Awaken The Swan Intensive: Silver Swans Ballet and Musical Theatre

A five-day intensive of ballet barre, ballet repertoire and musical theatre at The MAC in Belfast.

Gentle, challenging, curated, classical ballet designed for Silver Swans, but anyone over 18 is very welcome.

Your teachers

Josh Tuifua, ballet. Former Royal Ballet Soloist, aka ‘The Silver Fox’.

• Trained at the Royal Ballet School, from Junior Associates through White Lodge to the Upper School.

• Soloist with The Royal Ballet, where he danced with the company for sixteen years before retiring in 2008.

• Ballet Teacher at the Royal Academy of Dance, London, 2016 to present.

• Ballet Teacher at City Academy, London, 2017 to present.

• RAD Silver Swans Registered Teacher.

• Patron to Project Dance, to Dance with Sonia Brown, and to STEPPS Charity, mental health for dancers.

• Ambassador to Prior’s Court, a residential school for young people with complex autism.

Sarah Jane Johnston, musical theatre. Choreographer.

Sarah trained at Arts Educational School, London. She is a respected choreographer and dance facilitator, having worked on award-winning, highly acclaimed productions including Molly Wobbly at Leicester Square Theatre, London, and Cabaret and The World Goes Round at The MAC, Belfast. Her West End choreography credit is Molly Wobbly at Leicester Square Theatre, London, and she is proud to have choreographed Belfast’s first arena pantomime at the SSE Arena, The Spectacular Aladdin, which starred singers Rhydian Roberts from ITV’s The X Factor and Jake Carter from RTE’s Dancing with the Stars.

With a musical theatre, TV and teaching career spanning 26 years, Sarah has had the pleasure of working in some of the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious venues alongside many famous faces including Rachel Tucker and Alistair Brammer. She recently worked on the CBBC TV series Nova Jones, which first aired in September 2021, liaising closely with BBC Media City, Manchester and RTE, Ireland. That work also included choreographing live TV appearances for Nova Jones and backing dancers.

In 2018 Sarah began teaching at The ICMT (The International College of Musical Theatre) when it opened a campus in Northern Ireland, alongside their other schools in London, New York and Hamburg. She was Head of both Dance and the Trinity Level 4 Musical Theatre Foundation Diploma course until 2022, focusing on dedicated musical theatre training and developing dance skills for students wishing to pursue a career in Musical Theatre.

Sarah teaches a wide repertoire including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Commercial Jazz, Lyrical and Musical Theatre. She has a strong reputation for delivering high quality, industry standard training and is passionate about inspiring dancers to further develop their talent. She is a qualified dance teacher with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) in Modern Theatre, Tap and Ballet, a qualified fitness instructor, and a qualified Dance for Parkinson’s Practitioner, providing dance classes for people with Parkinson’s Disease throughout Northern Ireland.

Silver Swans 55+, but anyone over the age of 18 will be made very welcome.

• Ballet barre and repertoire with Josh, accompanied on piano by Roger.

• Musical theatre. Over the five days, we’ll learn a routine from a well-known musical, taking on an exciting and energetic challenge while exploring a dance genre you may never have thought you could do. It’s a great opportunity to build confidence, learn new skills, and discover just how much you’re capable of. Never mind all the laughs and fun.

Monday to Friday, 11am to 3pm.

On Friday afternoon, students will take to ‘the stage’ for a mini performance, proudly showcasing everything they’ve learned throughout the week to family and friends.