Our People
Central School of Ballet is a thriving community of passionate people who believe in providing world-leading professional training to provide global career opportunities for young people in the dance industry. The organisation also believes that access to dance through participation or opportunities to watch performances is part of our broader remit, encouraging children, teenagers and adults of all ages and backgrounds to engage with this artform, an important part of our cultural landscape.

Patrons
Aurora Bosch |
Deborah Bull CBE |
Adam Cooper |
Mike Figgis |
Raymond Gubbay CBE |
Sir Derek Jacobi |
Robert Mackintosh |
Irek Mukhamedov OBE |
Cassa Pancho MBE |
Sir Bob Reid |
President’s Circle
Lady Sieff, President |
Dominic Fry |
Jean Gomm |
Peter Kyle OBE |
Chrisanthy Lemos |
Genevieve Mather |
Irina Porritt |
Bruce Sansom |
Amanda Sieff |
Paul Slawson-Price |
Jen Tatham |
Sir Michael Wakeford |
HRH The Countess of Wessex GCVO, Royal Patron
Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex became Central’s Royal Patron in 2003 and has actively supported the School and its aim to move to a new home in Southwark since that time. In February 2020, Central’s new bespoke premises in Paris Garden in the London Borough of Southwark, part of the South Bank arts community, were named in her honour at a special event she attended for students and staff. The new building is now known as “The Countess of Wessex Studios”. This reflects Central’s sincere gratitude for the continued interest and support provided by Her Royal Highness for the project and its broad objectives for exemplary dance industry training and benefit to the local community.
A full-time working member of the Royal Family, The Countess of Wessex splits her time between her work in support of The Queen and visits to a large number of her own charities and organisations, including Central School of Ballet.

Lady Sieff, President
Lady Jennifer Sieff is the President of Central School of Ballet and the former Chair of Central’s Board of Governors (from 2002 to 2008). Lady Sieff was instrumental in setting Central on its path towards finding and securing a new home and she remains closely involved with, and highly supportive of, Central’s move to the Countess of Wessex Studios in London’s South Bank arts community. As Chair of the President’s Circle, Lady Sieff is an ambassador and advocate for Central and its students – the future stars of dance. In addition to Lady Sieff’s love of ballet and opera her other interests include horseracing, tennis and bridge.
(The image shows Lady Sieff at a special event with members of Central’s Board of Governors: l-r Stephen Kane, Chairman Ralph Bernard, and Philp Feeney, Central’s Composer-in-Residence)

Governors
Ralph Bernard CBE, Chairman |
Pim Baxter OBE |
Dr Virginia Brooke |
Simon Cole |
Carole Gable |
David Gray |
Heidi Hall |
Christopher Hampson |
Stephen Kane |
Wendy Pallot |
Tim Parsonson |
Susan Scott Parker OBE |
Simon Sporborg |
Charlotte Talbot |
Andrew Tuckey |
Jonathan Wood |
Tamas Wood |
Artistic Advisors
Mark Baldwin OBE | Former Artistic Director, Rambert |
Sir Matthew Bourne | Artistic Director, New Adventures |
Carole Gable | Gable Repertoire |
David Nixon OBE | Artistic Director, Northern Ballet |
Ashley Page OBE | International Choreographer |
Sharon Watson MBE | Principal, Northern School of Contemporary Dance |
Mark Osterfield, Executive Director
Mark Osterfield was appointed Executive Director for the Central School of Ballet in March 2020. Mark has spent his career managing leading arts organisations and facilitating change for the public benefit with social, cultural and economic impact. He worked on the major refurbishment of Camden’s Swiss Cottage Central Library that was completed in 2003. As Executive Director Tate St Ives Mark championed the refurbishment and extension of the iconic gallery, winning Art Fund Museum of the Year 2018 as a result of his leadership. Since 2018 he has worked as a consultant and interim Director for a number of visual arts organisations including Spike Island, and Wysing Arts Centre.
Having studied ballet as a child, including a short stint at the Royal Ballet School, Mark read English at Keble College, Oxford, and then took a second degree in Fine Art at Middlesex University. Mark plans to bring this experience to the new role at Central, supporting young people to achieve excellence as dancers, whilst seeking to broaden Central School of Ballet’s reach and engagement with diverse communities, as it moves to its new premises in Southwark on the South Bank.

Christopher Marney, Artistic Director
Christopher is Artistic Director of Central School of Ballet, having studied as a dancer under the direction of Christopher Gable, and completed his Master’s Degree in Choreography at Central. As a dancer Chris has worked for Balletboyz, Gothenburg Ballet, Ballet Biarritz, Bern Ballet, Michael Clark Company and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures where he has danced many principal roles. During this time he has danced in works by choreographers such as William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian and Nacho Duato to name a few. His final performance was in 2017 with Ivan Putrov’s Men in Motion where he danced the Faun in Nijinsky’s L’Apres Midi d’un Faun.
The Critics Circle National Dance Awards nominated him for Outstanding Performance in Modern Dance two years running as well as being included in Dance Europe’s Outstanding Male Dancer 2013 list. As a choreographer he has created works for Ballet Black, Images of Dance, English National Ballet’s Emerging dancer competition, Regensburg Opera House and the Edinburgh festival. In London’s West-End Chris has choreographed McQueen The Play, Tell Me on a Sunday, Hotel Follies and he was the Associate Choreographer for Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures. He was named associate artist of the UK Foundation for Dance in 2009.

Management
Dr Jamieson Dryburgh | Director of Higher Education Programmes |
Iryna Pyzniuk | Head of Studies |
Elia Luyando | Head of Senior School |
Anna Brodrick | Lead Physiotherapist & Head of Medical Department |
Carolyn Braby | Director of Finance & Operations |
Debra Cougill | Head of Widening Participation & Access |
Philip Feeney | Musical Director |
Tutors
Julia Ellis | Ladies’ Ballet Tutor |
Linda Moran | Ladies’ Ballet Tutor |
Sarah Daultry | Ladies’ Ballet Tutor |
Nicky Henshall | Ladies’ Ballet Tutor |
Juan Rodriquez | Ladies’ Ballet Tutor |
Kate Lyons | Ladies’ Ballet Tutor |
Layla Harrison | Ladies’ Ballet Tutor |
Christopher Marney | Men’s Ballet Tutor |
Resmi Malko | Men’s Ballet Tutor |
Christopher Hinton-Lewis | Men’s Ballet Tutor |
Jacquie Biggs | Jazz Tutor |
Katie Deacon | Jazz Tutor |
Sherrill Wexler | Spanish Tutor |
Emma Flett | Spanish Tutor |
Leanne King | Creative Projects Manager/Contemporary & Choreography Tutor |
Emily Powell | Contemporary Tutor |
Mikaela Polley | Contemporary Tutor |
Renaud Wiser | Contemporary Improvisation Tutor |
Bim Malcomson | Choreography Tutor |
Amy Whittle | Singing Tutor |
Robert Perkins | Drama Tutor |
Lynn Jezzard | Musical Theatre Tutor |
Ballet Central
Elia Luyando | Rehearsal Coach |
Mikaela Polley | Rehearsal Coach |
Kate Lyons | Rehearsal Coach |
Evita Aslanidou | Company Manager |
Jessica Cabassa | Wardrobe Manager |
Student Support
Sarah van der Riet | Physiotherapist |
Sara Gallie | Injury Presentation & Recovery/Pilates Tutor |
Louisa Potter | Pilates Tutor |
Danielle Allan | Massage Therapist |
Britt Taiet-Foxell | Psychologist |
Carol Been | Student Support & Receptionist |
Learning Support
Natasha King | Learning Development Manager |
Simonne Stewart | Study Skills Tutor |
Jo Easton | Study Skills Tutor |
Deborah Groves | Study Skills Tutor |
Nova Matthias | Study Skills Tutor |
Daniel Taylor | English Language Tutor |
Administration Team
Eve Harris | Facilities & IT Manager |
Rita Adewole | Finance Manager |
Violet Adolphus | Finance & Administration Officer |
Josh Yeardley | Senior School Manager |
Heather Begbie | Senior School Administrative Assistant |
Jo Hurst | Associate School Manager |
Molly Rubin | Widening Participation & Learning Resources Assistant |
Laura Jones | Development Manager |
Leona Hayhoe | Communications Officer |
Jim Benson | Reception Services |
Charles Bonnah | Reception Services |
Gabriel Broadhurst | Reception Services |
Chika Ashby | Reception Services |
Sophie Field | Reception Services |
Elizeane dos Santos | Reception Services |
Brenda Ilyalla | Reception Services |
Kelly Ryan | Reception Services |
Consultants
Anita Hamilton | Communications & Leadership Consultant |
Kate Brooks | Fundraising Consultant |
Degree Course Pianists
Clinton Cormany |
Grant Horley |
Scott Howarth |
Reina Okado |
Neil Webster |
Mark Webster |
Valerie Jonikic |
Oliver Davies |
Mark Ball |
Julie Bruce |
Junior School & Associate Programme Tutors
Amy Laithwaite |
Amy Giancarlo |
Anna Zammit Lupi |
Emily Powell |
James Muller |
Juan Rodriguez |
Kate Webster |
Kirsty Pritchard |
Larissa Bamber |
Liesl Dowsett |
Lucy Lowndes |
Philip Page |
Sayaka Ichikawa |
Zoe Epstein |
Junior School & Associate Programme Pianists & Contemporary Musicians
Andrew Wass |
Valerie Jonikic |
Mark Webster |
Matteo Ricordo |
Ronen Kozokaro |