Company members
Ruth Hughes // Artistic Director & Dancer
BA (Hons) Dance Theatre, PGCE QTS
Ruth trained in dance at LABAN, and then qualified as a teacher from Brighton University. Ruth became a dancer with Springs Dance Company in 1997, and was promoted to the position of Director in May 2003. Ruth has also danced for Marina Collard and Suzannah West Dance Company. UK teaching venues include Hextable Secondary School, Brighton University, the University of Hertfordshire, Lewisham College and at LABAN. Ruth also trained teachers for JC2000, the Millennium Arts Festival for schools.
Claire Crowley // Company Manager
MA Theology & Philosophy MA Dance PGCE QTS
Claire trained at Central School of Ballet and the Royal Academy of Dance, where she performed in Assembly demonstrating the new Higher Grades under the choreography of Dame Antoinette Sibley. She read her undergraduate degree in Theology and Philosophy at Keble College, Oxford and then completed a Masters degree at Laban, researching the relationship between Christianity and dance, and dance in education. She teaches dance and religious studies, manages educational projects, and maintains a research interest in doing theology through the arts.
Claire joined Springs Dance Company in September 2001.
Helen Sollis // Company Administrator
Helen started dancing at the age of 3, training with the Bristol School of Dance in ballet, tap and modern. She went on to study dance at degree level and graduated from Roehampton University in 2003. She has enjoyed many opportunities to choreograph, perform and teach in a wide variety of contexts, including Rob Frost’s Jubilate and Hopes and Dreams, leading workshops for the children of the Methodist Church in Mandalay, Burma, being a member of the Dance Team for Spring Harvest 2006, and performing in services at Gloucester and Chelmsford’s Cathedrals. Helen was co-founder of the worship dance group Kinestry which has toured throughout London and the UK. She graduated from Springs’ Apprenticeship Scheme in 2006 and toured with elevate dance company. Helen currently also works as an independent dance practitioner, leading workshops in schools and at All Souls’ Clubhouse in central London.
Helen joined Springs Dance Company in September 2006.
Hannah Childs // Child Protection Officer
BA (Hons) Community Dance, Dip. RBS TTC, ARAD, AISTD
Hannah’s love of dance began at 8 years old when she started ballet lesson in her home town of Scarborough. At the age of 16, Hannah moved to London to study on the Teacher Training Course at the Royal Ballet School for 3 years and it was there that she discovered contemporary dance and went to the Rambert School to train for a further year. The following year, she danced with the Graz Ballet in Austria before moving to Nuremberg, Germany to work as ballet and contemporary teacher with pupils of all ages. Hannah decided to return to England to complete a degree in Community Dance at John Moores University in Liverpool. It was during this time that Hannah became a Christian and in 2000, after graduation, Hannah joined Springs Dance Company until she stepped down from being a dancer in 2003. She continues as the company Child Protection Officer and to teach on the Apprenticeship Scheme. Hannah is married with two young children.
Naomi Cook // Dancer
BA (Hons) Professional Dance
Naomi trained at L’Ecole du Ballet du Nord, France and later at Central School of Ballet, where she received her BA (Hons) in Professional Dance Performance. Her most influential teachers included Elia Luyando, Patricia Carey, Antonia Grove, Elizabeth Old and Aurora Bosch. During her time there she choreographed and performed for Design For Dance 2003 and 2004, and toured the UK with Ballet Central 2005.
Naomi danced with DV8 Physical Theatre in 2003, working with Lloyd Newson and Gabriel Castillo, and performing The Cost of Living at the Tate Modern. In 2006 Naomi performed with Vienna Festival Ballet in their tour of Giselle, and later with Springs Dance Company in their tour of Chemin de Pâques.
Naomi has been teaching on the Springs Apprenticeship Scheme since 2005 and teaches ballet for Kensington Temple’s EXCEL School of Performing Arts.
Naomi joined Springs Dance Company in April 2007.
Charlotte Brown // Dancer
BA (Hons) Professional Dance
Charlotte began her dancing in Botswana, Africa, and upon returning to England she continued her training at the Sheila Price School of Dancing. Whilst progressing through the RAD examinations, Charlotte attended the Royal Ballet School as a Senior Associate. Charlotte then went into full time training at Central School of Ballet, where she was given the opportunity to choreograph and dance in the Design for Dance Project. She toured with Ballet Central as part of her final year, where she performed a solo piece entitled Futility in the 2006 tour.
Before joining Springs Dance Company, Charlotte spent a year as an apprentice with Phoenix Dance Theatre working with Javier De Frutos and Henrique Rodavalho and completed a Post Graduate Diploma.
Charlotte joined Springs Dance Company in June 2007.
Ruth Ademokun-Jones // Dancer
BA (Hons) Dance PGCE
Ruth began her professional training on the 3 year Diploma at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. She then completed the BA (Hons) Degree in Comtemporary Dance at Middlesex University, followed by Teacher Training at the Royal Academy of Dance, London.
Credits include: East End of Chicago, Stratford Circus; Duchesse Senior in As You Like it; The Christmas Show: Trail to Timbuktu; Manchester United 2006 and advertising for Tescos and Barclays Bank.
Ruth teaches GCSE and A Level Dance in North Yorkshire Schools and has choreographed projects around the county.
Ruth joined Springs Dance Company in October 2007.
Claire Talbot // Dancer
BPA (Hons) Contemporary Dance, PGDip, AISTD, RAD STC
Claire began her professional training at Preston College, before completing her degree at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. She successfully auditioned for EDge, the graduate touring company of London Contemporary Dance School, where she performed repertoire by Siobhan Davies and Trisha Brown.
Claire has toured with Danish choreographer Johann Lindell in Europe. She has worked for Opera North with choreographer Aletta Collins, performing in Dido and Aeneas and a rework of the ballet Les Noces. Claire’s most recent post was at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, dancing for French choreographer Phillippe Giraudeau. Claire also teaches for the Richard Alston Dance Company.
Claire joined Springs Dance Company in October 2007.
Heather Roberts // Dancer
Dip. HNC.
Originally from South Africa, Heather is trained in contemporary and classical ballet. After graduating from Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in July 2002, she furthered her training in Vienna. Performances include the Linbury Theatre, and the Cochrane Theatre where she performed her own choreography. Since graduating, Heather has been working with Characteristics doing improvised performances, and also performed in Resolution 2003 with Form In Motion Productions.
Heather joined Springs Dance Company in January 2003.
Maggie Kwan // Dancer
BFA Dance Performance, MA Choreography Dancer
Maggie was born in Hong Kong and trained at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts where she received her BFA degree in Contemporary Dance in 2001. During that time she was awarded a scholarship to take part in the American Dance Festival. Maggie then undertook postgraduate training, on full scholarship, at London Contemporary Dance School, after working as a Company member in EDge the postgraduate performance group. Maggie has performed with The King and I, the Chinese Culture Centre, Sakoba Dance Theatre and Rashpal Singh Bansal. She has worked with choreographers including Javier De Frutos, Paul Old, Athina Vahla, Rosalind Newman, Cody Choi and Sinman Yue. She was a founder member of 5 Ding Dance Unlimited, with whom she performed, choreographed and delivered education projects.
Maggie joined Springs Dance Company in April 2005.
Gemma Bonner // Dancer
BPA (Hons) Contemporary Dance
Gemma trained in ballet and contemporary dance at The Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds and graduated in 2005. During her training she worked with several renowned choreographers to produce choreographic works for public performance as well as creating her own choreography. Gemma chose to major in Dance in Education studies as part of her course and as a result has taught dance at both G.C.S.E and primary school level. She has lead several dance workshops and has taught dance at numerous week-long summer schools, organised by The Salvation Army. In May 2005 she was commissioned to create and perform a piece based on the Trinity for an international Salvation Army conference in Southport, which was choreographed with Andile Sotiya of Dance Nomad and performed with dancers Louisa Keohane and Ira Siobhan. Gemma has recently completed a UK tour with NSCD’s graduate company VERVE and has danced as part of a celebratory performance for the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama at the Robin Howard Dance Theatre,The Place. Performance venues include The Lowry - Manchester, Wakefield Theatre Royal, The Riley Theatre, Southport Theatre, Wembly and The Royal Albert Hall.