Teaching Staff
Sarah E. Baker – Head of Discipline
Born in Canada, Sarah graduated from professional training at both the Quinte Ballet School and the National Ballet School of Canada. She was fortunate to perform in various cities across Canada as well as studying, teaching and choreographing in Chicago, New York and Israel.
Sarah has choreographed musical theatre and dance productions at the Bloomsbury and Cochrane theatres in London and collaborated with the Italian composer and West End musician, Stefano Curina on Flood, performed at The Place, London’s contemporary dance centre. She has also both performed and presented live and screen-dance work at the Robin Howard Dance Theatre and Stratford Circus Theatre, London.
Having graduated with a Masters Degree in Choreography from Middlesex University she is now pursuing a PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Jacqui Jones – Senior Lecturer in Dance
Jacqueline Jones began her dance training in North Wales, accumulating many awards including British Modern and British Ballet Champion, Jessie Mathews Young Choreographer of the Year Award and Champion Children of the Year Awards for Dance presented to her by the Princes of Wales.
At thirteen Jacqueline went on to become part of the National Youth Dance Company working with international choreographers and touring the UK before commencing her training at the Ballet Rambert Academy in London at the age of sixteen. During her training she was awarded the Anya Sainsbury bursary for Dance to continue her studies whilst also taking runner up prize in the C&A Cosmopolitan Young Dancer of the Year Awards in 1987/8
In her final year of training, Jacqueline was asked to join Janet Smith and Dancers and later became a principle soloist in the Rambert Dance Co under the initial direction of Mr Richard Alston, then later Christopher Bruce.
During her international touring career Jacqueline has worked with world renowned choreographers (Bruce, Alston, Juri Kilian, Ohad Naharin and more emerging choreographers such as Raphael Bonachela - Kylie Minogue). She has represented Britain as a female sololist in Israel's Susal Dellal international Dance Festival, and has worked extensively on both television and film.
In 2004 Jacqueline developed an international company that would unite Liverpool and China in a major cultural arts project and in 2005 began a high profile tour of China. The launch of the Pool of Life Ltd was the first major international arts collaboration with China with 2007 celebrating the first multi-cultural classical arts event.
James Beattie - Lecturer in Dance
Originally from St Helens, James moved to London at the age of 12 to co-star as Pauline Collins’ son in Shades directed by Simon Callow. He then accepted a scholarship at Ravenscourt Theatre School, before being awarded a further scholarship at the Urdang Academy, London. He has since worked extensively in West End and regional theatre and television. He also produced and directed A New Routine, a tap musical at the Edinburgh Festival.
James has been employed as a Lecturer, Director, Musical Director and Choreographer at performing arts institutions across the UK, including; LIPA, East15 Acting School, University of Essex, The Actor Works, The Academy Drama School, Pineapple Studios, Colin’s Performing Arts, Academy Arts, Blackpool & the Fylde college, Liverpool Theatre School and Dolphin Dance Studios.
He currently teaches Jazz and Theatre Dance across all three levels of the BA (Honours) Dance degree.
Andrew Hall – Lecturer in Dance
Andrew trained at The Royal Ballet School and upon graduation was engaged with The Hamburg Ballet for a further seven years. Under the direction of world renowned choreographer John Neumeier, Andrew worked with multiple world leading choreographers and has danced in over 16 countries.
Upon retiring from professional dance, Andrew re-trained as a Body Control Pilates qualified teacher and owns and manages his private machine based Pilates studio in Wirral.
He now leads The Healthy Dancer and Dance Technique 2 modules at LIPA.
Anna Hall - Lecturer in Dance
Anna trained at The Royal Ballet School for seven years. After graduating she became a professional dancer with the Hamburg Ballet Company.
After returning back to the UK she began studying for a BA (Honours) degree in Dance Education and in addition completed the Professional Dancer’s Teaching Diploma validated with the Royal Academy of Dance. She is also a qualified member of the Higher Education Academy
Anna teaches ballet technique across all three levels of the BA (Honours) Dance degree and the Foundation Certificate in Dance.
Darren Suarez – Lecturer in Dance
After completing his degree in BA (Honours) Contemporary Dance at The Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Darren went on to create the House of Suarez dance company which has produced the shows Liverpool is Burning, Dancing with the Dead and the annual Liverpool Vogue Ball.
He has also worked as a lecturer at the Northern Ballet School in Manchester and Liverpool John Moores University.
Darren has danced as a company guest with Matthew Bourne's New Adventures Dance Company and in the stage production of Billy Elliot. Darren’s commercial work has seen him perform on CDUK, Top of the Pops, in an advertisement for GHD and with the comedian and television host Paul O’Grady, and dance in productions in India and Belgium.
His core disciplines include Vogue, Waackin, Contemporary, Jazz and Pas de Deux.