The School

The school's founder, Niki Charalambous-Burns trained at the Stella Mann College of Performing Arts in London, where she was awarded a diploma in the teaching of classical ballet and related dance subjects. Her three-year course allowed her to specialise in both the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) syllabi, qualifying her to enter students for examinations with both societies.

She also teaches Modern Theatre Dance (ISTD) and National Dance (ISTD). Her diploma spanned choreography, classical repertoire, contemporary and tap, Spanish dance, dance history and anatomy, child psychology, music and Benesh notation, and pedagogy. At her graduation she was awarded Best Student of her year.

Niki is a founding member of the Cyprus Dance Association and a member of Ballet Cyprus, where she and her students have danced in productions including The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty. She continues her professional development every year to keep the school current, and aims to pass her knowledge and love of dance on to her students.

From an early age Yvonne Burns became a member of Ballet Cyprus, dancing in productions including The Nutcracker — in cooperation with the RAD — and The Sleeping Beauty, choreographed by British and Russian choreographers. From 2004 she also joined the Diastasis Cultural Association, broadening her knowledge of ballet and contemporary dance under a range of teachers.

After school she studied at the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) in London, covering dance history, ballet and contemporary technique and repertoire, dance analysis and notation, dance science, choreography, and pedagogy. Alongside her degree she completed the Licentiate (LRAD) programme, specialising in the RAD syllabi from Pre-Primary to Advanced 2.

Yvonne graduated from the RAD with a First Class BA (Honours) in Ballet Education and was awarded both the ARAD and the LRAD. She went on to complete an MA in Dance Studies at Roehampton University, exploring dance from a socio-cultural and philosophical perspective. She is a certified STOTT Pilates instructor and Pilates coach.