• Anna Olejnicki - Artistic Director & Choreographer
• Emily Talks - Ballet & Pilates
• Florent 'Flo' Gonthier - Breakdance
• Jade March
• Sarah Hobson - Street & Contemporary
• Shelley O'Horan
• Simone Amps - Commercial
• Vanessa Kirby - Education & Academy Coordinator

ANNA OLEJNICKI - ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, CHOREOGRAPHER & DANCER

Anna began her professional dance career over 15 years ago, training at a local dance school, with no other formal dance training. She began her professional career working as a commercial dancer/choreographer for fashion shows and events across the UK.

Alongside this she developed a specialism in Hiphop dance teaching across the region. This work developed rapidly and she founded and became Artistic Director of Hype Dance a dance performance and education Company in 2001.

She has choreographed Routes (2006) Altered Equal (2007), which toured in 2007, and re-worked and performed in both Routes (2008) and a solo piece Barriers (2008). Educational Hiphop Dance projects she has devised and delivered for include ones for clients such as Danceworks UK, Robert Hylton Urban Classicism (UK), Decadance Theater (USA) and Renegade Dance Theatre (Germany).

Anna is committed to Hiphop dance training and in 2009 established Hype-D Apprentice scheme for emerging dance artists, hosted Skills and Drills North in partnership with Robert Hylton, her mentor, and received Arts Council funding to run HEX, a Hiphop exchange for young performers taught by Jenn Weber (Decadance, NYC) and Future (FUSE Dance, NYC).

Anna has continued her own development as a dance teacher with formal qualifications and holds Fellowship qualifications in Jazz, Modern & Streetdance, Membership qualifications in Ballet & Stage with both IDTA & BATD, and is a Member of Royal Academy of Dance.

Anna undertakes various dance education and training projects across the country and in 2010 will be working with Creative partnerships for the third year running, choreographing for East Riding Youth Dance, and Community work with The Royal Ballet School amongst other things.

Anna has been awarded a Lisa Ullmann Travel Scholarship, and was shortlisted for the O2/Grazia Magazine national Entrepreneur of the Year in 2009 and has recently joined the outreach teaching staff for The Royal Ballet School.

Anna is now a CDET Recognised Qualified Teacher. This is a new standard and Anna is proud to be one of the first teachers to be awarded this recognition.

Anna has recently been recruited by The Royal Ballet School to teach on their outreach project "Primary Steps".

Emily Talks - Ballet & Pilates

Emily was born and raised in Sheffield and began her dance training locally at the age of four. She completed her International Dance Teacher Association (IDTA) examinations in Ballet, Tap, Modern & Jazz.

Emily gained a place at The London College of Dance in 2000, undertaking a BA Honours degree in Dance, affiliated with Middlesex University. Her degree specialised in Classical Ballet and included Jazz, Musical Theatre and the contemporary techniques of Release & Cunningham.

Emily graduated in 2003 and went on to perform in a touring show across the UK as both a chorus dancer and a soloist.

Emily is a qualified Fitness Instructor with the YMCA Fitness Industry Training and has recently completed the NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Nutrition & Health.

Emily is currently working towards the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Certification in Ballet Teaching Studies and has been teaching at Hype Dance since January 2009, having begun as a student at Hype in 2005.

Florent 'Flo' Gonthier - Break Dance

Born in France, Flo has been breaking since 1998. He moved to the UK in 2001, and continued his breaking in Coventry where he began to teach and then dance professionally.

Flo is part of several dance companies including Hype Dance Company & Kompany Malakhi with whom he has toured theatres across the country.

Flo now travels extensively across the world to feed his passion. In 2007 he was invited to Texas Red Bull Beat Riders to learn from pioneers of Hiphop dance and he then travelled across the USA to compete in Breaking events.

Flo now competes all over the world with his crew “Ghetlow Pirates” with whom he has taken part in many competitions and done many corporate shows both across the UK and Europe.

Jade March

Jade began dancing at the age of 4 at Carrie Bianco Stage School in Rugby, Warwickshire for 15 years studying Ballet, Tap and Modern Jazz.

She has taken part in dancing festivals, shows, pantomimes, youth theatre projects, and has performed in London and Disneyland Paris with the Mardi Gras show producers.

As well as dancing, Jade has been cheerleading with Sheffield Hallam University since 2009 and has performed at various events and competed at national and international competitions with her squad.

Jade has been a regular hype student since April 2009 and attends Ballet, Tap, Jazz and is a performer in the Siren Assassins show group. She assists regularly within the Academy.

She is currently studying BA (Hons) Public Relations and Media Studies at Sheffield Hallam University.

Sarah Hobson - Street & Contemporary

Sarah Hobson found her passion for dance quite late at 16 years old. Originating as a hip-hop artist, Sarah has spent time training in different genres such as jazz, contemporary and many others, making her the versatile dancer that she is today.

As well as holding a BTec (Distinction) for dance she also holds a Dance degree (2:1) from the University of Chester and has trained and taken workshops with many professionals in the dance world.

Sarah’s biggest passion comes from creating, choreographing and being able to share her love of dance through the joys of teaching - and she is eager to encourage children and adults to become dancers at any age!

She regularly choreographs and performs and is excited to take up teaching on a regular basis for Hype Dance Company.

Shelly O'Horan

Shelley has danced from the age of 4yrs old in her home town of Doncaster. From a very young age dance competitions and performing was her life, and she worked professionally on stage and television from the age of 9yrs.

As well as touring the country in Musicals, Pantomimes and Operas Shelly studied hard to achieve advanced level in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Acting and Singing exams. In 2002, whilst studying for her A Levels, she won the title of Miss Dance of Great Britain with the IDTA. This was something she had trained for all her dancing life. After completing my A levels she worked as a dancer on Carnival Cruise Lines for a couple of years.

Shelly has recently gone back to her dancing roots and really wishes she had made the change a long time ago. After passing her Associate Ballet exam she is now working full time as a freelance choreographer / tutor for various companies and schools. She also hosts several Zumba Fitness Classes which definitely keeps her fit and healthy! Shelley is committed to her development and is currently studying to expand her teaching knowledge and qualifications.

Simone Amps - Commercial

Born in Cambridgeshire, Simone trained at London Studio Centre and since graduating works as a Dancer/Choreographer.

Credits for her work include: SKY, L’Oreal, The Big Breakfast, Cadburys, The Clothes Show, Woolworths, Charles Worthington, BBC, Rimmel, Doctor Who, AVEDA, Rachel Stevens, Coca Cola, Film Four, ASDA & The Radio Times.

Simone is back to teaching after having her daugher Ava and is happy to be working as part of the teaching staff at Hype.

Vanessa Kirby - Education & Academy Coordinator

Vanessa’s interest in the arts came from studying dance at Norton College. After graduating in 2007 from MMU Cheshire with a BA joint honors in Dance and Drama Vanessa then went on to work at her local community centre assisting with admin and small-scale events. This then led to a passionate interest in outdoor festivals where her main experience was gained from working at Green City Action.

After volunteering with Hype Dance for a number of months, and wanting to focus more on a arts based career, in April 2009 Vanessa became a freelancer and now works at Hype on the education outreach and events. Vanessa also works as site crew at a number of outdoor festivals in Sheffield, whilst still volunteering in her local community.