Hello! My name is Jessie, I am 23 years old and was a member of Allsteps Dance Academy for eight years; I trained in Ballet, Tap & Modern. I was always fairly academic at school but the thought of going to university and leaving my dance training behind made me realise how much I loved the dance world and wasn't ready to leave!
I went on to study Dance at the University of Surrey on their 4 year program. This program was the very first academic study of dance to be established in the UK and I soon found out graduates were everywhere in the industry, particularly in management roles within the Arts Council's national portfolio organisations. While studying at Surrey, I came back to Allsteps to deliver a summer dance program for the students, which incorporated all of the new things I had learnt from the degree program.
I now have a full-time job at East London Dance, working as 'Company & Digital Coordinator'. We are a locally rooted dance development charity, whose main purpose is to 'bring dance to people and people to dance', through our engagement with children & young people, adults & older people and artists & producers across east London and beyond. My role is to support the team to deliver our ambitious program. In 2020 we are moving to a new home to establish, alongside music organisation Urban Development, the UK's first Talent House for Urban Culture.
My time at Allsteps throughout my teenage years was invaluable to where I am today and I am truly grateful for not only the level of quality dance training I received, but also a safe space to express myself and build confidence for later life.
Update - Summer 2024
Jessie is now Licensing & Projects Co-ordinator for world renowned choreographer, Wayne McGregor. This involves negotiating contracts and managing logistics for re-stagers who travel globally to ballet companies, staging McGregor's work.