About Us
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
Elite Academy was established in 1999 by Director Donna Wilcox after finishing a professional career in Dance ,TV and choreography. Elite as a studio has gone from strength to strength with past pupils going onto vocational full time training as well as performing professionally around the world.
Elite has an excellent reputation of producing well rounded performers but more importantly confident and “nice” students! Being a member of elite is like being part of a big family and where all students are encouraged to reach their full potential be it a once a week child who enjoys classes as a hobby or the professional student.
Elite has many performing opportunities from recitals of class work, major productions, showcase, displays and fetes, cabarets, festival competitions. Exam success is always outstanding with students gaining the highest marks within the region. We are also the reigning Dance World Cup Champions and All England Dance National Winners and Medalists.
Alongside our childrens academy classes, Elite also offers IDTA Teacher Training classes from age 16.
Elite is a nurturing environment based in the centre of the beautiful City centre of Lichfield, Staffordshire. The studio has 2 purpose built studios with Harlequin sprung dance floors. We are also an Acropad centre with full size studio pad.
Our training and courses instill a love of dance in younger generations and prepare our older students for full time vocational further education courses such as Diplomas and degrees at the top performing Arts Colleges.
Our Story
Elite Academy is 26 years old and in this time has grown to be one of the most respected schools within the region for outstanding exam success as well as holding championship titles and having a 100% success rate in GCSE and A level dance and audition placements at top London colleges on degree courses.
At elite the ethos is “professional training in a fun environment” and this has proven to be a key secret where students who are once a week students or those who train with us full time!!
We have seen over the years students bloom and reach their full potential. We nurture our students and give guidance to the students who wish to take performing arts as a career.
At Elite we are one big family!
Meet The Team
Donna Wilcox IDTA , BA, ARAD, RAD, AISTD, PBT
Director
Miss Donna Wilcox BA Hons Dance, Fellow and Examiner IDTA , ARAD and RAD Teaching Diploma , Co chair of the Theatre Dance Awards . Associate Teacher of the Royal Opera House and Royal Ballet Chance to Dance programme.
Donna danced professionally for over 10 years in UK tours as well at TV and Arena events.
Donna has also choregraphed many pantomimes to Contemporary dance platform events to TV adverts. Donna is also an international teacher and adjudicator.
Michelle Upton
Teacher
Michelle is a professional Dance teacher, choreographer, IDTA Senior Examiner &
adjudicator lecturing and choreographing all over the World.
Training at M.A.D.D and under the guidance of Frances Clayton she has an extensive career as a dancer on cruise ships and numerous theatre productions and pantomimes, shows include “Stars in your eyes” touring show, ITV Peak Practice & BBC Danger+eld. In 2001 she took on the 1st
of her schools “Steps School Of Theatre Dance” and now runs a successful dance teacher training college as well as being chairman of the IDTA theatre dance awards. Michelle is incredibly passionate about dance, education, choreography, and creativity and strives to inspire, educate, and
motivate every dancer she works with.
Charlotte Davies FIDTA BA, IDTA, PBT Dip
Head of Lower School
Miss Charlotte has trained as a teacher with Miss D and is a happy and caring teacher with a great rapport with the younger children especially! Charlotte is Fellow IDTA, head of lower school and festivals.
Miss Charlotte gained her BA Hons in choreography at Chichester university. Miss Charlotte also has her post graduate qualifications in education in various areas.
Miss Charlotte is head of lower school and is also joint principal of elite academy Fradley branch.
She is also extremely involved with the academic side of elite and delivers GCSE and A level dance as well as outstanding commitment to our festival team . Her very own festival SSTAF, is in its 10th year.
Sarah
Teacher
Miss Sarah is our wonderful Drama and public Speaking Teacher delivering LAMDA coaching as well as being gymnastic and acro coach. Miss Sarah believes in drama developing confidence and escapism. Miss Sarah also runs a mean drill conditioning set. Miss Sarah is also a pastoral care and safe guarding Lead with many years experience she is always there for our dancers to talk to and support them.
Amy Felton PT, AIDTA, PBT Dip
Teacher
Miss Amy, known for not just her love of ballet but her superhero core strength! Miss Amy teaches our lower school but also our vocational as well as being the queen of Progressing Ballet Technique putting our dancers of all ages through their body conditioning classes. Miss Amy also loves yoga and is a keen practitioner. Miss Amy is an integral part of our studios as well as leading classes at Fradley Branch. Miss Amy is also an ex Royal Ballet school Associate, she is also a qualified personal trainer.
Georgia L4 IDTA, MT Diploma
Teacher
Meet miss Georgia our newest team member who has been with us for over a year now. We literally watched Miss Georgia grow up at festivals and then she went on to Bird College to study Musical Theatre. Miss Georgia has also worked professionally for many years and has now taken on the role of our Musical Theatre Teacher and singing coach as well as teaching middle school and festival work. Miss Georgia loves Musical Theatre and her classes are high energy and very creative working on repertoire as well as own device work. Her singing coaching is fresh and current with pop training as well as MT preparing students for auditions
Amy Wilcock BSC, PGCE. L4 IDTA
Teacher
Amy has trained in all styles of dance since the age of 3, completing all IDTA and RAD grades to a high level and attending numerous intensives and summer schools as a child.
After training further at Loughborough University, gaining her teaching qualifications, and performing in a range of shows and events, Amy now works as both a dancer and dance teacher, specialising in Jazz, Ballet and Contemporary. Amy has also been invited to judge competitions and deliver workshops all over the country.
Charlotte BA
Teacher
Charlotte started dancing at elite age 2. With her sister in our branch in Longdon. She undertook her BTEC L3 Diploma in Performing Arts before leaving us at 18 to train at Urdang. She then continued her dance teacher exams along side her professional career where she is still performing. Charlotte came off a 10 month cruise contract recently and has worked in other productions too. Charlotte loves her horses and is also an outstanding show jumper and cross country eventer! Miss Charlotte teaches all aspects and we are always so pleased to have her back with us in between contracts