SJ Workshop Faculty
Sander Blommaert -Ballet
Belgian teacher Sander Blommaert is a former First Artist of The Royal Ballet. He trained at The Royal Ballet Upper School and graduated into the Company in 2010, promoted to First Artist in 2015 and retiring in 2016.
Blommaert was born in Bruges and trained at the CD Dance Factory, the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp and The Royal Ballet Upper School, where he was awarded the Ninette de Valois Award on graduation. Blommaert’s repertory with the Company has included Paris (Romeo and Juliet), Footman/Fish (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) and roles in Obsidian Tear, Scènes de ballet, Connectome, Voluntaries, Rhapsody, The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Sylvia, The Rite of Spring, The Firebird, The Nutcracker and many more...He created a role in Woolf Works.
Blommaert’s choreography includes Les Deux, comme unand L’Autre Côté for The Royal Ballet’s Draft Works and She Remembers for Maggie’s Culture Crawl. In summer 2012 he created a role in Hot House, part of One Big Stagewith Gareth Malone and the Royal Opera House Learning and Participation Department. Blommaert was part of a team from The Royal Ballet involved with an episode of ITV’s ‘What Would Be Your Miracle’, helping a young girl who suffers from cerebral palsy achieve her dream of dancing.
Sander completed the Ballet in Education Course at the Royal Opera House / Royal Ballet School in 2013 and has been teaching since. In 2018 he has also obtained the Royal Ballet School Vocational Teachers Diploma and the Dance Development, Teaching and Learning Diploma from Trinity Laban.
Sophie-Jane - Founder of SJCW/Ballet
Sophie-Jane spent her formative years living on a Council Estate in Croydon, London, where she was fortunate to attend local ballet lessons.Even at a young age, the seed of deep love for all forms of dance was planted.
After moving to the Midlands, Sophie continued her ballet classes locally and her blossoming dance abilities progressed to her training privately to a professional standard with one of the UK’s most renowned teachers, Julie Felix.
During this time, Sophie worked as an assistant teacher at the highly regarded Solihull School of Dance, where she taught alongside the principal Jackie-lee Clark. It is here that Sophie nurtured and developed her natural teaching abilities.
After sustaining career altering injuries, Sophie made the difficult decision to stop auditioning for professional ballet companies, and instead focused her creative energy and love for dance entirely on teaching.
Sophie had the wonderful opportunity to work with one of the UK’s leading youth ballet companies, Midland Theatre Ballet, which flowered into freelance teaching across the Midlands. Sophie’s teaching and choreography also represented Team England at The Dance World Cup for two consecutive years.
Sophie is extremely passionate about aspiring performers and works tirelessly to help build confident, happy and balanced students.
She established SJ Coaching and Workshops because she wishes for more diversity within the Performing Arts world, and to bring opportunity everywhere for all aspiring performers.
Her Mission with SJCW is to:
Open doors and bring opportunity to all communities
Encourage student’s technique and performance quality
Create a fun, healthy and safe environment for students to develop and learn
Help students to create happy, lasting memories.
Jalisa Andrews - Voice/Musical Theatre
Jalisa Andrews born and raised in South Wales, first language Welsh.
Since graduating from Laine Theatre Arts in 2016 Jalisa has most recently been filming The Left Behind BBC THREE soon to be released.
Jalisa was also featured in Nativity Rocks! As Miss Bailey.
In contrast has danced and modeled For Gok Wan.
Theatre credit included:
The UK premiere of The Life (Southwark Playhouse) as Chichi.
UK premier of Nativity the musical UK Tour as TJ'S MUM and on stage swing.
QUDOS Entertainment Jack and the Beanstalk (The Royal durngate theatre northampton) as spirit of the bean
QUDOS Entertainment Cinderella (Swansea grand Theatre) as Fairy God Mother
BARK! Playing Boo at Edinburgh fringe Festival
Televisions credits included:
Don't stop believeing (Channel 5)
Edward of Conway Advert (S4C/ ITV WALES)
Wyt tin game (S4C)
CREDIT VOCACLS on the series BANG (S4C)
Buzz a PILOT (BBC ONE)
Jalisa’s forte is singing and musical theatre and is extremely excited to work with you all this summer.
Her main motto in life is "Be Proud of who you already are and remember where you have come from."
Alicia Nelson - Ballet
Alicia first began dancing at Walsall Academy and then went on to train for 5 years at Elmhurst School For Dance and graduated in 2009. Alicia has worked with English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Ballet Ireland and Cork City Ballet. She danced in a ballet company in Estonia for 6 years, also touring in Belgium, Latvia and Lithuania. Alicia most recently toured with Birmingham Royal Ballet in the UK and Japan.
Zach Parkin - Jazz/Contemporary
Zach will be graduating from Laine Theatre Arts this year.
He has recently performed Andrew Wright’s choreography for ‘Time Flies: 100 Years Of The RAF’ at the West Ends Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and is working for Andrew again, this time for ‘The Best Of…Rock Musicals’ which will be performed at the Hammersmith Apollo alongside stars such as Kerry Ellis!
Zach has worked with choreographers including Matthew Bourne on projects such as Lord Of The Flies, Edward Scissorhands and Swan Lake towards the start of his career.
His heart lies with Contemporary and Jazz Dance, and is looking forward to sharing his passion and knowledge which has developed throughout his training at Laines as well as his training in America.
Cameron Vear - Musical Theatre/Bob Fosse/ Jazz
Cameron was born and raised in Leicestershire.
He will be graduating from Laine Theatre Arts this year and will be heading into Mamma Mia the UK and International Tour.
Last Christmas he was Dance Captain and understudy Aladdin/Genie for Qdos Pantomimes at the Wyvern Theatre, Swindon.
He recently performed for the fashion brand BURBERRY at London Fashion Week.
His earlier Ensemble credits include: Ensemble member in Annie, Sweeney Todd, Rent.
Leading Roles include: The Artful Dodger in ‘Oliver!’ The musical. The leading role of Ugly in ‘HONK!’ The Musical. The role of Munkustrap in ‘Cats’ the musical. The role of Raoul in ‘Phantom of the Opera’. All of these roles were performed at The Curve Theatre in Leicester.