Miss Francine’s passion for dancing and performing started at the very young age of three. Beginning her training at Wilson’s Centre in Shipley, many weekends were spent at dance competitions at the Winter Gardens and Tower Ballroom in Blackpool.

She went on to train professionally in contemporary dance, ballet and modern as well as disco, rock ‘n’ roll and jazz, and obtained her IDTA grades in each style.

After obtaining a BTEC National Diploma in dance and A Level drama, she continued her education at Northumbria University and achieved a BA Honours degree in Performance. Fran even spent time performing in Lapland amongst Santa and the Elves!

Fran has taught at many dance companies throughout Leeds and Bradford, and previously ran Dance for Life at Bradford Council. She loves passing on her skills to her pupils and still runs classes for Yorkshire Dance. Her bubbly personality and passion for performance always rubs off on her students,

“I love how dancing, singing and drama makes me feel. When I’m teaching, I love the way a whole room can come to life“.

After becoming a mum to Charlie, now 12, who was born with a rare syndrome, Francine took a break from her career to care for her son. In 2016, Charlie also became a big brother to Olivia, now eight.

However, Fran’s passion for performing arts never disappeared and it was always her dream to set up a dance school for children and adults, to inspire others with her dedication and expertise. And she’s thrilled to bring that dream to life!

Joint founder of Holmes Dance Academy, Lyndsey is in charge of all things business!

Francine’s sister-in-law and lifelong friend, Lyndsey, is a Management Accountant who began her finance career in London in 2007.

Lyndsey has a wealth of experience in finance, IT and operational functions. She spent 13 years in Bournemouth, Dubai and Kenya, managing the finance team for a global social enterprise who specialise in sustainable student travel.

She loves to spend time as a family with her two children, Lydia and Georgina aged ten and five, who love to dance, sing and dress up. But, most importantly, they love being involved in the family-run dance academy!

The super talented dance teacher and performer Meg has joined HDA to teach a brand-new musical theatre class on a Tuesday, as well as assist Francine with Senior Street Dance and a new adult tap class. You can also book her for private wedding dance lessons, team building exercises or hen parties!

Meg has been teaching a variety of classes within her role as head of performing arts at another dance school, including theatre jazz, to 4-18-year-olds. Working across a range of primary schools in Bradford, Meg also provides PE based dance classes as well as offering private lessons in ballet, tap, jazz, advanced competition select group, acro and show choreography.

Meg’s clear passion and enthusiasm for helping young people develop skills in the field of performing arts is a great addition to Holmes Dance Academy!

Professional break dancer Bboy Kriptonite joined us permanently in 2022. Known for keeping foundations and traditions of break dancing true, Bboy has judged and represented break battles across the world. He shares his knowledge with us in our Saturday street Dance classes, teaching break moves and wowing us with his head spinning!

From the age of three, Jess has always had a strong passion and love for performing. Once enrolled in dance school, she began to learn many skills in various genres such as street, ballet, tap and jazz. She then completed her IDTA exams in each of these styles.

After three years of training at SLP, Jess graduated with a Level 6 Diploma in Musical Theatre, which allows her to head into the industry with bags of knowledge and experience.

Jess is delighted to be working at Holmes Dance Academy as a tap, ballet and musical theatre teacher and hopes she can give the children lots of inspiration whilst enjoying the arts for the joy it brings.

ARAD, AISTD

Katie undertook her early training in York where she attended the Louise Browne Yorkshire Ballet Scholarship Centre before completing her training at Northern Ballet School. She performed and toured with Manchester City Ballet in the UK and Hongkong.

Katie gained Distinction for the RAD and ISTD Classical Ballet Teaching Diplomas and has taught for various schools and colleges over the years including Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Hammond School and Studio La Pointe.

At present, Katie teaches at a local Primary School and is thrilled to be teaching adult ballet class at Holmes Dance Academy.

Amy’s love for dance started when she attended her first class at four years old. After 14 years of

taking dance classes, Amy then went on to complete a university course and graduated with a

BA(Hons) Degree in Dance from Leeds Beckett University.

Since graduating, Amy has spent the last seven teaching various styles of dance in schools around

Bradford and teaching evening classes to many students. She loves performing and has a keen

interest in choreographing big shows and developing performance opportunities for students.

Amy has also danced in multiple musicals at Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre and completed many ITDA

exams at Honours level. A highlight for Amy was working as a dance teacher at a summer camp in

New York State and dancing in New York City.

All of us at HDA are thrilled to welcome Amy on board and are looking forward to the exciting

opportunities that her expertise and enthusiasm will bring to the academy.

Sarah is a passionate and enthusiastic instructor who is trained in ballet, tap and jazz and is a certified yoga instructor. She's also from the USA!

Sarah started dancing at the age of seven, began student teaching at 14 and took on a full dance teaching timetable at 18. She taught multiple styles of dance in the USA until she moved to the UK in 2011, and has performed at over 60 recitals and charity dance events over the years!

She is currently part of the Jazz Performance Group at the Dance Studio Leeds in the City Centre. Sarah has a Bachelor of Arts, a Masters in Education and holds a PGCE in secondary maths. She is joining us to teach our Mummy and Me yoga classes, ballet and seated dance / seated yoga sessions.

Hannah is a great addition to the HDA team, helping with our Saturday morning classes.

Having danced as a young girl then moving onto gymnastics, Hannah brings bags of experience and talent.

Hannah joined HDA as a pupil right at the very beginning and loves the journey the dance school is taking her on. She also attends an after-school dance club each week and she has completed her BTEC Dance course. Her niches are street dance, freestyle and musical theatre, so it’s little wonder she’s fallen into place so well at HDA!

Hannah is in for a busy, fun-packed year! Eventually she hopes to work in beauty and aesthetics and possibly even open her own salon.

She’s thrilled to have the chance to be part of a local dance school and help our younger pupils achieve their dreams.

Mia embarked on an amazing dance journey at Gates Academy, where she spent a few years honing her skills. When Homes Dance Academy opened up after lockdown, she was one of the first students to join, eager to continue pursuing her passion.

Currently in year 11, Mia has recently made her subject selections, one of which includes BTEC dance.

Dancing holds a special place in her heart, especially in the genres of musical theatre, contemporary, and jazz. You will see Mia passing on her skills in our children’s Saturday classes and during breath-taking performances in HDA shows.

Looking towards the future, Mia holds aspirations of becoming a midwife or an aesthetic nurse, and maybe even owning her own shop!

Meet Holly!

Holly has been passionate about gymnastics since the age of 3. Her dedication to the sport keeps her busy when she's not contributing her talents at HDA.

With dreams of traveling the world and working in fashion, Holly brings a wealth of experience in our sessions, especially to our street dance sessions with her unique blend of gymnastics skills. She's also the Pintrest queen of inventive show hairstyles!

Chloe has been passionate about dancing and the performing arts from a young age. Her journey began in dance clubs, where she honed her skills and developed a deep love for the art form. Currently, Chloe is pursuing her interests in musical theatre, where she continues to shine. Her commitment to dance and performance doesn't stop there; she also assists the teachers at Holmes Dance every Saturday morning, sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with others. Chloe's talent is undeniable, complemented by her outstanding singing voice, making her a dynamic and gifted performer.