Victoria founded VBDance in 2006 with just 10 students. The school now welcomes over 500 dancers every week into the classes.

Victoria studied BA Dance and Culture at the University of Surrey and upon graduating with First Class Honours, she enjoyed a successful career as a professional Contemporary Dancer with Odyssey Dance Theatre, Singapore where she performed and choreographed throughout Asia.

Victoria’s passion for performing and teaching has seen her freelance at a variety of dance schools including Deborah Lamb Theatre Arts, Vacani Clapham, A2 Arts and LLDS as well as the Royal Academy of Dance, West Sussex County Arts and several Independent Schools in Surrey and Sussex. Victoria also has extensive experience teaching dance to children with Special Educational Needs through the Royal Academy of Dance ‘Step into Dance’ programme and independently too. Through her experience, Victoria was inspired to open a professional dance school encompassing traditional dance school values with a Modern and Contemporary approach making classes accessible for children and young people of today.

With a wealth of dance teaching experience, Victoria has helped her students to perform at major dance platforms including Sadlers Wells and Royal Festival Hall, London and in a variety of professional West End musicals including Billy Elliot, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Oliver as well as taking class at The Royal Ballet School.

Victoria has also worked in partnership with West Sussex County Arts both as a Choreographer and Dancer for various outreach and collaborative arts projects.

As well as being an enthusiastic and passionate dance teacher Victoria is also proud of her standing as a local business woman with past accolades including:

• Prestige Awards 2023 Children’s Dance School of the Year
• Prestige Awards 2022 Children’s Dance School of the Year
• Prestige Awards 2021 Children’s Dance School of the Year
• Dance School of The Year Awards 2018 – Finalist
• Dance School of The Year Awards 2017 – Finalist
• Dance Teacher Hub Awards 2016 – Finalist
• Woman of The Year Award 2012 – Finalist

Qualifications and Training
BA Hons 1:1 Dance and Culture
Trainee Affiliate Teacher for The Royal Ballet School
DDE Imperial Classical Ballet ISTD
DDE Modern Theatre ISTD
DDE Tap ISTD
BBO Registered Teacher
Certified Business and Entrepreneurship Coach
Youth Mental Health Aware

Especially beloved by our younger students, she really has a natural affinity when it comes to teaching our Pre School and Junior students- it is a joy to see their big smiles during her lessons! She always floors us with her creativity and is our go-to-gal when it comes to brainstorming great workshop ideas and show-stopping choreography.

Laura trained at the Deborah Lamb Theatre Arts where she completed her ISTD Modern and Tap exams to Advanced 2 Level and RAD Ballet to Intermediate. Laura has performed in many  pantomimes for Jordan Productions.

Laura thoroughly enjoys teaching and sharing her passion for dance with her students at VBDance.

ISTD Imperial Classical Ballet, Modern Theatre, Tap Dance

Charis is a cool cat whose calm nature definitely shines when she is teaching. ISTD trained up to Licentiate level in Ballet, Modern and Tap, her incredible work ethic is exemplary. Charis is the envy of all of us when it comes to innovative Tap routines and quick, intricate footwork- she is a superstar Tapper who is a massive inspiration to both teachers and students alike!

Upon graduating from Bird College, Charis worked as a professional dancer and dance captain for ten years, working with a variety of choreographers and travelling throughout the world.

Alongside teaching at VBDance, she enjoys guest tutoring for Dance2Advance teacher training centre and Sussex Youth Ballet Company.

Charis is particularly passionate about teaching tap dance, and has recently had the opportunity to study with the American Tap Dance Foundation in New York.

BA (Hons) Dance and Theatre Performance
ISTD Licentiate Imperial Classical Ballet, Modern Theatre and Tap Dance
Body Control Pilates Teacher

Photo credit: Jazzula Donoghue Photography

Sophie is a Choreography mastermind!

Following her A-levels she spent a year at Performers College in Essex on the Foundation Course. After completing this course Sophie was accepted onto 4 different Musical Theatre courses at professional colleges. She received sponsorship from the Lionel Bart Foundation to pursue her teachers training. Sophie has lots of performing experience in professional pantomimes, cruise ships, London performances and amateur productions. She has also been trained in singing and acting and has a particular flair for choreography.

ISTD DDE Classical Ballet, Modern Theatre, Tap Dance.

Alice is ISTD Modern Theatre, Tap and Jazz trained, and both ISTD and RAD Ballet trained. She has had dance opportunities and a successful career both in the UK and internationally including as a dancer and character performer at Disneyland Paris. Alice has returned to her passion of teaching the next generation of young dancers whilst continuing her own professional development at Dance2advance. Alice is passionate about inspiring children to find freedom of expression through dance and helping them to continue to learn and grow. 

Sophia gained her ISTD Intermediate qualifications in Tap, Ballet and Modern before moving on to study at Royal Holloway, University of London. Whilst there she threw herself into all the creative societies, finding a particular affinity for organising and presenting shows. As President of the Dance Society, she took competition teams across the country. Now back in Burgess Hill, she is training for her DDE Modern, Tap and Ballet whilst completing a Master’s with the Open University. She finds particular joy in choreographing and teaching contemporary.

Charlotte started dancing when she was 3 and performing has always been her greatest passion in life. Charlotte trained in Sussex as a child and when she was 18 began training at London Studio Centre,  graduating in 2019 with a BA Hons in Theatre Dance (Jazz). During her time at LSC she was accepted for a mentorship programme and flew to LA to train at Millennium Dance Centre. She started teaching and working as an assistant choreographer during her degree training and fell in love with it. Charlotte now works as a freelance professional dancer and teacher,  in Ballet, Modern and Tap as well as studying for her 200hr yoga teacher qualification.

Katie began dancing at the age of three at the Pauline Howard School of Dance, where she studied

Ballet, Modern, Jazz and Tap up to the age of 21. During this time she took on principal roles in their school ballets of Cinderella and the Nutcracker, as well as performing in numerous pantomimes and shows from a young age. Katie has since also performed with local operatic societies including Crazy for You, 42nd Street and Footloose.

Katie now focuses on her passion for dancing through teaching it and sharing her knowledge.

Katie has successfully completed her ISTD DDE qualifications in Tap, Modern and Ballet. She is always looking for ways to improve her knowledge and teaching skills. Katie has been teaching for the past 10 years and enjoys every aspect of it, especially when it comes to choreographing routines for shows and getting ready for exams.

Siobhan has been involved in the dance industry for most of her life…

She trained in Watford with the eminent International Examiner Elizabeth Harrison from the age of 7yrs and, post A-levels, passed four Associate teaching qualifications before working abroad teaching dance and English in Lausanne, Switzerland.

On her return to the UK, she worked at the ISTD HQ in the exams department and was promoted several times to eventually become Head of UK and International Examinations.

During this time she was also teaching part time at her local dance school in St Albans and was awarded her Associate Diploma. She was then given the fabulous opportunity to take over the school so decided to leave her job in London and the daily commute, and devote all her time to developing the school – her dream job!

Siobhan was Principal of ‘Let’s Dance’ in St Albans for the best part of 30years turning it from a school with just 100 students to one with 450 students, 7 staff and a timetable that offered over 100 classes per week.

Siobhan’s association with the ISTD was further strengthened when she was invited to take on the role of Regional Representative for the ISTD in Hertfordshire in 2012.

2013 saw a massive change when Siobhan sold her school to one of her ex-pupils and along with her husband has now relocated to Wiltshire. She is now lucky enough to be able to use all her years of experience of running a dance school to help other dance teachers through her work as a Virtual Assistant specialising in Dance and running a dance costume hire company “The Costume Store”.