Meet the team
Kamara Gray
Founder and CEO
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Kamara is an award winning dance teacher and performer of Jamaican heritage who has taught extensively in the UK, Australia and Kuwait. She was born in Papua New Guinea and grew up in Sydney, Australia where she began studying dance at age 4. Kamara continued her dance training at the Ailey School in New York and Dance World 301 in Melbourne, Australia before moving to London where she completed her teacher training with the British Ballet Organization (BBO).
Kamara has taught and lectured at numerous schools, colleges, and universities including: Urdang Academy, Buckinghamshire New University, City and Islington College, Irie Dance Theatre, and the Royal Academy of Dance school. She previously worked in Kuwait, where she was the Head of Theatre at the British Academy of International Arts, and introduced the BBO tap dance syllabus and examinations to the country. As a performer, her credits include film, television and live events including the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony as a Lead Tap dancer, the MTV Europe Awards and L’Heure Espagnole with the Royal Opera.
Kamara is the 2021 recipient of the One Dance UK Award for 'Dance in the Community'. She is also on the Board of Trustees for the English National Ballet.
Esme Benjamin
Project Manager
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Esme Benjamin began her training at Dixon Woods School of Dance, and then went on to train professionally at London Studio Centre gaining a BA (hons) degree in Dance Theatre, specialising in Contemporary Dance. Esme later completed a MA in Dance & Somatic Wellbeing: Connections to the Living Body.
For the past decade Esme has performed and taught all over the world, working in a variety of companies and is currently associate artist for Movement Angol and Babel Theatre as well as Project Manager for Artistry Youth Dance.
Esme also conducts her own artistic projects and is part of KWAM Collective, a group of independent artists from the fields of dance theatre, live performance, digital art and therapeutic bodily practices.
Nikki Green
Youth Dance Company Coordinator
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Nikki Green is of Jamaican descent, born and raised in London UK. She began dancing when she was only six years old and was a part of the Hip Hop dance scene.
Her passion for dance led her to begin her training at The BRIT School, she then went on to train at The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) and Kingston University where she obtained a First Class Degree with Honours in Dance.
Nikki elevated her teaching career by working youth company’s such as Khronos Dance Company, Jigsaw Performing Arts, Battersea Arts Centre and Impact Dance. Through teaching, Nikki aims to empower, encourage and promote confidence in all her students.
Nikki prides herself on the transferable skills she has built between motherhood and her dance career. She particularly aims to collaborate with underrepresented artists.
Stephen Quildan
Dance Instructor: Ballet
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Stephen Quildan trained at The BRIT School of Performing Arts and Technology, and later Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance were he achieved a First Class (BA Hons) degree. His background spans Ballet, Contemporary and Street dance.
As a dancer he has worked for Rambert, English National Ballet, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Opera de Lyon, Noism Company Niigata(Japan), Peter Schaufuss Ballet and others. He has also danced many works, both in collaborations and re-staging's including, Christopher Bruce, Merce Cunningham, Didy Veldman, Fukiko Takase, Mark Baldwin, Itzik Galili, Julie Cunningham, Nanine Linning, Studio Wayne McGregor, Alexander Whitely, Yuki Mori, Dane Hurst, Ben Duke and others.
He has taught at Rambert School, Rambert, Ateno Danza, Urdang, Luz Poland, Nephrite Japan, London Studio Centre, Alexander Whitely Dance Company and The Brit School.
Shea Best
Dance Instructor: Contemporary Dance
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Shea Best is a dancer, choreographer, actor, and director, hailing from Barbados. At 31 years of age, Shea holds an MA in Choreography from Leeds Beckett University and a diverse wealth of experience in dance performance, choreography and teaching.
Having trained, performed, and toured throughout the Caribbean, Canada and the UK, some of Shea’s most notable work to date includes collaboration on a project led by Rihanna, appearing in Davido’s ‘Assurance’ music video, and being Barbados’ most recent recipient of the revered Prime Minister’s Award for his choreographic work.