Our Teachers 

EKB Performing Arts pride themselves in providing top quality teachers who are professionals in their field. Please see teachers below and which schools you can find them at!

Emily Bucknall - Principal 

EKB Performing Arts is run by Emily Bucknall who has been a professional performer and teacher for the past 8 years.

Emily attended Bird College, one of the top conservatoires for dance & musical theatre in the country and upon graduating, has performed as a professional dancer across the UK & Europe.

Emily has had some wonderful performance opportunities across TV, Film and Theatre and can be seen in Call The Midwife, Made in Chelsea and as a dancer for Brooks&Baker.
Having performed at some of the greatest venues in London, Germany, Norway and Sweden, Emily has a wealth of experiences to share with the children.

Alongside performing, Emily created EKB Performing Arts with the vision of inspiring and nurturing children that have an interest in the arts to pursue their dreams and work on their talents.

Whilst teaching, Emily has entered numerous students for their RAD Ballet exams (100% pass rate and 90% distinction rate) and choreographed and directed musicals across the UK, Germany and Sweden to large scale and small scale audiences.

Emily teaches all styles of dance, having trained and passed exams in all styles up to Advanced 1 level. 

With plenty to offer and lots of experience and knowledge to share, Emily’s main passion is providing a fun, safe environment for children to learn and achieve within their classes and find progression in their chosen style.

Saturday Teachers 

Mariafrida Bonsignori - Saturday Morning Manager & Ballet Teacher 

Mariafrida began her ballet training at the age of six and has been dedicated to the discipline ever since. After years of intensive study, she earned her Ballet Professional and Choreographer Certification in Italy, grounding her practice in strong classical technique, musicality, and a deep understanding of movement.

Alongside her teaching, she has built a professional career as both a dancer and actress, performing in a variety of productions that strengthened her stage presence, versatility, and artistry.

With over 15 years of experience, she blends her technical knowledge with her performance background to create classes that are both precise and inspiring. She is passionate about helping young dancers develop clean technique, body awareness, and expressive confidence — skills that translate beautifully onto the stage and into everyday life.

Teaching children is one of her greatest joys. She aims to build a supportive, encouraging environment where students feel safe to explore, improve, and discover what they are capable of. Whether guiding beginners through their first positions or supporting more experienced students in refining their artistry, she is committed to nurturing each child’s growth with patience and enthusiasm.

Looking forward to joining EKB Performing Arts, Mariafrida is excited to support students on their dance journey, contribute to a vibrant and creative community, and share her passion for ballet with dancers eager to learn, grow, and shine.

Lily Walker - Street Dance Teacher 

Lily is currently training at Bird College.

I have been dancing and performing since the age of 3, and I have just fallen in love with it.

I have been in the dance studio since 2 weeks old due to my mum owning a dance school and since then I have none stopped danced and taught there from a young age. That passion for teaching is only growing as I complete my professional training.

I am super excited to be joining the team as the Saturday morning Street Dance teacher as I strive to make it the most exciting place to be able to work and learn in. 

I want it to be a place where the children can all grow, express themselves and build up their confidence. 

I can’t wait to work with each and everyone of you to help you to feel inspired and in return inspire myself.

I have taught an array of classes such as street, ballet, tap, jazz and so many more. 

Lily is a versatile and dynamic dancer with a great imagination for choreography - the children are so lucky to be learning from someone so fresh in the industry. 

School Club Teachers

Behind every service we provide is a dedicated team of professionals, each bringing their unique expertise and enthusiasm to our business.

Lottie Snowden

Lottie teaches Acro Gymnastics every Friday at Manor Community Primary School. 

 

Lottie is a graduate from Performers College, where she gained her degree in Musical Theatre and Dance. Since the age of 4, she has always enjoyed dancing and performing, and her passion continues to grow as she develops her professional career as a performer. She has performed for pop star Becky Hill at the UEFA Women’s Final in 2022, and has been dance captain and assistant choreographer for 3 consecutive years at the Parkwood Theatre Pantomime’s.

Lottie loves to teach and work with children. She strives to create a space where children can express themselves, build confidence and discover their own hidden talents.  She has taught an array of classes, such as ballet, musical theatre, acro/gymnastics, and even adult Zumba!

Lottie can’t wait to meet all the lovely students at EKB Performing Arts!

Leila Hudaverdi

Leila teaches Acro Gymnastics & Street Dance every Thursday at Cecil Road Primary & Nursery School. 

 

I am a current 3rd year Degree student at The Urdang in London and previously trained at The Miskin Theatre in Dartford for 2 years gaining a Level 3 Extended Diploma.

I have been dancing for 18 years in styles ranging from jazz, contemporary, tap, ballet, commercial and acro and have had a love and passion for all things performance and theatre since starting dance at 2 years old!

Aswell as being a student, I also dance for many corporate entertainment agencies taking part in flash mobs, music festivals and providing shows for high profile company events.

Alongside my own performing career, I am super excited to teach at EKB and pass on valuable knowledge and skills from my 5 years of professional training in dance and musical theatre, onto the next generation of young performers.

Shana Fitzgerald 

Shana teaches Acro Gymnastics every Friday at Manor Community Primary School. 

 

My name is Shana Fitzgerald, I am 19 years old and I have been dancing since I was 2.

I trained at Stars Dance Academy as well as taking extra ballet training at North West Dance Studios. I attended The Hammond associates for 5 years and attended The Hammond preparatory school for my final year of primary school. I also was apart of the INSPIRO company that Dane Bates created for 3 years.

I then went on to train at Liverpool Central Studios where I had the chance to perform at Move It. I completed my Level 5 Diploma there with a high distinction.

I am now currently in my second year of training at Bird College on the BA Hons degree course.

I have taught at Stars Dance Academy for the past 4 years but unfortunately had to leave as I began my journey at Bird College.

I look foward to starting my new journey with EKB Performing Arts!

Izzy O'Connelly

Izzy teaches Drama every Wednesday at Wentworth Primary school and Musical Theatre every Monday at Cecil Road Primary & Nursery School. 

 

I’m a versatile performer and storyteller from Hartlepool but lived in London for 4 years with a BA (Hons) in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre from Bird College.

As an autistic artist, I’m passionate about bringing authenticity, creativity, and connection to everything I do. My recent work includes playing Erin in I’m Autistic (workshop) and performing in SYNERGY (R&D and Birmingham Weekender).

I love exploring new ways to tell stories through dance, music, and theatre — celebrating individuality and emotion in every performance.

Rachel Carr

Rachel teaches Musical Theatre every Monday at Manor Community Primary School and Acro Gymnastics every Friday at Cherry Orchard Primary School. 

 

Rachel is so excited to join our team here at EKB Performing Arts! 

Rachel has just graduated from The Wilkes Academy, completing 3 years of intense training in Dance & Musical Theatre. Prior to this she spent 2 years training at The Miskin Theatre. 

Rachel is very versatile and dynamic dancer who can’t wait to share her knowledge with the students at EKB Performing Arts. 

 

She is beyond excited to meet you all in the New Year!