Company members
Ruth Hughes // Artistic Director & Deputy Safeguarding Officer
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. Since becoming director for Springs Dance Company she has co-choreographed several works for the company including Waterbugs and Dragonflies, Journey of the Magi, Credo, Cargo and Passage.
Claire Crowley // Executive Director
MA, MA, PGCE QTS
Claire read her undergraduate degree in Theology and Philosophy at Keble College, Oxford and then completed a Masters degree at LABAN, having previously trained at Central School of Ballet and the Royal Academy of Dance. She is also Deputy Director at Dance UK where she edits Dance UK News and looks after Corporate Membership and the Dance Managers Group. Claire is a freelance dance artist for English National Ballet’s Department of Learning. She teaches dance and religious studies, manages educational projects, and maintains a research interest in doing theology through the arts.
Rebecca Bertram // Projects Manager
BA (Hons)
Rebecca danced professionally on cruise liners and overseas, travelling to Greece, Germany, Denmark and Norway. Following on from this, she undertook a degree course in Performing Arts at North Hertfordshire University, gaining an HND, before transferring to Middlesex University to specialise in Dance Studies, where she gained a 2:1 BA Hons. Since leaving university Rebecca has worked as Assistant at The Place Artist Development, London, as Programme Manager at essexdance, undertook a range of freelance work in arts administration and taught dance in schools and for the community.
Helen Sollis // Finance and Governance Officer
BA (Hons)
Helen studied dance with the Bristol School of Dance and at Roehampton University, gaining a BA in Dance Studies & Biology in 2003. After working as Interview Coordinator for Roehampton University, she continued her dance training as an apprentice with Springs Dance Company, graduating in July 2006 and touring with elevate dance company.
Helen also works as a freelance community dance artist, currently teaching for the Royal Academy of Dance, the Language of Dance Trust, All Souls Clubhouse Community Centre, Southwest School of Ballet and Hallsville School of Ballet. She has also taught and performed with Esther’s Journey Dance Company and the Spring Harvest dance team.
Hannah Childs // Safeguarding Officer
BA (Hons) Community Dance, Dip. RBS TTC, ARAD, AISTD
Hannah’s love of dance began at 8 years old when she started ballet lessons 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.
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.
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 performed her own work at Resolutions in 2009.
Naomi joined Springs Dance Company in April 2007.
Maggie Ho Ki Kwan // Dancer
MA Contemporary Dance
Born in Hong Kong and trained at the Hong Kong Academy for performing Arts, Maggie Ho-Ki Kwan received her BFA (Honours) 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, working as a company member in ‘EDge’, the postgraduate performance group and received her MA degree in 2003.
Maggie has performed, choreographed and taught with numerous dance companies and productions throughout her career, including Union Dance, Anhng Dance, Sinman Dance Company, Rashpal Singh Bansal, the musical production The King and I, Chinese Culture Centre and Sakoba Dance Theatre. She has worked with choreographers such as Susannah West, Javier De Frutos, Paul Old, Athina Vahla and Rosalind Newman.
Maggie joined Springs Dance Company in April 2005.
Steve Johnstone // Dancer
BA (Hons)
Originally from Yeovil in Somerset, Steve Johnstone graduated from London Contemporary Dance School in 2007. Before moving to London, Steve won the Rose Bowl Award for his performance as White Face Clown in Barnum and worked with Pretty Good Girl Dance Theatre, with whom he performed in Resolution! 2003. Since leaving The Place Steve has worked with artists and companies such as greenbean, Luca Silvestrini, Jennifer Lyn Crawford, Ironinc, Dye Nye Opera and Isobel Cohen. Currently alongside dancing for Springs, he runs and choreographs for his own contemporary dance company Off The Map. Their recent piece I’ve Been Waiting which was originally created for Resolution! 09 will be touring to Bath and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals later in the year. When not dancing, performing or choreographing he teaches workshops and technique classes.
Steve joined Springs Dance Company in March 2009 for Five a Day.
Luke Wells // Dancer
BA (Hons) PGDip
Luke trained at the London Contemporary Dance School graduating in 2007. He then went on to tour Europe with EDge the post graduate dance company of the London Contemporary Dance School gaining a post graduate in performance. Luke joined Springs Dance Company in August 2008 for the Living The Eucharist tour. Luke has also danced for Marc Brew at the British fashion awards, Lily Allen’s music video- The Fear, the T-Mobile advert at Liverpool Street tube station and also freelance teaches up and down the country.