Applications for our 2024 Spring Pop Up are now open
Spring Pop Up Intensive — 14 April 2024
For students aged 11 - 15 years.
This pop-up intensive is the perfect opportunity to learn the fundamentals of ballet technique and exclusive Northern Ballet Company repertoire, taught by former professional and Northern Ballet dancers.
The Spring pop-up is suitable for dancers aged between 11 and 15 with at least 2 years of ballet experience who regularly attend ballet classes.
Ages 11 - 12 years
10.15am - 2pm
£35 per dancer
Ages 13 - 15 years
10AM - 2pm
£35 per dancer
Students require a minimum of two years dance experience attending regular ballet classes.
The pop-up will consist of a warm-up, technique class and repertoire class with former Northern Ballet company dancer Jane Tucker and former professional dancer Amanda Gilliland. Guardians will be invited to attend an informal demonstration at the end of the Pop Up for students to share their work.
"Thank you to all at Northern Ballet for the opportunity to learn some of the company repertoire during the inspirational Spring Pop Up.”Spring Pop-up Student 2021
Teaching Faculty
Jane Tucker
Born in West Yorkshire, Jane undertook her early training with the Northern Dance Centre and completed it at Central School of Ballet and Northern Ballet School, where she performed and toured with Manchester City Ballet.
Jane began her professional career with Hong Kong Ballet in 1994, touring extensively through Asia, North America and Canada. She returned to her roots joining Northern Ballet Theatre in 1999 and enjoyed three years touring around the UK and China. Throughout her dancing career, Jane has performed in most of the classics and premiered in many new works: The Last Emperor, A Streetcar Named Desire and Madam Butterfly to name a few.
Jane gained Distinction for the Professional Dancers Teaching Diploma at the RAD, London in 2002 and has accumulated extensive teaching experience to date. Since graduating from the RAD Jane has toured Australia undertaking workshops and classes in companies and vocational colleges including the Western Academy for Performing Arts. Within the UK Jane has taught for various schools - Northern Ballet School, Elmhurst, NSCD, SLP College and Theatreworks. She helped produce Sleeping Beauty for the Liverpool Proscenium Youth Ballet Company and provided classical training for contemporary companies Darkin Ensemble and Diversity Dance. She has also coached boys for the West End production of Billy Elliot.
Teaching Faculty
Amanda Gilliland
Born in Lancashire, Amanda trained at the Lupino School before moving to the Royal Ballet Upper School.
She was a dancer with English National Ballet for 8 years, performing most of the traditional classic and modern soloist roles. She was nominated for the Dance and Dancers award for best Character role, and performed the Principal role of Madge, in La Sylphide. alongside Rudolph Nureyev’s James. She has worked with many established choreographers including, Rudolph Nureyev, Sir Fredrick Ashton, Alicia Markova, Natalia Makarova, Christopher Bruce, Peter Schaufuss, Alvin Ailey, Roland Petit, and Ulysses Dove.
West End Musical Credits include, Chess – Principal dancer, Phantom of the Opera - dancer and 2nd assistant to the Director.
Amanda Returned to English National Ballet in 1995 as Artistic Assistant and PA to the Artistic Director Derek Deane, for 5 years and was Company Manager for their Australian/Hong Kong tour.
She has a wealth of International teaching and adjudicating experience and at London Studio Centre she was ballet tutor, Senior Registrar and PA to Director — Nic Espinosa. Amanda teaches for the Academy of Northern Ballet on their Professional Graduate Programme, CAT and Associate Programmes. Amanda is on the faculty at Northern Ballet School in Manchester, where she was also Ballet Mistress and Choreographer for Manchester City Ballet. Senior classical teacher and choreographer at Kate Simmons Dance in Warrington, and teacher and choreographer for students at Centre Pointe in Denton.
When teaching for Cardwell Theatre School, Amanda won Choreographic awards including the Inaugural Phyllis Bedells competition at the RAD in 2015 and a classical solo for Nancy Osbaldeston - Molly Lake Award.
Header photo Riku Ito.