Cheryl Malone
Acrobatic Dance, or acro, as it is commonly referred to by dancers and dance professionals, is the beautiful fusion of classic dance technique and the precision and athleticism of acrobatic elements. Acro technique includes balancing, limbering, tumbling and partnering, based in flexibility, contortion and strength. Dancers who train through Acrobatic Arts have balanced development, are stronger, more flexible and fearless. We focus on proper placement and technique so that our students will have the building blocks to progress safely and quickly from one level to the next. Our dancers gain more skills, have fewer accidents and are less likely to develop chronic injuries. Cheryl Malone is delighted to be introducing acro classes to the students of Amber Gordon School of Dance. Cheryl is the only Irish Examiner & Teacher trainer for Acrobatic Arts, Canada. Cheryl has been aqualified dance and yoga teacher for almost 20 years and has a dance school in Dundalk. She trained with BBO DANCE London. Royal Ballet School London and Trinity College, London. Cheryl completed her PGCE in Dance Education in 2012 and has delivered GCSE & A Level Dance to various schools across Northern Ireland. She also lectured at the SRC in Performing Arts for several years. Teaching is firmly her passion. She recently relocated with her family back to Hillsborough and is excited to be part of the AGSOD family. |
Karen Fortin
Like many little girls, I started dancing at 4 years old, taking ballet classes with Jennifer Hall at her school in Lisburn, which later became the Island Ballet School. Quite a few years later I decided to branch out a little, and discovered Amber’s school, taking modern and tap. With Amber’s support and encouragement I took the ISTD Intermediate Modern Exam. After completing A-levels, I trained for a year at the College of Dance in Dublin, studying ballet, contemporary, jazz and tap, before heading to England to study for a degree in Musical Theatre. After graduation, (and a short stint at Disney) I qualified as a matwork Pilates teacher, and spent the next few years working at a pilates studio, as well as teaching dance at several branches of Stagecoach in the north of England. In 2015, I returned to France where I stayed for 6 years as a parade performer, playing many of the classic Disney characters and performing in shows and parades. After moving back last year I was welcomed back to the Amber Gordon School of Dance, and I’m very much looking forward to being more involved this year. |
Jason TsoutsasJason danced his way through the dance school from aged 3 - 18 gaining up to Advanced 1 level examinations before leaving to
attend Performers College in Essex. Jason gained his DDE teaching qualifications for the ISTD in Modern Theatre and Tap whilst completing his 3 year Diploma in Musical Theatre. On graduation Jason embarked on a professional contract performing in the Caribbean. |