"Effie was a delightful teacher. Teaching points delivered in a lovely way and help or clarification always given whenever needed. Effie challenged the younger and/or fitter in the group whilst always providing an alternative for those of us with injuries. Very satisfying indeed." Feedback from Yorkshire Movement and Dance Session
Effie has taught and assisted with classes for a wide range of ages (3 to Adult) and abilities in varying genres of dance.
Her teaching experience began in local dance/ theatre schools – Chaplin Theatre Arts (Alli Coyne), CentreStage Theatre School MK (Peter and Jacqueline Addis) and Big Red Curtain Theatreworks Stage School (Brenda Whitehead). During which time she completed her IDTA Associate Ballet Teaching Qualification.
Effie has also taught in an outreach capacity for several of the performance projects that she has been involved in – Shobana Jeyasingh’s Counterpoint, Parlor Dance’s Home from Home and Ffin Dance Tours. During rehearsal processes for Ffin Dance, Two Thirds Sky and NOCTURN, she has also taught professional morning class.
Effie's teaching focus is currently on delivering contemporary dance classes and workshops. This has seen her teaching classes in many environments including schools, colleges and universities. One of her most long standing teaching commitments is for The Open Dance Group (OU) in Milton Keynes - a drop-in class which takes place on a Tuesday evening and is open to adult dancers of any ability. Also in Milton Keynes, between 2017 and 2020, Effie lead and developed the contemporary technique and creative classes for young people at Arts1 School of Performance, widening the students’ opportunity to perform at local and regional youth dance platforms, and encouraging those with a particular desire to expand their training in contemporary to successfully audition for the National CAT (Centre for Advanced Training) Scheme. She has since taken on the role of contemporary teacher for the associates at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. She has also delivered guest classes for Stella Mann College, and for intensives/ holiday courses at Rambert School.
In 2015, Effie joined the team of animateurs for Rambert, Britain's oldest dance company. Spending five years inhabiting this role, Effie planned and delivered UK wide dance workshops based on Rambert repertoire with an emphasis on learning choreography and creating new work at the heart of the experience. The nature of the work encompassed leading and collaborating with Primary, Secondary and SEN school groups, Degree Level Students, Teachers for CPD days, Older Adults, Families, and the general public at large in festival events. In 2017, Effie partnered closely with the Rambert Archive to deliver contextual workshops celebrating the company's 90th Birthday year. As part of this Rambert at 90 project, Effie devised and delivered a workshop on each decade of the company’s history in order to produce designs for a collection of infographics which are now available to view and download on Rambert’s website.
"Bookending Rambert’s platform were workshops led by one of the company’s ‘Animateurs,’ who gamely taught the crowd some of the samba-inspired moves that make up Itzik Galili’s “A Linha Curva,” one of the company’s best-loved rep pieces. The sessions were light-hearted and exuberant—a terrific reminder that dancing isn’t restricted to those who’ve trained in it, and performance needn’t be confined to hushed auditoriums." Sarah Veale, Fjord Review
“Thank you so, so much for all your hard work devising content and delivering workshops for the Rambert at 90 project. It really has been such a pleasure working with you, you’ve been fantastic and I know a great many people have benefitted and been very impressed with your workshops." Emma Hamilton, Archive Learning Manager for Rambert
If you would be interested in discussing further or booking a workshop with Effie, please get in touch here
Effie worked for dance-in-education company Dance Equation (Rebecca Hart) from 2011 to 2017. In this capacity, Effie performed in KS1 and KS2 shows and lead workshops incorporating maths themes in a creative way aimed at kinaesthetic learners.
Effie is used to delivering workshops within the primary school setting having visited many schools across the country. Through Dance Equation Effie has also been involved with special commissions from secondary schools to devise and incorporate students into performances.
On behalf of Dance Equation, Effie has guest lectured at Derby University to share a creative platform with students as to how creative elements can be added to the primary maths curriculum