Head of Dance appointed and Old Salopian lands Assistant Choreographer

There have been some exciting developments for Salopian Dance this week 

We are delighted to announce that Miss Sian Archer has been appointed as Head of Dance from September 2021.  

Miss Archer has been teaching at Shrewsbury for the last seven years, having trained at Kate Simmons Dance, where she specialised in Ballet, Tap and Contemporary. She has overseen the development of dance as one of the school’s fastest growing activities over recent years, with ever-increasing numbers of students taking classes in a variety of dance styles.  

The opening of the Barnes Theatre in 2020 has provided the school with a state-of-the-art dance studio, which is also registered as an exam centre for students wishing to take graded examinations in ballet, tap and contemporary. Miss Archer’s appointment heralds a new era for dance at Shrewsbury and will enable the school to offer an even wider range of classes, with students working towards exams and taking part in elite competitions, as well as enjoying recreational dance.

Miss Archer will be joined in the department by Miss Olivia Jones, who will be teaching classes in Jazz, Commercial and Musical Theatre, as well as assisting with our outreach programme, leading a Competition Team and developing a Strength and Conditioning programme for dancers.  

Miss Jones trained at Bird College Conservatoire for Dance and Musical Theatre in London, graduating in 2015 with a BA Honours Degree. She has worked as a dancer and performer both in the UK and internationally and has taught at various schools, colleges and dance studios across the Midlands, including DanceXchange, the Birmingham Hippodrome and the Old Rep Theatre in Birmingham. She holds her IDTA Associate in Ballet Teaching and a Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training.  

This week, we were also very pleased to hear that Anya Tonks (OS, MSH 2020) has been appointed as Assistant Choreographer within the National Youth Music Theatre’s Creative Mentoring scheme.

Anya will be working on the NYMT’s production of ‘Billy The Kid’ in London this summer, before taking up a place to study Dance and Choreography at Falmouth University in September. 

Miss Archer, who has taught Anya for the last five years, said: ‘‘I am so pleased for Anya, it’s a fantastic opportunity for her to explore and gain new choreography skills. She has worked hard over the last twelve months, teaching dance at Shrewsbury Bangkok. I really look forward to seeing what she achieves over the summer.”