13 October 2026
Technique, performance and pick-up ability
"My ISTD training and exams gave me technique. Each step taught me something I still use on stage today.
I took numerous ISTD exams while growing up, and my training at Kilburn School of Dance gave me the foundation to compete at the Janet Cram Awards over several years. I finished as Junior Class Runner-Up in 2013 and went on to become Premier Class Winner in 2017. I still remember the excitement of competing alongside talented dancers from across the UK and learning from leading choreographers and teachers.
Janet Cram is unlike any other competition. You cannot hide behind choreography tailored to your personal strengths or clever costuming. It is a pure celebration of hard-working, dedicated dance technique, talent, attention to detail, performance, personality, stage etiquette and choreography pick-up ability, all combined together. I learnt so much from watching others, especially the older sections, fellow competitors, teachers and the judges.
In the professional world of performing, picking up routines in a fast-paced environment is an essential skill. It means relying on your technique, built from hours of ISTD training, to execute fresh choreography to a professional standard. ISTD gave me experience of doing this in front of a highly qualified panel of judges, an environment most similar to a professional audition."
From the studio to the stage
"Since graduating from Laine Theatre Arts, I have built my career in musicals. I have started my fourth professional contract with Royal Caribbean in We Will Rock You, and I feel incredibly lucky to fulfil my dreams performing in musicals while travelling the world. My biggest highlight so far was playing Cha Cha DiGregorio in the original version of the West End production of Grease on board with Royal Caribbean."
Thanks to the teachers who made it possible
"I will always be grateful to the Modern Faculty and to my teachers at Kilburn School of Dance, especially Kerry Buckby, for the ISTD training that made it possible to compete. I have met incredible, like-minded performers who have become friends for life. The dance world is small, and I still have a community of friends I met through Janet Cram and ISTD training, even to this day."
