Meet our Team
We are incredibly proud of the wonderful team of teachers who make San-Marie what it is today.
Our teachers bring together experience, enthusiasm and a genuine love of dance, creating classes that are professional, encouraging and, most importantly, enjoyable.
We believe students achieve their best when they feel happy, supported and confident. Our teachers encourage every student to work hard and reach their own potential, while making sure their love of dance is always at the heart of what we do.
Many of our teachers have been part of the San-Marie family for years, helping us create the friendly, supportive atmosphere our school is known for.
Sandra Danby
Founder of San-Marie
Sandra began her professional dance career at just eleven years old, securing contracts at the Scala Theatre and Derby Hippodrome. Her early success led to appearances on the Carol Levis Junior Discoveries Talent Show, as well as pantomime roles including Girl Babe in Babes in the Wood alongside Marty Wilde. She went on to perform in Goody Two Shoes and Robinson Crusoe.
At sixteen, Sandra joined Billy Smart’s Circus, performing aerial ballet forty feet in the air without a safety net. She later returned to the theatre, dancing in the touring West End cabaret Limelight, with performances in Eastbourne, the Isle of Wight and at the Pier Pavilion in Cromer.
Sandra’s passion for dance soon extended to teaching. At just eighteen, she opened the Miss Sandra School of Dance, with schools in Brentwood, Doddinghurst and Ingatestone. These schools would later come together to become San-Marie Stage School.
In 1994, after decades of teaching and inspiring young dancers, Sandra retired and proudly passed the school on to her daughter, Lisa-Marie.
More than sixty years after Sandra first began teaching, her legacy remains at the heart of San-Marie. The school continues to be family-run, with generations of students sharing the same love of dance and performance that Sandra began nurturing all those years ago.
Lisa-Marie Jobson
Principal - ISTD DDE, UTD examiner (degree status), AIDTA
Lisa-Marie’s life in dance and performance began at just six years old, when she made her professional stage debut in Hans Christian Andersen alongside Tommy Steele at the London Palladium.
At eleven, she gained a full-time place at Italia Conti, later continuing her training at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, studying dance, drama and singing.
Her professional career included numerous film and television appearances, with credits including P’Tang, Yang, Kipperbang, Secret Places, Grange Hill, Razzmatazz, All American Amusement Arcade and Jury. She also appeared as Daisy in A Woman of Substance alongside Deborah Kerr and Jenny Seagrove.
At seventeen, Lisa-Marie joined the cast of 42nd Street at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, followed by Ziegfeld at the London Palladium. She later performed as a Bluebell Girl in the Royal Variety Performance, attended by the Queen Mother and the Duchess of York.
Her career took her overseas, dancing aboard a Caribbean cruise ship, before returning to the UK as Dance Captain and Assistant Choreographer on the national tour of Underneath the Arches, starring Bernie Winters.
At twenty-one, Lisa-Marie completed her final teaching examinations with honours, and in 1994 became Principal of San-Marie Stage School, taking over the school founded by her mother, Sandra.
Her work within dance education continued beyond San-Marie. Lisa-Marie joined the council of the United Teachers of Dance, contributing to the development of the Major Tap and Adult Tap examination syllabi. In 2005, she received the Valerie Anne Harris Award for her outstanding contribution to the UTD.
In 2008, Lisa-Marie founded Smartypants Agency, extending her work supporting young performers into professional representation. She went on to achieve her Level 4 Diploma in Dance Education with the ISTD in 2012.
Today, Lisa-Marie continues to lead San-Marie, combining her professional performance experience with decades of teaching to give students opportunities to train, perform and develop their own love of dance.
Julie Flint
Head of Ballet, Contemporary and Modern
ISTD DDE, UTD examiner (degree status), MRAD, AIDTA
Julie began her dance training at San-Marie Stage School at the age of eight, developing a passion for dance and performance that would eventually take her around the world.
During her years at San-Marie, she completed numerous examinations and medal tests and competed in a wide variety of styles including Tap, Ballet, Modern Jazz, Song & Dance, Acro, Character, National and Musical Theatre.
At sixteen, Julie began her professional career, performing in London’s West End and at prestigious charity events attended by members of the Royal Family and MPs. These included the annual Policeman’s Ball at some of London’s most famous venues, including The Dorchester, The Savoy, The Hilton, The Park Lane Hotel and Café Royal.
Her theatre credits include the Norman Wisdom Jubilee Show at the Gaiety Theatre on the Isle of Man, a summer season at Wellington Pier in Great Yarmouth with Jimmy Cricket, Aladdin at Theatre Royal Norwich and Fantasia at The Cockney Club in London.
Julie’s love of Can-Can and Pas de Deux flourished while performing in Hello Hollywood Hello at the MGM Grand Hotel in Nevada. Following further specialist training in Paris, she progressed from Can-Can soloist to Second Principal and ultimately Principal dancer.
Her professional career took her around the world, performing throughout Europe, the USA, Asia, Africa and Australia.
After retiring from professional dancing at 39, Julie returned to where her own journey had begun — San-Marie Stage School.
Today, Julie teaches Ballet, Tap, Modern Theatre, Acro and Contemporary, bringing a wealth of professional performance experience to her students. She also works alongside Lisa-Marie as Co-Producer of San-Marie’s annual show, helping another generation of San-Marie dancers experience the excitement of performing on stage.
Chloe Tinker
Head of Tap - ISTD DDE.
Chloe’s San-Marie journey began at just three years old, when she first discovered her love of dance. Growing up at the school, she trained in Tap, Modern and Ballet, completing examinations and consistently achieving excellent results.
From the age of eight, Chloe also performed with Southend Youth Theatre, appearing in productions including Bugsy Malone, The Wiz, Honk! and Billy Elliot. At just nine years old, she made her West End debut in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Adelphi Theatre.
Alongside her theatre work, Chloe gained experience in television and media, including voiceovers, advertisements, game shows and magazine work.
As a member of the San-Marie Display Team, Chloe enjoyed some wonderful performance opportunities, including appearing at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Disneyland Paris and aboard MSC cruise ships.
At sixteen, Chloe continued her professional training at Masters Performing Arts, where she discovered a particular passion for Commercial Dance. During her training, she performed at Move It at ExCeL, Twickenham Stadium and London theatres, and in her final year was cast as Sally Bowles in Cabaret.
After graduating in 2017, Chloe went straight into her first professional contract at Disneyland Paris.
Chloe holds her DDE Unit 4 in Imperial Classical Ballet and is also qualified to teach ISTD Contemporary.
Today, Chloe is delighted to be teaching at the school where her own dance journey began, sharing her professional experience and love of performance with the next generation of San-Marie students.
Ellamae King
Head of Acro
ISTD DDE
Ellamae’s San-Marie journey began at just three years old, and she has grown from one of our youngest students into a valued member of the San-Marie teaching team.
Throughout her years at San-Marie, Ellamae has trained extensively across a variety of dance styles and continues to perform in our annual shows. She was also a valued member of the San-Marie Select Team, enjoying success at numerous competitions, as well as performing with our Display Team at a variety of venues.
Ellamae is a qualified Acrobatics teacher and has achieved Advanced 2 in Tap and Modern, as well as Intermediate Ballet. She is currently working towards her Advanced Contemporary qualification and completing her DDE Ballet teaching examinations, having achieved an impressive result in her practical examination.
Having experienced San-Marie as a young student, competitor and performer, Ellamae understands how important a supportive teacher can be. She is particularly passionate about encouraging our youngest dancers and being a positive role model for the children beginning their own journey in Little Stars.
Ellamae is proud to now be part of the San-Marie teaching team, sharing her knowledge, enthusiasm and love of dance with the next generation.
Leanne Mager
Head of Little Stars
Leanne’s San-Marie journey began at just five years old, when her love of dance quickly flourished under the guidance of Lisa-Marie and Julie. From those very first classes, San-Marie became a special and important part of her life.
Leanne trained extensively in the UTD syllabus, achieving Elementary Modern, Intermediate Tap and Advanced Ballet. She was also a valued member of the San-Marie Display Team, enjoying performance opportunities at competitions and shows in London, Disneyland Paris, Spain and aboard MSC cruise ships.
Today, Leanne’s San-Marie story has come full circle. Now a mother of two, she is delighted to watch her own daughters developing their love of dance at the same school where her journey began.
Leanne particularly loves teaching our youngest dancers and is a much-loved teacher within our Little Stars programme. She creates a fun, nurturing and encouraging environment where children can develop their confidence, enjoy movement and discover their own love of dance from an early age.
Having experienced San-Marie as a child, performer, teacher and now a San-Marie parent herself, Leanne represents something very special about our school — the generations of families who continue to be part of the San-Marie story.
Melody Barton
Senior Teaching Assistant
Melody’s San-Marie journey began at the age of six, when her love of dance and performing truly began to flourish. She continues to perform in our annual shows and is a valued member of the San-Marie Display Team, enjoying numerous performance opportunities across the UK and aboard MSC cruise ships.
At eleven, Melody joined the San-Marie Select Team and went on to compete in a wide range of competitions. A versatile dancer, she competed in Tap, Modern, Acro, Ballet and Contemporary, performing solos, duets and group dances and achieving numerous medals and trophies along the way.
For Melody, San-Marie has always felt like a second home, where she has grown up surrounded by dance and formed lifelong friendships. She now hopes to give our younger students the same encouragement and support that she received throughout her own training.
Melody holds Advanced 2 Tap and Intermediate Foundation Ballet, with Advanced 1 Modern soon to be completed. She is also currently working towards her qualification as an Acrobatics teacher.
As part of our Acro teaching team, Melody loves helping students develop their skills and confidence while encouraging them to enjoy every stage of their dance journey.
She is incredibly proud to be part of the San-Marie family and to now support another generation of students, just as Lisa-Marie and Julie supported and encouraged her.