Staff

Jackie Lawrence has a degree in Drama from Goldsmiths College, University of London and LAMDA’s P Cert Lam Diploma. She is an experienced LAMDA teacher and teaches students on a one to one basis and in groups.. She is passionate about helping children grow in confidence through drama and to have fun learning new skills. 

Jackie’s groups and individual students have won accolades for their work in devised theatre, monologues and duologues, poetry and prose recitals as well as mime and public speaking.

Jackie Lawrence is also an experienced broadcaster, presenter and writer.

Gemma trained in Musical Theatre at Wilkes Academy of Performing Arts and has been dancing and singing since she was 3. She joined the MAD team in May 2015 and taught singing, musical theatre and tap until January 2019 - and now she’s thrilled to be reunited with Team MAD! For the last year, Gemma has been working for Bass Beatz Productions performing at Drimsynie Estate Hotel in Scotland as lead vocalist and head dancer. Before moving to Scotland, Gemma performed at corporate events (including P&O and Imagine Cruises); sang with a function band and was also the compère at a few charity events. Gemma has been involved in many performances whilst training and after including: ‘Radio Broadway’ in collaboration with Dancers Inc; Erin in ‘Holes’ for H&D Productions; Olive in ‘Spelling Bee’ and going to the All England Dance Finals multiple times, as well as being a member of a winning tap group. She is passionate about singing and musical theatre and loves seeing the children succeed. The MAD show at the Wyvern in 2018 was one of her proudest moments, and she’s really looking forward to being back!

Lisa trained at the Judith Hockaday School of Dance gaining her Associate qualification in Ballet, Modern, Tap & National. She took part in many festivals up and down the country and was also a dancer in many SALOS shows.  She started teaching at the age of 20 and continued training with Judith Hockaday alongside.  She went on to gain her Licentiate qualification in Tap & Modern.

Lisa taught dance at schools in Oxfordshire, Gloucester and Cheltenham.

Lisa has been organising the Wiltshire Festival of Dance in Swindon since 2007 and also helps with many other festivals.

Banxy is a veteran in UK hip hop dance. Having trained at Swindon Dance, the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and the London Studio Centre, he has spent the last sixteen years teaching and performing across the UK and abroad. 

High-profile projects Banxy has been involved with include dancing and choreographing Jonzi Ds Me Vs the City and Aeroplane Man tours, choreographing breakdance sequences for the BBC TV series Travels with my Tutu with Deborah Bull, Principle Dancer at the Royal Ballet; and teaching and rehearsing  the ground performance dancers at the Millennium Dome celebrations.
He has appeared as a dancer in many TV shows, live events and music videos, including George Michaels Spinning the Wheel.

Banxy has been heavily involved with Swindon Dance throughout his professional career and was commissioned to perform at their 25th Anniversary Gala. Most recently he appeared in the BBC Blast programme as part of the Big Dance event in Trafalgar Square, and gained second place in the Battle of the Desert competition in Almeria, Spain.
 
Banxy toured his first full length production Busk: Kings of the Sidewalk extensively to packed houses throughout the UK in the Autumn of 2007 and 2009, and when not touring delivers extensive education and outreach to a wide variety of ages and abilities throughout the UK.

Gemma trained at London Studio Centre, majoring in Contemporary dance, she graduated in 2006 after touring with their third year company, Intoto.

Gemma’s dance career has been long and varied. Upon graduating Gemma worked as a freelance contemporary artist for Future Cinema and then for Channel 4.  Gemma went on to perform as a dancer and singer/dancer on cruise ships including Costa, Pacific Venus and Saga Cruises, travelling worldwide.

Gemma has a wealth of teaching experience, which includes; teaching Contemporary at Stonar School and Liberatus. Commercial classes for K4Kim Dance in Bath and Modern, Tap, Ballet and Jazz at various schools in Wiltshire.

As well as having a Foundation Degree in Dance, Gemma is a qualified Personal Trainer with qualifications, including:

Level 4 Specialist Qualification in Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Level 3 certificate in Exercise Referral

Level 3 Personal Training

Level 2 Studio Cycling qualification

Level 2 Gym instructor

ETM

Gemma teaches Circuits, Body Conditioning, HIIT, Group Cycling, Functional Fitness, Core Stability, and stretch classes.

We are very excited and lucky to have Gemma as part of the MAD Team and hope to have her teaching even more classes for us in the future!

Siân is a fully qualified British Gymnastics Level 2 General and Preschool

gymnastics coach with 10 years experience including Rhythmic, women’s and men’s artistic gymnastics. Her passion for gymnastics started when she was 6 years old after joining her local gymnastics club. She fell in love with the sport and became a voluntary coach at the age of 12, spending her Saturday mornings coaching and Saturday afternoons training. She went on to complete her coaching proficiency award at 13 and started her coaching career at Esprit gymnastics in Swindon from there. At 14 years of age she was introduced to Rhythmic gymnastics and admired the differences between rhythmic and artistic. She worked alongside international coach and judge Deb Hows who successfully trained many gymnasts including Laura Halford from Esprit gymnastics who went on to win 2 Bronze and 2 silver medals in the Commonwealth games in 2014. Siân later went on to complete her British Gymnastics Level 1 at 16 and the following year, her level 2.

After leaving Esprit Gymnastics, Siân worked within the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire area with other clubs, running Preschool, Recreational and Squad classes full time. Her goal is to expand gymnastics out to more local areas so that gymnastics is more accessible for children and adults of all ages to take part and try something new – and hopefully fall in love with the sport like she did.