MIGNONNE COX

Principal

Mignonne graduated from Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in 2001 after gaining a scholarship there. Since then her credits have included two box office Hollywood movies as well as the lead female in five short films. She has also performed roles in Shakespearean, Russian, and numerous fringe plays.  She has also appeared in a number of television commercials.

Throughout her career Mignonne has taught at various drama schools, in particular the early stages age group, as well as several summer workshops. In 2003 she started Blue Jellybean drama parties for children, combining her experience at teaching with her natural rapport with young children. Her skills as an actress and child entertainer made starting her own drama school a natural progression, hence the Blue Jellybean drama club began just outside Dorking.

KEELEY DANN

Street dance and drama teacher

Keeley won her first dancing competition at the age of 10 and went on to win several more before enrolling at the Vicky Coopers Dance School and beginning to compete around the country. In 2000 she joined the Brit Performing Arts School where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary and hip hop styles of dance, before gaining a scholarship to attend the London Studio Centre, from where she graduated in 2007. Since then Keeley has performed with many high-profile artists, including Leona Lewis, Anastasia, Alesha Dixon and Alexandrea Burke, and has appeared on X Factor, the Royal Variety Show and Top of The Pops. Keeley continues to attend dance classes in order to maintain a high standard, and in 2008 spent a month in Los Angeles training with some of the best choreographers and dancers in the industry. She trains twice a week with a hip hop company called Dance 2XS.

SIMON J BAILEY

Street dance teacher

Elton John, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston are among the artists with whom Simon has performed live at locations all over the world, including Morocco, Singapore and Switzerland. His media exposure includes being featured in The Sun, Hello! magazine and The Mail on Sunday, as well as being a guest on ITV's GMTV with Lorraine Kelly. He has also performed on the BBC's Children in Need programme, and on Channel 4's TFI Friday alongside Victoria Beckham. In association with The Red Cross Simon penned a song, Bring Back the Love, to honour the British Armed services abroad, and has also modelled for the likes of Armani, adidas, Levi, Von Dutch and Chelsea FC.

LUCY PEACOCK

Drama and dance teacher

Since obtaining her qualifications from Laine Theatre Arts in the 90s Lucy Peacock has worked variously in professional theatre and television in the UK and across Europe. She has been teaching for the last two years for a number of Surrey-based dance schools and is passionate about passing on her knowledge of all aspects of musical theatre. In the way she teaches her classes each week is embroidered her desire to make each child enjoy themselves, develop their potential, and want to return the following week. Lucy strives to give her students a solid understanding of all the basic dance steps, as well as helping them to develop sound technique and a sense of rhythm, as well as a desire to perform. “I want them to grow, learn and fall in love with musical theatre the way I did as a child,” she says.