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 and Norway such as The Royal Albert Hall at the BBC Dance Proms, 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.
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!
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!
Izzy O’Connelley
Izzy teaches Drama every Wednesday at Wentworth Primary 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.
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.