Jenny Challis BA(Hons), LRAD, AISTD, CDE Jenny trained in Cambridge until the age of eighteen, during which time she performed in several professional pantomimes and musicals. She also danced at Sadlers Well Theatre, London with the National Youth Ballet. She continued her dance training at the Royal Academy of Dancing, London and gained her teaching qualifications (LRAD) and BA Hons in The Art and Teaching of Classical Ballet from Durham University. She has taught near Oxford and been a freelance dance teacher in Herts and Bucks. Since taking over the school, Jenny has continued to take teaching exams including updating her modern and tap qualifications to the new ISTD Certificate in Dance Education. She has also been awarded Mentor status by the RAD, enabling her to train student teachers.

Some of Jenny's past pupils have gone on to professional dancing schools including The Royal Ballet, The Royal Academy, Central Ballet School and Laine Theatre School.

Some have performed professionally with ballet companies and had careers on the West End stage and in films, with others having successful teaching careers. She has also had pupils perform with both the English Youth Ballet and the National Youth Ballet, and has had children accepted onto the Royal Ballet School Associate's programme.

Gwen Hallam BA(Hons), LRAD, ARAD, AISTD Originally hailing from Preston in Lancashire, Gwen began her professional training at Preston College where she received Associate qualifications from the ISTD in ballet, modern, tap and national. In 2001, Gwen gained her Licentiate from the Royal Academy of Dance along with a BA (Hons) in the Art and Teaching of Ballet. Since graduating Gwen has enjoyed traveling the world, dancing aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines performing in shows such as Cameron Mackintosh's Hey! Mr Producer, and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Music Of The Night. More recently she has performed in several UK and US tours of Spirit Of The Dance and Spirit Of Broadway, prior to settling in St Albans and returning to her first love, teaching dance.

Claire Townsend Claire has been dancing since the age of 3. At 16 she knew that she wanted to be a dance teacher and so after completing A levels, studied Performing Arts and Dance at the Margaret Howard Theatre College in Bushey. Claire studied all types of dance including Musical Theatre and Ballet to advanced levels and worked to gain her teaching qualifications from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. She has been teaching at the Challis School of Dance for 3 years and really enjoys teaching Modern and Tap, as well as our Baby Ballet classes.

Gillian Merry -                 Dip. LCDD, F.I.S.T.D, RAD Teachers Cert Gillian trained at London College of Dance and has been teaching for 25 years. She taught at several schools in Berkshire and completed a management degree before emigrating to Trinidad in 1995. Whist there, Gillian taught at and managed the Caribbean School of Dancing, a school with over 700 students, in Port-of-Spain. She also passed the Fellowship exam, the highest level teaching exam of the ISTD and became an examiner in Modern and Tap. Having returned to the UK in 2010, Gillian now divides her time between teaching locally, lecturing and examining.

Charlotte Bandle

I started dancing at two and a half and have never looked back. I trained in Berkhamsted alongside my schooling and when I went to Sheffield University to study Mathematics I continued my dance studies at a local Sheffield dance school. Throughout this time I continued to take exams and train to a high standard.

Whilst at my dance school in Berkhamsted I was lucky enough to be taught by Jenny before she started her own school. When I left university to start my first job in Hemel Hempstead as a Maths teacher I contacted Jenny and she welcomed me into her school with open arms. Jenny has been a wonderful role model and has mentored me through my RAD certificate in ballet teaching study over the last few years. I now continue to teach and learn for and from her and love working within her school. I am also still taking classes in tap and ballet and so continue to see The Challis School of Dance through the eyes of a student and a teacher and from all angles it is fabulous.

Heather Blakeborough - awaiting photo

Heather graduated from Performers College in 2003. Since then she has had a busy career as both a professional dancer and a teacher.

Her TV credits include 'Top Of The Pops', 'GMTV Live' and 'Children in Need'. Heather's passion lies in musical theatre where she has been lucky enough to be given some great opportunities. She was lucky enough to be given the part of Sally in the original cast of 'The Biz' and has played the principal role of Aladdin at the Madinat Theatre in Dubai.

Heather has also enjoyed extensive cabaret and corporate work at some of London's top venues. Heather spends a lot of her time teaching at various schools in the area which she finds very rewarding.