INSPIRE
Celebrating it's 10th year in 2021, JMDA was established to provide professional yet fun and friendly dance classes in a relaxed atmosphere.
Students have the opportunity to take dance examinations with both the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) and the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) as well as work towards in-house open days and theatre performances. After a certain level has been reached, students may be invited to be part of our winning festival and competition teams.
We welcome students from ages 3 upwards and offer classes to cover a range of disciplines including RAD Ballet, ISTD Modern Theatre and Tap as well as our popular Fusion classes where we cover various styles including jazz, lyrical, musical theatre and commercial throughout the year. In 2021 we are delighted to be adding ISTD Street Dance medal tests and the ISTD Intermediate Foundation Contemporary syllabus to our timetable.
Since the Coronavirus pandemic began, JMDA has moved to online training for all existing students to offer a sense of normality and routine for our dancers. We have also held regular free family workouts throughout the week for all existing students and their families to encourage good mental and physical wellbeing for everyone.
MEET OUR TEACHERS
JENNIFER MILLIGAN
Founder/Artistic Director
Having been awarded a full scholarship, Jennifer trained at the prestigious Performers College on the Musical Theatre course where she won the Acting Award in her graduate year. She also gained her dance teaching qualifications through the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance (ISTD) at Performers College and Inchicore College, Dublin. She returned to Northern Ireland to pursue her ambition of becoming a dance teacher and choreographer and set up JMDA in 2011.
Choreography credits include professional pantomimes and musical theatre productions at The Braid Arts Centre, Theatre At The Mill, The Courtyard Theatre and New Lodge Arts. She has also worked with Cahoots NI, AV Browne and Street Monkey as well as choreographed numerous corporate events for Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and television adverts for Dale Farm and The Belfast Visitor Board.
Jennifer is still very much at the forefront of the teaching team at JMDA and is heavily invested in continuing her personal development. As well as her qualifications from Performers College and the ISTD, she also holds a certificate of teacher membership with International Performing Arts and Theatre (i-Path) and is a qualified Acrobatic Arts teacher as well as making JMDA an affiliated studio with the Rosina Andrews Method.
When founding JMDA 13 years ago, Jennifer’s aim was to create a dance academy where there would be a place for everyone, and where she could nurture the young and emerging talent of Northern Ireland. JMDA and it’s students and achievements have went from strength to strength over the last thirteen years and hopefully will continue to do so in the future.
KATIE HANNA
Dance Teacher/Studio Administrator
Katie graduated from The Royal Academy of Dance with a Bachelors of the Arts in Dance Education. She is also currently studying for her Diploma in Dance Education in Modern Theatre with The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. Katie trained as a dancer in various styles including Modern, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Street and Ballet and has gained Grade 8 Ballet with the Royal Academy of Dance and Intermediate Modern with The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance.
Katie has also worked as a creative assistant on various amateur and professional productions at Theatre at the Mill, New Lodge Arts, The Courtyard Theatre and the Braid Arts Centre.Katie works hard on continuing her professional development on a regular basis, having recently learnt the ISTD Contemporary Syllabus and new ISTD Musical Theatre Amalgamations.
Katie also holds a certificate of teacher membership with International Performing Arts and Theatre (i-Path) as well as being a qualified Acrobatic Arts teacher.
In addition to her teaching role within JMDA, Katie is also Studio Administrator where her excellent organisation and interpersonal skills are so appreciated by Jennifer and everyone at JMDA.
RACHEL GILLILAND
Dance Teacher
RAD Ballet, ISTD Contemporary
Rachel is a graduate of the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, with extensive experience in performance, choreography and teaching. She has trained in RAD Ballet and has a strong background in contemporary dance. During her four years at the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, she worked with Scottish Dance Theatre, Janis Claxton Dance Company and Retina Dance Company.
Having completed her degree she travelled extensively, including spending 3 months in Japan where she performed, taught and experienced different dance styles, drawing inspiration from the culture and traditions of the country. A hugely valued and well respected teacher at JMDA, she is committed to expanding dance opportunities for all students and to bringing versatility through her own choreographic and teaching style.
RHYS DEVLIIN
Dance Teacher
Street Dance
Rhys, aka Kid Noise, brings his experience in the street dance scene to all his classes. With 10 years of street training, 5 years teaching experience and his street dance teaching qualification from the UDO, Rhys is all about understanding the individual and unique movement of a dancer’s style. His focus comes very much from a place of foundation knowledge and street technique. The mindset and culture from the battle and hip hop freestyle community are extremely important to Rhys and to the development of dancers in his class. He aims to make sure everyone who enters his class is welcomed into the street culture with a love of dance - the way it was intended. Rhys exhibits his work in both freestyle and choreography in the studio, on the stage, in the competition and of course in the cyphers and battles of the Irish street dance community.
“My goal is to make sure everyone is dancing because they love to, appreciating where dance came from and building new styles for where dance can go in the future.”
LOUISE DONNELLY
Associate Dance Teacher
Louise is currently in her third year at Queen’s University Belfast studying Medicinal Chemistry. Alongside her studies Louise continues developing her passion for dance. Having joined JMDA as a student in 2011 and also worked throughout her teenage years as a student assistant, Louise has partaken in many performance opportunities, became a leading member of the senior competitive team as well as completing ISTD and RAD dance examinations. During the school holidays she performed in musicals through youth productions at Theatre at The Mill and the Grand Opera House. Now, in her teaching role Louise enjoys pushing both herself and the students creatively. As part of the Queen’s competitive dance team 23/24 she fulfils the role of advanced jazz captain/choreographer.
ERIN GREER
Associate dance teacher
Erin trained at JMDA for almost 10 years before making the natural progression into an associate dance teacher, having been a student assistant since the age of 15. Throughout her time as a student Erin participated in events throughout NI including various productions at Theatre at the Mill, professional pantomimes for Cre:8 Theatre at The Braid Arts Centre as well as taking on a leadership role within the JMDA competition teams, performing at The Mac Belfast, Island Arts Centre, Europa Hotel and the Dance Inspirations Grand Final in Blackpool. Erin also teaches for our friends at RGDA and Uplift Performing Arts and was a member of the Danville 2023 Summer Cast, leading over 120 students in an amazing music outreach show in Kentucky, USA.