Meet The Team

Professional dance teachers in Bristol and Bath

The Avon Dance Academy and Chew Valley Dancing School aim to provide a friendly atmosphere for children of all ages to learn different types of dance. Your children will learn through structured syllabi that are formulated to strengthen technique and performance.

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Professional & qualified dance teachers

Teachers are qualified with the appropriate board and are expected to maintain high standards. They are required to attend courses and fulfil new and updated teaching qualifications, which include aspects of health and safety, anatomy, music theory, dance history, psychology, etc. In this way we aim to offer pupils safe and sound teaching.

About Us

Janine Veale - Principal

A.I.S.T.D. Dip. I & II, R.A.D. RTS Teachers Cert

Janine began dancing at the age of four with her mother, Patricia Veale, who ran, and continues to run, the Keyford Dancing School in Keynsham. At the age of sixteen, Janine was offered a place at the Arts Educational Schools in London. Here she undertook a three-year dance course studying ballet, tap, modern, contemporary and jazz. On leaving Arts, Janine travelled to Portugal on her first professional contract to obtain her Equity card. Subsequent contracts took her to Spain where she toured with different companies and choreographers for the next seven years. Janine’s dance experience includes both television and theatre productions. Returning to England in 1996 with her two-year-old daughter, Janine’s career as a dance teacher began. She initially taught for teachers in the Bristol area, including Maire Campbell of the Chew Valley Dancing School. In 1998 Maire decided to move on from dance teaching and Janine took over as principal. A year later, Janet Hazell retired and passed the Avon Dance Academy on to Janine.

About Us

Georgia Smart

I started dancing at three years of age. At the age of eleven I auditioned for Elmhurst Ballet School and won a scholarship to attend. I trained there to become a professional ballet dancer for 8 years. At the school I trained in Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Tap, Contemporary and Flamenco. After graduating I worked for Cork City Ballet, Vienna Festival Ballet and Brecon Festival Ballet

I have always had a passion for teaching and passing down my knowledge to younger dancers, so in 2020 when theatres closed due to covid I decided to focus my attention on teaching. I have taught for a number of dance schools across Bristol and Bath and run my own adult ballet classes. I am still a freelance ballet dancer with Brecon Festival Ballet.

I love teaching for The Keyford Dancing School and The Avon Dance Academy, creating dances for shows and preparing dancers for their ISTD and RAD dance exams. It’s great to see everyone having lots of fun as well as improving and learning from the experience I have had as a professional dancer.

AVODAN - Georgia Smart photo

About Us

Amy Louise Tickle

Amy began training at the Whittaker Dance and Drama Centre in Blackpool from the age of 3 gaining advanced qualifications in RAD, ISTD, LAMDA and LCM, for Ballet, Tap, Modern, Jazz, Spoken English, Verse and Prose, Acting, Musical Theatre and Classical Singing.

In 2015, Amy was awarded by the Mayor and Mayoress of Blackpool for 16 years of commitment and dedication to dance, drama and music. Amy later went on to receive a DADA award to study Acting in London and progressed her training further in Bristol, embarking on three years of practical and research-based study in Theatre and Performance at The University of Bristol.

Amy currently works as a Freelance Director, Choreographer and workshop facilitator across the South West of England and works closely with the Bristol Hippodrome as one of their lead creative practitioners.

AVODAN - Amy Louise Tickle - Photo

All teachers are DBS checked and hold current first aid certificates.

“Dancing has been a huge part of my life; and I could not contemplate life without it. My joy now, is to nurture the love of dance in my pupils and to pass on the pleasure that dance has given me.” – Janine Veale

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