Swindon Dance Centre for Advanced Training - CAT

Meet our SWINDON BALLET PROGRAMME teachers!

1️⃣ Sarah Ferris:
Sarah’s early dance training was at Swindon Dance with the Swindon Youth Dance Company and Dance Foundation Course before completing three years full-time dance training at The
Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. She has worked with Swindon Dance in many roles since 2005, sharing her passion for dance through teaching, performance, and
creative projects.

As a long-standing member of Swerve Dance Theatre Company, Sarah has toured regionally and performed works by a range of inspiring choreographers. Sarah has also been involved in a number of performance and research projects working with choreographers such as Marie�Louise Flexen and Angus Balbernie.

Alongside performing, she has enjoyed teaching ballet,
contemporary dance, and choreography across the region, creating performance work with both young people and adults.
Sarah also spent over a decade supporting young dancers through Swindon Dance CAT, where she worked as Co-ordinator and Programme Manager.

Alongside being a Core tutor on the Ballet Programme, Sarah currently works as a freelance artist, continuing to teach on the Swindon Dance community programmes, as well as produce and collaborate with artists and organisations — including Neon Dance, where she co-facilitates Making Connections, a
monthly creative meet-up for regional dance artist.

2️⃣ Chris Lee Wright:
Chris was trained at the Legat School of Russian Classical Ballet in the Legat/Vaganova system and after graduating joined Gothenburg Ballet (Sweden).

Chris has over 33 years experience as a ballet dancer, performer, ballet master and teacher and has worked with major ballet companies, musical theatre, opera, film and vocational institutions. Chris was a full time teacher at English National Ballet School for 5 years, at the Rambert School for 8 years and was Deputy Head of Dance at the Hammond School.

Chris teaches on Level 2 and 3 Ballet on the Contemporary Programme as well as being a Core Ballet teacher for the Ballet Programme.

Welcome to the Swindon Ballet Programme 🤩

🤩 Here are some highlights from last term on the Swindon CONTEMPORARY CAT programme.

This term is dedicated to rehearsals ahead of the annual summer show, with core teachers Anna and Sarah Josh delivering sessions in Jazz or Contemporary alongside creating pieces for the pupils to perform.

🔔ADMISSION WORKSHOPS! 🔦
For those eager to join next years cohort, the process is simple:
📝 1: complete an application form
🕺 2: take part in a practical session
🌟3: share your own short dance or learnt phrase
💬 4: have an informal chat with our team

Swindon Contemporary Programme
🗓 Saturday 11th July 2026
⏰12:30-4:15pm
📍Swindon Dance
🔗 BOOK YOUR PLACE: swindondance.org.uk/events/scp-admission-workshop-july-2026 link in

🔔 R e m i n d e r:
Auditions for the Exeter Contemporary CAT programme are very soon - have you booked on?

Our admission workshops are relaxed and friendly sessions that involves a practical class, sharing your own short dance or learnt phrase and an informal chat with the team.

Details are:
🗓 Sunday 14th June 2026
📍DanSci Studios, Exeter
🎟️£0 Cost-free

Book your place now by completing this form: https://swindondance.org.uk/events/ecp-admission-workshop-june-2026 link in bio

Meet our SWINDON CONTEMPORARY PROGRAMME teachers!

1️⃣ Anna Watkins Tavaziva:
Anna is the Core Contemporary Tutor for Contemporary CAT (Centre for Advanced Training) programme at Swindon Dance. She has been working with the National CAT programmes
across the UK since 2012 and for Swindon Dance CAT for the past 10 years as a teacher, choreographer and mentor. She is also currently the Company Co ordinator for Pagrav
Dance Company.

Anna has a 20-year professional performing career celebrated in 2025, and worked with dance companies & choreographers Taira Foo, Tavaziva Dance, Shobana Jeyasingh, Phoenix Dance Theatre (CC Lab), Motionhouse, Neville Campbell, Harriet Macauley & more.

Anna has been featured in dance, music & fashion films: ‘Who We Are’ Academy Films, CUDA by Marta Świerczyńska, RE: BIRTH by Laura Williamson Biggs, MASLENITSA Polina
Kulbachevskaia | London College of Fashion and more.

Anna has toured her 15-year independent company work ‘Watkins Dance Company’ in the UK & Internationally by funding & commissioning organisations Arts Council England, East London Dance, Swindon Dance, The Garage, DanceEast, South East Dance, awarded Associate Artist (2017-2018) Swindon Dance.

Anna has led professional company classes in the UK and internationally for companies such as Rambert, Tavaziva Dance, Żfin Malta National Dance Company of Malta, NDCWales National Dance Company Wales and more.
Anna has also worked in various leadership roles for NPO dance companies.

2️⃣ Sarah Josh:
Sarah is the Core Pastoral Tutor for the Contemporary CAT programme at Swindon Dance.

Sarah began her training at Swindon Dance attending community classes and then went on to the Youth Talent Programme.
From there Sarah continued her training on the Foundation Course and then Northern Ballet where she completed a 3 year course and her teacher training.

Sarah was the course leader for the Youth Talent programmes and teaches in the STEPs2 programme. As well as delivering community classes in a range of styles including Tap and Jazz.

Welcome to the Swindon Contemporary Programme 🤩