At Starlight Academy we are proud of our exceptional team of dedicated and professional teachers.  Miss Mel, Miss Christine and Miss Sandie have now been working together for over 4 years and are committed to continued professional training and consistency for the students.

We have a child protection policy in place with principal Miss Mel being the designated representative and all staff being fully trained in this area.  Our qualifications are of the highest standard, we are all CRB checked and have First Aid training.

Melanie Hadfield "Miss Mel" AISTD (dip), RSA, CDE

As principal of the school Miss Mel takes pride in being involved at all levels of the school. She began dancing at the age of 2 and has hardly stopped since! Whilst training at the Northern dance centre she was twice awarded a scholarship to attend the famous Yorkshire Ballet seminars, danced a ballet solo at The Royal Variety performance, performed in many shows and productions for both professional and amateur groups, including a performance in Denmark, and a demonstration of the new ISTD and RAD ballet syllabus's for Examiners and teachers in London. She then danced professionally for many years on stage and screen and enjoyed a successful career which enabled her to travel the world and gain invaluable firsthand experience of the industry. She danced in pantos, musicals, cruise ships, pop videos, game shows and summer seasons to name but a few. She also qualified to teach exercise to music and specialised in children's health and fitness as well as post natal exercise. She gained associates and associate diplomas with the ISTD whilst training at Leeds Dance College under the tuition of Cathy Carroll and loves it as much today as when she first started. "There is nothing like teaching dance. Seeing my students develop and progress is extremely rewarding. My love of dance has brought me some fantastic experiences and I feel extremely lucky to have such a great job!"

Christine Braid "Miss Christine" AISTD, FDI

Miss Christine is vice principal of the school and enjoys being involved in all aspects of dance lessons, from ISTD exam work to jazz and showstars.  Miss Christine started dancing at the age of 2, enjoying tap, modern and ballet with the ISTD.  Throughout her school years she danced at the Imperial Ballet awards in London twice, regularly performed for the Lord Mayor of Leeds in cabaret concerts, danced all over the country for SMK productions, regularly took part in Northern Ballet Theatre Easter workshops and summer schools, travelled to Germany with for a dancing summer school, as well as appearing in many shows with local theatrical societies. 

After leaving school she attended Leeds Dance College where she gained her Associate qualifications with the ISTD to qualify as a dance teacher in Ballet, Tap and Modern, completing the 3 year course in 2 years.  It was at Leeds Dance College that Christine and Mel first met.

 Miss Christine has danced professionally since leaving college, for 3 years with TED UK dancing at Europe's largest holiday park, regularly models for Strawberry Split promotions and dances for Leeds Rugby, for whom she still regularly appears and leads community groups and holiday courses for, and is just entering her 10th season dancing for the Leeds Rhinos!

"I love seeing the amazing results young people can achieve with support and encouragement, and enjoy seeing them have so much fun along the way.  Dancing through my childhood taught me so much and gave me so many fantastic experiences, I love being able to help our students to do the same."

Sandie Milthorpe "Miss Sandie" BATD

Miss Sandie has been teaching for more than 40 years and has a wealth of experience in dance and drama. She first qualified in BATD in ballet, tap, modern and national dance and has run 3 schools over the years. As a young performer she enjoyed competitions and shows and collected a cabinet full of trophies! She has choreographed many local pantomimes and amateur productions and as a therapist has studied child development and dance therapy. "For me teaching children is a privilege and I always enjoy seeing them grow in confidence as they move from those first tentative steps to the more complex and beautiful movements of a mature dancer." 

Mark Yeadon and Luke Crompton

Mark and Luke are our breakdance teachers and both keen dancers themselves. They regularly enter tournaments and competitions and teach in schools with "junior jam".