teaching you the moves and techniques you need to take your dancing to the next level. Whether you’re here for recreation or for professional training, we can help you reach your goals.
Principal and Owner Miss Samantha Boyd
Dominic North
Patron
Dominic has been a principal dancer with New Adventures since 2008 with roles including the Prince in Swan Lake; Julian and
Ivan in The Red Shoes, Angelo in The Car Man, Edward in EdwardScissorhands, Cyril Vane in Dorian Gray, Ralph in Lord of the Flies, Early Adventures, Fritz in Nutcracker!, Leo in Sleeping Beauty and Harry the Pilot in Cinderella. Dominic has also performed in Swan Lake 3D, Matthew Bourne’s Christmas, and the film versions of Sleeping Beauty and The Car Man.
Dominic has been a dance captain on many productions and has been a workshop leader for New Adventures since 2008
and a Resident Artist since 2012.
Dominic was named in the top 10 performances of 2014 by londondance.com. He was Dancing Times’ dancer of the month in January 2010 and was nominated for Outstanding Male Dancer (Modern) in the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards twice
(2009 and 2016).
Estela Merlos
Patron
Born in Barcelona 1983, Estela is an independent dance artist based in London. She collaborates with a wide variety of international artists, dance companies and organisations as a performer, choreographer, teacher, assistant choreographer
and rehearsal director. She trained at her local school
Escola de Dansa Madó and at Central School of Ballet in London.
Upon graduation she danced for companies Cannes Jeune Ballet (2004-2006, France) and IT Dansa (2006-2008, Spain) before joining Rambert Dance Company in 2008 where she toured nationally
and internationally for six years.
Estela is a certified Awareness
Through Movement Feldenkrais® Practitioner
Helen Gulston
Guest Teacher
Helen trained in Essex and since made her professional debut in The Thursford Christmas Spectacular (Thursford Enterprises). Most recently she has been performing in SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER UK/International Tour as Doreen, 1st Cover Anette and 1st cover Linda Monero (Bill Kenwright). Other Theatre Credits include; CATS the Musical as Tantomile, 1st cover Demeter/1st cover Rumpleteazer (Really useful Group and RCCL), Roy Hudd’s Mother Goose Ensemble/1st Cover Fairy Virtue (Wiltons Music Hall, London), Cinderella (QDOS, Swansea), Beauty and the Beast (Disney, motion picture) The BeeGees Story (The Orchard Theatre, Dartford) and A Night Of Dirty Dancing, Ensemble (UK Tour).
Miss Karen
Dance School Secretary and Data Protection Officer
Miss Karen devotes her time to being a wife, proud mother of three children and nana of three grandchildren. Miss Karen has been part of the team at Samantha Boyd School of Dance since opening in 2011 and is responsible for the majority of the day-to-day running of the Dance School and Dance Shop.
Miss Kasey
Level 2 British Gymnastics Coach
Miss Kasey started Gymnastics at the age of 3 and has
competed at a national level.
Miss Kasey then started coaching from the age of 14 and loved it with a passion, it took Miss Kasey all over the country where she was able to teach Gymnastics at camp America, the Maldives and also work on the biggest cruise line in the world called Royal Caribbean Cruise where Miss Kasey was Sports staff.
Miss Chloe
Level 2 British Gymnastics Coach
Miss Chloe has been teaching Gymnastics since 2017.
Miss Chloe started Gymnastics at a Recreational Level
since she was 6 years old and stopped Gymnastics when
she was 13 years old.
Miss Chloe is a Level 2 Woman's Artistic Coach and also a
Level 1 Tumbling and Team Gym Coach.
Miss Chloe is currently at University studying
Sport and Exercise Science (coaching).
Mr Michael
Level 1 British Gymnastics Coach
Mr Michael was an Elite Gymnast for South Essex
winning national and regional titles.
Mr Michael has been coaching since 2016 at many different clubs. Holding a Level 1 in Gymnastics and
studying Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training and
will be doing Level 2 Gymnastics in 2021.
Mr Michael has taught for the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace and has worked and trained with Olympic Gymnast, Max Whitlock.
"I love Gymnastics, it’s my absolute passion and I can’t wait to be working with some of the Gymnasts and Dancers at SBSD!"
Miss Melanie
Tap Teacher
Miss Melanie trained at various dance schools in London before commencing her IDTA teaching training in the core dance subjects. Miss Melanie has been prinicipal of her own dance school and is now looking forward to new challenges working at SBSD. Miss Melanie is still continuing her professional development and cannot wait to share her passion for dance and enthusiasm.
Mr Kane
Street Dance and Breakdance Teacher
Mr Kane is a dance teacher and choreographer from London. Kane grew up and studied I.D.T.A in sunny Malaga, Spain. Since then Mr Kane has gone onto tour the world being a lead male dancer on cruise ships, a teacher for a performing arts university in New York City, an acrobatic dancer touring the Islands of Greece and much more!
In 2008 Mr Kane won best male dancer in the Gibraltar dance festival competition and was a semi-finalist on Spain's Got Talent. Mr Kane has worked with the likes of Little Mix and been in various TV commercials. Mr Kane loves spending time on the beach, drinking coffee and eating Greggs. His favourite artist is Beyonce and he lives by the quote - "Have Courage and be Kind".
Miss Ffion
Assistant Teacher
Miss Ffion is a student studying at RAD Intermediate Level, and committed dancer. Dance has become her main passion, ever since she was nine. It started innocently at a club that Miss Ffion would merely attend for fun; now Miss Ffion is very seriously considering her career and near future in the industry of Ballet and other creative arts. Miss Ffion said “Ballet is an incredible way for me to express myself, since it has influenced my life heavily, ever since my early adolescence. I thoroughly look forward to my lessons to this day, and thoroughly enjoy my time spent at SBSD, with my friends and my teachers”.
Miss Olivia
Assistant Teacher
Miss Olivia’s love of dance began when she was very young. Miss Olivia joined Samantha Boyd School of Dance in the summer of 2016 and is now training at RAD Intermediate Level. Miss Olivia says “I am now an aspiring dance teacher and love to spend time helping and developing the skills of young dancers. I work within the classes as an Assistant Teacher and also on Reception and love my time spent at the Dance School”. Miss Olivia is currently working towards completing her Level 3 CACHE Childcare and Education (Early Years Educator) Diploma.
Miss Jessica
SBSD School Assistant
Miss Jessica has been a dance student at SBSD since it first opened in 2011
and has participated in lessons, shows and examinations over a number of years.
She loves all aspects of dance and currently helps at reception and in the dance shop which she really enjoys.
Alexa
Studio Assistant
I love helping so much because I am able to create
connections with those who I help and share the
gift of dance with others.
Miss Carlie
Cover Teacher
Miss Carlie graduated from Elmhurst Ballet School in 2006. She went on to perform in various ballets including Swan Lake (Royal Albert Hall, London) and The Nutcracker (UK and Ireland Tour). Hanging up her ballet shoes, she travelled the world on the famous Queen Mary 2 Ocean Liner, working as Dance Captain for Belinda King Creative Productions on the Cunard line. Back home in the U.K. she has continued a diverse career, performing on screen and in theatre. Shows include Thursford’s ‘Christmas Spectacular’ and most recently as ‘Penny Johnson’ and Dance Captain on the U.K. and West End tour of Dirty Dancing.
Mr Connor
Cover Teacher
Mr Connor trained at Masters Performing Arts College and then continued his training with BirdGang Dance Company. Since Masters he has went on to work for the BBC 3, NETFLIX and corporate gigs all over Europe. Mr Connor has also worked out in Dubai on a six month contract dancing for Global Village performing in front of 200,000 people including the Sheikh of Dubai whilst there!
Miss Ellena
Cover Teacher
Miss Ellena has been dancing since a very young age and was a pupil at Samantha Boyd School of Dance for many years and made lifelong friendships. Miss Ellena is dedicated to dance and training at RAD Advanced 1 Vocational Level and has completed an Extended Diploma in Performing Arts (Dance) at South Essex College and presently studying at Norwich University of the Arts studying Fashion, Communication and Promotion. Miss Ellena enjoys all aspects of dance and loves working with all the pupils at SBSD and seeing them achieve their dreams which is why SBSD are lucky to have her return from time to time as our Cover Teacher.