Faculty

Sonya Nichols - Principal

DipRBS(TTC) MSc BscHons AISTDCertEd RADrts

Teaching Ballet, Modern, Tap & Jazz and the NSD Elites.

Ms Nichols is a graduate from the Royal Ballet upper School and whilst there she won the coveted Ursula Moreton Choreographic Award. She co-founded Surrey Youth Ballet in 2004 and enjoys choreographing the main ballets.

Ms Nichols is also a registered children's nurse and practising parent infant mental specialist health visitor.

Ms Nichols welcomes new students and thinks dance should be fun but that children should strive to reach their full potential. Some students have gone on to full time schools including; Laine Theatre Arts, London Studio Centre, Laban Conservatoire and Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary.

Ms Nichols enjoys teaching the NSD Elites and attending the competitions.

Claire Reed - Musical Theatre Teacher

BA hons, Diploma LCM

Claire has thirteen years experience in teaching Pop Vocal and Musical Theatre at Surrey Singing School. She earned a Diploma in Musical Theatre Performance from London College of Music in 2010. Claire has also sung iin ABBA tribute act and with local function bands.

Claire's pupils have appeared in Les Miserables (London and Paris), La Boheme at The Royal Opera House, The Sound of Music (London Palladium), Ragtime (Charing Cross Theatre) and the national tour of Annie. One former pupil has gone on to huge recording success and has toured with artists such as Frances and Khalid.

Many of Claire's former pupils now sing with function bands and pop acts with some going on to further study at establishments such as The Brit School, Mountview, GSA, Millennium and Arts Ed.

Lauren Holmes - Guest Teacher

Graduate from the The Royal Academy of Dance.

Lauren is also a qualified teacher with the ISTD and teachers modern dance syllabus.

Montanna Springer

Montanna Springer - Acro & Dance Teacher

Montanna has been training with Nichols School of Dance since she was 3 years old. She is now working towards her RAD Advanced 2 Ballet Exam.

Montanna is currently in full time training at London Studio Centre studying a degree in Classical Ballet.

Montanna was a finalist in the ISTD Janet Cram Awards 2010 and was awarded the class prize in her heat. She also took part in the finals of the RAD South East Awards day in 2013.

She has since then performed the leading role two productions of Surrey Youth Ballet and in 2014 was awarded a half scholarship into the English Youth Ballet company, performing in Swan Lake alongside professional ballet dancers.

She is also a Qualified level 1 gymnastics coach and teaches her own acrobatic dance class on Saturday mornings. She has a passion for dancing and teaching and loves to pass on what she has learnt to younger students.