Category: Team

Amy is thrilled to return to FRONTLINEdance after a seven-year break from dance, during which she was a full-time carer for her daughter, Peggy. During this time, she also worked at Horton Lodge Community Special School in Staffordshire, supporting children to develop greater independence in both physical and communication skills through conductive education.

Amy holds a First-Class BA (Hons) in Dance from the University of Leeds. She began her journey with FRONTLINEdance in 2002 as a trainee dance artist, contributing to numerous projects over seven years as a performer, choreographer, and facilitator.

She has also collaborated extensively with Restoke, participating in projects such as Mother, You Are Here, Voyagers, Reclaim, and Palace. With Restoke’s support, Amy also led a series of six creative sessions for mothers of disabled children, combining movement, conversation, and craft to foster connection and support.

Amy’s wider experience includes working with a range of artists and companies, including Lucy Suggate, Jordi Cortes Molina, Salamanda Tandem, Beth Cassani, Hull Truck Theatre Company, Lucy Cullingford, and Filip Van Hussel of Retina Dance Company.

Amy started dancing at the age of two at Jenny Brennan School of Dance, before being awarded a full scholarship to train at Elmhurst Ballet School, in Birmingham, from the age of 12 onwards. Whilst training there she had the opportunity to work alongside guest choreographers including Ruth Brill, Paul James Rooney and Adam Rutherford.  She also had the opportunity to create dance pieces for the yearly choreographic competitions. 

Amy went on to train at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance achieving a BA Hons in 2020. During her time at Rambert, she had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Darren Ellis and Thick and Tight and performed Christopher Bruce’s piece called ‘Stream’. Throughout all of her training, she was involved in a number of different choreographic platforms and also worked with local year 10 GCSE students choreographing a piece for the ‘Aspire’ project. 

Amy has also been a member of Transitions Dance Company touring around the UK, performing works choreographed by Didy Veldman, Rahel Vonmoos and Dog Kennel Hill Project. She also gained a MA in Dance Performance. 

Amy is currently a freelance dance artist within Stoke-On-Trent. She has recently worked with Restoke, performing in the Lotus Eaters, and is continuing to help others with episode 5 of the Odyssey. She is also really looking forward to working with New Vic Theatre performing in their Christmas show- The Nutcracker in 2023-2024. In the future, she also endeavours to create her own work to express her own artistic voice.

Amy has taught and explored movement with a range of ages and backgrounds. She teaches in private dance schools from the ages of 3 upwards. As well as leading dance sessions for over 60s within the community setting. Additionally, Amy is a regular teacher for Staffordshire Youth Ballet- an associate programme for young aspiring dancers. She also works at the YMCA in Hanley, leading movement-based sessions for disabled and neurodivergent children and young people. Amy is really interested in how dance can be utilised to support well-being, specifically, in how we can tell stories and express ourselves through movement.  She is really grateful and excited to be working with FRONTLINEdance as a youth ambassador and associate dance artist, to share her lived experience, and her love for movement with others.

In Patsy’s advocacy role she has worked in partnership with FRONTLINEdance and seen first-hand the huge difference this organisation makes in people’s lives; leading by example and providing opportunities for people to take part, developing skills, and growing in confidence as individuals and as creative artists.

Her recent ASD diagnosis has deepened her insight into her own autistic life and helped her to develop a greater understanding of some issues experienced by autistic individuals in terms of challenges, strengths and addressing stigma.

Patsy’s advocacy work over the last 30 years has focused on disabled people, supporting self-advocacy, and amplifying the voices of people. She advocates for equality and rights in both her personal and professional life, challenging negative attitudes and systematic inequalities in daily life, in the public arena and in her own neighbourhood.

Patsy is pleased to join this dynamic and creative organisation as a Voluntary Board Member (July 2021), and looks forward to supporting FRONTLINEdance to continue to grow and thrive. We look forward to all that Patsy can offer us, which is plentiful.

Suzanne studied at Brian Rogers ‘Performers’ Dance College, from the age of 16. She then spent the next 14 years dancing and performing on T.V. and in theatres around the country and aboard.

Whilst pregnant with her first child Suzanne was offered work at the Blackpool Pleasure Beach offices, dealing with promotion and working independently at Blackpool Airport.

After having a break to bring up her two children, FRONTLINEdance opened up a new career path for Suzanne; completing a Level 2 Business and Administration course, an Inclusive Activity training programme, a trio of Supportive Community, Safeguarding training workshops and Parkinson’s training with Dr Melanie Brierley.

Suzanne is now enjoying her 6th year as Administrator & Operations, and loves being part of the FRONTLINEdance Team!

Helen started dancing at the age of 3 doing ballet, jazz and tap but around the age of 12 found a real love of Contemporary dance and went on to graduate in 1997 from The Laban Centre for Movement and Dance (now Trinity Laban) with a degree in Dance Theatre with a special interest in education.

Over the last twenty plus years Helen has performed in theatre and site-specific performances with several companies including ‘Attic’ in Plymouth and Micha Purucker’s ‘Dance Energy’ in Germany, taught dance workshops in education and community settings for people 6 months to 100 years old, worked as a Community & Education Officer and qualified as a Body Control Pilates Instructor.

After re locating from the South to Staffordshire 15 years ago Helen has continued to work as a community dance artist and alongside her work in schools has been enjoying leading community dance classes for the over 60’s and has become involved with Arts for Health, teaching movement sessions for older adults with depression and/or dementia in a hospital setting.  Helen has also loved performing as a community dancer in 3 of ReStoke’s site specific performances, Palace (disused church), Expedition (promenade through streets) and Voyagers (disused swimming pool).

Helen became involved with FRONTLINEdance a couple of years ago and began leading some sessions for adult’s with neurological conditions.  She also performed in, ‘Nest’ a short dance film by Welly O’Brien and Kate Marsh which was commissioned by FRONTLINEdance as part of the FAF festival.

Helen is excited to be involved with FRONTLINEdance and is looking forward to sharing ideas and having a fresh focus to help inform the next 20 years as a Community Dance Artist!

When not dancing Helen is kept busy with her two children, loves running and also making clothes.  Over the recent pandemic whilst not being able to work fully Helen has been volunteering, collecting shopping and prescriptions for those isolating and helping at a vaccination centre.

Originally from Suffolk, Charlotte is a freelance dance artist based in Leeds, blending performing, teaching, creating and writing into her practice. She regularly teaches from children to adults as well as directs her own dance theatre company ACCA and edits a digital magazine, Artychoke. You can find her on Instagram here: @charr_arnold / @accacollab / @artychokezine and visit her website here: www.charlottearnold.co.uk

Katie is a dance artist passionate about creating and sharing movement with people in all kinds of settings. As co-founder of Eek & Wild, she performs, directs rehearsals and creates vibrant, playful work for children in hospital environments, bringing creativity and connection to young audiences.

Throughout her career, Katie has performed with companies including Beyond Words, Turned on its Head, Made by Katie Green, Maiden Voyage and Springs Dance Company. She also appeared in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony, choreographed by Corey Baker.

Since joining FRONTLINEdance in 2021, Katie has enjoyed performing in The Explorers, Holding On and Uproot, as well as regularly dancing on the wards at Royal Stoke Hospital, bringing the performances of Here, With You to patients, staff and visitors.

Matt describes himself as a disabled Performer who has hidden disabilities, who has been interested in the performing arts from a young age. He studied Performing Arts at SOT College, gaining a BTEC National Diploma, then at Stafford College gaining a HND in Performing Arts and Theatre. Matt has danced with and is still a member of FRONTLINEdance’s Breakthrou’dance, which he joined in 2002 at the age of 19. Over the years he has been involved as a community performer in the companies professional productions including ‘IGNITE’, ‘A game of Two Arfs’, and ‘Seeing Me’ where he was also an emerging dance artist. ‘Seeing Me’ gave Matt the opportunity to observe how Rachael makes work and how the dancers and community co-create the work. He enjoyed and learnt a great deal dancing alongside the new performance team, experiencing dancing outdoors in lots of different locations, and the time to focus on his own choreographic ideas and methods.

Matt has enjoyed developing his dance and choreography skills in our Breakthrou’ aDvANCE group, focusing particularly on his own dance technique and workshop leading/assisting skills, and volunteering for a range of FRONTLINEdance participatory programmes. The latter resulted in permitted work employment with FRONTLINEdance as a Support Worker for our Transcend Programme from January 2020 to the present, and a sessional support worker.  

Matt has been a valuable, significant and important volunteer in our community participation classes for disabled children and adults for a number of years. Matt also sat on FRONTLINEdance board to feedback participants experiences of our participatory programme and ensure the participants voices were heard.

When Matt isn’t dancing, he volunteers at Masque Theatre Company and works as a simulated patient at University Hospital of North Midlands, with Keele University. Here he uses ‘role play’ as a patient with a learning disability to help the medical students know what is important and to help them build rapport, trust and how to approach someone with learning difficulties. Matt is also a member of Reach Advocacy, supported by Assist -Community Research work. This has seen him completing various tasks; research with Staffs University, a radio presenter of Six Town Radios, and an events/festival based evaluator. Volunteering for Reach ensures that his voice, and other disabled people’s voices are heard in Stoke-on-Trent. 

Originally from Manchester, Kayleigh trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Verve ’14. Being a freelance dance artist Kayleigh has worked with many people such as Marvel Productions, FRONTLINEdance, ACE Dance and Music, Southpaw Dance Company, Chhaya Collective, Watkins Dance Company, and Tino Sighal, to name a few. She is the choreographer and Artistic Director of Company K, making autobiographical work using her own experiences as a neurodiverse woman to demonstrate shared commonalities with her works; ‘The Left one out’, ‘Familiar’, ‘ROOM’ in collaboration with Company Nil and ‘Postcards from Bed’ in collaboration with writer Charlie Thorpe. Company K aims to continually create a safe practice and space for all creatives working on any project.

Kayleigh is also a guest lecturer and has taught across the UK, credits include, London Studio Centre, The Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Leeds Beckett University, Swindon Dance and teaches professional classes for companies such as; Company Chameleon, Watkins Dance Company, VERVE, The Place, RCDC, Company Nil to name a few.

Kayleigh joined FRONTLINEdance team of self-employed dance artists, as a lead performer for its Birmingham Dance Hub commission, ‘Seeing Me’ in May 2019, where she enjoyed working and collaborating with new artists and communities that she hasn’t worked with before. She created a new work on our #FAF2019 residency participants at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, and delivered online summer dance sessions for our community groups during lockdown

Rosemary has worked as an accountant since leaving university but has specialised in the medical profession for the last 20 years, opening her own company in 2009. She now has clients throughout the UK and is the only person who gives directions by GP surgeries rather than pubs.

In her spare time she enjoys walking and cycling, but her favourite pastime is looking after her two granddaughters. That is the perfect excuse to be as silly as she wants.

Rosemary was first introduced to Frontline by her stepdaughter, who has Down’s Syndrome, and who attends Thursday’s Breakthrou’ classes as a highlight of her week and especially working on the performances. It has been a delight to become more involved and she looks forward to her weeks when she watches the classes and marvels at the way the groups work together bringing them out with so much confidence.