Meet the Team
Christine Hully
Senior Teacher, Children’s Programme
Christine studied ballet from the age of 4, encountering the Cecchetti Method while at college in London. On returning to the North East, she trained for the vocational and professional exams with Ann Loades, for whom she began to teach. Christine ran St Hilda’s Ballet School in Newcastle for over 30 years, combining it with a distinguished career in mainstream education. She has worked in schools across the North East, often in management roles including Head of Department. Christine is passionate about dance and musical theatre, continues to take regular classes in ballet and tap, and takes an active part in Walkerville Musical Society and Gosforth Theatre Company amongst other organisations, where she has been involved in countless productions.
Emily Wallace
Director
Emily has decades of experience in the ballet world, with vocational and professional qualifications in both Cecchetti Classical Ballet and RAD, and has also studied with the Royal Ballet School. She has an interest in early Modern dance, and has studied the work of cultural icon Isadora Duncan. Emily is a qualified teacher with many years of experience, and has worked in schools across Wearside at both Primary and Secondary levels. She is also a writer and a linguist, and in her creative practice she explores the synergies between words and dance.
Jessica Taylor-Hughes
Teacher and Early Years Lead
Jessica trained locally from the age of 4 before moving on to study Ballet and Contemporary on Dance City’s degree programme, graduating with a 1:1. Following graduation Jessica opened her own programme, focusing primarily on Early Years alongside teaching community classes at Dance City Sunderland. During this time Jessica also trained as an Infant Massage Instructor and qualified as an Early Years Practitioner. She has worked in a range of settings such as nurseries, schools and play centres. She is particularly passionate about the use of dance as a developmental aid in early years and the benefits of group participation as a tool to create connection between families.